Borehole Mining System and Methods Using Sonic-Pulsed Jetting Excavation and Eductor Slurry Recovery Apparatus

Abstract

A borehole subsurface mining system and methods for generating sonically pulsed hydraulic jets for subsurface excavation and slurry extraction, combining modulated oscillating energy at relatively low frequencies produced from a sonic drill head of working sonic core drilling rigs in combination with energy and water flow from a pressurized pumping system, to perform pulsed jet slurry mining of underground resource deposits through at least one partially cased subterranean borehole using a sonic drill head member and rod string members in relation to which the attached inventive pulsed jetting apparatus and methods operate. The system design and methods includes an adaptably attachable, sectional, tubular combination apparatus assembly with at least one casing member in general axial alignment comprised of sonic rod, jetting educator coupling, transition rod, jetting sub-coupling and jetting shoe rock bit members. Also includes methods for sump heavy concentrate core barrel extraction and for optimizing high density slurry extraction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly intended to be used with a commercial sonic drill rig with movable tower attachments for subterranean modulated low-frequency (equal to or less than 300 Hz) for sonically pulsed jet borehole mining having a sonic drill head, wherein the sonic drill head can be securely attached to a relatively elastic sonic rod, to which the system is attached and functions when adaptably attached by hydraulic conduit to a high pressure high volume operating pump system with a water reservoir, and within a borehole that is at least partially cased, comprising:
 a. At least one or more transition rod members that is generally tubular having a top end for attachment to the bottom end of a sonic drill rod, in tubular fluid communication with the sonic drill string functioning to minimize stress between the sonic drill water flow stream and the sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly by applying additional weight to the system as well as by incorporating in its internal structure such as guide vanes to reduce flow turbulence supporting the sub-coupling nozzles to generate more coherent sonically pulsed jetting bolts, having a bottom end for attachment to the pulsed jetting sub-coupling;   b. At least one or more sub-coupling members that is generally tubular with one or more convergent-type nozzles, e.g. quartic with guide vanes, directed laterally for pulsed jetting with a top end attached to a transition rod or may also be otherwise attached to a sonic drill rod directly and a bottom end attached to a pulsing rock bit or may be manufactured to incorporate the structures of the shoe rock bit, so that the sub-coupling member may have qualities of all three components of the system assembly structurally incorporated into one sonically pulsed jetting system and rock bit apparatus attached to the bottom end of a sonic rod string, but is preferably a separate sonic jet mining component for increased variability;   c. a sonically jet pulsing shoe rock bit member having at least one downwardly directed convergent pulsing jetting nozzle to cut and agitate rock and slurry relative to a sump member oriented beneath the sonically pulsed jetting system assembly and having one or more crushing plates or wedges to crushingly fragment large rock fragments or boulders by moving the rod string and attached rock shoe bit with at least one downwardly pulsing jet, up and down and in rotation to generate rock-fracturing torque and compression force from the sonic drilling rig as well as by using the immediately oriented jet pulsing effect, having a top end for secure attachment to a sonically pulsed jetting sub-coupling;   d. at least one or more sonically pulsed eductor coupling members being substantially aligned in the sonic rod string, attaching a sonic rod above and a sonic rod below, having one or more sonically pulsed jetting nozzles directed upwardly, having associated partial chambers to be used for eductor siphon function, used within the annulus in association with sonic casing and hydraulic gradient forces generated within the mining cavity to facilitate lifting of slurry through the annulus to the surface;   e. an elastic sonic rod or rod string that is adaptably attached on its top end to a sonic rod attached to a spindle of a sonic drill head that oscillates at a low frequency (usually less than or equal to 300 Hz) facilitating pulsing energy transfer into a high-pressure high-volume fluid column moving through the tubular sonic rod open-ended hydraulic system that will include in fluidic tubular communication at least one rod with a sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly, that includes a pulsed jetting eductor coupling, transition rod, pulsed jetting sub-coupling and pulsed jetting shoe rock bit or any combination, for receiving high-pressure and high volume fluid flow from a pump member with at least one check valve as well as simultaneously transferring adjustably tunable oscillating energy from a sonic drill head member through its spindle with sonic energy wave transfer through and from the elastic (generally meaning to be deformable but not deformed permanently) sonic rod or sonic rod string and its fluid column generating pulsed water jets through the eductor coupling's one or more jetting nozzles into the fluid filled annulus from the interfaced internal fluidic column, also resulting in pulsed fluid volume streaming from the sonically pulsed rock shoe bit and sub-coupling nozzles;   f. a sonic casing member or combination string of sonic casing members, elastic or inelastic, to be used for emplacement in the ground, with adding or subtracting casing sections to a casing string and recovery by a sonic drill rig and secured to the surface but independent of the sonic drilling rods, used to facilitate slurry extraction using at least one sonically jetting eductor coupling member positioned within the casing's internal space in tubular attachment and alignment with at least one sonic drill rod, facilitating the benefit of sonically jet pulsed mining using the sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly plan and methods, having its top most end usually above the surface of the ground, its bottom end oriented above or within proximity of the subsurface mining targeted mineral.   g. a water pump member with a driver and conduit attachments allowing for communication of fluid to drill head member and sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly, presenting continuous flow high-pressure and high volume capabilities, preferably with automatic adjustment capabilities to adjust pressure and volume to jet mining variable demands, usually functioning on average per mining site between 200 psig and 2000 psig, and with a flow capacity between 20 gallons and 2000 gallons of water per minute depending upon and being variable with the objectives attached to the pulsed jet mining operation, though these are only estimations of pumping parameter required using various situational constraints by equipment and are not intended to be limiting but representing a common effective range for applying the sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly to perform subsurface mining production of slurry from a targeted mineral source with efficiency, but specific parameters will be dictated by the analysis and constraints of each mining site's situation and logistics;   h. a sonically pulsed jetting borehole mining system combining high-volume fluidic column's hydraulic energy from a surface pumping member as well as simultaneously transferring of relatively low-frequency sonic oscillation energy waves from a sonic drill head member into an attached inelastic or elastic sonic rod or rod string that interfaces with a pressurized water column and attachable sonic pulsed jet mining apparatus generating a subsurface sonically pulsed jetting mining system and methods, to be called Hice Hydro-mining.   
     
