In-situ mining method and apparatus

Mining or in situ disintegration of hard material – In situ conversion of solid to fluid – Input and output wells

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

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the leaching solution migrates over a period of time to receiving holes from which the pregnant leaching solution is withdrawn.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

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

In-situ mining method and apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with In-situ mining method and apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and In-situ mining method and apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2085200

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.