Solution mining method and apparatus

Claim 1

A method of solution mining a soluble subterranean deposit comprising drilling a borehole into a subterranean deposit, casing said borehole to a depth equivalent to a desired height for a cavity to be developed in said deposit, introducing into said casing a tubing string with a liner rigidly mounted thereon, said tubing string passing through said liner, continuing the introduction of said tubing through the casing and into the soluble deposit to be mined a substantial distance below the end of said casing while maintaining the liner within said casing at one end thereof and a substantial distance below the casing at the other end thereof, providing a fixed distance between the end of tHe tubing and the end of the liner positioned in the deposit, introducing solvent into the deposit through the liner and removing dissolved minerals through the tubing to thereby form a cavity and adjusting the height of the cavity by moving the tubing vertically away from the cavity to thereby move the liner rigidly mounted thereto the same distance that the tubing is moved.

Claim 2

A method of solution mining a soluble subterranean deposit comprising drilling a borehole into a subterranean deposit, casing said borehole to a depth equivalent to a desired height for a cavity to be developed in said deposit, introducing into said casing a tubing string with a liner rigidly mounted thereon, said tubing string passing through said liner, continuing the introduction of said tubing through the casing and into the soluble deposit to be mined a substantial distance below the end of said casing while maintaining the liner within said casing at one end thereof and a substantial distance below the casing at the other end thereof, providing a fixed distance between the end of tHe tubing and the end of the liner positioned in the deposit, introducing solvent into the deposit through the liner and removing dissolved minerals through the tubing to thereby form a cavity and adjusting the height of the cavity by moving the tubing vertically away from the cavity to thereby move the liner rigidly mounted thereto the same distance that the tubing is moved.

Claim 3

A method of initiating cavity development in a solution mining cavity comprising positioning a fluid conduit for influent solvent in a desired location in a soluble deposit, positioning a second conduit for effluent in said soluble deposit at a fixed distance from said influent conduit, said conduits being affixed to each other and one conduit surrounding at least a portion of the other conduit, the ends of both conduits being a fixed distance from each other, introducing solvent through the conduit for influent solvent capable of dissolving said soluble deposit, removing solution from said second conduit, to thereby establish a cavity in said soluble deposit, repositioning both of said conduits when the cavity has reached a predetermined size by raising one of said conduits to thereby increase the height of the roof of said cavity and to thereby raise the other conduit affixed to the one which is raised.

Claim 4

A method of initiating cavity development in a solution mining cavity comprising positioning a fluid conduit for influent solvent in a desired location in a soluble deposit, positioning a second conduit for effluent in said soluble deposit at a fixed distance from said influent conduit, said conduits being affixed to each other and one conduit surrounding at least a portion of the other conduit, the ends of both conduits being a fixed distance from each other, introducing solvent through the conduit for influent solvent capable of dissolving said soluble deposit, removing solution from said second conduit, to thereby establish a cavity in said soluble deposit, repositioning both of said conduits when the cavity has reached a predetermined size by raising one of said conduits to thereby increase the height of the roof of said cavity and to thereby raise the other conduit affixed to the one which is raised.

Claim 5

A method of developing a solution mining cavity in a subterranean mineral deposit comprising boring a hole into said deposit, casing said deposit at a desired height for a solution mining cavity to be developed, introducing through said casing at least two fluid conduits rigidly affixed to each other so that when one conduit is moved in a vertical direction the other conduit must move with it, one of said conduits being circumferentially disposed around at least a part of the other conduit, the lower end of said two conduits being spaced a fixed distance from each other, positioning the lower ends of both conduits a substantial distance below the end of said casing, introducing fluid capable of dissolving the mineral content of the said deposit into the outer conduit and withdrawing product solution from the inner conduit, developing a cavity by dissolution of minerals in a lateral direction to a desired distance, raising both of said conduits simultaneously to a higher level in said deposit while maintaining the distance between their lower ends constant by raising one of the conduits, dissolving further quantities of minerals at the new position of said conduits until the desired mineral content has been removed from said deposit in the new position.