     
         2 ) A system of  claim 1  wherein the pulsed sonic rod and sonically pulsed jetting system assembly fluidly communicates to a conduit attached to a pumping mechanism with at least one check valve interposed in relatively inelastic conduit that prevents oscillation energy from the sonic drill head and drill head spindle to communicate fluid transfer back toward the high-pressure liquid pump mechanism that supplies reservoir fluidic material to the elastic sonic rod and rod string, which can contract and expand with energy wave propagation that may help generate pulsing fluid streams, to flow one way through pulsing jetting nozzles integrated into the sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly positioned below the borehole casing string with pulsed semi-discrete or discrete bolts of water delivering momentum flux into the target deposit and subterranean excavated cavity and also with eductor coupling nozzles pulsing jet streams being directed upwardly into the annulus between the sonic casing and sonic rod string using one or more eductor-type couplings to facilitate slurry lift and to minimize blockage potential of slurry flow. 
     
     
         3 ) A system of  claim 1  wherein the relatively low-frequency adjustable oscillation energy is not directed into or through the casing string directly during pulsed jet mining process, with the sonic casing string being independent of the sonic rod, only having oscillating energy directed applied during its emplacement, or with adding or subtracting casing sections from the mining borehole during coring sampling operations or with removing the sonic casing from the borehole, with a sonic rod string positioned within and through the central space of the stable borehole casing string establishing a variable annulus space separating the movable sonic rod string from the generally stable sonic casing string to facilitate slurry extraction. 
     
