Hydraulic borehole mining system and method

Abstract

A hydraulic borehole mining system controlled and operated above-ground includes a high-pressure cutting nozzle that is delivered to an underground resource body through a relatively small diameter borehole. A series of water and air fluid streams at various pressures are delivered to the resource body, and the target resource is disaggregated and/or fluidized and conveyed back to surface via the hydraulic borehole mining pipe which serves as the conveyor of the system. The mining pipe is used to transport a high-pressure stream of combined air and water fluids that have been directed and aligned into laminar flow to a focused water jet cutting head. The central bore of the mining pipe brings the slurrified resource to the surface. The mining pipe transports the slurry via hydraulic airlift, fluid eduction or both.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61 / 891,674, filed on Oct. 16, 2013, entitled “HYDRAULIC BOREHOLE MINING SYSTEM AND METHOD,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present application relates to the field of subterranean hydraulic borehole mining. More specifically, the present invention relates to a new and novel high pressure system and method to perform economic, high production, continuous commercial mining by hydraulic borehole mining within a target ore body either in fully submerged conditions below the water table or at full atmospheric conditions.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In situ hydraulic borehole mining equipment and techniques have been patented in the past for applications that include the mining of uranium, phosphate and heavy oil resource bodies, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,452 issued to Dibble; U.S. Pat. N...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030]All of the elements of this mining system are designed to maximize fluid flow efficiency both down and up the wellbore. This fluid circulation with the air supported laminar hydraulic jet and the return to surface using differential pressure allows a significant reduction in equipment, energy and costs from any past versions of hydraulic borehole mining systems. Minimization of economics and reduction of the operating footprint and personnel prove to define commercial economics in multiple target ore types.

Problems solved by technology

However, as a stand-alone method of lifting, the energy requirements are very high and require that a very high ratio of fluid and pressure be circulated to the bottom of the well bore to educt the disaggregated resource material back to the surface.

A pressure or fluid loss at a connection is intolerable due to the safety risk at high pressures and the need to control jet volumes and consistent delivery pressure at the outlet.

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