Claim 6

A method of developing a solution mining cavity in a subterranean mineral deposit comprising boring a hole into said deposit, casing said deposit at a desired height for a solution mining cavity to be developed, introducing through said casing at least two fluid conduits rigidly affixed to each other so that when one conduit is moved in a vertical direction the other conduit must move with it, one of said conduits being circumferentially disposed around at least a part of the other conduit, the lower end of said two conduits being spaced a fixed distance from each other, positioning the lower ends of both conduits a substantial distance below the end of said casing, introducing fluid capable of dissolving the mineral content of the said deposit into the outer conduit and withdrawing product solution from the inner conduit, developing a cavity by dissolution of minerals in a lateral direction to a desired distance, raising both of said conduits simultaneously to a higher level in said deposit while maintaining the distance between their lower ends constant by raising one of the conduits, dissolving further quantities of minerals at the new position of said conduits until the desired mineral content has been removed from said deposit in the new position.

Claim 9

A method of solution mining a soluble subterranean deposit comprising drilling a borehole into a subterranean deposit, casing said borehole to a depth equivalent to a desired height for a cavity to be developed in said deposit, introducing into said casing tubing having a liner rigidly affixed thereto so that the liner moves when said tubing moves, the liner and tubing being so arranged in fixed relationship that the lower ends of each terminate at a fixed distance from each other thereby providing a vertical mining height between their ends, passing the said tubing through the said casing and into the soluble deposit while maintaining at least a portion of the attached liner within said casing, introducing solvent for the minerals in said dePosit into the liner and removing dissolved minerals through said tubing.

Claim 10

A method of solution mining a soluble subterranean deposit comprising drilling a borehole into a subterranean deposit, casing said borehole to a depth equivalent to a desired height for a cavity to be developed in said deposit, introducing into said casing tubing having a liner rigidly affixed thereto so that the liner moves when said tubing moves, the liner and tubing being so arranged in fixed relationship that the lower ends of each terminate at a fixed distance from each other thereby providing a vertical mining height between their ends, passing the said tubing through the said casing and into the soluble deposit while maintaining at least a portion of the attached liner within said casing, introducing solvent for the minerals in said dePosit into the liner and removing dissolved minerals through said tubing.

Claim 11

A method of solution mining a KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit positioned above a KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, comprising providing a borehole through said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit and into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, casing said borehole to at least the upper portion of said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, introducing through said casing a tube having rigidly mounted thereto a liner defining a conduit between its inner wall and the outer wall of said tube, the tube and liner being so arranged in their mounting relationship that the end of the tube is a fixed vertical distance below the end of said liner, positioning the ends of the tube and liner in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while maintaining a portion of the liner within said casing, introducing solvent into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit through said liner and removing solution through said tube to thereby form a cavity in the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, developing said cavity to a desired lateral distance, moving said tube and thereby moving its associated liner upwardly when the cavity has developed the desired lateral distance, continuing dissolution of the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while the tube and liner are in their new position to a desired lateral distance, and continuing the raising of the tube and liner and lateral cavity development in this manner until the end of the tube is positioned within the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit.

Claim 12

A method of solution mining a KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit positioned above a KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, comprising providing a borehole through said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit and into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, casing said borehole to at least the upper portion of said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, introducing through said casing a tube having rigidly mounted thereto a liner defining a conduit between its inner wall and the outer wall of said tube, the tube and liner being so arranged in their mounting relationship that the end of the tube is a fixed vertical distance below the end of said liner, positioning the ends of the tube and liner in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while maintaining a portion of the liner within said casing, introducing solvent into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit through said liner and removing solution through said tube to thereby form a cavity in the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, developing said cavity to a desired lateral distance, moving said tube and thereby moving its associated liner upwardly when the cavity has developed the desired lateral distance, continuing dissolution of the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while the tube and liner are in their new position to a desired lateral distance, and continuing the raising of the tube and liner and lateral cavity development in this manner until the end of the tube is positioned within the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit.

