Hydraulic mining of oil bearing formation

Claim 1

A method of mining material from oil bearing formations, such as tar sands, wherein said formation is between an overburden of an overlying rock and soil formation and an underlying impervious stratum, by subjecting said formation to high velocity fluid jet streams capable of forming a slurry of said material; and wherein a plurality of spaced-apart tunnels are formed through said impervious stratum adjacent to and below said formation, which comprises: boring upwardly from said tunnels into said formation, a plurality of spaced-apart rows of channels, wherein said rows are spaced apart at a distance less than the effective distance of said jet stream for forming slurry from said material; from a first row of channels, directing into said formation material, high velocity rotating fluid jet streams to form a slurry of said formation material in the jet stream path, wherein the effective distance of adjacent jet streams overlap, so as to form a row of interconnecting cavities; directing said jet streams toward material from areas adjacent to said cavities, so as to continually enlarge said interconnected row of cavities to define a chamber, while initiating rotating jet streams from the next adjacent row of channels, so as to form a receding chamber moving towards said next row of channels, until said formation material and said overburden above a portion of said chamber is no longer supported and caves into a portion of said chamber; continuously removing slurry from said cavities for further processing; and repeating said process from successive rows of channels.

Claim 2

A method of mining material from oil bearing formations, such as tar sands, wherein said formation is between an overburden of an overlying rock and soil formation and an underlying impervious stratum, by subjecting said formation to high velocity fluid jet streams capable of forming a slurry of said material; and wherein a plurality of spaced-apart tunnels are formed through said impervious stratum adjacent to and below said formation, which comprises: boring upwardly from said tunnels into said formation, a plurality of spaced-apart rows of channels, wherein said rows are spaced apart at a distance less than the effective distance of said jet stream for forming slurry from said material; from a first row of channels, directing into said formation material, high velocity rotating fluid jet streams to form a slurry of said formation material in the jet stream path, wherein the effective distance of adjacent jet streams overlap, so as to form a row of interconnecting cavities; directing said jet streams toward material from areas adjacent to said cavities, so as to continually enlarge said interconnected row of cavities to define a chamber, while initiating rotating jet streams from the next adjacent row of channels, so as to form a receding chamber moving towards said next row of channels, until said formation material and said overburden above a portion of said chamber is no longer supported and caves into a portion of said chamber; continuously removing slurry from said cavities for further processing; and repeating said process from successive rows of channels.

Claim 10

A method of mining tar sand, wherein said tar sand is between an overburden of an overlying rock and soil formation and an underlying impervious stratum, by subjecting said tar sand to high velocity jet streams of water or steam capable of forming a slurry of said tar sand; and wherein a plurality of spaced-apart tunnels are formed through said impervious stratum adjacent to and below said tar sand, which comprises: boring upwardly from said tunnels into said tar sand, a plurality of spaced-apart rows of channels, and introducing through said channels into said tar sand, high velocity jet stream sources, wherein the distance between adjacent jet stream sources in successive rows is less than the distance for which said jet streams are effective in slurrying tar sand, from a first row of channels, directing into said tar sand, high velocity substantially horizontally rotating jet streams of water contiguous said impervious stratum to form a slurry of said tar sand in the jet stream path, wherein the area covered by adjacent jet streams overlap, so as to form a row of interconnecting cavities, and wherein tar sand adjacent to said cavities caves into said cavities; directing said jet streams toward said caved-in tar sand, so as to slurry said caved-in tar sand and continually enlarge said interconnected row of cavities to define a chamber, while directing substantially horizontally rotating jet streams contiguous to said impervious stratum from the next adjacent row of channels, until said tar sand and said overburden overlying a portion of said chamber is no longer supported and caves into a portion of said chamber; directing jet streams toward the caved tar sand lying under the caved overburden to slurry said caved tar sand; continuously removing slurry from said cavities for further processing; and repeating said process from successive rows of channels.

Claim 11

A method of mining tar sand, wherein said tar sand is between an overburden of an overlying rock and soil formation and an underlying impervious stratum, by subjecting said tar sand to high velocity jet streams of water or steam capable of forming a slurry of said tar sand; and wherein a plurality of spaced-apart tunnels are formed through said impervious stratum adjacent to and below said tar sand, which comprises: boring upwardly from said tunnels into said tar sand, a plurality of spaced-apart rows of channels, and introducing through said channels into said tar sand, high velocity jet stream sources, wherein the distance between adjacent jet stream sources in successive rows is less than the distance for which said jet streams are effective in slurrying tar sand, from a first row of channels, directing into said tar sand, high velocity substantially horizontally rotating jet streams of water contiguous said impervious stratum to form a slurry of said tar sand in the jet stream path, wherein the area covered by adjacent jet streams overlap, so as to form a row of interconnecting cavities, and wherein tar sand adjacent to said cavities caves into said cavities; directing said jet streams toward said caved-in tar sand, so as to slurry said caved-in tar sand and continually enlarge said interconnected row of cavities to define a chamber, while directing substantially horizontally rotating jet streams contiguous to said impervious stratum from the next adjacent row of channels, until said tar sand and said overburden overlying a portion of said chamber is no longer supported and caves into a portion of said chamber; directing jet streams toward the caved tar sand lying under the caved overburden to slurry said caved tar sand; continuously removing slurry from said cavities for further processing; and repeating said process from successive rows of channels.

Claim 17

A method of mining material from oil bearing formations, such as tar sands, wherein said formation is between an overburden of an overlying rock and soil formation and an underlying impervious stratum, by subjecting said formation to high velocity fluid jet streams capable of forming a slurry of said material; and wherein at least one tunnel is formed through said impervious stratum adjacent to and below said formation, which comprises: boring upwardly from said tunnel into said formation, a plurality of spaced-apart successive channels, wherein said channels are spaced apart at a distance less than twice the effective distance of said jet stream for forming slurry from said material; from a first channel, directing into said formation material, a high velocity rotating fluid jet stream to form a slurry of said formation material in the jet stream path; directing said jet stream toward material from areas adjacent to said cavity, so as to continually enlarge said cavity to define a chamber, while initiating a rotating jet stream from the next channel, so as to form a receding chamber moving towards said next channel, until said formation material and said overburden above a portion of said chamber is no longer supported and caves into a portion of said chamber; continuously removing slurry from said cavities for further processing; and repeating said process from successive channels.

Claim 18

A method of mining material from oil bearing formations, such as tar sands, wherein said formation is between an overburden of an overlying rock and soil formation and an underlying impervious stratum, by subjecting said formation to high velocity fluid jet streams capable of forming a slurry of said material; and wherein at least one tunnel is formed through said impervious stratum adjacent to and below said formation, which comprises: boring upwardly from said tunnel into said formation, a plurality of spaced-apart successive channels, wherein said channels are spaced apart at a distance less than twice the effective distance of said jet stream for forming slurry from said material; from a first channel, directing into said formation material, a high velocity rotating fluid jet stream to form a slurry of said formation material in the jet stream path; directing said jet stream toward material from areas adjacent to said cavity, so as to continually enlarge said cavity to define a chamber, while initiating a rotating jet stream from the next channel, so as to form a receding chamber moving towards said next channel, until said formation material and said overburden above a portion of said chamber is no longer supported and caves into a portion of said chamber; continuously removing slurry from said cavities for further processing; and repeating said process from successive channels.