# US 11,028,648 B1 · Basement rock hybrid drilling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,648 B1 - Document ID: US11028648B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/090,410 - Filed: 2020-11-05 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-05 - Assignees: Quaise, Inc. - Applicants: Quaise, Inc. - Inventors: Carlos Araque; Justin Lamb; Franck Monmont; Hy Phan; Matthew Houde - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028648B1 ## CPC - E21B 7/15: of electrically generated heat - E21B 7/24: Drilling using vibrating or oscillating means, e.g. out-of-balance masses (percussion drilling E21B1/00) - E21B 7/003: {Drilling with mechanical conveying means} - E21B 21/08: Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) - E21B 44/00: Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions - E21B 47/04: Measuring depth or liquid level - E21B 47/07: Temperature - E21B 49/003: {by analysing drilling variables or conditions (E21B49/005 takes precedence; systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions E21B44/00)} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A method for utilizing a millimeter wave drilling apparatus is provided. The method can include monitoring a permeability of a first portion of a borehole of a well while forming the borehole using a drilling apparatus including a drill bit for mechanical removal of material from within the borehole. The method can also include determining to utilize a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a wave guide configured for insertion into the borehole based at least on the permeability of the borehole falling below a permeability threshold value. The method can further include forming a second portion of the borehole utilizing the millimeter wave drilling apparatus in response to the determining. A method for controlling the downhole pressure of a well is also provided. Related systems performing the methods are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: monitoring a permeability of a first portion of a borehole of a well while forming the borehole using a mechanical drilling apparatus including a drill bit for mechanical removal of material from within the borehole; monitoring a temperature within the first portion of the borehole; determining, based at least on the permeability of the borehole falling below a permeability threshold value and the temperature within the first portion of the borehole exceeding a temperature threshold value, to utilize a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a waveguide configured for insertion into the borehole; and forming a second portion of the borehole utilizing the millimeter wave drilling apparatus in response to the determining. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes determining the permeability of the first portion of the borehole based at least on rock porosity and/or fluid saturation measured within the borehole. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the mechanical drilling apparatus is configured to perform a drilling method selected from rotary drilling, percussion drilling, churn drilling, or diamond drilling. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes monitoring a rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus; and performing the determining further based on the rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus falling below a rate of penetration threshold value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes monitoring a hardness of a material present within the first portion of the borehole; and performing the determining further based on the hardness of the material exceeding a hardness threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes monitoring a rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus, and a hardness of a material present within the first portion of the borehole; and performing the determining further based on the rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus falling below a rate of penetration threshold value and/or the hardness of the material present within the first portion of the borehole exceeding a hardness threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole and/or monitoring the temperature within the first portion of the borehole is performed using a first data processor and the determining is performed using the first data processor, a second data processor, or a combination of the first data processor and the second data processor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes monitoring a rate of a fluid or a pressure of the fluid supplied into or received from the borehole. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the permeability of the first portion of the borehole can be monitored based on at least one of logging data collected while forming the first portion of the borehole, core samples collected while forming the first portion of the borehole, or drill stem testing performed while forming the first portion of the borehole. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: monitoring a permeability of a first portion of a borehole of a well while forming the borehole using a mechanical drilling apparatus including a drill bit for mechanical removal of material from within the borehole; monitoring a rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus; determining, based at least on the permeability of the borehole falling below a permeability threshold value and the rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus falling below a rate of penetration threshold value, to utilize a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a waveguide configured for insertion into the borehole; and forming a second portion of the borehole utilizing the millimeter wave drilling apparatus in response to the determining. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes determining the permeability of the first portion of the borehole based at least on rock porosity and/or fluid saturation measured within the borehole. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the mechanical drilling apparatus is configured to perform a drilling method selected from rotary drilling, percussion drilling, churn drilling, or diamond drilling. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the method further includes monitoring a hardness of a material present within the first portion of the borehole; and performing the determining further based on the hardness of the material present within the first portion of the borehole exceeding a hardness threshold value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole and/or monitoring the rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus is performed using a first data processor and the determining is performed using the first data processor, a second data processor, or a combination of the first data processor and the second data processor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes monitoring a rate of a fluid or a pressure of the fluid supplied into or received from the borehole. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the permeability of the first portion of the borehole can be monitored based on at least one of logging data collected while forming the first portion of the borehole, core samples collected while forming the first portion of the borehole, or drill stem testing performed while forming the first portion of the borehole. ### Claim 17 A method comprising: monitoring a permeability of a first portion of a borehole of a well while forming the borehole using a mechanical drilling apparatus including a drill bit for mechanical removal of material from within the borehole; monitoring a hardness of a material present within the first portion of the borehole; determining, based at least on the permeability of the borehole falling below a permeability threshold value and the hardness of the material exceeding a hardness threshold value, to utilize a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a waveguide configured for insertion into the borehole; and forming a second portion of the borehole utilizing the millimeter wave drilling apparatus in response to the determining. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes determining the permeability of the first portion of the borehole based at least on rock porosity and/or fluid saturation measured within the borehole. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the mechanical drilling apparatus is configured to perform a drilling method selected from rotary drilling, percussion drilling, churn drilling, or diamond drilling. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole and/or monitoring the hardness of the material present within the first portion of the borehole is performed using a first data processor and the determining is performed using the first data processor, a second data processor, or a combination of the first data processor and the second data processor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes monitoring a rate of a fluid or a pressure of the fluid supplied into or received from the borehole. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the permeability of the first portion of the borehole can be monitored based on at least one of logging data collected while forming the first portion of the borehole, core samples collected while forming the first portion of the borehole, or drill stem testing performed while forming the first portion of the borehole. ### Claim 23 A method comprising: monitoring a permeability of a first portion of a borehole of a well while forming the borehole using a mechanical drilling apparatus including a drill bit for mechanical removal of material from within the borehole; determining, based at least on the permeability of the borehole falling below a permeability threshold value, to utilize a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a waveguide configured for insertion into the borehole; and forming a second portion of the borehole utilizing the millimeter wave drilling apparatus in response to the determining, wherein the millimeter wave drilling apparatus and the waveguide are operated to form the second portion of the borehole to a depth greater than a depth limit of the mechanical drilling apparatus, wherein the millimeter wave drilling apparatus and the waveguide are operated to form the second portion of the borehole to a depth greater than a depth limit of the mechanical drilling apparatus. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the depth is between 5,001 meters and 35,000 meters. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the depth limit is between 4,000 meters and 5,000 meters. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes determining the permeability of the first portion of the borehole based at least on rock porosity and/or fluid saturation measured within the borehole. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the mechanical drilling apparatus is configured to perform a drilling method selected from rotary drilling, percussion drilling, churn drilling, or diamond drilling. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The monitoring of claim 23, wherein the method further includes monitoring a temperature within the first portion of the borehole; and performing the determining further based on the temperature within the first portion of the borehole exceeding a temperature threshold value. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the method further includes monitoring a rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus; and performing the determining further based on the rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus falling below a rate of penetration threshold value. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the method further includes monitoring a hardness of a material present within the first portion of the borehole; and performing the determining further based on the hardness of the material present within the first portion of the borehole exceeding a hardness threshold value. ### Claim 31 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the monitoring is performed using a first data processor and the determining is performed using the first data processor, a second data processor, or a combination of the first data processor and the second data processor. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein monitoring the permeability of the first portion of the borehole includes monitoring a rate of a fluid or a pressure of the fluid supplied into or received from the borehole. ### Claim 33 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the method further includes monitoring a temperature within the first portion of the borehole; monitoring a hardness of a material present within the first portion of the borehole; monitoring a rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus; and performing the determining further based on the temperature within the first portion of the borehole exceeding a temperature threshold value, the hardness of the material present within the first portion of the borehole exceeding a hardness threshold value, and/or the rate of penetration of the drill bit of the mechanical drilling apparatus falling below a rate of penetration threshold value.