A non-human-entry method for extracting a desired subsurface material such as ore, wherein an access hole is drilled from surface downwardly to the material, a high-pressure fluid injection tool is lowered with or after the drill string to the material and injected outwardly to disaggregate the material and form a cavity, and the material is optionally ground to a desired size by a drill bit or other means to enable suction up production tubing with a carrier fluid to the surface. The injection tool and grinding means are preferably part of an integrated bottom hole assembly at the lowermost end of a drill string, which may include surveying equipment to measure the cavity dimensions at intervals during target material disaggregation to allow fluid injection adjustment to seek to achieve a desired cavity geometry. Deck cementing is optionally employed for ground support.

A non-human-entry method for extracting a desired subsurface material such as ore, wherein an access hole is drilled from surface downwardly to the material, a high-pressure fluid injection tool is lowered with or after the drill string to the material and injected outwardly to disaggregate the material and form a cavity, and the material is optionally ground to a desired size by a drill bit or other means to enable suction up production tubing with a carrier fluid to the surface. The injection tool and grinding means are preferably part of an integrated bottom hole assembly at the lowermost end of a drill string, which may include surveying equipment to measure the cavity dimensions at intervals during target material disaggregation to allow fluid injection adjustment to seek to achieve a desired cavity geometry. Deck cementing is optionally employed for ground support.

A method for mining narrow vein deposit of ore, the narrow vein deposit having a hanging wall and a foot wall, the method comprising: drilling a pilot hole into the narrow vein deposit along a path substantially centrally between the hanging wall and the foot wall to a depth within the vein; following the pilot hole with a larger diameter drilling assembly to fragment the ore into drill cuttings; circulating the drill cuttings to a wellhead; and collecting the drill cuttings for processing to recover the ore therefrom.

A method for mining narrow vein deposit of ore, the narrow vein deposit having a hanging wall and a foot wall, the method comprising: drilling a pilot hole into the narrow vein deposit along a path substantially centrally between the hanging wall and the foot wall to a depth within the vein; following the pilot hole with a larger diameter drilling assembly to fragment the ore into drill cuttings; circulating the drill cuttings to a wellhead; and collecting the drill cuttings for processing to recover the ore therefrom.

A connection system including a male connector portion and a female connector portion each including a housing, a valve disposed within the housing, a valve actuator operably connected to the valve, and a housing extension, the housing extension from the male connector portion being configured to interact with the valve actuator of the female connector portion to open the valve of the female connector portion during mating of the male and female connector portions

Herein disclosed is a method for producing liquid hydrocarbon product, the method comprising disintegrating a hydrocarbon source; pretreating the disintegrated hydrocarbon source; solubilizing the disintegrated hydrocarbon source to form a slurry comprising a reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source; admixing a biochemical liquor into the slurry, wherein the biochemical liquor comprises at least one conversion enzyme configured to facilitate bond selective photo-fragmentation of said reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source, to form liquid hydrocarbons via enzyme assisted bond selective photo-fragmentation, wherein said conversion enzyme comprises reactive sites configured to restrict said reactant molecule such that photo-fragmentation favorably targets a preselected internal bond of said reactant molecule; separating the liquid hydrocarbons from the slurry, wherein contaminants remain in the slurry; and enriching the liquid hydrocarbons to form a liquid hydrocarbon product. Various aspects of such method/process are also discussed.

Herein disclosed is a method for producing liquid hydrocarbon product, the method comprising disintegrating a hydrocarbon source; pretreating the disintegrated hydrocarbon source; solubilizing the disintegrated hydrocarbon source to form a slurry comprising a reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source; admixing a biochemical liquor into the slurry, wherein the biochemical liquor comprises at least one conversion enzyme configured to facilitate bond selective photo-fragmentation of said reactant molecule of the hydrocarbon source, to form liquid hydrocarbons via enzyme assisted bond selective photo-fragmentation, wherein said conversion enzyme comprises reactive sites configured to restrict said reactant molecule such that photo-fragmentation favorably targets a preselected internal bond of said reactant molecule; separating the liquid hydrocarbons from the slurry, wherein contaminants remain in the slurry; and enriching the liquid hydrocarbons to form a liquid hydrocarbon product. Various aspects of such method/process are also discussed.

Conventional methods suffer from unsatisfactory performance of the dehydration-preventing agent at a high temperature, and the present invention provides a cement admixture exhibiting an excellent dehydration-preventing effect at a high temperature. The cement admixture of the present invention includes a crosslinked product of a modified polyvinyl alcohol-based resin, wherein the dissolution rate of 1 g of the crosslinked product of a modified polyvinyl alcohol-based resin for 1 liter of water at 70 C. is 50% or less.

Conventional methods suffer from unsatisfactory performance of the dehydration-preventing agent at a high temperature, and the present invention provides a cement admixture exhibiting an excellent dehydration-preventing effect at a high temperature. The cement admixture of the present invention includes a crosslinked product of a modified polyvinyl alcohol-based resin, wherein the dissolution rate of 1 g of the crosslinked product of a modified polyvinyl alcohol-based resin for 1 liter of water at 70 C. is 50% or less.

Systems and methods for extracting minerals from an underground mineralization zone located below the surface at an oil and gas drilling site. The system includes a vertical drilling means for drilling a vertical bore extending from the surface at the oil and gas drilling site into the mineralization zone, a second horizontal drilling means for drilling at least one horizontal production bore into the mineralization zone. The first horizontal drilling means and the second horizontal drilling means are configured to return material from the mineralization zone to the surface where the mineral content of the material is analyzed and a separator separates minerals, waste and drilling mud from the material. The method includes steps of drilling a horizontal assessment bore, analyzing assessment material for a desired mineral, drilling a horizontal production bore, producing production material containing the desired mineral, and separating the desired material from waste and drilling mud.