Method and apparatus for creating a planar cavern

摘要

Methods and apparatuses for producing a planar cavern are provided. The planar cavern is formed by first creating a continuous bore that extends through a subsurface resource deposit. The drill head used to create the bore can be steered in response to information about the concentration of the resource in the strata through which the drill head is passing, in order to keep the bore within resource deposit. The continuous bore can be formed by connecting first and second bores at a point within the subsurface resource deposit. After the continuous bore has been formed, a sawing assembly is placed within the continuous bore. The sawing assembly is then moved, in a continuous or in a reciprocating fashion, within the continuous bore. As the sawing assembly is moved, it is maintained under tension, to create a planar cavern. By thus exposing a large area of the resource deposit, a relatively large amount of the resource deposit can be dissolved in a solvent introduced to the planar cavern per unit time. Saturated solution can then be pumped from the planar cavern, and the resource recovered from the saturated solution by evaporation.

主权项

1. A method for forming a planar cavern, comprising:
drilling a first bore using a first drill string that includes a first drill head, wherein the first bore extends from a first access point through an overburden; extending the first bore through the overburden to a first resource deposit;
first sensing a concentration of the first resource at or about a location of the first drill head, wherein the first sensing a concentration of the first resource at or about a location of the first drill head includes:introducing a solvent to the first bore, wherein the solvent is a solvent with respect to at least a first material in the first resource deposit;receiving a return flow of the solvent;determining a concentration of the first material in the return flow by analyzing at least a first sample in the return flow of the solvent; steering the first drill head in response to determining a concentration of the first material in the return flow, wherein a direction of the first bore is altered.