Subterranean Drilling for Solution Mining Ore Deposits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solution mining methods require costly surface-initiated well drilling and may lead to environmental disturbances, regulatory challenges, and inefficiencies in recovering subterranean mineral ore deposits, particularly in deep locations.
Innovation Solution
The method involves drilling a connective borehole underground from a mechanically-worked mine to a remote mineral ore deposit, using an impermeable layer as a barrier to prevent solvent migration, allowing for in-situ solution mining without the need for surface wells, thus reducing costs and environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If surface-initiated well drilling is used for solution mining, then the mining solvent can be injected into deep subterranean ore deposits, but the drilling costs and environmental disturbances increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from surface-level drilling (vertical dimension) to underground-level drilling (horizontal dimension within the subsurface). By initiating boreholes from an existing underground mine instead of from the surface, the system changes the spatial dimension of the drilling operation, thereby avoiding the high costs and environmental impacts associated with deep surface drilling while maintaining the capability to access deep ore deposits.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing underground mine infrastructure serves dual purposes: it provides both mechanical mining capabilities and serves as the starting point for solution mining operations. The mine's existing shafts, tunnels, and support structures are utilized to house drilling equipment and provide access to the ore deposit, eliminating the need for separate surface drilling infrastructure and reducing overall system complexity and cost.
2Productivity
If conventional solution mining with separate injection and withdrawal wells is implemented, then mineral recovery is achieved, but the device complexity and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of drilling initiation, solvent injection, and solution withdrawal into a single integrated system located within the underground mine. Instead of maintaining separate surface injection wells and withdrawal wells, the system merges these operations by using the mine's existing infrastructure for both solvent delivery and mineral-laden solution recovery, thereby reducing infrastructure complexity while maintaining recovery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The underground mine infrastructure is designed to serve multiple functions: it supports mechanical mining operations, provides access for drilling equipment, serves as the location for solvent injection, and facilitates the withdrawal of mining solutions. This multi-functional use of the same infrastructure reduces the need for additional specialized structures and simplifies the overall system.
3Length of stationary object
If surface drilling is used to reach deep ore deposits, then access to remote deposits is achieved, but the drilling distance and time requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existence of the underground mine provides a pre-established access point to the subsurface, eliminating the need to drill from the surface. The mine shafts and tunnels have already been constructed to reach the ore-bearing strata, so the solution mining operation can begin immediately from this existing access point without the time-consuming process of creating new deep boreholes from the surface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies drilling, reduces operational costs, minimizes environmental disturbance, and streamlines regulatory approvals by leveraging existing mining infrastructure, enabling efficient recovery of subterranean mineral ores with improved safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The soluble mineral in the underground ore deposit is solubilized with a suitable mining solvent injected via an injection well drilled from the surface down to the underground ore deposit
Implementation Method 2
passage of the drilled borehole through an impermeable layer adjacent to the mineral ore bed to be solution mined and then into the mineral ore bed region to be solution mined
Data Source
AI summary
A method of solution mining a subterranean mineral ore deposit such as trona ore in which a borehole is drilled from a subterranean mechanically-worked mineral ore mining operation to connect a mineral ore bed to be solution mined, using subterranean drilling apparatus located proximate to the mechanically-worked mineral ore mining operation. The mineral ore bed is isolated from the mechanically-worked mineral ore mining operation by passage of the drilled borehole through an impermeable layer adjacent to the mineral ore bed to be solution mined. The mineral ore bed is then solution-mined using a mining solvent introduced into the mineral ore bed to solubilize the mineral and form a mining solution, and the resulting mining solution is withdrawn from the mineral ore bed.