Patent ID: 11933179
Assignee: GENESIS ALKALI WYOMING, LP
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E | IPC E

Claim 17:
18. A brine extraction well system for extracting brine from an underground mine having a mine roof and a mine floor comprising:
a well bore passing through the mine, said well bore having an upper portion at a surface and a termination portion below the mine floor;
a main casing inside the well bore, said main casing having a lower end, an inside diameter, and an outside diameter, the lower end extending below the mine floor, said main casing having perforations in a portion exposed to the mine cavity for allowing mine fluids to flow into the termination portion of the well bore;
an inner casing having an upper end secured inside said main casing proximate to but above the perforations in the main casing, and a lower end extending downwardly through the main casing below a desired minimum liquid level, said inner casing having an external diameter smaller than the inside diameter of said main casing;
a pump for pumping brine out of the cavity, said pump having a discharge line, a pump discharge, a pump motor, and an electric power cable, said pump motor being positioned in the well bore below the main casing, said discharge line being connected to said pump discharge on one end and having a surface discharge on an opposite end above the upper portion of the well bore, the discharge line being positioned interior to the inside diameter of said main casing and the inside casing and extending downwardly to the pump discharge, said electric power cable being operably connected to the pump motor and an electrical power source on the surface, the power cable being positioned inside the main casing and extending downwardly to the pump motor;
a liquid level indicator for detecting brine level inside the termination portion of the well bore;
a control system for operating the pump in a manner to prevent brine level from falling below the bottom portion of the main casing thereby isolating the pump's electric power cable from any gases contained in the mine.