Methods for constructing underground borehole configurations and related solution mining methods
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
C01D-007/12
C01D-007/00
출원번호
UP-0206659
(2005-08-17)
등록번호
US-7611208
(2009-11-16)
발명자
/ 주소
Day, Roger L.
Herickhoff, James A.
출원인 / 주소
Sesqui Mining, LLC
대리인 / 주소
Sheridan Ross P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
13인용 특허 :
40
초록▼
Disclosed are methods for solution mining of evaporite minerals, such as trona, comprising drilling an access well and at least two lateral boreholes; injecting a fluid; circulating the fluid through the lateral boreholes with a controlled fluid flow; and collecting a pregnant solution. Also disclo
Disclosed are methods for solution mining of evaporite minerals, such as trona, comprising drilling an access well and at least two lateral boreholes; injecting a fluid; circulating the fluid through the lateral boreholes with a controlled fluid flow; and collecting a pregnant solution. Also disclosed are methods of solution mining that include injecting an aqueous solution into an underground trona cavity at a temperature sufficient to maintain at least a portion of the solution in the cavity in the Wegscheiderite solid phase region; removing aqueous solution from the cavity; and recovering alkaline values from the removed aqueous solution. Also disclosed are methods of solution mining that include injecting an aqueous solution into an underground trona cavity; removing aqueous solution from the cavity, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is at about the TWA point temperature; and recovering alkaline values from the removed aqueous solution.
대표청구항▼
We claim: 1. A method of solution mining of trona, comprising: a. injecting an aqueous solution into an underground cavity comprising trona to dissolve the trona; b. removing aqueous solution from the cavity, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is at about the TWA point temperat
We claim: 1. A method of solution mining of trona, comprising: a. injecting an aqueous solution into an underground cavity comprising trona to dissolve the trona; b. removing aqueous solution from the cavity, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is at about the TWA point temperature in the range of 90° C. to 145° C.; and c. recovering alkaline values from the removed aqueous solution, wherein the aqueous solution comprises condensed steam produced by evaporation of water from a solution to produce sodium products. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sodium products are selected from the group consisting of sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate monohydrate and anhydrous sodium carbonate. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of recovering comprises recovering sodium carbonate monohydrate by evaporating water from the removed aqueous solution to produce steam and condensing the steam. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the condensed steam in the aqueous solution is the steam condensed by the step of recovering. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the removed solution is enriched in NaHCO3 and Na2CO3. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the removed solution is treated to form sodium bicarbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium carbonate monohydrate and anhydrous sodium carbonate. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the removed solution is treated to form sodium bicarbonate by carbonating the removed solution. 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the removed solution is treated to form sodium sesquicarbonate. 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of treating comprises a step selected from the group consisting of cooling, evaporative crystallization and combinations thereof. 10. The method of claim 6, further comprising recovering sodium carbonate monohydrate from the removed solution after the removed solution is treated. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a step prior to recovering sodium carbonate monohydrate selected from the group consisting of fortification, steam stripping, evaporation, hydroxide process and sodium carbonate decahydrate process. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing Ca(OH)2 to the aqueous solution, whereby CaCO3 is formed and settles from the aqueous solution in the cavity. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising introducing Ca(OH)2 to the removed aqueous solution, whereby CaCO3 is formed and settles from the aqueous solution. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising introducing the CaCO3 into an underground cavity. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein during the dissolution of trona, Wegscheiderite and/or nahcolite are precipitated from the mining solution in the cavity and wherein the method is conducted until the cavity becomes effectively depleted of trona, further comprising: a. injecting an aqueous solution in the cavity comprising precipitated Wegscheiderite and/or nahcolite to dissolve the Wegscheiderite and/or nahcolite; b. removing aqueous solution from the cavity; and c. recovering alkaline values from the removed aqueous solution. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is above the temperature at which sodium decahydrate can exist. 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is within the Wegscheiderite solid phase region. 18. The method of c1aim 1, wherein the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate concentrations in the removed aqueous solution are at greater than about 75% of maximum solubility. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate concentrations in the removed aqueous solution are at greater than about 80% of maximum solubility. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate concentrations in the removed aqueous solution are at greater than about 85% of maximum solubility. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate concentrations in the removed aqueous solution are at greater than about 90% of maximum solubility. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate concentrations in the removed aqueous solution are at greater than about 95% of maximum solubility. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate concentrations in the removed aqueous solution are at greater than about 99% of maximum solubility. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is in the range of about 115° C. to about 120° C. 25. The method of c1aim 1, wherein the temperature of the removed aqueous solution is in the range of about 110° C. to about 145° C.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (40)
Copenhafer, William C.; Neuman, Thomas H., Bicarbonate conversion in a carbonate monohydrate process.
Copenhafer William C. (Yardley PA) Rauh Francis (Plainsboro NJ), Enhanced recovery of sodium carbonate from NaCl-containing sodium carbonate solutions.
Delling David R. (Taos NM) Zolotoochin Vladimir M. (The Woodlands TX) Coustry Francis M. (Houston TX) Green Kevin L. (Green River WY), Method for recovery of alkali values from trona using sequential crystallization.
Copenhafer William C. (Yardley PA) Smith David E. (Princeton NJ) Niedringhaus Gerald F. (Rock Springs WY), Process for producing sodium salts from brines of sodium ores.
Chlanda Frederick P. (Rockaway NJ) Mani Krishnamurthy N. (Denville NJ), Process for recovering sodium carbonate from trona and other mixtures of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate.
Ramey, Max E.; McEwan, John S.; Green, Kevin L.; Yates, Charles L.; Turner, Allan L.; Rockendal, Michael A.; Nielsen, Irvin P.; Hardy, Michael P.; Goodrich, Rex, Sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate production from nahcolitic oil shale.
Ramey, Max E.; McEwan, John S.; Green, Kevin L.; Yates, Charles L.; Turner, Allan L.; Rockendal, Michael A.; Nielsen, Irvin P.; Hardy, Michael P.; Goodrich, Rex, Sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate production from nahcolitic oil shale.
Copenhafer William C. (Yardley PA) Pfeffer ; III Henry A. (Mercerville NJ), Solution mining of trona or nahcolite ore with electrodialytically-produced aqueous sodium hydroxide.
Hughes, Ronald O.; Paperini, Matteo; Cuche, Herve; Vendetti, Joseph A.; Refsdal, Larry C.; Detournay, Jean-Paul; Hansen, David M.; Brichacek, Todd; Patterson, Justin T.; Kolesar, John; Schmidt, Ryan; Ortego, Beatrice C., Multi-well solution mining exploitation of an evaporite mineral stratum.
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