     
         4 ) A system of  claim 1  wherein differences in nozzle size, nozzle shape, guide vanes and other structural dimensional variation are used with different components and sections of the sonically pulsed jetting system assembly to generate different pulsed jetting streams with different effects as determined by task performance, such as for rock fracturing or slurry lift. 
     
     
         5 ) A sonically pulsed jetting system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the members and supporting equipment and tools can be variable in design but generate similar low-frequency sonic drill head propagated sonically pulsed jetting for subsurface mining, comprising the sonically pulsed hydraulic jetting system assembly members. 
     
     
         6 ) A system of  claim 1  wherein the sonic rod string is fluidly communicated to a pumping mechanism by conduit in contiguous fluid communication by conduit with a water reservoir having at least one high-pressure release safety valve and at least one one-way check valve interposed in relatively inelastic conduit between the pumping mechanism and the sonic drill head that prevents inadvertent excessive pulsed peak fluid pressures from exceeding the safety limits of the equipment. 
     
     
         7 ) A system of  claim 1  wherein the pulsed jetting eductor couplings would not be added to the sonic rod string allowing only for a contiguous sonic rod string and for only pulsed jetting through nozzles located below the bottom end of the casing string and directed toward fracturing, cutting and agitating the targeted mineral into slurry. 
     
     
         8 ) A system of  claim 1  wherein the sonic core drill rig has a tower mechanism to raise, lower and rotate the spindle member to which an adapter is attached and receives fluid and energy waves transferred through the adapter to a sonic rod and sonic rod string attached to the sonically pulsed jetting system assembly which can be movably raised, lowered and rotated to generate improved subsurface slurry production rates. 
     
     
         9 ) A method for mining minerals, gems and metals from a target deposit comprising the steps of identifying a target deposit examining sonic core samples, emplacement of a casing string into or to the top-most part of the deposit using a sonic core drill rig, which may be modified with additional sonically pulsed jetting system assembly facilitating features including a high-pressure and high-volume fluid pump, conduits, seals, pressure release valves, one-way check valves, and other supportive equipment, an uncased borehole extension is left beneath the casing to be used as a sump member to collect concentrated heavy debris and for progressive insertion of the sonically pulsed jetting system assembly attached to the sonic rod string to facilitate cutting and disaggregating the subsurface target minerals from the uncased borehole in 360 degrees rotation, inserting a sonic rod string having an adjustable length by adding or subtracting various sections (i.e. rods, couplings, transition rod, sub-coupling and bit members) sufficient to obtain the desirable depth for mining, into the securely placed sonic casing string that has been inserted into or to the top-most level of a subterranean mineral target deposit to be excavated, slurry generated and recovered using sonically-pulsed jet nozzles that are structurally positioned in components of the sonically pulsed jetting system assembly and structurally manufactured by 3-D printing, machined or threadably integrated within a shoe rock bit, sub-coupling and also with pulsed jetting eductor-type couplings that attach sonic rods together to facilitate slurry lift in the annulus within and through the casing string, attaching a high-pressure fluidic pumping member, with a communicating fluid reservoir, to a conduit with at least one check valve and at least one safety pressure-release valve attached to the sonic core drill rig's sonic head fluid transfer conduit system, or to a modified swivel adaptor apparatus, to allow fluid flow one way from the sonic drill head into and through the sonic rod string, inserting the sonic rod string and attached sonically pulsed jetting system assembly through the casing member string and into the borehole so that the bottom-end of the sonically pulsed jetting system assembly having laterally cutting one or more pulsed jetting nozzles to cut, fracturing and disaggregate mineral target below the casing member and juxtaposed to the targeted mineral deposit, generating fluid flow by engaging the pumping member to pump fluid into the sonic rod string while oscillating the sonic head at an appropriate frequency for energy transfer to the fluid column, rotating the resonating sonic rod string and attached sonically pulsed jetting system assembly 360 degrees or any less angulation for different excavation cavity shapes and at varying speeds while moving the pulsed jetting streams up and down in the borehole beneath the casing bottom end and against the targeted mineral matrix, fracturing and cutting matrix to form slurry, observing the lifted slurry exiting out of the annulus at the top-end of the casing string into a slurry catch box, or monitoring slurry density meters from where it is pumped by slurry pump to a processing plant, e.g. slurry box at a processing platform where the slurry is classified using one or more screens, jigs, sluices, gravity concentrators, where water separated from slurry particulate matter and is clarified using at least one hydrocyclone and/or screen that is collected in a cistern and either pumped to the clarified water reservoir or filtered by a bone char filtration system or used in further processing or to another water-holding reservoir, using a plurality of fluidic pulsing jetting nozzles and division of water with pump and sonic head adjustable cyclic volume and pressure transfers to generate multiple mining effects including lateral, either horizontal or angled, which may be on diametrically opposite sides of a sub-coupling to neutralize reactive thrust destabilization, for pulsed jetting to fracture mineral matrix and also downwardly directed pulsing jet or jets for further cutting and dispersing subterranean excavated cavity bottom slurry and sump slurry back into solution allowing greater potential for it to be lifted through the annulus by the Venturi effect from the eductor-type pulsed jetting eductor couplings with the pulsed jetting eductor nozzles oriented to partial vacuum and diffusing chambers in the annulus to facilitate lift of slurry to the top of the casing and into the slurry catch box from which slurry can be pumped using one or more slurry pumps to a processing plant for further classification and water separation with clarified or filtered water recycled back to a fluid reservoir, immediately reused at the processing platform or to be stockpiled, gravel that is classified from slurry as large, not captured in traps and separated out as gangue may be crushed by a gravel crushing machine to a uniform small size and again run through the classification processor for gravity concentrator separation of valuable minerals and elements with rejected small gravel sands collected for reinsertion into the subterranean cavity as fill, thereby completing the mining process at the site. A high hydrostatic fluid level will be monitored and adjusted automatically by a sensor, either mechanically or electronically, as needed, being maintained by a conduit and high-volume low-pressure water pump with a water reservoir source to provide for immediate insertion of fluid into the annulus' top end, with the conduit communicating for fluid emplacement through a nozzle connected to a collar secured to the top end of the casing, which also attaches the slurry catch box to the casing, to maintain effective eductor function and hydrostatic stability of the subterranean cavity. 
     
