Title: Method of interconnecting wells for solution mining

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Abstract: A method of connecting wells for the purpose of producing salt by solution mining. Two wells are drilled into the salt bed, one of which is drilled in the conventional manner, that is, essentially vertically and the other of which is drilled from a point on the surface a selected distance from the first well and is deflected in the direction towards the conventional well so that the bottom of the deflected well approaches within a selected distance of the bottom of the conventional well. After the two wells are drilled the salt is fractured by the use of a conventional high pressure liquid fracturing technique in one or the other or both of the two wells, so that a fracture for fluid flow between the two wells will hopefully be obtained. Thereafter the salt is mined by flowing fresh water down one well and withdrawing saturated salt solution from the other well, the water passing from one well to the other through the fracture zone where it dissolves the salt, creating a cavity. If it turns out to be impossible to form a fracture between the two wells, the deflected well is directionally drilled further towards the vertical well. If the wells still do not connect each is independently solution mined, forming enlarged caverns. When the caverns coalesce the formation can be mined by pumping fresh water down one well and removing concentrated brine from the other.


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