# US 12,180,820 B1 · Drilling a wellbore into a magma reservoir > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,820 B1 - Document ID: US12180820B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/373,630 - Filed: 2023-09-27 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-27 - Assignees: EnhancedGEO Holdings, LLC - Applicants: EnhancedGEO Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Benjamin Chris Smith; James Michael Browning; Randall Howard Hornbaker; Kevin Martin Stone; Georgios Evangelatos; Shamsul Abedin Al-Tomal; Andrew Nguyen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180820B1 ## CPC - 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 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 49/005: {Testing the nature of borehole walls or the formation by using drilling mud or cutting data} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A method for preparing a geothermal system involves preparing a wellbore that extends into an underground magma reservoir. Characteristics of the drilling process and the borehole are monitored to detect when the magma reservoir is reached, such that specially configured drilling operations can be performed to drill to a target depth within the magma reservoir. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: drilling an initial section of a borehole extending from a surface toward an underground magma reservoir, wherein at least a portion of the initial section of the borehole is drilled at an initial drilling rate; detecting contact between a drill bit used to drill the borehole and magma in the underground magma reservoir; and in response to detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma: providing a drilling fluid into the borehole to cause magma in the magma reservoir to form a solid rock plug that can be drilled by the drill bit; drilling into the solid rock plug at a drilling rate that is less than the initial drilling rate; and moving the drill bit into contact and out of contact with the solid rock plug using a reciprocating motion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma comprises determining that a torque of the drill bit is greater than a threshold torque value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma further comprises determining that a weight on the drill bit decreases below a threshold weight value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma further comprises determining that a temperature of fluid returned from the borehole is greater than a threshold temperature value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma further comprises determining that properties of cuttings correspond to properties of solidified magma. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma further comprises determining that an amount of one or more gaseous species returned from the borehole is greater than a threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma further comprises determining that a downhole temperature in the borehole is greater than a threshold temperature value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma further comprises determining that a temperature difference between fluid received from the borehole and provided into the borehole is greater than a threshold temperature difference value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising installing a casing in at least a portion of the initial section of the borehole. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the drilling fluid into the borehole at a maximum flow rate of drilling equipment used to provide the drilling fluid. ### Claim 11 A system, comprising: drilling equipment comprising a drill bit attached to a drill string, wherein the drilling equipment is configured to drill a borehole from a surface towards an underground magma reservoir; and a drilling controller coupled to the drilling equipment and configured to: cause the drilling equipment to drill an initial section of a borehole extending from a surface toward an underground magma reservoir, wherein at least a portion of the initial section of the borehole is drilled at an initial drilling rate; detect contact between the drill bit and magma in the underground magma reservoir; in response to detecting contact between the drill bit and the magma: cause the drilling equipment to provide a drilling fluid into the borehole to cause magma in the magma reservoir to form a solid rock plug that can be drilled by the drill bit; cause the drilling equipment to drill into the solid rock plug at a drilling rate that is less than the initial drilling rate; and cause the drill bit to move into contact and out of contact with the solid rock plug using a reciprocating motion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by determining that a torque of the drill bit is greater than a threshold torque value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by further determining that a weight on the drill bit decreases below a threshold weight value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by further determining that a temperature of fluid returned from the borehole is greater than a threshold temperature value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by further determining that properties of cuttings correspond to properties of solidified magma. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by further determining that an amount of one or more gaseous species returned from the borehole is greater than a threshold value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by further determining that a downhole temperature in the borehole is greater than a threshold temperature value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by further determining that a temperature difference between fluid received from the borehole and provided into the borehole is greater than a threshold temperature difference value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising installing a casing in at least a portion of the initial section of the borehole. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, further comprising providing the drilling fluid into the borehole at a maximum flow rate of drilling equipment used to provide the drilling fluid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the drilling controller is further configured to detect contact between the drill bit and the magma by determining that a pump pressure changes more than a threshold amount.