Drilling into molten rock at Kilauea Iki

Report Numbers: SAND-78-0443C; CONF-780708-1; OSTI ID: 6700728The scientific feasibility of extracting energy directly from buried circulating magma resources is being assessed. One of the tasks of the project is the study of geophysical measuring systems to locate and define buried molten rock bodies. To verify the results of a molten rock sensing experiment performed at Kilauea Iki lava lake, it is necessary to drill a series of holes through the solid upper crust and through the molten zone at that location. Thirteen holes have been drilled in Kilauea Iki. The results achieved during the drilling of the last two holes indicated that the molten zone in Kilauea Iki is not a simple, relatively homogeneous fluid body as expected. The encountering of an unexpected, unknown rigid obstruction 2.5 ft below the crust/melt interface has led to the conceptual development of a drilling system intended to have the capability to drill through a hot, rigid obstruction while the drill stem is immersed in molten rock. The concept will be field tested at Kilauea Iki in the summer of 1978.U.S. Department of EnergyDOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-078

Magma energy research project : project summary, July 1, 1974 - June 30, 1975

Results of magma energy research project by Sandia Nat'l Lab; exploration methods; heat recovery engineering; materials scienceFunded by the U.S. Government, Contract AT(29-1)-789

FY79 lava lake drilling program : geoscience studies : plans and results

"SAND79-1361. Unlimited Release. UC-66."Fifteen experimental studies were planned for the geoscience studies portion of the FY79 Lava Lake Drilling Program at Kilauea Iki Lava Lake, Hawaii, grouped under headings of petrologic, thermal, strength, liquid/permeability, electrical, and other. This report gives a location, purpose, description, and feasibility analysis for each experiment. A "Results" section for each experiment includes data gathered and analysis to date, where available. Later reports on completed data analyses and conclusions will be published as warranted."Prepared by Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico ... for the United States Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC04-76DP00789.

FY80 annual progress report--magma energy research project

"SAND 81-0100. Unlimited Release. UC-66."  Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-96).The objective of the Magma Energy Research Project is to determine the scientific feasibility of extracting energy from magma bodies. Project activities are divided into five individual tasks representing all aspects of the concept: resource location and definition, source tapping, magma characterization, magma/material compatibility, and energy extraction.Prepared by Sandia Laboratories for the United States government

Magma-Tap : the ultimate geothermal energy program

"This report was presented at the Circum-Pacific Energy and Mineral Resources Conference at Honolulu, Hawaii, Auguest, 1974."The objective of the Direct Magma Tap Research Program now under way at Sandia Laboratories is to investigate the feasibility of extracting energy directly from deeply buried circulating magma sources. With temperatures of the order of 1000 C temperature, these buried sources represent great amounts of high-quality energy. A fully closed heat exchanger system inserted directly into the source would allow extraction of this energy with minimal environmental impact. Major problem areas being studied include source location and configuration, in situ magma characteristics, material compatibilities, tapping methods, and energy extraction equipment.U.S. Department of Energ

Workshop on magma/hydrothermal drilling and instrumentation

This report summarizes the discussions, conclusions, and recommendations of the Magma/Hydrothermal Drilling and Instrumentation Workshop, which was held in Albuquerque, NM, May 31-June 2, 1978. The purpose of the workshop was to define potential drilling environments and to assess the present state-of-the-art in drilling and instrumentation technology for a drill hole that would penetrate through deep hydrothermal systems and into a magma body. This effort is envisioned as a portion of a larger program of continental drilling for scientific purposes, which has been proposed by the U.S. Geodynamics Committee of the National Academy of Sciences. For the purposes of the workshop, three working groups were organized as follows: Drilling Location and Environment, Drilling and Completion Technology, and Loging and Instrumentation Technology