# US 12,000,283 B2 · 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 12,000,283 B2 - Document ID: US12000283B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/295,385 - Filed: 2023-04-04 - Published: 2023-08-03 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-05 - Assignees: Quaise Energy, Inc. - Applicants: Quaise Energy, Inc. - Inventors: Carlos Araque; Justin Lamb; Franck Monmont; Hy Phan; Matthew Houde - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000283B2 ## 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 monitoring and controlling a downhole pressure of a well during formation of a borehole of a well is provided. The method can include monitoring a downhole pressure of a well during formation of a borehole of the well using a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a waveguide configured for insertion into the borehole. The monitoring can include determining the downhole pressure. The downhole pressure can include an amount of pressure present at a bottom of the well. The method can also include determining a lithostatic pressure of rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well. The method can further include controlling the downhole pressure relative to the lithostatic pressure of the rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well. Related systems performing the methods are also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: monitoring a downhole pressure of a well during formation of a borehole of the well using a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a waveguide configured for insertion into the borehole, the monitoring including determining the downhole pressure, wherein the downhole pressure includes an amount of pressure present at a bottom of the well; determining a lithostatic pressure of rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well; and controlling the downhole pressure relative to the lithostatic pressure of the rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well, wherein controlling the downhole pressure further comprises providing a gas compressor at a surface of the well, the gas compressor configured to supply a gas into the borehole of the well and a means for controlling the downhole pressure, the means for controlling the downhole pressure controlling one or more operations of the gas compressor by controlling an input valve position of the gas compressor, an output valve position of the gas compressor, a back pressure of the gas compressor, and a flow rate of the gas supplied by the gas compressor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the downhole pressure of the well further comprises measuring a pressure of a fluid provided into and/or extracted from the borehole; and determining the downhole pressure of the well using one or more of the pressure of the fluid provided into the borehole, the pressure of the fluid extracted from the borehole, a downhole pressure determined when forming a portion of the well using a mechanical drilling apparatus including a drill bit, a measure of energy input supplied to the millimeter wave drilling apparatus, and a depth of the bottom of the well. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining the downhole pressure of the well further comprises using at least a physical model associated with one or more of the downhole pressure determined when forming a portion of the well using the mechanical drilling apparatus including a drill bit, the measure of energy input supplied to the millimeter wave drilling apparatus, and the depth of the bottom of the well. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the lithostatic pressure of rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well is determined using historical geologic survey data and/or a model of geophysical data associated with the well. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the downhole pressure is performed using a rotating pressure control head. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the flow rate of the gas is between 0.5 m/s and 50 m/s. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the downhole pressure is controlled relative to the lithostatic pressure of the rock such that the downhole pressure is greater than the lithostatic pressure of the rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the downhole pressure is controlled relative to the lithostatic pressure of the rock such that the downhole pressure is balanced with the lithostatic pressure of the rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: means for monitoring a downhole pressure of a well during formation of a portion of a borehole of the well, wherein the means for monitoring the downhole pressure of the well is configured to determine the downhole pressure, wherein the downhole pressure includes an amount of pressure present at a bottom of the well; and means for controlling the downhole pressure relative to the lithostatic pressure of rock surrounding the well at the bottom of the well, wherein means for controlling the downhole pressure further comprises a gas compressor at a surface of the well, the gas compressor configured to supply a gas into the borehole of the well and the means for controlling the downhole pressure configured to control one or more operations of the gas compressor by controlling an input valve position of the gas compressor, an output valve position of the gas compressor, a back pressure of the gas compressor, and a flow rate of the gas supplied by the gas compressor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the means for controlling the downhole pressure of the well is configured to control the downhole pressure of the well based on a mass flow and a back pressure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the means for monitoring the downhole pressure of the well is configured to monitor the downhole pressure of the well by at least measuring a pressure of a fluid provided into and/or extracted from the portion of the borehole; and determining the downhole pressure of the well is performed using one or more of the pressure of the fluid provided into the portion of the borehole, the pressure of the fluid extracted from the portion of the borehole, a downhole pressure determined when forming a portion of the well, a measure of energy input supplied into the borehole during formation of the portion of the borehole, and a depth of the bottom of the well. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the means for controlling the downhole pressure of the well is configured to control the downhole pressure of the well based on determining a Mach number of the fluid provided into and a Mach number of the fluid extracted from the portion of the borehole. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the means for controlling the downhole pressure of the well is configured to control the downhole pressure of the well based on one or more of the pressure of the fluid supplied into the portion of the borehole, the pressure of the fluid received from the portion of the borehole, the downhole pressure determined when forming the portion of the well, the measure of energy input supplied into the portion of the borehole during formation of the portion of the borehole, and/or the depth of the bottom of the well. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the means for controlling the downhole pressure of the well is configured to further control the downhole pressure of the well based on data associated with one or more of the downhole pressure determined when forming a portion of the well, a measure of energy input supplied into the portion of the borehole during formation of the portion of the borehole, and a depth of the bottom of the well. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, further comprising a means for forming the portion of the borehole configured to form the portion of the borehole using a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a waveguide configured for insertion into the borehole. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the portion of the borehole is formed using the millimeter wave drilling apparatus after forming a previous portion of the borehole using a rotatory drilling apparatus, the previous portion of the borehole formed before the portion of the borehole formed using the millimeter wave drilling apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the previous portion of the borehole formed using the rotary drilling apparatus is formed using one of plasma drilling, laser drilling, projectile drilling, or electric shock drilling. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the portion of the borehole formed using the millimeter wave drilling apparatus is formed at an angle relative to the previous portion of the borehole.