Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material – In situ conversion of solid to fluid – Input and output wells
Patent
1976-09-20
1978-09-26
Purser, Ernest R.
Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material
In situ conversion of solid to fluid
Input and output wells
261122, E21C 4328
Patent
active
041164881
ABSTRACT:
An environmentally compatible, industrially safe, and potentially economic means for recovering copper and/or nickel from deep-seated deposits without resorting to extensive underground development. A two-phase ammoniacal leach solution containing oxygen bubbles is forced under high pressure through an injection hole several thousand feet deep into a leaching interval of a deep lying deposit containing copper or nickel or copper and nickel. The two-phase leach solution travels through the leaching interval of the deep lying deposit and is pumped out of withdrawal holes spaced apart from the injection hole.
The two-phase leach solution under high pressure (more than 500 psi) penetrates the deposit through cracks, fissures and fractures, leaching copper and/or nickel along the way. Under a controlled pressure gradient, the leaching solution migrates over a period of time to receiving holes from which the pregnant leaching solution is withdrawn. The pregnant solution is then processed for recovery of copper or nickel or copper and nickel before it is returned to an injection hole.
A method and apparatus for producing the two-phase leach solution and for maintaining a system in which the gas bubbles are able to penetrate the deposit is disclosed.
Also disclosed are various parameters, such as hole spacing techniques, hole completion techniques and stimulation techniques.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3307567 (1967-03-01), Gogarty et al.
patent: 3545731 (1970-12-01), McManus
patent: 3708206 (1973-01-01), Hard et al.
patent: 3958945 (1976-05-01), Takahashi
Davidson Donald H.
Hard Robert A.
Hsueh Limin
Huff Ray V.
Kennecott Copper Corporation
Lorusso Anthony M.
Purser Ernest R.
Sniado John L.
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