Apparatus and method of mining subterranean rubble piles

摘要

Disclosed is a method of solution mining the mineral content of a subterranean cavity containing a rubble pile positioned on the floor thereof and the subterranean cavity communicating with the surface by at least two boreholes, by drilling a liner through a cased borehole into the rubble pile, disconnecting the drill string from the liner, withdrawing the drill string from the borehole, introducing into the borehole a sealing meant to seal the annular space between the liner and the casing, introducing a solvent into the cavity and withdrawing from the cavity a solution enriched in the mineral contained in the rubble.