In many instances a starship's phasers were employed to act as a drill. In 2367 the USS Enterprise-D used it's main phasers as a drill 1.6 kilometers underground to access the protected bunker on Turkana IV to rescue hostages. In 2368, the Enterprise-D used it's phasers to bore holes into the mantle of Penthara IV to release carbon dioxide located in subterranean pockets. The tectonic stability of the planet was overestimated, however, and the drilling caused massive earthquakes and volcanic outbreaks. (TNG: "A Matter of Time" )