Claim 13

A method of solution mining KCl from a KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit located above a KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit comprising drilling a borehole through said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit and into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, casing said borehole to a point near the upper surface of said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, passing a tube having a liner fixedly attached thereto through the cased borehole a sufficient distance to thereby position the lower ends of both the tube and the associated liner in the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while positioning the upper end of the liner inside the casing, the tube and liner being so arranged that the end of the tube is positioned below the end of the liner in said deposit a fixed distance, introducing a solvent suitable for dissolution of the mineral content of said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit through the liner to thereby dissolve the minerals in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, withdrawing dissolved minerals through said tube, laterally developing a cavity in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit to a desired degree, increasing the height of the cavity so developed by raising the tube vertically in increments and thereby raising its associated liner the same increments to thereby ultimately extend the cavity into said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, and recovering the mineral content of the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit as a solution through said tube.

Claim 14

A method of solution mining KCl from a KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit located above a KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit comprising drilling a borehole through said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit and into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, casing said borehole to a point near the upper surface of said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, passing a tube having a liner fixedly attached thereto through the cased borehole a sufficient distance to thereby position the lower ends of both the tube and the associated liner in the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while positioning the upper end of the liner inside the casing, the tube and liner being so arranged that the end of the tube is positioned below the end of the liner in said deposit a fixed distance, introducing a solvent suitable for dissolution of the mineral content of said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit through the liner to thereby dissolve the minerals in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, withdrawing dissolved minerals through said tube, laterally developing a cavity in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit to a desired degree, increasing the height of the cavity so developed by raising the tube vertically in increments and thereby raising its associated liner the same increments to thereby ultimately extend the cavity into said KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, and recovering the mineral content of the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit as a solution through said tube.

Claim 18

A method of solution mining KCl from a KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit positioned above a KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit wherein a first cavity is positioned adjacent said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit comprising drilling a borehole into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit adjacent to said first cavity, casing the borehole to at least the top of the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, passing a tube having a liner fixedly mounted thereto and around said tube through said borehole a sufficient distAnce to position the lower ends of both the tube and the liner in the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while maintaining the upper end of the liner inside of said casing, the tube and liner being so arranged that their lower ends are spaced apart from each other a fixed distance, introducing solvent suitable for dissolution of the mineral content of said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit through the liner to thereby dissolve the minerals in said deposit, withdrawing dissolved minerals through said tube, laterally developing a cavity in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit until the cavity being developed communicates with said first cavity, withdrawing dissolved minerals from said first cavity when the cavity being developed communicates therewith while using the cavity being developed as an injection cavity for solvent, periodically raising the tube and thereby raising the associated liner in the cavity being developed a fixed distance to increase the height of the said injection cavity, continuing the dissolution of the mineral content of the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, continuing periodic raising of the tube and thereby the liner until the ends of the tube and liner are in the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit and dissolving the mineral content of the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit.

Claim 19

A method of solution mining KCl from a KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit positioned above a KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit wherein a first cavity is positioned adjacent said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit comprising drilling a borehole into said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit adjacent to said first cavity, casing the borehole to at least the top of the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit, passing a tube having a liner fixedly mounted thereto and around said tube through said borehole a sufficient distAnce to position the lower ends of both the tube and the liner in the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit while maintaining the upper end of the liner inside of said casing, the tube and liner being so arranged that their lower ends are spaced apart from each other a fixed distance, introducing solvent suitable for dissolution of the mineral content of said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit through the liner to thereby dissolve the minerals in said deposit, withdrawing dissolved minerals through said tube, laterally developing a cavity in said KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit until the cavity being developed communicates with said first cavity, withdrawing dissolved minerals from said first cavity when the cavity being developed communicates therewith while using the cavity being developed as an injection cavity for solvent, periodically raising the tube and thereby raising the associated liner in the cavity being developed a fixed distance to increase the height of the said injection cavity, continuing the dissolution of the mineral content of the KCl lean-NaCl rich deposit, continuing periodic raising of the tube and thereby the liner until the ends of the tube and liner are in the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit and dissolving the mineral content of the KCl rich-NaCl lean deposit.