Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for producing and liberating hydrogen gas and sequestering carbon dioxide through sequential serpentinization and carbonation (mineralization) reactions conducted in situ via one or more wellbores that at least partially traverse subterranean geological formations having large concentrations of mafic igneous rock, ultramafic igneous rock, or a combination thereof.

Injection fluids formed of reverse emulsions and related methods of forming and using reverse emulsions for cavity control in solution mining. The reverse emulsion can reduce the volume of oil required to create an oil pad at the roof of a solution mining cavern in order to prevent vertical leaching and cavern collapse. The reverse emulsion can be formed from an emulsifier, a brine solution and oil. The emulsifier concentration can range from about 1% to about 5% by weight of the reverse emulsion. The emulsifier and the oil can be combined to form an oil/emulsifier mixture, wherein the oil/emulsifier mixture is combined with the brine solution to form the reverse emulsion. The oil/emulsifier mixture can be from about 1% to about 5% by weight of the reverse emulsion.

The disclosure provides methods and systems for recovering a target mineral from a mineral-bearing deposit. One or more first wells and one or more second wells are drilled into the deposit, each well having a substantially vertical section and a substantially horizontal section, the horizontal section of the second wells located above the horizontal section of the first wells. At least one channel from the horizontal section of each first well toward the horizontal section of the second wells is established. A fluid is injected into the deposit from the horizontal section of the first wells to form one or more slots. A brine is recovered from the horizontal section of the second wells, forming a cavity. A salt solution is then injected into the cavity from the horizontal section of the second wells and a target mineral-enriched solvent is recovered from the first wells.

A process for recovering copper from heap leach residues containing residual copper, includes identifying a production zone within the heap leach residues for secondary leaching, drilling wells into the heap at locations suitable for delivering leach solution into the production zone, injecting the leach solution including ferric ions through the wells and aerating the production zone to facilitate oxidative reactions within the production zone, and collecting effluent from the heap for copper recovery therefrom.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for producing and liberating hydrogen gas and sequestering carbon dioxide through sequential serpentinization and carbonation (mineralization) reactions conducted in situ via one or more wellbores that at least partially traverse subterranean geological formations having large concentrations of mafic igneous rock, ultramafic igneous rock, or a combination thereof.

A modular solution mining method may include the steps of: providing an injection wellbore, the injection wellbore including a horizontal injection portion, in which the horizontal injection portion includes a toe end and heel end; providing a production wellbore, in which the production wellbore includes a horizontal production portion that is proximate to the toe end; injecting a solvent into the horizontal injection portion; generating a turbulent solvent flow proximate to the toe end to generate a mineral solution and an initial cavern proximate to the horizontal production portion; and motivating the mineral solution from the initial cavern, into the horizontal production portion, and to a surface location. Optionally, the method may include the step of repositioning the turbulent solvent flow to be closer to heel ends to generate mineral solution and subsequent caverns further from horizontal production wellbore.

The disclosure provides methods and systems for recovering a target mineral from a mineral-bearing deposit. One or more first wells and one or more second wells are drilled into the deposit, each well having a substantially vertical section and a substantially horizontal section, the horizontal section of the second wells located above the horizontal section of the first wells. At least one channel from the horizontal section of each first well toward the horizontal section of the second wells is established. A fluid is injected into the deposit from the horizontal section of the first wells to form one or more slots. A brine is recovered from the horizontal section of the second wells, forming a cavity. A salt solution is then injected into the cavity from the horizontal section of the second wells and a target mineral-enriched solvent is recovered from the first wells.

Injection fluids formed of reverse emulsions and related methods of forming and using reverse emulsions for cavity control in solution mining. The reverse emulsion can reduce the volume of oil required to create an oil pad at the roof of a solution mining cavern in order to prevent vertical leaching and cavern collapse. The reverse emulsion can be formed from an emulsifier, a brine solution and oil. The emulsifier concentration can range from about 1% to about 5% by weight of the reverse emulsion. The emulsifier and the oil can be combined to form an oil/emulsifier mixture, wherein the oil/emulsifier mixture is combined with the brine solution to form the reverse emulsion. The oil/emulsifier mixture can be from about 1% to about 5% by weight of the reverse emulsion.

Injection fluids formed of reverse emulsions and related methods of forming and using reverse emulsions for cavity control in solution mining. The reverse emulsion can reduce the volume of oil required to create an oil pad at the roof of a solution mining cavern in order to prevent vertical leaching and cavern collapse. The reverse emulsion can be formed from an emulsifier, a brine solution and oil. The emulsifier concentration can range from about 1% to about 5% by weight of the reverse emulsion. The emulsifier and the oil can be combined to form an oil/emulsifier mixture, wherein the oil/emulsifier mixture is combined with the brine solution to form the reverse emulsion. The oil/emulsifier mixture can be from about 1% to about 5% by weight of the reverse emulsion.

A process for recovering copper from heap leach residues containing residual copper, includes identifying a production zone within the heap leach residues for secondary leaching, drilling wells into the heap at locations suitable for delivering leach solution into the production zone, injecting the leach solution including ferric ions through the wells and aerating the production zone to facilitate oxidative reactions within the production zone, and collecting effluent from the heap for copper recovery therefrom.