System and methods for pulsed flow pulsed electric drilling

摘要

In at least some embodiments, a pulsed-electric drilling system includes a bit that extends a borehole by detaching formation material with pulses of electric current from one or more electrodes, and a drillstring that defines at least one path for a fluid flow to the bit to flush detached formation material from the borehole. The system modulates the fluid flow across the one or more electrodes. This modulation may enhance the performance of the pulsed-electric drilling process.