US 12,264,570 B2
Mineral recovery
Richard Cherry, Norman, OK (US)
Assigned to Richard Muriel Cherry, Norman, OK (US)
Filed by Richard Cherry, Norman, OK (US)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/861,732.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/840,034, filed on Apr. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0340346 A1, Oct. 29, 2020
Int. Cl. E21B 43/28 (2006.01); E21B 7/04 (2006.01); E21B 43/26 (2006.01); E21B 49/00 (2006.01); E21B 49/08 (2006.01); E21B 43/241 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 43/283 (2013.01) [E21B 7/046 (2013.01); E21B 43/26 (2013.01); E21B 49/00 (2013.01); E21B 49/08 (2013.01); E21B 43/241 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
9. A method for extracting minerals from a mineral shale zone, the method comprising:
analyzing sample material produced from a single borehole to determine if a desired mineral is present in the sample material, wherein the single borehole extends from the surface at an oil and gas well site into the mineral shale zone and comprises a plurality of fissures at the mineral shale zone that were produced from fracking performed on the single borehole, and wherein the desired mineral is a hard rock mineral;
pumping a leaching solution through the single borehole and directly into the plurality of fissures in the mineral shale zone, wherein the leaching solution mobilizes the desired mineral and oil and gas in the mineral shale zone;
extracting from the mineral shale zone into the leaching solution the desired mineral with the leaching solution;
pumping the leaching solution and the desired mineral out of the plurality of fissures in the mineral shale zone, directly into the single borehole, and to the surface;
processing the leaching solution at the oil and gas wellsite to remove the oil and gas from the leaching solution; and
separating the desired mineral from the leaching solution.