US 11,697,914 B2
System and methods for in situ recovery and processing of recovered solutions
Peter Longo, Saskatoon (CA); Chad Anthony Sorba, Saskatoon (CA); Greg P. Newman, Saskatoon (CA); Lori L. Newman, Saskatoon (CA); Weston Garrett Hubele, Mills, WY (US); Douglass Howard Graves, Belgrade, MT (US); Brian Michael Pile, Casper, WY (US); Dany Bernard, Langham (CA); Sandy Debusschere, Carlyle (CA); Charity Brown, Carlyle (CA); and Lonnie Lischka, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to Denison Mines Corp., Toronto (CA)
Filed by Denison Mines Corp., Toronto (CA)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/572,412.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/731,646, filed on Sep. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0088010 A1, Mar. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. E02D 19/14 (2006.01); C22B 3/04 (2006.01); C22B 60/02 (2006.01); E21B 43/30 (2006.01); E21B 43/28 (2006.01); E21B 36/00 (2006.01); C01G 43/025 (2006.01)
CPC E02D 19/14 (2013.01) [C22B 60/0204 (2013.01); C22B 60/0226 (2013.01); E21B 43/28 (2013.01); E21B 43/30 (2013.01); C01G 43/025 (2013.01); C22B 3/04 (2013.01); E21B 36/001 (2013.01); E21B 43/305 (2013.01)] 36 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of recovering ore from an ore body in a closed loop system, comprising:
forming an artificial containment around an ore body, by:
drilling a plurality of freeze wells to form a freeze wall over and around the ore body that is anchored into a rock formation underlying the ore body to contain the ore body within the freeze wall; and
completing the plurality of freeze wells to enable a chilled fluid to be circulated in the wells to generate the freeze wall;
drilling from surface at least one injection well and at least one recovery well;
injecting a lixiviant solution into at least one injection well to produce a Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS);
pumping the PLS to the surface using the at least one recovery well;
transporting the PLS to a processing plant using a piping system; and
processing the PLS;
wherein the at least one injection well and at least one recovery well are drilled in a pattern to produce a patterned wellfield; and
wherein the plurality of freeze wells are drilled by:
drilling a first set of freeze wells from a first end at surface, by drilling each well in the first set vertically down to a depth above the ore body, redirecting the drill hole horizontally over the ore body, and then again redirecting the drill hole vertically into the rock formation underlying the ore body, to anchor into the underlying rock formation; and
drilling a second set of freeze wells from a second opposite end at surface, by drilling each well in the second set vertically down to a depth above the ore body, redirecting the drill hole horizontally over the ore body and then again redirecting the drill hole vertically into the rock formation underlying the ore body at the opposite end of the first set of freeze wells.
 
24. A system for recovering ore from an ore body, the system comprising:
a plurality of completed freeze wells forming a freeze wall over and around the ore body that is anchored into a rock formation underlying the ore body to contain the ore body within the freeze wall;
at least one injection well and at least one recovery well;
wherein the plurality of freeze wells enable a chilled fluid to be circulated in the wells to generate the freeze wall;
wherein a lixiviant solution is injected into at least one injection well to produce a Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS);
wherein the at least one recovery well recovers the PLS from the ore body to a processing plant using a piping system to process the PLS; and
wherein the at least one injection well and at least one recovery well are drilled in a pattern to produce a patterned wellfield; and
wherein the plurality of freeze wells comprise:
a first set of freeze wells drilled from a first end at surface, by drilling each well in the first set vertically down to a depth above the ore body, redirecting the drill hole horizontally over the ore body, and then again redirecting the drill hole vertically into the rock formation underlying the ore body, to anchor into the underlying rock formation; and
a second set of freeze wells drilled from a second opposite end at surface, by drilling each well in the second set vertically down to a depth above the ore body, redirecting the drill hole horizontally over the ore body and then again redirecting the drill hole vertically into the rock formation underlying the ore body at the opposite end of the first set of freeze wells.