Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Methods for constructing underground borehole configurations and related solution mining methods
-
Application No.: US14526044Application Date: 2014-10-28
-
Publication No.: US09260918B2Publication Date: 2016-02-16
- Inventor: Roger L. Day , James A. Herickhoff
- Applicant: Sesqui Mining, LLC
- Applicant Address: US CO Fort Collins
- Assignee: Sesqui Mining LLC.
- Current Assignee: Sesqui Mining LLC.
- Current Assignee Address: US CO Fort Collins
- Agency: Sheridan Ross P.C.
- Main IPC: E21B43/00
- IPC: E21B43/00 ; E21B7/00 ; C01D7/00 ; C01D7/12 ; E21B43/28 ; E21B43/30 ; E21B17/00 ; E21B33/12 ; E21B33/13

Abstract:
Disclosed are methods for solution mining of evaporite minerals, such as trona, comprising drilling an access well and at least two lateral boreholes; injecting a fluid; circulating the fluid through the lateral boreholes with a controlled fluid flow; and collecting a pregnant solution. Also disclosed are methods of solution mining that include injecting an aqueous solution into an underground trona cavity at a temperature sufficient to maintain at least a portion of the solution in the cavity in the Wegscheiderite solid phase region; removing aqueous solution from the cavity; and recovering alkaline values from the removed aqueous solution. Also disclosed are methods of solution mining that include injecting an aqueous solution into an underground trona cavity; removing aqueous solution from the cavity, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is at about the TWA point temperature; and recovering alkaline values from the removed aqueous solution.
Public/Granted literature
- US20150083499A1 METHODS FOR CONSTRUCTING UNDERGROUND BOREHOLE CONFIGURATIONS AND RELATED SOLUTION MINING METHODS Public/Granted day:2015-03-26
Information query