Single well-multiple cavity solution mining of an inclined structure

Claim 1

A method of solution mining a bed of soluble ore disposed in sloping subterranean strata disposed beneath an insoluble stratum by developing contemporaneous multiple cavities through the same borehole which comprises the steps of: (a) establishing a borehole generally along the formation strike, directionally drilled to a nearly horizontal attitude for a determined distance in the soluble zone just below the ore zone of interest; (b) injecting solvent into prortions of said horizontal borehole through the annular tubing spaces in such a manner that two or more chimneys will be developed in the soluble zone below the ore zone of interest, exposing said ore zone of said solvent; (c) injecting solvent into said annular tubing spaces in said borehole in such a manner that the solvent will be directed in an updip direction beneath said insoluble zone and within said ore zone to develop cavities with mining faces remote from said borehole; (d) withdrawing solvent with dissolved ore through said borehole at a sump area; (e) adjusting such withdrawal to provide for down flow of the solvent across said mining faces and downwardly in a downdip direction along the floors of said cavities to said exit point at a rate sufficient to extract said ore stratum without appreciable mining of vertically adjacent strata; and, (f) developing additional cavities along the nearly horizontal portion of said borehole, as space permits and as previous solution mining cavities are depleted.

Claim 2

A method of solution mining a bed of soluble ore disposed in sloping subterranean strata disposed beneath an insoluble stratum by developing contemporaneous multiple cavities through the same borehole which comprises the steps of: (a) establishing a borehole generally along the formation strike, directionally drilled to a nearly horizontal attitude for a determined distance in the soluble zone just below the ore zone of interest; (b) injecting solvent into prortions of said horizontal borehole through the annular tubing spaces in such a manner that two or more chimneys will be developed in the soluble zone below the ore zone of interest, exposing said ore zone of said solvent; (c) injecting solvent into said annular tubing spaces in said borehole in such a manner that the solvent will be directed in an updip direction beneath said insoluble zone and within said ore zone to develop cavities with mining faces remote from said borehole; (d) withdrawing solvent with dissolved ore through said borehole at a sump area; (e) adjusting such withdrawal to provide for down flow of the solvent across said mining faces and downwardly in a downdip direction along the floors of said cavities to said exit point at a rate sufficient to extract said ore stratum without appreciable mining of vertically adjacent strata; and, (f) developing additional cavities along the nearly horizontal portion of said borehole, as space permits and as previous solution mining cavities are depleted.