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

Claim 16:
17. 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,
an outer casing secured externally to the lower end of the main casing, said outer casing being secured at an outer casing top end to said main casing and having a bottom end projecting downward through the mine cavity into the termination portion of the well bore, said outer casing having an internal diameter greater than the outer diameter of the outside diameter of said main casing, said outer 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;
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 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.