     
         10 ) A method for mining minerals, gems and metals from a target deposit comprising the steps of recovering a sump concentrate periodically using the core barrel with or without extending additional casing members, whereby a sump will be maintained on the floor of the subterranean excavated cavity during pulsed jetting subterranean excavation to trap large heavy elemental nuggets and gems and other heavy debris for recovery with a sonic core barrel, with interruption of the pulsed jet mining process, removing the sonic rod string and jet pulsed mining apparatus from the borehole, then inserting the sonic core barrel or similar barrel device on supporting sonic rods into the borehole to the sump member, coring the sump contents with or without over-coring the sump, preferably deepening the extracted sump member to seal unconsolidated concentrates within the core barrel with a cap of non-concentrate, preferably extending the depth of the sump and then removing the core-barrel and its heavy and large slurry contents from the subsurface mining site and sump member to the surface for processing. 
     
     
         11 ) A method for mining minerals, gems and metals from a target deposit comprising the steps of recovering slurry from a deeply extended deposit where extending the casing string further into the mining cavity and around the sonic jetting rod string with added sonically pulsing jetting eductor couplings to the sonic rod string is employed to facilitate improved dense slurry recovery, with periodically adding additional casing members to a casing string as needed to position the pulsed assembly deeper into a deepening mining cavity where dense slurry may gravitate and collect, with the sonic casings bottom-end extending below the top of the mining cavity's ceiling, such that a more efficient and denser slurry extraction is accomplished using a single borehole method, providing for better use of more pulsed jetting eductor couplings with adding additional sonic rods and additional casing members to function with a downwardly extended annulus into a sonically pulsed jetted excavation cavity.