Leaching of uranium ore in situ

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM AN UNDERGROUND DEPOSIT OF URANIUM MINERAL IN SITU AND LOCATED IN AN EXISTING RESERVOIR OF FLUID WHICH COMPRISES DRILLING A RECOVERY WELL AND A PLURALITY OF INJECTION WELLS IN A PATTERN DETERMINED BY THE PERMEABILITY, POROSITY AND WATER BEARING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNDERGROUND DEPOSIT, CASING AND SEALING SAID WELLS, INTRODUCING AN ACIDIC LEACH SOLUTION INTO SAID UNDERGROUND DEPOSIT THROUGH SAID KINJECTION WELLS IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISPLACE THE EXISTING RESERVOIR FLUIDS IN THE AREA DEFINED BY THE PREDETERMINED PATTERN AND TO FORM AN ISLAND OF LEACH SOLUTION ABOUT SAID INJECTION WELLS AND SAID RECOVERY WELL AND AT A PRESSURE BELOW FORMATION FRACTURE PRESSURES SO THAT SAID LEACH SOLUTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY CONFINED THEREABOUT BY THE SURROUNDING RESERVOIR OF FLUID, AND SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERING THE SOLUTION THROUGH THE RECOVERY WELL AND RECOVERING URANIUM FROM THE SOLUTION.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF RECOVERING URANIUM FROM AN UNDERGROUND DEPOSIT OF URANIUM MINERAL IN SITU AND LOCATED IN AN EXISTING RESERVOIR OF FLUID WHICH COMPRISES DRILLING A RECOVERY WELL AND A PLURALITY OF INJECTION WELLS IN A PATTERN DETERMINED BY THE PERMEABILITY, POROSITY AND WATER BEARING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNDERGROUND DEPOSIT, CASING AND SEALING SAID WELLS, INTRODUCING AN ACIDIC LEACH SOLUTION INTO SAID UNDERGROUND DEPOSIT THROUGH SAID KINJECTION WELLS IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO DISPLACE THE EXISTING RESERVOIR FLUIDS IN THE AREA DEFINED BY THE PREDETERMINED PATTERN AND TO FORM AN ISLAND OF LEACH SOLUTION ABOUT SAID INJECTION WELLS AND SAID RECOVERY WELL AND AT A PRESSURE BELOW FORMATION FRACTURE PRESSURES SO THAT SAID LEACH SOLUTION IS SUBSTANTIALLY CONFINED THEREABOUT BY THE SURROUNDING RESERVOIR OF FLUID, AND SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERING THE SOLUTION THROUGH THE RECOVERY WELL AND RECOVERING URANIUM FROM THE SOLUTION.