Patent ID: 8869915

Claim:
A system for removing desired subsurface materials, the system comprising: a sonic drilling subsystem for drilling into a formation comprising: a drill head assembly; and at least one drill rod coupled thereto to form a drill string, wherein the drill string is coupled to a drill bit configured to interface with the formation to be drilled, wherein the drill head assembly is configured to rotate the drill string and transmit oscillating forces to the drill string forming a borehole below the surface of the formation, wherein the at least one drill rod forms an outer casing of the borehole, the outer casing having a lower portion and an upper portion, and wherein at least a portion of the drill head assembly is selectively detachable from the outer casing; and a sonic air lift tooling subsystem comprising: an outer tube having an outer diameter and an inner volume, wherein a distal end of the outer tube is configured for selective coupling to the upper portion of the outer casing of the drilling subsystem following detachment of at least a portion of the drill head assembly from the outer casing, wherein an outer tube inlet is defined in a proximal end of the outer tube, and wherein the outer tube inlet is in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid; and an inner tube positioned in at least a portion of the inner volume of the outer tube, wherein, following coupling of the distal end of the outer tube to the upper portion of the outer casing, the outer tube and the outer casing cooperate to define an internal surface, wherein an annular void is defined between the outer tube, the internal surface and an outer diameter of the inner tube, wherein a distal end of the inner tube defines at least one opening such that an interior conduit of the inner tube is in fluid communication with the annular void, wherein the pressurized fluid passes from the annular void through the at least one opening to the interior conduit of the inner tube, wherein the desired subsurface material is entrained in the fluid in the interior conduit of the inner tube, and wherein a proximal end of the inner tube is in fluid communication with a discharge tank such that the fluid and the desired subsurface material are urged to the discharge tank.