While their at it why dont they throw some TNT into the Yellowstone Chimera Sounds a terrible idea something a James Bond Villian would do

I always assumed that Campi Flegri was just a de-gassing vent which was connected to the Vesuvius chamber, but only releases gaseous elements aside from the occasional uplift which has caused brief faults giving small volcanic cones where the fracture zone is.

The Vesuvius chamber isnt under any immediate pressurisation, as no internal source of magma is being injected into the Vesuvius and Naples area just yet.
Drilling 4km deep in the Campi Flegri field would possibly cause small gaseous venting, but nothing of a volcanic cataclysm like this source is hyping up.

It really depends on the depth of the magma chamber as to whether or not anything will happen. Concerning what the volcano is, it is a caldera, a caldera eruption will dwarf any Vesuvius eruption. It is a ryolite volcano which makes its eruptions like a very small Yellowstone eruption.

If there are no resurgent domes or ground lifting going on at the time when they drill they will be ok as long as they do not puncture the magma chamber. If they even come close, when drilling, to the magma chamber there is still a potential for outgassing to occur. This would lead to an eruption if and only if there was a significant ammount of pressurized melt down there.

Just my Geological view point,
Angel One

thanks for the info

I rather leave this up to more experienced people before forming my own opinion.
I've read about previous drilling projects gone wrong, where magma entered the drill tubes. They didn't forsee these either.

Let's just hope they don't 'trigger' a big one

Seems like your right to be concerned, this VEI7 Supervolcano (Vesuvius is a mere VEI4) last had activity in the mid 1500's, and even in the 1980's up to 40,000 were evacuated as its thought one of the Caldera craters was about to blow due to uplift.

Its still classified as active and has has 2 Supervolcanic eruptive phases in the caldera's creation. And even today the land is continuing to uplift.

noticed this too. Anyone else think of revelations? When i read they were drilling seven holes i immediatly thought of the seven seals!
In all seriousness though they have openly admitted to not knowing whats gonna happen. the LHC is way less risky than this