[idiotsecant]

The whole point is that microwave ablation of these materials does not require drilling mud and is self-stabilizing by the pressures and molten material generated, while also sealing the bore hole and preventing quite a lot of water table, H2S, etc contamination. In theory it should allow substantially deeper boreholes.

The technology is real, and the required power density is surprisingly low.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286571247_Penetrati...

[FounderBurr]

Vaporized into what? Something that you’ll have to keep heated to 5000c for 20km until you can vent it?

[DustinGadal]

They'll be pumping neutral gas (probably N2 or argon) to purge the borehole. I would expect the ablated material to resolidify as fine particulate, which would get carried to the surface at ambient temperature and trapped in a filter.

A 20km borehole with a 10cm diameter is only ~157m3 of rock. If the dig takes four weeks (which would be unprecedentedly fast), you only need to purge ~64cm3/s, which is pretty trivial.

They'll need to do something like mix the dust into concrete. Silicate dust is a respiratory hazard. But that doesn't strike me as a significant hurdle.

[scotty79]

Apparently that's what they intend. I wonder how you can keep 20km oven warm enough.