Hydraulic mining method
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsLester H. Huffman, Gerald S. Knoke
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Abstract
A method of hydraulically mining an underground pitched mineral vein comprising drilling a vertical borehole through the earth's lithosphere into the vein and drilling a slant borehole along the footwall of the vein to intersect the vertical borehole. Material is removed from the mineral vein by directing a high pressure water jet thereagainst. The resulting slurry of mineral fragments and water flows along the slant borehole into the lower end of the vertical borehole from where it is pumped upwardly through the vertical borehole to the surface.
Claims9
A method of hydraulically mining an underground pitched mineral vein extending downwardly at an angle into the earth's lithosphere comprising:
- drilling a vertical borehole extending from the ground surface to a depth adjacent the footwall of said mineral vein, forming an enlarged diameter sump cavity at the lower end of said vertical borehole, drilling a slant borehole from said ground surface and along said footwall to intersect the lower end of said vertical borehole, removing material from said mineral vein by directing a fluid jet stream thereagainst, said removed material forming with said water a slurry flowing down said footwall into said sump cavity, and pumping said slurry upwardly through said vertical borehole to the ground surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.