Method and system for underground treatment of materials
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising:
- providing an injection pattern and a recovery pattern, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern coupled to a common bore and located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a main bore;
injecting a treatment solution through the injection pattern;
recovering the treatment solution through the recovery pattern; and
selectively preventing flow of the treatment solution through a point within one or more of the injection pattern, recovery pattern or common bore using at least one packer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for underground treatment of subsurface materials comprises providing an injection pattern and a recovery pattern, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a main bore. A treatment solution is injected through the injection pattern and recovered through the recovery pattern.
377 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising:
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providing an injection pattern and a recovery pattern, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern coupled to a common bore and located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a main bore;
injecting a treatment solution through the injection pattern;
recovering the treatment solution through the recovery pattern; and
selectively preventing flow of the treatment solution through a point within one or more of the injection pattern, recovery pattern or common bore using at least one packer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising;
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providing an injection pattern and a recovery pattern, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern coupled to a common bore and located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a horizontal bore;
injecting a treatment solution through the injection pattern;
recovering the treatment solution through the recovery pattern; and
wherein at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprise a pinnate pattern. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising;
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an injection pattern and a recovery pattern, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern coupled to a common bore and located proximate to a subsurface tretment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a horizontal bore;
injecting a treatment solution through the injection pattern;
recovering a treatment solution through the recovery pattern; and
wherein the subsurface treatment zone comprises a zone of contamination.
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9. A method for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising;
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an injection pattern and a recovery pattern coupled to a common bore, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a horizontal bore;
a treatment solution, the treatment solution operable to be injected through the injection pattern and recovered through the recovery pattern; and
wherein the underground resource comprises a precious metal deposit.
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10. A system comprising:
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an injection pattern and a recovery pattern coulded to a common bore, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a horizontal bore;
a treatment solution, the treatment solution operable to be injected through the injection pattern and recovered through the recovery pattern; and
a packer operable to selectively prevent flow of the treatment solution through a point within one or more of the injection pattern, recovery pattern or common bore. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising;
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an injection pattern and a recovery pattern coupled to a common bore, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a horizontal bore;
a treatment solution, the treatment solution operable to be injected through the injection pattern and recovered through the recovery pattern; and
wherein at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprise a pinnate pattern. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A system for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising:
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an injection pattern and a recovery pattern coupled to a common bore, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a horizontal bore;
a treatment solution, the treatment solution operable to be injected through the injection pattern and recovered through the recovery pattern; and
wherein the subsurface treatment zone comprises a zone of contamination.
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18. A system for underground treatment of subsurface materials, comprising:
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an injection pattern and a recovery pattern coupled to a common bore, the injection pattern and the recovery pattern located proximate to a subsurface treatment zone and at least one of the injection pattern and the recovery pattern comprising a plurality of lateral bores extending from a horizontal bore;
a treatment solution, the treatment solution operable to be injected through the injection pattern and recovered through the recovery pattern;
wherein the subsurface treatment zone comprises an underground resource; and
wherein the underground resource comprises a precious metal desposit.
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19. A method for underground treatment of subsurface minerals, comprising:
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injecting treatment solution through a horizontal injection bore, the horizontal injection bore being drilled from a first well bore extending from above the horizontal injection bore;
recovering the treatment solution through a horizontal recovery bore vertically offset from the horizontal injection bore, the horizontal recovery bore being drilled from the first well bore;
injecting a second treatment solution through a second horizontal injection bore; and
recovering the second treatment solution through the horizontal recovery bore. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A method for underground treatment of subsurface minerals, comprising:
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injecting a treatment solution into an underground treatment zone;
collecting the treatment solution from the underground treatment zone in an enlarged cavity coupled to a recovery bore, wherein at least a portion of the enlarged cavity is below the underground treatment zone; and
recovery treatment solution from the cavity with a rod pump extending down a borehole in communication with the recovery bore and horizontally offset from the common bore. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for underground treatment of subsurface minerals, comprising:
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injecting a treatment solution into an underground treatment zone;
collecting the treatment solution from the underground treatment zone in an enlarged cavity coupled to a recovery bore, wherein at least a portion of the enlarged cavity is below the underground treatment zone;
wherein injecting a treatment solution into an underground formation comprises injecting the treatment solution through an injection bore, the injection bore and the recovery bore in communication with a common bore, and concurrently blocking flow from the common bore into to the recovery bore; and
wherein blocking flow into the recovery bore comprises blocking flow with at least one of a packer or a valve in the common bore.
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27. A method for underground treatment of subsurface minerals, comprising:
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injecting a treatment solution into an underground treatment zone;
collecting the treatment solution from the underground treatment zone in an enlarged cavity coupled to a recovery bore, wherein at least a portion of the enlarged cavity is below the underground treatment zone;
wherein injecting a treatment solution into an underground formation comprises injecting the treatment solution through an injection bore, the injection bore and the recovery bore in communication with a common bore, and concurrently blocking flow from the common bore into to the recovery bore;
recovering the treatment solution through the recovery bore and concurrently blocking flow from the common bore into the injection bore; and
wherein blocking flow into the injection bore comprises blocking flow with at least one of a packer or a valve in the injection bore.
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28. A method for underground treatment of subsurface minerals, comprising:
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injecting a treatment solution into an underground treatment zone;
collecting the treatment solution from the underground treatment zone in an enlarged cavity coupled to a recovery bore, wherein at least a portion of the enlarged cavity is below the underground treatment zone;
wherein injecting a treatment solution into an underground formation comprises injecting the treatment solution through an injection bore, the injection bore and the recovery bore in communication with a common bore, and concurrently blocking flow from the common bore into to the recovery bore; and
recovering treatment solution from the cavity with a rod pump extending down the common bore.
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29. A method for underground treatment of subsurface minerals, comprising:
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injecting a treatment solution into an underground treatment zone;
collecting the treatment solution from the underground treatment zone in an enlarged cavity coupled to a recovery bore, wherein at least a portion of the enlarged cavity is below the underground treatment zone; and
wherein injecting a treatment solution into an underground treatment zone comprises injecting a first treatment solution through a first injection bore and injecting a second treatment solution through a second injection bore. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A method for underground treatment of subsurface minerals, comprising:
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injecting a treatment solution into an underground treatment zone;
collecting the treatment solution from the underground treatment zone in an enlarged cavity coupled to a recovery bore, wherein at least a portion of the enlarged cavity is below the underground treatment zone; and
wherein concurrently blocking flow from the common bore into the recovery bore comprises inserting a body into the common bore above the recovery bore, the body adapted to substantially block passage of fluids through the common bore past the body to the recovery bore; and
further comprising aligning a lateral inlet of the body with the recovery bore to allow passage of fluids from the recovery bore to an outlet of the body and moving the inlet out of alignment with the recovery bore to substantially block passage of fliuds from the recovery bore to the outlet of the body.
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32. A system for underground treatment of a zone, comprising:
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a horizontal well bore, the horizontal well bore including a plurality of cavities; and
a flow control device positioned in the horizontal well bore and adapted to substantially block flow along a length of the horizontal well bore; and
a rod pump extending down a boreble including one of the cavities of the horizontal bore. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification