On the Cutting Edge

Improved materials and innovative designs are expanding applications

for all types of rotary bits and modifying how they are used to drill wells.
Operators and drilling contractors are taking full advantage of the latest bit
technologies and new techniques to construct more cost-effective wells.

Alain Besson
TotalFinaElf
Paris, France
Bruce Burr
Scott Dillard
Eric Drake
Brad Ivie
Craig Ivie
Roger Smith
Graham Watson
Houston, Texas, USA
For help in preparation of this article, thanks to Gerald
Angst, Ron Birch, Marcel Boucher, Bruce Boulanger,
Jeff Daly, Bob Fabian, Wayne Mausbach, Bill Miller,
Gail Nelson, Tamara Price and Charles Stafford, Houston,
Texas, USA; David Jelley, Nigel Griffin, Terry Matthias,
Jo Taper and Malcolm Talyor, Stonehouse, England; and
James Garner, Sugar Land, Texas.
Armor Clad, ASTRA, Bicentrix, BitTrak, DiamondBack,
Duradiamond, Mudpick, PowerDrive, PowerSteering,
Steeringwheel, Switchblade and Transformation are
marks of Schlumberger.

36

Drilling through subsurface strata to find hydrocarbons requires a bit run on drillpipe or coiled
tubing and rotated by surface rig equipment or
downhole motors and turbines. Selecting the best
bit for a particular application is one of the challenges faced by oil companies and drilling contractors when planning a well.
A basic tool of drilling engineers, the rotary
bitbroadly classified as either fixed cutter or
roller coneis designed and manufactured for
different formations and a wide range of conditions. Those who purchase and use bits must
understand the differences between various
types and designs (next page).
Fixed-cutter, or drag, bits have integral blades
that turn together. Steel-blade drag bits, also
called fishtail bits because of their characteristic
shapes, date back to rotary drilling before 1900
and cut soft formations like plows making furrows
in soil. Modern fixed-cutter bits with surface diamonds also plow formations; bits with diamonds
suspended in matrix blades grind rocks; and those
with man-made polycrystalline diamond compact
(PDC) cutters shear like a lathe.
Roller-cone bits have metal cones that rotate
independently as a bit turns on bottom. Each
cone has cutting structureshard-faced steel
teeth or tungsten-carbide insertsthat wedge
and crush, or gouge and tear like chisels or shovels, depending on formation hardness. Rollercone bits led to deeper drilling and are often
referred to as rock bits because they could drill
harder formations than early drag bits.

Drilling bits constitute just a fractionone to

five percentof total well costs, but are a critical component of well-construction economics.
The time required to drill a well is related directly
to how fast bits drill and how long they last
before becoming dull. On a cost-per-foot basis,
investing in the right bit significantly reduces
cost by decreasing drilling time and the number
of trips in and out of a well. For shallow land-rig
operations, less expensive standard rock bits
might be appropriate. Even though they cost
more, advanced roller-cone or PDC bits with a
better rate of penetration (ROP) and longer life
may be the most economic choice offshore and in
deep wells where rig rates and trip cost to
replace bits are high. Regardless of the application, the purchase price of optimized bits is
returned many times over.
The first roller-cone bit with three cones was
patented by Howard Hughes in 1909. C. E. Reed
developed rock bits with replaceable twin disks
and four rolling cutters in 1916 and 1917. These
first stages in the evolution of bits extended
rotary drilling beyond the depth and durability
limits of steel-blade bits. Since then, developments have alternated between cone-bearing and
cutting-structure improvements. These advances
include intermeshing cones with harder metals
welded on steel teeth, antifriction roller bearings
with roller balls to holdretaincones in place,
tungsten-carbide inserts, self-lubricating sealed
roller bearings and friction journal bearings.

Oilfield Review

Early utter
c
rolling

Early il
fishta

one
c
r
e
l
Rol

utter
c
d
e
Fix
This trend continues today with new bearing
and seal designs, better cone-retention systems,
improved cemented carbides and diamondcomposite edges with higher wear resistance
that offer superior performance and reliability,
especially in problematic hard formations, and
high-speed drilling with downhole motors or
turbines. Combining individual elements and
advances into bit solutions for specific applications improves drilling performance and extends
bit life by increasing the load-carrying capacity
and durability of roller-cone bits.
Fixed-cutter bits have also evolved beyond
early fishtail and drag designs, driven by integration of natural diamond and synthetic PDC composites as cutting edges. Fixed-cutter bits have no
moving parts, only cutting surfaces to wear out,
and can drill fast for long periods in some applications. Natural diamonds were first used in about
1910 for specialized coring bits that cut doughnutshaped holes and retrieved concentric columns of
rock, or core, in special sleeves or tubes for formation evaluation. Full-hole diamond bits were
introduced in the early 1920s. Based on General
Electric technology that allowed synthetic diamonds to be bonded on tungsten carbide, the first
PDC bits became commercial in the early 1970s.

Autumn 2000

ry
Rota

Developments in fixed-cutter bits are a result

of improved materials and manufacturing coupled with better understanding of bit stability
and fluid dynamics. Advanced cutting structures
and designs minimize unstable downhole
motion, or vibrations, to allow faster, more
aggressive drilling. Cutting elements are also
matched to specific formations or drilling conditions. A new generation of PDC bits has evolved
to meet complex directional-drilling demands,
and enhanced diamond-impregnated bits are
finding new applications.
Bit hydraulic and cutting-structure advances
yield better designs for both roller-cone and
fixed-cutter bits. Full-scale testing and computer
modeling improve our understanding of relationships between fluid flow, bit cleaning and cuttings removal to further enhance drilling-bit
performance. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
computer simulations, like those used to develop
automobile, aircraft and marine-vessel shapes,
allow designers to optimize roller-cone and fixedcutter hydraulics for higher ROP.
Advanced design software now correlates
lithology and rock strength with various bit types
to help operators choose an appropriate bit.

bits
g
n
i
l
dril

Expanded databases record and track drilling performance and results to aid in roller-cone or fixedcutter bit selection and provide a basis for
continued improvements and future developments.
As design and manufacturing improve, traditional boundaries between roller-cone and fixedcutter bits blur. Research and development
results in better reliability, advanced composite
designs, improved hydraulics and greater stability across all bit types. While this provides
drillers with more capabilities, it also makes the
complex job of bit selection more challenging.
Drilling bits and new downhole tools in combination with service-provider expertise save
operators time and money. This article reviews
roller-cone, fixed-cutter PDC and diamond bits,
and the latest advances, including a full range of
designs, materials and manufacturing methods
that significantly improve drilling performance
and help drillers customize bits for each formation
or application. Research, testing and developments in bit hydraulics, gathering data downhole
at the bit, bit optimization and case studies about
specific drilling solutions are also discussed.

37

Roller-Cone Technology
In the 1800s, drilling with cable-tool rigs and percussion bits was slow and
limited to shallow depths. Fishtail bits and rotary rigs with continuous circulation to remove cuttings were improvements, but steel-blade bits worked
best in soft formations and even then wore out quickly. Cutting structures on
cones that rotate independently to roll across the bottom of a hole as the bit
turns caught on quickly in the 1900s. These bits lasted longer and could
drill deeper. However, the first bits with rolling cones lacked durability and
reliabilitypins and screws held early versions togetherbut were superior to blade bits. Simple bearings with steel bushings, or liners, were used
to reduce friction.
Initial improvements involved cutting structures. In the early 1930s,
intermeshing cones were developed. By leaving space on adjacent cones,
cutters can be longer and provide additional cleaning action in soft formations. Prior to that, teeth had to be short enough to miss each other as the
cones turned. About the same time, manufacturers began heat-treating
steel and welding harder metal on steel teeth to drill formations with high
compressive strengths.
There are two types of roller-cone cutting structures: steel teeth
machined, cast or integrally forged with wear-resistant carbide composite
edges, and tungsten-carbide inserts formed separately and pressed into precisely drilled holes on the cone surfaces. Steel-tooth and insert bits are
available to drill soft, medium hard and hard formations (below). Steel-tooth
bits are used in soft formations with low compressive strengths as well as
medium-hard to hard formations with higher compressive strengths. Insert
bits drill formations ranging from soft and medium-hard, to hard semi-abrasive and hard abrasive.
Cutting structures that crush or cause compressive failure of hard rock
are blunt, short to prevent cutter breakage, and closely spaced. Soft formations allow sharp, long teeth to penetrate and remove material by gouging
and scraping. Each cutting action is used to varying degrees depending on
the formation. Cutters tend to gouge and scrape more as cones depart from
true rolling motion. A balance between rock failure mechanisms is achieved

Steel-tooth bits

Formation hardness

Hard

Gouging and scraping

Direction
of rotation
Low skew (0)

True rolling
at all points

Gauge

Gauge
High skew (5)

Cone contour
departs from
true rolling
motion

Journal
angle

> Roller-cone drilling actions. Roller-cone bits remove rock by gouging and
scraping or by crushing. Rolling cones impart a crushing action. As cones
depart from a true rolling motion, cutting structures gouge and scrape
more. Skew angle, or offset, and cone shape cause cones to periodically
stop rotating as the bit turns. As a result, cutting structures slide on the
bottom of a hole and scrape the formation. Offset angles vary from 5 for
soft formations to zero in hard formations. Bits for soft formations use
longer cutting structures with cone-offset angles that reduce true rolling
motion. Short cutters on cones that roll more generate crushing action in
hard formations.

by adjusting journal angle, cone shape and offset to control how cones roll
(above). Journals are shafts, or axle-like structures, about which cones turn.
Offset, or skew angle, is a measure of how much journals are shifted so that
the axis of each cone does not intersect at the center of a bit.
As cutting structures improved and bits drilled more aggressively, bearing life became a limiting factor. In the mid-1930s, antifriction roller bearings were developed (next page, top). Bit runs improved from 6 or 8 hours
to between 20 and 25 hours with a corresponding increase in footage
drilled and decrease in cost. Fluid nozzles were first used in 1950 to improve
bit and hole cleaning, and increase penetration rates by jetting mud on the
bottom of a hole to dislodge cuttings held down by hydrostatic pressure.
Tungsten-carbide inserts, introduced in 1951, were a boon to hard-rock
drilling. Carbide insertswith only a small sacrifice in toughnesswere

Steel-tooth and insert cutting structures. Steel teeth are cast, forged or
machined from the same metal as the cones (top). Tungsten-carbide hardfacing is welded on steel teeth to improve durability. Intermeshing cones
allow longer cutting structures and provide additional cleaning action. In
soft formations, wide cutter spacing also promotes bit cleaning. Sintered
tungsten-carbide inserts are cast separately and mechanically pressed to
a tight interference fit in slightly smaller holes on cone surfaces (bottom).
Inserts capped with more abrasion-resistant PDC layers also are available.

>

Soft

Crushing

Insert bits

38

Oilfield Review

>

, Antifriction bearings. Bits with three cones, the most common roller-cone
design, bear little resemblance to early rolling-cutter bits. Roller bearings
carry most of the loads, and ball bearings inserted through a hole in the journal hold cones in place. A thrust face and friction pin carry nose loads and
stabilize the bearings. Seals keep grease inside bearings, and prevent mud
and solids from entering. The first rubber-bonded seals were energized by
an internal metal ring, or belleville spring. Later, round and radial elastomer
seals were used. Grease reservoirs in the lugs ensure lubrication. There
is no pressure differential across the seals, and hydrostatic pressure is
transferred through a diaphragm to equalize pressure between the bearings
and borehole.

Sealed roller bearing

Diaphragm
Reservoir cap
Grease reservoir
Lug
Thrust face
Roller bearings

Belleville seal
Hard-metal
gauge protection

Friction pin
Steel teeth

Journal

Cone

Gauge

Roller balls

vacuum or hydrogen atmosphere.1 Cobalt content and grain size are varied to
generate a dozen standard cemented-carbide grades. These metal composites combine hardness to limit deformation with toughness to resist cracking.
Small grain sizes and low cobalt content increase hardness and wear
resistance at the expense of toughness. Large grains and high cobalt levels
reduce hardness and wear resistance, but increase toughness. The right
grade must be selectedtoo soft leads to premature wear, too hard
increases insert breakage under severe loads. The results are wear- and
erosion-resistant inserts for hard formations, and strong inserts for soft formations (below).
Better cutting structures and aggressive drilling in deep, hard rocks
require more bit weight and better bearings. Journal, or friction, bearings
without rollers and using O-ring seals compressed more than 15% were
introduced in the late 1960s and early 1970s, ushering in a new era in rollercone performance.
Journal bearings are more durable and handle higher weights than roller
bearings because loads are distributed over a larger areaboth journal and
Soft
formations

harder and more wear-resistant than the best steel and could drill long
intervals before wearing out.
For the first time, cutting structures outlasted bearings. However, mud
and solids damage bearings, especially in critical applications. Although a
special grease was used to lubricate bearing components and extend bit
life, fatigue and wear of roller-bearing surfaces and tracks, or races, on lugs
and cones limited bearing durability, so a new approach was needed for
insert bits. In the 1960s, seals were added to keep grease in bearings and
prevent fluids or solids from entering. Grease reservoirs in each lug provide
continuous lubrication. A diaphragm-compensation system equalizes pressure across the seals. Open, or unsealed, roller bearings cooled and lubricated by drilling fluids are still used in steel-tooth bits for low-cost drilling.
Today, less porous cemented carbides are made by combining fine tungstencarbide particles in a cobalt matrix and sintering at high temperatures in a
1. Sintering is the heating of powdered metals until a binder-metal constituent melts,
causing densification and shrinkage while maintaining preform shape.

Insert types

43A

51

53

53A

51A

52A

61

62

Soft-to-medium
formations

Medium-to-hard
formations

62A

Cemented-carbide microstructure
10 microns
63

Hard
formations

73

83

> Insert variety. Insert durability depends on advances in powder metallurgy

that eliminate defects, optimize binder chemistry and achieve a precise
relationship between hardness and toughness for each application. Less
porous cemented carbides are fused onto steel teeth or sintered into wearand erosion-resistant inserts for hard formations or stronger inserts for
soft formations. Careful process control ensures precise material properties
and grain sizes, and a high-temperature, isostatic pressing step eliminates
cemented-carbide pore defects (insert).

Autumn 2000

39

>

, Friction bearings. Bearings without antifriction rollers are durable and

handle high weights because loads are distributed over a larger bearing
area. These journal bearings are used in bit sizes up to 1214 in. Floating
beryllium-copper bushings dissipate heat and reduce relative velocities
between journals and cones. Silver plating acts as a solid lubricant to
further reduce friction and wear. Radial elastomer seals are used because
they require less compression than round seals and do not generate as
much heat.

Sealed journal bearing

Diaphragm
Reservoir cap
Grease reservoir
Silver-plated
beryllium-copper
floating bushing
Thrust face

Hard-metal
gauge
protection

Friction pin

Journal

Tungstencarbide
Cone
inserts

Radial elastomer
seal
Gauge

Roller-cone bit bodies were initially cast or forged in one piece with cones
and sometimes companion blades attached. With the emergence of threecone designs, manufacturers began producing individual lug and cone units
that were subsequently assembled and welded together. This paved the way
for six decades of increasingly precise manufacturing processes (below).
Tighter tolerances for forging, machining, heat-treating, sintering, grinding,
welding and powder metallurgy are the foundations of todays cadre of highperformance roller-cone bits. Reed pioneered grinding bearing surfaces in one
setup to provide consistent shapes, and eliminate eccentricities.
Reed also developed patented methods for finishing bearings that
improve surface finishes, concentricity and dimensional control. Cassette
fixtures provide a repeatable method for holding parts in a machine.4 A
holder, or cassette, fits in a lathe to position parts securely and accurately.
Larger parts are machined by static turninga moving lathe contours
stationary parts.5 Static turning is now a standard in roller-cone bit manufacturing. Similarly, robotic welding provides near-final shape alloy inlays
unobtainable by manual welding.
Advances in powder metallurgy fabrication have translated into improved
performance of premium hard metal for steel-tooth bits. Welded overlays for
bit teeth evolved using manual welding with composite rods made from steel
and carbide powders. This arduous application process limits consistency and
performance of steel-tooth bits. The Armor Clad composite rod developed by

interior cone surfacesrather than just the rollers (above). The first journal
bits drilled as much hole as three to five standard roller-bearing bits, but
were more expensive. Net savings came from increased footage per bit and
fewer trips to replace bits.
In the early 1970s, Reed Tool Company, now Reed-Hycalog, developed a
floating beryllium-copper bushing with better load-carrying capacity, ductility
and wear resistance with high thermal conductivity to dissipate heat.2
Compared with conventional friction bearings, this floating bushing rotates
between journal and cone surfaces to provide four surfaces and twice the
sliding area, which reduces relative velocities and decreases wear. Floating
bushings are also silver-plated to reduce friction and wear. At about the
same time, Reed patented an oval seal with a cross section that is greater
radially than axially.3 Radial seals require less than 10% compression to seal
effectively, which reduces wear. A lower interface pressure also reduces
friction and heat, so seals run cooler. Today, many bit designs use seals that
are based on this radial concept.

>

. Manufacturing roller-cone bits. Steel-tooth cones and cutters are forged

from hot-rolled steel billets (top left). Heat treatment hardens bearing cavities. These cone shapes are shaped by machining profiles and a rough bore
followed by complex detailed milling of individual teeth (top right). Tungsten
carbide is manually welded on each tooth to improve wear resistance.
For insert bits, cemented-carbide inserts are sintered and interference fit
on cone surfaces by pressing them into slightly smaller precision-drilled
holes (bottom left). Lugs and cones are assembled and welded together
(bottom right).

40

Oilfield Review

>

Premium steel-tooth hard-facing. Heat degradation from standard hightemperature welding and slower application with thick-tube rods cause high
porosity, cracking and inconsistent properties (top left). Conventional welded
hard-metal overlays leave spherical tungsten-carbide particles exposed to
erosion (middle left). Lower temperature welding and rapid deposition with a
Thin Sheath Extruded Rod (TSER) minimizes dilution in steel teeth (top right).
A premixed, multiphase blend of tungsten carbide and powdered steel provides greater abrasion resistance. Large spherical particles and plate-like
structures overlap to reduce matrix erosion (middle right). This Armor Clad
hard metal has exceptionally low porosity and crack defects, so teeth stay
sharper longer, increasing penetration rates and bit life (bottom).

Conventional welding rod

Thin-Sheath Extruded Rod welding

0.4 mm

0.4 mm

cutter geometry and features. This manufacturing method, which involves

rapid, solid-state densification of final-shape cones and teeth, eliminates
many conventional bit-design constraints and provides advanced material
options that improve cutting-structure integrity (below). Teeth with a consistent hard-metal thickness for improved wear resistance are a primary
advantage of the proprietary PMC technology.
This process is well suited for automation, and manual welding operations are eliminated. Unlike manually welded premium hard metal, carbide
volume and microstructure are identical on each tooth of every cone. This
process provides flexibility for innovation in several aspects of rollercone design. Final-shape capability allows economic manufacturing of
complex cutting structuresaggressive shapes, locations and orientations

Reed-Hycalog doubles the weld application rate while reducing heat degradation of carbide particles (above).6
The patented powder metal cutter (PMC) process combines powdermetal and traditional forging technologies to produce bits with advanced
2. Mayo TH: Drill Bit Bearings, U.S. Patent 3,721,307 (March 20, 1973).
3. Murdoch HW and Schumacher PW Jr: Drill Bit Seals, U.S. Patent 3,765,495 (October
16, 1973).
4. Gaither PI and Tucker III JR: Method and Apparatus for Machining a Workpiece,
U.S. Patent 4,599,921 (July 15, 1986).

Solid-aluminum
pattern
7

Aluminum
bag mold
8

5. Gaither PI and Klappenbach SW: Method of Making Lug Journal for Roller Cutter
Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 4,982,496 (January 8, 1991).
6. Smith RC: Hardfacing Material for Rolling Cutter Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 5,740,872
(April 21, 1998).

Elastomer bag

Injection mold and

hard-metal cap

Hard-metal cap
in pattern recess

Hot press

Preform cold
isostatic press

Tooth cross sections

Manually welded hard metal

Preheat preform

PMC hard metal

Final cone and

cutter shape

> Powder-metal cutter (PMC) technology. A patented process combines powder metal and traditional forging technologies to produce lower cost bits with
advanced cutter geometry and features. A final cone and cutter geometry is expanded to account for a two-step densification process. A solid pattern and
two-part mold are machined from aluminum to make an elastomer bag that replicates the pattern exactly.
Locations and thickness of wear-resistant material for teeth are also expanded to make steel molds. A mixture of tungsten carbide and cobalt pellets,
steel powder and binder is injected into the molds to produce hard-metal tooth caps. The flexible bag is placed in an aluminum support, and caps are
inserted into recesses corresponding to teeth. A solid mandrel and cap form the bit bore and allow access to fill the bag with steel powder. Vibration packs
the powder to about a 60% solid in the shape of the pattern. Cold isostatic pressing densifies the powder to about 80% solid with a uniform size reduction of
14%. These preforms can be handled, heated and manipulated during final deformation, but will shatter if dropped.
Cone and cutter densification to 100% solid and final shape begins by uniformly preheating preforms in an inert atmosphere close to forging temperature. Preforms are transferred to a preheated die and surrounded by hot graphite powder. This transfer takes less than 30 seconds to prevent oxidation and
minimize heat loss. A hydraulic press consolidates preforms to final shape and full density in less than one minute.
After blast cleaning, bearings are machined, surface-hardened by heat treatment and precision-ground by conventional means. Carbon content and
microstructure are the same in each cone and tooth, thereby eliminating manual welding (bottom right).

Autumn 2000

41

that are not feasible in conventional machining operations. Recent PMC advances include
improved hard-metal formulations and fullcoverage hard metal.7
Shaped inserts with diamond-composite
coatings have revolutionized cutting-structure
performance in many roller-cone bit applications.
Diamond technology provides resistance to thermal cracking and wear for cutting edges as well
as rock-facing gauge surfaces. Diamond-enhanced
inserts use graded polycrystalline diamond layers
on cemented-carbide substrates (below). The
surface layer of almost pure diamond that cuts
rock is optimized for abrasion, temperature and
impact wear in roller-cone applications. Differences in thermal expansion and elasticity between
cemented-carbide substrates and diamond composites result in compatibility strains that are
reduced by graded intermediate layers.
Reed-Hycalog coated inserts are fabricated
under license using a patented high-temperature,
high-pressure process similar to the one used in
making fixed-cutter PDC elements (see FixedCutter Technology, page 45).8 Fortunately, development of durable PDC inserts for roller-cone bits
coincided with the increase in aggressive directional drilling using downhole motors.
The latest bearing designs and ongoing
advances in hydraulics also expand roller-cone
bit capabilities and further improved drilling

Enhanced Motor Series (EMS) Bit

Enhanced Performance (EHP) Bit

Silver-plated, beryllium-copper
floating bushing

Contoured rollers
with crowned edges

Optimized cone hardness

Optimized cone hardness

Point-contact loads

Surface-contact loads

Silver-plated,
Stellite thrust washer

Multiple rows of
encapsulated rollers
Roller balls

Center-ribbed texturized
HNBR radial seal

HNBR radial seal

Threaded Ring

> Advanced bearing designs. Enhanced Motor Series (EMS) roller-bearing bits are durable at high
penetration rates in high-speed turbine and motor drilling, particularly directional applications (left).
For longer bit life, multiple rows of rollers increase durability, and center-ribbed texturized seals reduce
friction. Contoured roller edges minimize contact stresses and reduce metal flaking. Rollers are encapsulated in the cone to maximize journal diameter and reduce contact stresses. Hydrogenated Nitrile
Butadiene Rubber (HNBR) seals provide abrasion resistance and withstand temperatures greater than
300F [150C]. Texturized seals trap grease and reduce friction; a center rib keeps contaminants out
(insert). Enhanced Performance (EHP) bits feature patented Threaded Ring bearings with more inwardloading capacity than ball bearings to reduce failures and lost cones (right). Threaded Ring bearings
provide better cone retention in the event of seal failure. There is less axial play, which reduces pressure fluctuation across seals and limits particle migration. A silver-plated Stellite thrust washer carries
axial loads and reduces heat friction at the thrust face.

Diamond coating

performance. A new generation of premium Enhanced Motor Series (EMS)

and Enhanced Performance (EHP) bits combine improved materials and manufacturing with advanced designs. These new designs balance cutting-structure improvements, which increase penetration rate, with bearing and seals
that improve bit durability and life (above).
The Threaded Ring bearing introduced by Reed-Hycalog provides superior
cone retention in the event of seal failure.9 This solid-steel, silver-plated ring
is made in two halves so it can be installed on the journal. Aggressive cutting
action causes high loads on bearings. The bushing-like structure offers greater
inward-loading capacity than ball bearings for longer bearing life, especially in
directional drilling. Reduced clearances decrease axial play, minimize pressure

Tungsten-carbide
substrate

Diamond-coated gauge and insert cutters

Diamond
layer

Diamond
grain size

Diamond

Cobalt

Tungsten carbide

Thickness

Top
Second
Third
Substrate

8 microns
8 microns
8 microns

95 %
62 %
42 %

5%
16 %
16 %
18 %

0%
22 %
42 %
82 %

.010 in.
.010 in.
.015 in.

> Shaped PDC inserts. Diamond coatings on cemented-carbide substrates

improve roller-cone insert abrasion, impact and thermal properties (top).
Dome-shaped gauge inserts use a uniform diamond layer, while round-top
insert coatings grade from thick on top to thin on the edges (middle). A surface PDC layer of almost pure diamond and one or two intermediate layers
of diamond, tungsten carbide and cobalt mixtures are sintered, causing the
binder to adhere firmly to the carbide base (bottom). Intermediate layers
are optimized to minimize strains between diamond and tungsten carbide
caused by the difference in expansion between diamond and carbide.

42

7. Sreshta HA and Drake EF: Hardmetal Facing for Rolling Cutter Drill Bit, U.S. Patent
5,653,299 (August 5, 1997).
Sreshta HA and Drake EF: Hardmetal Facing for Earth Boring Drill Bit, U.S. Patent
5,988,302 (November 23, 1999).
Drake EF and Sreshta HA: Rock Bit Hardmetal Overlay and Process of Manufacture,
U.S. Patent 5,967,248 (October 19, 1999).
Drake EF and Sreshta HA: Rock Bit Hardmetal Overlay and Process of Manufacture,
U.S. Patent 6,045,750 (April 4, 2000).
8. Hall HT Jr and Hall DR: Carbide/Metal Composite Material and a Process Therefor,
U.S Patent 5,304,342 (April 19, 1994).
9. Pearce DE: A New Rock Bit Bearing Provides Superior Cone Retention, paper
IADC/SPE 19909, presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Houston, Texas, USA,
February 27-March 2, 1990.
Murdoch HW and Schumacher PW Jr: Drill Bit, U.S. Patent 3,971,600 (July 27, 1976).
Pearce DE and Walter JC: Means for Mounting a Roller Cutter on a Drill Bit, U.S.
Patent 4,991,671 (February 12, 1991).

Oilfield Review

Lug side
metal-ring
seal

Drilling mud
Static O-ring seal

Cone
Lug

Lug energizer

Cone side
metal-ring seal

Cone energizer
spring

Optimizing Roller-Cone Performance

A five-well drilling program for TotalFinaElf in Tin Fouy Tabankort (TFT) field
located in eastern Algeria illustrates improvements that are attainable
using new materials and designs (below).13 The TFT field produces from a
gas reservoir at a depth of about 2000 m [6560 ft] in an Ordovician sandstone. The company planned to drill horizontal wells with a reach of about
600 m [1970 ft] as part of a two-year infill program. Offset data indicated
extremely low penetration rates and footage for all bit types. To reduce
cost, the operator, working with two bit manufacturers, evaluated formation
characteristics, historical drilling performance and dull-bit data for both
roller-cone and fixed-cutter bits.
The sandstone consisted of angular interlocking quartz grains with 5 to
10% porosity. Poor performance in the offset well and a high level of bit
wear suggested an ultra-abrasive, possibly extremely hard formation.
Diamond-enhanced inserts are too friable for drilling some ultrahard rock,
but analysis determined that this zone was medium-hard to hard.
Abrasiveness was greater than any previously ranked quartz sandstone.
Sliding any material, including diamond, on this formation generates excessive wear, a critical factor in bit selection for this horizontal drilling application, which reaffirmed that a properly designed roller-cone bit could drill
more efficiently than a fixed-cutter bit.

Silver-plated,
beryllium-copper
floating bushing

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

MOROCCO

> Metal-face seals. Metal seals show promise for extending and improving
bit durability and life. Lubricated stainless steel generates less sliding friction
and heat than elastomers on steel and also has better resistance to heat or
chemical attack.

AFRICA

Algiers
Hassi
Messaoud
field

TUNISIA

Tin Fouy
Tabankort
field

LIBYA

ALGERIA

fluctuations across seals and limit particle migration into the bearing to extend
seal life. The hardness of silver-plated Stellite washers also improves handling
of thrust loads and reduces friction in the thrust-face area of bearings.10
Increased use of downhole motors and turbines subjects bits to highspeed rotation and sliding velocities that cause seals to fail early. Research
indicated that a texturized seal could resist wear and retain grease under
these conditions.11 This self-lubricating seal holds grease in the texturized
area, which reduces friction and provides longer seal life. Metal seals are
also used in high-temperature and high-speed drilling, and in environments
with severe abrasives, fines or harsh chemicals (above).12
10. Stellite is a family of cobalt-based superalloys.
Singh RK, Nixon MS and Daly JE: Rolling Cutter Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 5,725,313 (March
10, 1998).
Griffin ND: Methods of Treating Preform Elements Including Polycrystalline Diamond
Bonded to a Substrate, U.S. Patent 6,056,911 (May 2, 2000).
11. Carter MW, Daly JE and Van Nederveen H: A New Sealed Bearing Rock Bit for
High-Speed Drilling, paper SPE 14385, presented at the 60th SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, September 22-25, 1985.
Daly JE and Kotch RJ: Roller Cutter Drill Bit Having a Texturized Seal Member,
U.S. Patent 4,619,534 (October 28, 1986).
12. Daly JE, Pearce DE and Wick TA: Different Stiffness Energizers for MF Seals,
U.S. Patent 875,861 (March 2, 1999).
Pearce DE: Face Seal Having Strain Induced Face Geometry, U.S. Patent 6,109,376
(August 29, 2000).
13. Besson A, Rabourdin JL, Huon W and Cazenave F: How to Design Rock Bits to Drill
Ultraabrasive Quartzitic Sandstone in Horizontal Wells, Algeria, paper SPE/IADC 52878,
presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
March 9-11, 1999.

Autumn 2000

NIGER

Diamond-enhanced
gauge insert

Diamond-enhanced
gauge-row insert
cutters

> Optimized roller-cone bits. Horizontal drilling performance in a

medium-hard, ultra-abrasive sandstone of Tin Fouy Tabankort (TFT)
field in Algeria (top) was improved by using EHP bits with Threaded
Ring bearings, 0 offset angle, and diamond-enhanced gauge, heel
and center-row inserts, and gauge pads (bottom). Shaped PDC, or diamond-coated inserts, are relatively new on roller-cone bits, but results
are impressive. In environments that seriously damage tungsten carbide, diamond-capped inserts remain virtually intact. Bits run longer
and drill more footage, which means fewer trips to replace bits and
reduced drilling costs.

43

In offset wells, both roller-cone and fixedcutter bitsPDC and diamond-impregnated

designsexperienced short run times, low
footages per bit and heavy wear from abrasion
and heat. The horizontal section of an offset well
required 25 insert bits and more than 500 hours
to drill. Because this formation could be crushed,
roller-cone features were chosen to reduce sliding. Larger and stronger gauge pads were used to
stabilize bits laterally. Exposed surfaces were
enhanced with diamond as were gauge pads,
heel, first intermediate row and center inserts.
Cone offset angle was reduced or eliminated to
minimize sliding and generate more crushing
action. Irregular insert arrangements further
enhanced crushing and combated friction from
inserts sliding in grooves, or tracks.
In the first well, eleven 812-in. insert bits with
2 offset drilled the horizontal section in
215 hours. Penetration rates increased to
2.8 m/hr [9 ft/hr] from 1.25 m/hr [4 ft/hr] in an
adjacent well. Bearing performance was not a
limiting factor. EHP bits were selected based on
proven performance in severe drilling conditions
and for the cone retention advantages of the
14. Doiron HH and Deane JD: Effects of Hydraulic Parameter
Cleaning on Rate of Penetration of Soft Formation Insert
Bits, paper SPE 11058, presented at the 57th SPE Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans,
Louisiana, USA, September 26-29, 1982.
15. Slaughter RH Jr: Development, Laboratory, and Field
Test Results of a New Hydraulic Design for Roller Cone
Rock Bits, paper SPE 14220, presented at the 60th SPE
Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Las Vegas,
Nevada, USA, September 22-25, 1985.

Threaded Ring bearing. Diamond-enhanced

inserts showed limited wear, but gauge pads still
experienced heavy wear. Based on these results,
cone offset was reduced to 0, the gauge-pad
area with added diamond insert was increased
significantly, and diamond-insert coverage was
increased on the intermediate cutter row.
Average penetration rate increased to 3.5 m/hr
[11 ft/hr] in the second well, which required nine
bits and 176 hours to drill the horizontal drainhole.
Drilling time decreased to 123 hours with only six
bits in the third well, and penetration rate
improved again to 4.8 m/hr [16 ft/hr]. By the fifth
well, six bits drilled 637 m [2090 ft] in 121.5 hours
at 5.3 m/hr [17 ft/hr]. Compared with the adjacent
well, average penetration rate and footage drilled
per well improved more than 400%, and trip time
was reduced drastically. Total savings per well
was more than $1 million.
Advanced Roller-Cone Hydraulics
Bit hydraulics involves four basic functions: loosen
cuttings, clean cones and cutters, cool the bit and
transport cuttings out of the hole to avoid regrinding.14 However, conventional nozzle placement
Childers JS and Pastusek PE: Drill Bit Having Angled
Nozzles for Improved Bit and Well Bore Cleaning, U.S.
Patent 4,546,837 (October 15, 1985).
Moffitt SR and McGehee DY: Performance Comparison
of Rolling Cutter Bits with Alternative Nozzle Configurations, paper SPE/IADC 18630, presented at the
SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana,
USA, February 28-March 3, 1989.

Conventional

Mudpick

directs mud flow straight down and does not clean

the cones or hole prior to cutting structures contacting the formation. As a result, rock chips
remain on bottom and can build up on cones or
pack between cutting structures in a phenomenon
called bit balling that prevents full penetration of
undisturbed formation. Hydraulic designs, therefore, influence roller-cone performance and optimal
penetration rates significantly.
The relationship between penetration rate,
bit cleaning and cuttings removal was first recognized in laboratory tests on full-size bits.
Before settling into steady-state performance,
bits drill slightly faster as the teeth or inserts first
begin cutting to full depth, gradually slowing as
cuttings pack around the cutters and reduce formation penetration. These observations led to a
series of tests that studied the effects of varying
nozzle direction and location. In the first test, nozzle angle focused flow directly on the cutters.
Penetration improved significantly, demonstrating
the importance of fluid redirection for cleaning bits
and preventing balling.
To optimize bit performance, various nozzle
extensions and orientations were tested (below).
16. Moffitt SR, Pearce DE and Ivie CR: New Roller Cone
Bits with Unique Nozzle Designs Reduce Drilling Costs,
paper IDAC/SPE 23871, presented at the IADC/SPE
Drilling Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA,
February 18-21, 1992.
Ivie CR and Pearce DE: Hydraulic Action for Rotary
Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 5,096,005 (March 17, 1992).

Mudpick II

> Advanced bit hydraulics. Cutting action is most effective when rock chips are removed immediately. Fluid flow around and under bits can be observed in
the Reed-Hycalog Flow-Visualization Chamber (far left). Conventional hydraulics focus flow on the bottom or bottom corner of a hole (left). Fluid disperses
radially 360, and much of the mud hydraulic energy is lost up the annulus. The remaining flow meets in stagnant areas of confluence that coincide with the
zones where cutters contact rock, which reduces flow velocity and hole-cleaning efficiency as well as penetration. Mudpick hydraulic designs use precisely
angled and slightly extended nozzles to clean cutters and formation before they interact and move stagnant flow areas away from cutting zones (right).
Mudpick II hydraulics maximize penetration efficiency for insert bits (far right). Fluid flow cleans gauge and inner-row inserts, and sweeps under the cutters
to scour the hole bottom. Flow under the cutters is maximized to ensure efficient chip removal.

44

Oilfield Review

Partially extended nozzles were directed at leading edges of cones between outside gauge and
intermediate cutter rows to clean the bit and hole
bottom prior to cutting structure contact with the
formation. This patented Mudpick technology
improved penetration rates by more than 20% in
laboratory tests, providing consistently higher
penetration rates than conventional straightnozzle designs.15 Nozzle extensions are forged
as integral parts of the lug to avoid separate
add-on extensions.
Research and full-scale testing continued,
varying nozzle location and direction. Jets were

directed toward the gauge cutters so that highvelocity mud cleans the cones before making a
smooth direction change and sweeping across
the formation under the cones. The Mudpick II
hydraulic design eliminates areas of stagnant
fluid and improves penetration rates by more
than 45% over conventional bits in soft to
medium-hard formations.16
In formations where bit life is limited by cutting-structure failure, advanced hydraulic
designs allow shorter, durable cutting structures
to be used without sacrificing penetration. Many
intervals can now be completed by a single bit.

Choice of Mudpick or Mudpick II hydraulics

depends on formation type. Mudpick designs are
used for soft-formation, steel-tooth bits. Mudpick
II hydraulics are standard on premium EHP insert
bits. Current research is targeting additional
improvement in cuttings removal to avoid
regrinding.
Fixed-Cutter Technology
Modern fixed-cutter bits are descendants of
steel-blade drag bits and natural-diamond coring
bits. There are two types of fixed-cutter bits:
steel and matrix (below). These bits, classified as

Fixed-Cutter Bit Types

Steel body

Matrix

Natural diamond

Hybrid
API pin
connection
Shank bore
Make-up face
Bevel

Gauge

Bit breaker slot

Weld
groove

Shank

Gauge

Gauge
inserts

Steel
blank

Diamond
gauge pad
Solid
steel

Gauge
cutters

Tungstencarbide
matrix

Face
cutters

Shoulder

Flank
or taper
Nose
PDC

Cone

Interchangeable
nozzles

Cone

Nose
Diamond impregnated

Blades
Interchangeable
nozzles
Hybrid diamondimpregnated
studs

Junk slot
PDC cutters

PDC cutters

> Steel and matrix fixed-cutter bits. Steel stock is machined on computer numerically controlled (CNC) lathes to make steel bit bodies (left). Steel bits
withstand impact or torsion loads better, and are preferred for soft formations and larger hole sizes. A powder-metallurgy process is used to sinter matrix
bits (right). Matrix bits, which last longer and can be manufactured in complex shapes, are preferred in high solid-content drilling mud, with high pump
rates and hydraulic horsepower, and for wells requiring long bit runs. Natural-diamond (upper left) and diamond-impregnated (lower right) bits drill
medium-hard and extremely hard formations that are moderately to extremely abrasive. Diamonds are set on surface or dispersed in the tungsten-carbide
matrix on and near blade surfaces. PDC (lower left) bits drill soft to hard formations with low to high abrasiveness. Hybrid (upper right) bits have diamondimpregnated studs that share loads with primary PDC cutting elements.

Autumn 2000

45

natural diamond, synthetic polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC), hybrid and diamond impregnated, have no moving parts or bearings, only
blades. In 1953, Hycalog began manufacturing
full-hole bits using surface-set natural diamonds.
PDC bits became commercial in 1973; improved
hybrid designs combined PDC and diamondcoated cutters. Impregnated bits have diamonds
on and near the surface of the blades. Natural
diamonds are mounted on steel-body bits or preset
in mold pockets before sintering tungsten-carbide
matrix bits. PDC inserts can be mounted on both
steel and matrix bits.
Making steel bits in one piece eliminates
welding, and design details can be machined to
exact tolerances. Cutting structures are mounted
by interference fit in slightly smaller precision
holes drilled by computer numerically controlled
(CNC) mills that also cut the main bore, blades,
junk slots or waterways, PDC and gauge-insert
pockets, nozzle holes and threads. Steel is softer
than tungsten carbide, but hard metals can be
applied to critical areas. Tungsten carbide is
more brittle than steel, but has greater resistance to erosion. Tungsten-carbide powders and

a binding alloy are placed in a mold with a steel

core, or blank, and sintered to produce matrix
bits. Carbide particles bind together and form a
bond between the inner steel blank and outer
tungsten-carbide shell, or crown.
The energy needed to drill a formation is
determined by cutting action. Of the basic rockremoval mechanisms, shear is most efficient
because the tensile strength of rocks is typically
less than the compressive strength (below). PDC
bits drill fast by shearing, which requires less
energy than high loads that cause compression
failure of formations. Natural-diamond and diamond-impregnated bits drill slowly by plowing
and grinding, respectively, which both require
high bit weight and torque. Fixed-cutter bits cost
more, but drill faster and last longer than rollercone bits in some hard and abrasive formations.
Diamond, the hardest material known to man,
is almost pure crystalline carbon. It is 10 times
harder than steel, 2 times harder and 10 times
more wear-resistant than tungsten carbide, and
20 times stronger in compression than granite,
with the lowest coefficient of friction and highest
thermal conductivity of any known material.

Natural-diamond bitplowing

Diamond-impregnated bitgrinding

Exposure

Back-rake
angle
PDC bitshearing

Compression

8000

Shear

7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0

46

Side-rake
angle

9000

Fixed-cutter drilling actions. Natural-diamond

bits are drag-type bits that drill by plowing
(top left). Diamond-impregnated bits grind formations like a grinding wheel or sandpaper
(top right). PDC bits drill fast by shearing formations much like a lathe (middle left). As
a general rule, it is easier to remove rock by
shear (bottom left). Back-rake and side-rake
angles and cutter exposure define how
aggressively PDC cutters will contact formations (middle and bottom right).

>

Unconfined compressive strength (UCS), psi

10,000

Natural-diamond bits use industrial-gradenot

gem-qualitynaturally occurring stones that are
crushed and processed to produce specific sizes
and regular, rounded shapes. Penetration rates
are relatively lowabout 20 ft/hr [6 m/hr] maximumbut a properly designed diamond bit can
drill for up to six days at 15,000 ft [4572 m] in
medium-hard to hard formations.
When diamond bits were first introduced, tiny
grit-like diamonds were used. Diamonds were
set in tungsten-carbide blades during sintering,
but the blades tended to wear away too fast,
lose diamond grit and stop drilling. This led to
conventional diamond bits with larger stones set
in specific patterns. However, when surface-set
natural diamonds are lost from the matrix or
become polished, no sharp, hard elements are
left to grind formations. Penetration rates go
down, and ring-wear failures occur.
At first, application of natural-diamond bits
was not well understood, and designs were
based on intuition. Today, diamond bits and diamond sizes are matched to formation hardness.
Bits for softer formations use large diamonds to
produce a plowing action. Small diamonds produce more of a grinding action and are used to
drill hard formations.
Natural diamonds form deep in the earth under
intense heat and extreme pressure for thousands
of years. In the early 1970s, General Electric developed a sintering process to make synthetic
diamonds. Thin circular layers of alternating
carbon graphite and cobalt are stacked in small
cans and pressed to 2 million psi [13,733 MPa]
followed by resistive heating to 2732F [1500C]
for five minutes. Molten cobalt, acting as a catalyst and solvent, dissolves graphite and deposits
monocrystalline diamond grit which conglomerates and bonds together to form a polycrystalline
diamond layer, or table. Individual crystals, like
natural diamonds, cleave if impact loads are
applied in the correct direction, but bonded polycrystalline diamonds do not have cleavage planes
and are more impact-resistant.

Mancos
shale

Pierre
shale

Oilfield Review

Up to 2732F [1500C]

Tungsten-carbide substrate
Up to 2,000,000 psi [13,733 MPa]

(cobalt driven by concentration gradient)

Diamond table
Spacer
Diamond table

Diamond grit
Diamond grit
(cobalt driven by concentration gradient)
Tungsten-carbide substrate
Salt rings

> Polycrystalline diamond synthesis. Reed-Hycalog manufactures PDC cutters using two proprietary
cubic diamond presses with six independently controlled anvils arranged in opposing pairs that apply
ultrahigh pressures and temperatures to achieve diamond-to-diamond bonding (left). PDC cutters consist of a bonded layer of synthetic diamond particles, or diamond table, on a thicker tungsten-carbide
substrate (middle). These cutting structures are used as is or bonded onto longer tungsten-carbide
posts to facilitate attachment and provide more cutter exposure. Manufacturing PDC cutters requires
precise control of pressure and temperature (right). State-of-the-art equipment and in-house synthesis
capabilities establish PDC specifications, improve process control and expedite product development.
Coarse grit

Fine mixed grit

Very fine grit

Tra
d

e-o

ff

10

lin

7
6
5
Abrasion resistance

*1994 - patent for PDC production ended

Relative abrasion resistance

Impact resistance

2
1
0
1979

1984

1986

1987

1988

1993

1994* 1996

1997

> Synthetic diamond microstructure. Today, PDC components are more durable in both
impact and abrasion resistance than in the past (bottom). Optimization of diamond particle distribution and thermal processing has improved diamond quality. In the past, the
inverse relationship between PDC impact resistance and abrasion resistance required
manufacturers and users to make compromises. Today, cutters classified as Top Righthand Corner (TRC) are manufactured using improved diamond synthesis to mix diamond
grit sizes that optimize both impact and abrasion resistance (top).

Autumn 2000

Reed-Hycalog uses outside suppliers, but

also produces PDC cutters for research and bit
manufacturing with two in-house cubic diamond
presses (left). This approach helps establish PDC
specifications rather than having to evaluate and
accept only standard products. PDC cutters consist of synthetic-diamond disks and thicker
cemented-carbide substrates. Cobalt forms a
bond with the substrate to create integral compacts that are often bonded to longer cementedcarbide posts for mounting.
Cobalt expands more than diamond when
heated. At 1292F [700C], this expansion breaks
cobalt and diamond bonds, so PDC cutters must
remain below this temperature to avoid failure.
To help overcome this limitation, thermally stable
polycrystalline (TSP) diamonds are produced by
treating new synthetic diamonds with acid to
leach out cobalt. TSP cutters are stable to 2100F
[1150C], but are held in place mechanically
because they cannot be bonded directly to supports. Silicon, which reacts with diamond particles to form silicon carbide, can be used in place
of cobalt. Silicon carbide binds diamond particles
and has a much lower thermal expansion coefficient than cobalt. This TSP form is stable to more
than 1150C, but is also difficult to bond.
PDC cutters are more impact-resistant than
natural diamonds and extremely effective in
hard, moderately abrasive rock. Abrasion resistance improved significantly after 1994 because
of accelerated materials development, but compromise was still required because of the inverse
relationship between impact and abrasion properties. Impact and abrasion resistance depend
primarily on diamond grain size and processing.
Larger grains make diamond compacts more
impact-resistant, but less abrasion-resistant.
Smaller grains increase abrasion resistance, but
reduce impact resistance. Reed-Hycalog optimizes
diamond cutting structures by mixing diamond-grit
sizes to provide better resistance to both abrasion
and impact (left).
PDC performance is also limited by diamondtable thickness, which is a function of cobalt diffusion from the tungsten-carbide substrate into the
diamond layer, and by stresses induced by tungsten-carbide thermal expansion and shrinkage.
High residual stress and unsintered diamond grit
as a result of incomplete cobalt sweep during PDC
synthesis lead to delamination, flaking and cracking of diamond tables that shorten cutter life and
end bit runs prematurely. Advanced ASTRA cutters
use nonplanar interface (NPI) designs to overcome
some limitations inherent in conventional cutters

47

with flat planar interfaces between diamond table

and substrate (below).17 Diamond-table thickness
and residual stresses have always been a PDC
weakness, but processing improvements and NPI
geometry increase diamond volume and reduce
stresses in modern cutters.
NPI geometry reduces residual stress from carbide shrinkage and provides a mechanical lock at
diamond-carbide interfaces to increase impact
resistance. Additional surface area for bonding and
cobalt diffusion allows diamond volumes to be
increased 25 to 40%. Severe impacts cause cutters
to chip, especially when PDC cutters are new, and
all the bit weight and cutting force are directed at
the corner tip. As cutters wear, forces are spread
along the worn edge, reducing the stresses and
risk of damage. TuffEdge cutters have a slight
bevel that reduces stress concentrations as cutting
edges make contact and begin to cut.
PDC bit stability is important in overall drilling
performance. Understanding dynamics and design
features that help overcome destructive downhole
bit motions is an important aspect in designing
and selecting PDC bits. A stable bit increases
penetration rate and hole quality, lasts longer,
reduces damage to other downhole equipment
and improves directional steering by smoothing
torque responses.
Downhole, PDC bits move in extremely
chaotic fashion that includes lateral, axial and
torsional vibrations acting alone and in combination. Downhole vibrations reduce bit life by damaging individual PDC cutters, interfere with
directional control and logging-while-drilling
(LWD) telemetry by causing torque fluctuations,

Vibration

Bit Dynamics

Motion

Axial

Bounce

Torsional

Stick-slip

Lateral

Whirl

> Downhole vibrations. PDC bit dynamics involve three primary vibration modesaxial, torsional and
lateralthat result, respectively, from bit bounce, stick-slip and whirl motions (top left). Whirl is any
regular motion characterized by the bit rotating about a point other than its geometric center. Backward whirl, in which the center of rotation moves around the hole counter to the direction of bit rotation, reduces bit performance, damages PDC cutters and produces predictable lobed bottomhole patterns (top right). The lobes generally progress downhole in a spiral sidewall pattern (bottom left), not to
be confused with a spiral hole where the centerline forms a corkscrew shape. A stable bit makes concentric circular cuts (bottom right). Stick-slip is the tendency for a bit to slow or stop, torque up and
then accelerate as it spins free. Bounce occurs when bits chatter up and down on bottom. Downhole
bit motions occur alone and in combination.

Standard edge Beveled edge

Diamond table
Substrate
PDC cutter

> Advanced cutters. The performance of PDC cutters is enhanced not only by better impact- and
abrasion-resistant diamond material, but also by geometry. A nonplanar surface provides a mechanical
lock between the diamond table and tungsten-carbide substrate, and more surface area for cobalt
diffusion (left). This improves stress profiles relative to planar PDC cutters, increases impact resistance
and allows substantially increased diamond volumes. Improvements in impact toughness also contribute
to better abrasion resistance by reducing subtle microchipping of diamond tables. However, it is not a
simple matter of just increasing diamond volume. Thicker diamond tables have less resistance to
abrasion, so both abrasion and impact wear characteristics must be optimized. Beveled cutters reduce
initial stress concentrations at PDC edges (upper right).

48

17. Matthias TR, Griffin ND and Fuller JM: Elements

Faced with Superhard Material, U.S. Patent 5,590,728
(January 7, 1997).
18. Brett JF, Warren TM and Behr SM: Bit Whirl: A New
Theory of PDC Bit Failure, paper SPE 19571, presented
at the 64th SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas, USA, October 8-11, 1989.
Brett JF: The Genesis of Bit-Induced Torsional Drillstring
Vibrations, paper SPE/IADC 21943, presented at the
SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, The
Netherlands, March 11-14, 1991.
Langeveld CJ: PDC Bit Dynamics, paper IADC/SPE
23867, presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, February 18-21, 1992.
Kyllingstad A and Halsey GW: A Study of Stick-Slip
Motion of the Bit, paper SPE 16659, presented at the
62nd SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition,
Dallas, Texas, USA, September 27-30, 1987; also in SPE
Drilling and Engineering 3, no. 4 (December 1988): 369-373.
Warren TM and Oster JH: Torsional Resonance of
Drill Collars with PDC Bits in Hard Rock, paper
SPE 49204, presented at the 73rd SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana,
USA, September 27-30, 1998.
19. Sinor LA, Powers JR and Warren TM: The Effect of
PDC Cutter Density, Back Rake, Size, and Speed on
Performance, paper IADC/SPE 39306, presented at
the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, Texas, USA,
March 3-6, 1998.

Oilfield Review

and reduce borehole quality by creating outof-gauge irregular holes. Downhole lateral,
axial and torsional vibrations represent whirl,
bit bounce and stick-slip motions, respectively
(previous page, top).18
When PDC cutters grab the bottom of a hole
asymmetrically, the instantaneous center of rotation shifts to that spot, and the bit tries to rotate
about a point other than its geometric center.
This creates backward motion, or whirl, as the
center of bit rotation moves around the hole
counter to the direction of bit rotation. This
results in multilobe patterns on the bottom of a
hole instead of the concentric circular cuts of a
stable bit. Lateral vibrations and high-impact
loads on the back of PDC cutters reduce bit life
and may cause catastrophic bit failure. Less
destructive forward whirl occurs when the
instantaneous center of rotation moves in the
same direction as bit rotation.
Stable bit designs reduce lateral motion by
adjusting cutter type, size, density, orientation
and location so cutters track each other or do not
bite as deep.19 Cutter back-rake controls how
aggressively cutters engage formations and can
be used to reduce vibrations, but high angles also
limit depth of cut and penetration rate. In addition to strengthening new PDC cutter edges,
TuffEdge cutters with a beveled leading edge
reduce bit aggressiveness, which also increases
stability. DiamondBack PDC cutters behind primary cutters on the same blade and at the same
depth of cut offer stability benefits from tracking
and increased diamond volume on bit shoulders,
which allows shorter, more stable profiles.
Bit profile and gauge structure or configuration
act to maintain stability. In laboratory tests, profiles that are flat or have deep inner cones reduce
bit vibrations. Spiraled gauge pads reduce the
capability of a bit to penetrate laterally, or gouge,
into borehole walls by increasing circumferential
contact. Beveled gauge pads limit side-cutting
aggressiveness and reduce the tendency of bits to
20. Warren TM, Brett JF and Sinor LA: Development of a
Whirl-Resistant Bit, paper SPE 19572, presented at the
64th SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition,
San Antonio, Texas, USA, October 8-11, 1989.
Sinor LA, Brett JF, Warren TM and Behr SM: Field
Testing of Low-Friction Gauge PDC Bits, paper SPE
20416, presented at the 65th SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana,
USA, September 23-26, 1990.
21. Caraway D, Hayward J, Taylor MR, Roberts TS, Taylor S
and Watson GR: Rotary Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 5,904,213
(May 18, 1999).
Caraway D, Hayward J, Taylor MR, Roberts TS, Taylor S
and Watson GR: Rotary Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 5,967,246
(October 19, 1999).
Caraway D, Hayward J, Taylor MR, Roberts TS, Taylor S
and Watson GR: Rotary Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 6,092,613
(July 25, 2000).

Autumn 2000

grab the borehole wall and cause instability.

Asymmetric blade positions break up regular,
lobed hole patterns. Spiral blades contribute additional asymmetry by breaking up the single line of
cutter contact so that a bit is less likely to uniformly bite laterally into formations and establish
a point of rotation other than the center of the bit.
Downhole environments produce many forces
on drilling bits. Balancing bits by designing
blades and cutters that minimize out-of-balance
forces has long been touted as a stability feature.
Although variations, such as formation anisotropy and hardness, tend to negate balanced
cutting structures, force balancing does at least
mitigate bit-induced lateral vibrations. In many
applications, bits with one or more standard stability features reduce bit dynamics and provide
acceptable performance. However, if vibrations
are severe and significantly impact drilling
results, other measures are required.
One technique is to install a large low-friction

gauge pad (LFGP) on one side of the bit and

arrange PDC cutters so that out-of-balance forces
are directed toward the pad. The LFGP antiwhirl
design was developed by Amoco Research to
minimize lateral vibrations.20 A drawback is that
unbalanced forces and directions are difficult to
predict. Stability of a LFGP bit can also be compromised by large side-acting forces like those
experienced during directional drilling.
Reed-Hycalog uses a larger LFGP pad with no
cutting elements to compensate for this uncertainty. Because antiwhirl bits lack side-cutting
capability, bottomhole assemblies should minimize side forces for optimal performance. In
addition to standard stability features and antiwhirl LFGP bits, design concepts like continuous
gauge pad, tracking and hybrid cutters are used
to promote bit stability.
Steeringwheel bits utilize a 360, continuous
gauge pad to centralize the bit and maintain lateral stability (below).21 By providing full-hole

Low aspect ratio (LAR) bit: AB <1

CD
Low friction gauge pad (LFGP) bit
Top stabilizer

Bottom stabilizer
Short
bit

Short radius

Long
bit
Long radius

Steeringwheel bit

Three-point, directional-drilling turn

> Stability and directional drilling. Standard antiwhirl bits use large low-friction
gauge pad (LFGP) designs (top left). PDC cutters are arranged so that an
out-of-balance force is directed toward this bearing pad. Steeringwheel bits
go beyond the LFGP concept by providing a 360 continuous gauge ring (bottom left). This feature centralizes the bit and restricts lateral movements by
preventing outer cutters from biting into the formation, which reduces whirl
and increases cutting structure life. These bits drill smooth in-gauge holes,
have less torque fluctuation and have more predictable weight transfer. The
smooth torque response of Steeringwheel bits in combination with low aspect
ratio (LAR) and short cutting profile makes these designs particularly well
suited for directional drilling (right, top and bottom).

49

Transformation PDC bit

medium tracking

Conventional PDC bit

heavy tracking
Primary (P)
blade

Leading
blade

60
P

Secondary (S)
blade

Trailing
blade
180

Cutter removing rock

S
S
P

Primary or leading

Secondary or trailing

Other cutters

Hydraulics

> Tracking and improved hydraulics. Conventional PDC bit blades generally share rock removal equally. To effectively drill interbedded soft
and hard formations, Transformation bits have paired primary (P) and
secondary (S) blades (left). Variable spacing between tracking cutters
on adjacent blades allows cutters on the primary blades to remove
more rock than cutters in the same track on secondary blades (top
right). This allows bits to drill fast in soft formations and reduces cutter
loads in harder rocks. Tracking cutters also reduce downhole vibrations. Conventional PDC bit hydraulics channel flow outward from the
center (bottom right). Much of this flow is inefficient and contributes
little to clean and cool cutters. Transformation and Steeringwheel bits
use advanced Switchblade cross-flow hydraulic designs that make
efficient use of fluid by directing flow from secondary blades inward to
maximize flow across the primary blades (bottom right).

Switchblade design

Conventional design

gauge contact, the bit is less likely to move into

the borehole wall, which reduces lateral vibrations, increases cutting structure life and
improves borehole quality. These bits generate
minimal reactive torque and torque fluctuations,
and drill smooth boreholes to facilitate sliding
and weight transfer that are essential to control
directional orientation.
Steeringwheel bits combine roller-cone directional performance with high PDC penetration
rates and meet all the requirements for directional and horizontal wells, including low aspect
ratios (LAR), smooth torque response and stable
antiwhirl performance. A short bit is easier to
turn than a long bit. LAR bits have an aspect
ratiobit length divided by diameterless than

one and can build, drop or turn angle more easily.

Designed primarily for directional steering applications, Steeringwheel bits have a short gauge
and flat profile that meet the LAR requirement.
PDC cutters that follow, or track, each other
tend to ride in grooves created by the leading cutters, which acts to restore stability. However,
deep tracking decreases cutting efficiency and
reduces penetration rates by up to 66%.
Transformation bits use dual-blade arrangements
with moderate tracking to balance stability and
penetration rate (above). Cutters on primary
blades remove about 80% of the rock. Cutters on
secondary blades remove less material and do
not reduce penetration rates like extra cutters on
the blades of heavy-set conventional bits. When

Transformation bits encounter hard formations,

the secondary blades become more important.
Tracking cutters reduce loads on primary cutters
and improve bit stability for longer life.
Steeringwheel and Transformation bits offer
additional stability over LFGP designs. Both
Steeringwheel and Transformation bits use
advanced hydraulics. A patented cross-flow design
employs an inboard nozzle directed at each primary
blade and an outboard nozzle in front of each secondary blade.22 Fluid exits the outer nozzles, cleaning and cooling only cutters on secondary blades
before flowing inward. High-velocity flow from the
inner nozzles creates a pressure drop, or venturi
effect, that draws flow from the outer nozzles
across the bit through the reduced space between

22. Taylor MR, Murdock AD and Evans SM: High

Penetration Rates and Extended Bit Life Through
Revolutionary Hydraulic and Mechanical Design in PDC
Drill Bit Development, paper SPE 36435, presented at
the 71st SPE Annual Technical Conference and
Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, USA, October 6-9, 1996.
23. Newton A, Taylor MR, Murdock A and Clegg JM: Rotary
Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 5,671,818 (September 30, 1997).
Caraway D, Watson G and Newton TA, Rotary Drill
Bits Having Nozzles to Enhance Recirculation, U.S.
Patent 5,699,868 (December 23, 1997).

24. Fuller J: Rotary Drill Bits, U.S. Patent 4,718,505

(January 12, 1988).
Fuller J and Gasan JA: Rotary Drill Bit for Use in Drilling
Holes in Subsurface Earth Formations, U.S. Patent
4,991,670 (February 12, 1991).
25. Williams JL and Thompson AI: An Analysis of the
Performance of PDC Hybrid Drill Bits, paper SPE/IADC
16117, presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, March 15-18, 1987.
Hanna IS and Hollister K: PDC Bits Proved Effective in
Drilling Severely Depleted Sands in the Gulf of Mexico,
paper SPE 19567, presented at the 64th SPE Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition, San Antonio,
Texas, USA, October 8-11, 1989.

26. Colebrook MA, Peach SR, Allen FM and Conran G:

Application of Steerable Rotary Drilling Technology to
Drill Extended Reach Wells, paper IADC/SPE 39327,
presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas,
Texas, USA, March 3-6, 1998.
Downton G, Hendricks A, Klausen TS and Pafitis D:
New Directions in Rotary Steerable Drilling, Oilfield
Review 12, no. 1 (Spring 2000): 18-29.
27. Barton S: Development of Stable PDC Bits for Specific
Use on Rotary Steerable Systems, paper IADC/SPE
62779, presented at the IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling
Technology Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
September 11-13, 2000.

50

Oilfield Review

New hybrid bit

Hard formation

Soft formation

> Hybrid cutting elements. Combining PDC technology and natural-diamond-impregnated inserts
helps protect PDC cutters from abrasive wear
and damage caused by downhole vibrations to
increase durability and extend bit life. When
hybrid bits are new, diamond-impregnated
inserts do not make contact with the formation,
and the bit performs like conventional PDC bits
to ensure maximum penetration rates (top). As
PDC cutters wear down in hard formations, diamond inserts engage the formation and take an
increasing share of the load, which minimizes
PDC damage (middle). In softer rocks, more efficient PDC cutters again take most of the load,
and cutting efficiency remains high (bottom).

blades. Primary blades get flow from both inner

and outer nozzles. These Switchblade designs distribute hydraulic energy more efficiently to improve
bit cleaning, cooling and penetration rates.23
Hybrid bits combine PDC and natural-diamond
technology.24 Separate diamond-impregnated
tungsten-carbide cutting elements are placed
behind the main PDC cutters. Each impregnated
cutter serves as a load-sharing partner for a specific PDC cutter in high-wear regions of the bit.
These secondary cutters protect the PDC cutters in
severe drilling conditions and reduce wear in hard,
abrasive formations (above).25 Hybrid designs
improve bit stability by preventing excessively
deep cuts, which minimizes lateral and torsional
vibrations from whirl and stick-slip. Diamondimpregnated cutters also bear most of the impact
from backward bit motion associated with whirl.
Up and down axial vibration, or bit bounce,
causes variations in cutting depth that translate

Autumn 2000

into excessive torque. Impregnated cutters limit

formation penetration and smooth out rapid torque
fluctuations. Impregnated cutters are set lower
than PDC cutters, so as bit weight increases, they
contact the formation and decrease torque
response relative to bit weight, a particularly
important factor in directional drilling applications.
Side loads that are applied to bits when drilling
with steerable downhole motors expose PDC
gauge cutters to impact damage. To maintain
effective gauge, Reed-Hycalog PDC bits use
impregnated studs for additional gauge protection.
Directional Drilling and Special Bits
PDC bits play an important role in directional
drilling and are key components of advanced systems that drill horizontal drainholes and
extended-reach wells with complex profiles. Bit
configurations, cutting structures, hydraulic
designs and gauge protection are areas where
technological advances have improved directional performance. Application-specific technology is required to meet the challenges of drilling
directional wells.
For optimal bit performance, torque fluctuations must be minimized during directional
drilling. Variable torque on steerable motors
decreases steerability and inhibits directional
control. For rotary assemblies, torque generated
by stick-slip at the bit produces harmful torsional

Conventional gauge

vibrations. Increasing cutter angles, decreasing

cutter size and using hybrid diamond-impregnated
backup cutters reduce torque. Hybrid technology
also reduces torque fluctuations. Beveled
TuffEdge cutters are used to minimize PDC damage. Bits for directional and horizontal drilling use
small PDC cutters, flat profiles and short overall
bit lengths. Increasing contact points on a PDC bit
by increasing the number of blades, cutters and
gauge pads also reduces torque fluctuations.
Bits are available for rotary steerable systems
that drill horizontal and extended-reach wells.
Push-the-bit technology like PowerDrive rotary
steerable systems makes directional adjustments
from surface while rotary drilling. Instead of using
a steerable motor to tilt or point the bit, a force
generated by the tool deflects the bit in the
required direction.26 Independent of torque, bit trajectory is controlled by downhole valves and pads.
These systems have less drag, transfer weight to
bits more effectively and achieve higher penetration rates. Continuous pipe rotation improves hole
cleaning and reduces wellbore tortuosity, which
means fewer wiper trips and lower rig costs.
Rotary steerable systems allow use of aggressive
bits and offer opportunities to optimize bits.
Specific PDC bit features maximize rotary steerable system performance.27 Bits for these systems
require low aspect ratios and active gauge, or
aggressive gauge cutting structure (below).

Active gauge

> Active gauge. Steerable rotary bits require aggressive cutting structures
on the gauge. To achieve required well trajectories, a bit must cut into the
side of the hole as rotary steerable tools apply lateral force to point the bit
in the proper direction. In contrast to conventional gauge protection (left),
active gauges have reduced bit diameters, full-round PDC gauge cutters with
aggressive back-rake angles along the entire gauge length and tungstencarbide hybrid studs that control the depth of lateral cut (right). A maximum
number of exposed cutters increases side-cutting capability and improves
bit durability. Smaller bit diameters reduce friction and improve fluid flow in
the gauge region for better cooling and cleaning.

51

Eccentric bits. Bicentrix bits have an enlarged

structure, or reamer, on one side to drill larger
holes below casing (top left). Without rotation,
asymmetry allows the bit to pass through a
smaller diameter. Steeringwheel Bicentrix bits
are designed to drill out cement and continue
drilling in directional applications (bottom left).
The reamer section shape prevents cutters from
contacting casing while drilling out cementing
equipment (top right). Cutters on the reamer
then rotate with the bit to cut an overgauge hole
(bottom right).

>
Bicentrix bit

Passing through casing

Gap

Contact
Contact

Cutting overgauge hole

Contact

Steeringwheel Bicentrix bit

Conventional PDC bits lack significant side-cutting

capability. Traditional gauge-protection elements
like tungsten carbide or diamond-impregnated
inserts, thermally stable polycrystalline (TSP) diamond tiles and preflattened PDC cutters are used
only to maintain bit diameter and drill full-size
holes. The active-gauge concept, first developed
for North Sea applications, features full-round PDC
cutters with hybrid tungsten-carbide dome-shaped
studs directly behind them for protection and a
reduced gauge diameter with insert protection
removed to increase cutter exposure.
High gauge-cutter densities and low backrake angles on active-gauge designs provide
aggressive side-cutting capability and improve
steerability. Active-gauge point contactscutters and hybrid studsreduce gauge-pad friction, drag and bit torque. Smaller gauge
diameters improve fluid flow around the bit,
which aids in cooling and cleaning the gauge pad
and cutters. Active gauge is used on both steel
and matrix bits. This technique provides adequate gauge protection, but steel bits require
erosion-resistant hard-metal facing due to
improved flow across the pads.

52

Experience is a critical element in providing

drilling-bit solutions for directional drilling. The
Schlumberger focus on directional drilling is
embodied in the PowerSteering concept, a
unique combination of technology and experience. In demanding directional-drilling applications, the PowerSteering process provides for
specification of the proper bit, modification of
existing bits or design of a custom bit.
Sometimes there is a need to enlarge existing
boreholes or drill oversized holes below casing,
especially to improve cement jobs or complete
wells in formations that swell or cave. In the
past, mechanical underreamers that expanded to
cut a larger hole diameter were used. Today,
asymmetric bits are available for these applications. Bicentrix bits pass through a smaller diameter to drill a hole that is larger than the previous
section or casing (above). The latest versions of
these bits combine Bicentrix reamer and
Steeringwheel directional designs with a patentpending reamer that allows an enlarged hole to
be drilled without tripping the bit after drilling
out cement. Shorter reamer blades are shaped to
provide clearance between the casing and outer
cutters on the longest blades.

Diamond-Impregnated Bits
Selecting bits for extremely hard, abrasive formations involves compromise. PDC bits drill fast,
but do not last long in abrasive conditions; rollercone bits drill more slowly, but may wear out
quickly and produce undergauge holes. Naturaldiamond bits have better penetration rates and
last longer, but selection has been limited, especially for interbedded formations where soft
stringers plug the bit face and degrade drilling
performance. In the past 10 years, diamondimpregnated bits have come full circle and there
has been a revival of sorts. With better matrix
and diamond material and new manufacturing
techniques, wear resistance has improved significantly. Impregnated bits can be designed to drill
soft or hard, abrasive formations. Downhole turbines and motors have also improved and stay in
the hole longer to take advantage of the long life
of impregnated bits.
Early diamond-impregnated bits, which date
back to the 1800s, drilled slowly and were primarily a last resort when formations were too
hard, abrasive or deep for roller-cone, PDC or surface-set natural-diamond bits. Diamond grit is
now suspended in the tungsten-carbide matrix of
bit blades for vastly improved wear resistance.
Instead of individual cutters, the entire bit face
contains cutting elements set as deep as
hydraulic water courses. Diamonds grind hard
formations, and blade edges shear soft formations like PDC bits. Penetration rate is gradually
reduced as blade edges become rounded. The
matrix abrades away to continually expose new
sharp diamonds. Bit life is a function of diamondimpregnated volume that can be placed on the bit
face. Taller blades, therefore, last longer.
In the past, diamond-impregnated bits were
limited to drilling hard and abrasive formations
with high-speed turbines. Over the past few

Oilfield Review

Duradiamond bit
Duradiamond
Transformation bit
Matrix too soft

Matrix too hard

P4

Optimal matrix hardness

P5

Double cone,
aggressive

Double cone,
intermediate

P7

Rounded,
general purpose

Diamond-impregnated bit profile test

80

Penetration rate, ft/hr

Bit face

Main waterways, or crowsfoot,

and trailing spiral courses

60

Flagstone carbonate with

21,000 psi unconfined
compressive strength (UCS)

Bit blade

40

6-in. P4
6-in. P5
6-in. P7

20

0
5

10
Weight on bit (WOB), 1000 lbm

15

Thermally stable polycrystalline

(TSP) blocks on leading edge of
each ridge

> Impregnated bits. Diamond-impregnated bits are specialized grinding wheels. Duradiamond technology provides options to handle any type of hard formation.
Special mixtures of diamonds and tungsten carbide were developed to increase penetration rates and ensure longer bit life. Matching matrix and diamond wear balances bit life and penetration rate. If the matrix is too soft, diamonds are released before they wear out, which shortens bit run time. If the
matrix is too hard, diamonds are not properly exposed and penetration rates are reduced. Three profiles are available (middle). The most aggressive profile
is a deep double cone (blue) for drilling softer interbedded formations and horizontal sections. A rounded, shallow double cone (red) is used in intermediate-strength formations. A flatter rounded profile (green) is a general-purpose design for harder, abrasive formations and angle-building sections of directional
wells. Duradiamond (top left) and Duradiamond Transformation (right, top and bottom) bits use radial-flow hydraulics to provide even flow across the bit face
(bottom left).

years, the range of applications expanded into

interbedded sands, shales, carbonates and coal,
as well as rock types like igneous, metamorphic
and conglomerate, drilled directionally with
downhole motors. Today, diamond-impregnated
bits are capable of drilling many types of formations (above). A balance between diamond and
matrix properties optimizes drilling performance
and cost savings, especially in high-speed positive-displacement motor and turbine drilling
applications. Three profilesdeep double cone,
shallow, round double cone, and flat profileare
available to increase the range of applications
for these bits.

Autumn 2000

Because impregnated bits are also used in

interbedded formations, demand for more
aggressive cutting structures has risen. For soft
formations with thin hard stringers, impregnated
bits are supplemented with TSP cube or triangular
cutting elements for increased aggressiveness.
Duradiamond Transformation designs use patentpending ridged profiles with primary, secondary
and tertiary blades at different heights. TSP
blocks are placed in the ridges on leading edges
of each blade to keep these edges sharp. These
bits start drilling with five blades, then become
a 10-blade bit and eventually a 15-blade bit as
variable-height ribs wear down.

Because there are no low-pressure areas to

draw fluid across the bit, secondary water
courses connect directly to the main waterways,
or crowsfoot, so high-pressure radial fluid flow
goes to every waterway. This provides even flow
to all parts of the bit and reduces plugging.
Water courses converge at different radii to
spread out areas without diamonds and reduce
ring-wear failure. V-shaped waterways are easier
to clean, maximize blade volume and diamondgrit for a given flow area, and provide an aggressive cutting edge.

53

Standard

New

Drillpipe

Balikpapan
Bit body
PDC cutter

INDONESIA
Jakarta

1600
1400
1300
1200
1000
800
600
400
200

30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Soft formation

Section, m

Rate of penetration (ROP), mph

Hard formation

Standard PDC
1991 to 1996

Antiwhirl PDC
1993 to 1995

New design
1996 to 1997

Standard PDC
1991 to 1996

Antiwhirl PDC
1993 to 1995

New design
1996 to 1997

> Customized fixed-cutter bits. A combination of PDC technologies, including LFGP, optimized profile
and Switchblade hydraulics, provides a bit solution that consistently drills interbedded formations
without compromising overall performance. A shallow bit profile minimizes cutter damage when
entering and leaving hard stringers by distributing loads evenly between inner cone and outer shoulder
areas. Two bit types run in the Tunu field near Balikpapan in Indonesia (top left) from June 1991 to April
1997 were analyzed and compared with this new design (top right). The first bit was a standard PDC
design with 14 runs; the second was a conventional antiwhirl design with 42 runs. The new bit had 20
runs at the time. The new design drilled 180% farther (bottom right) and 141% faster(bottom left) than
standard PDC bits; and 68% farther and 70% faster than conventional antiwhirl bits.

Customizing Fixed-Cutter Performance

Drilling in Tunu field in Mahakam delta near
Balikpapan, Indonesia, is complicated by
interbedded formations in a 1214-in. hole section.
Lithology at the top of the section consists of
soft, homogeneous sand and claystone. Lower
down, formations are composed of mediumstrength homogeneous sandstone and shale.
Unpredictable limestone and dolomite layers are
encountered throughout the interval. Limestone
stringers, which are not abrasive and much softer
than dolomite, are up to 2 m [7 ft] thick. Extremely
hard dolomite stringers have little porosity and
are about 0.5 m [1.6 ft] thick.
When field development began in 1973, the
1214-in. section was drilled with water-base mud
and 8 to 12 roller-cone bits at an average rate of
about 9 m/hr [30 ft/hr]. By the 1980s, PDC bits and
oil-base mud were also being used. The first PDC
bits were standard designs. Three roller-cone bits
and three PDC bits were needed to drill the section,

54

which improved average penetration to 10 m/hr

[33 ft/hr]. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, rollercone bits were replaced and three or four PDC bits
were used to complete the section. Analysis of dull
bits indicated that high-impact loads in hard
dolomitic stringers caused catastrophic failures
broken, chipped and lost cutters. After conventional antiwhirl bits were tried, a new design was
evaluated to improve performance.
More stable bits were required to reduce bit
vibration, primarily lateral whirl, and complete the
section with a single bit. However, interbedded
formations make selecting an optimal bit problematic. Bit features required for hard stringers
conflict with those needed in softer formations.
Soft formations require effective hydraulic cleaning, aggressive profiles, large cutters and high
usable diamond volumes to achieve high penetration rates. Antiwhirl technology, low-gauge friction
for stability and optimal cutter designs for long bit
life are necessary in hard stringers.

Cutter failures are caused by initial contact in

hard stringers and increased vibrations when
leaving hard rock. When entering hard rock, nose
cutters make contact first and become overloaded relative to cutters that are still in a soft
stringer. This overload is reduced by a short profile. On departure from hard stringers, shoulder
and gauge cutters become overloaded. This is
even more damaging because gauge cutters are
at a greater radius than face cutters, which
increases impact inertia. Designing cone depth
and height to be the same so shoulder, gauge and
cone cutters share bit weight and loads evenly as
the bit leaves a hard stringer minimizes this
effect (left).
Bits were equipped with large cutters to maintain high penetration in soft formations and maximize available diamond volume to achieve required
bit life and drill the entire section with one bit. A
LFGP was used to reduce vibrations and prevent
whirl. Bit balling in soft formations was a problem,
so a Switchblade hydraulic design was used to
improve flow across the bit face for better cleaning, particularly in the junk-slot area enclosed by
the LFGP. Steel-body bits were selected for this
application because they give elastically under
impacts and reduce cutter damage.
The new bit initially drilled sandstone at
120 m/hr [394 ft/hr] and claystone at 80 m/hr
[262 ft/hr]. As the formation became harder near
the bottom of the section, sandstone was drilled
at up to 40 m/hr [131 ft/hr] and shale at up to
30 m/hr [98 ft/hr]. Hard dolomite stringers were
drilled about 0.5 to 1 m/hr [1.6 to 3.3 ft/hr].
Analysis of the new design revealed little or no
impact damage, indicating sufficient bit stability.
There was no heat damage or wear, which suggested that the hydraulic design was cooling
cutters effectively.
The 1214-in. bit optimization was extremely
successful. In 1997, TotalFinaElf converted part
of the Tunu field drilling program to slimhole
wells, so 1214-in. sections had to be drilled as 812-in.
A smaller bit based on combined PDC technologies was designed to confirm that these features
could be transferred to other bit sizes. When the
812-in. bits were tested in the field, performance
matched that of the larger bits.
28. Watson GR, Barton NA and Hargrave GK: Using New
Computational Fluid Dynamics Techniques to Improve
PDC Bit Performance, paper SPE/IADC 37580, presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam,
The Netherlands, March 4-6, 1997.
Ledgerwood LW, Wells MR, Wiesner BC and Harris TM:
Advanced Hydraulics Analysis Optimizes Performance
of Roller Cone Drill Bits, paper IADC/SPE 59111, presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, New Orleans,
Louisiana, USA, February 23-25, 2000.

Oilfield Review

Fluid flowstreams

Fixed-cutter bit

Roller-cone bit

> Computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Like other finite-element analysis methods, CFD programs model
fluid flow around bits inside a borehole. In addition to simulating PDC bit hydraulics, CFD is being used
to optimize cuttings removal and minimize regrinding in Mudpick and Mudpick II designs. This modern
design program reduces the time required to get new bits into the field.

Bit Design, Testing and Selection

Simulation and modeling drive many of the
advances that are being made in bit design and
optimization. Computational Fluid Dynamics
(CFD) programs are used to investigate design
and optimize fluid flow in diverse applications.
CFD techniques complement laboratory testing or
serve as an alternative to experimental data.
Modeling bit hydraulics by CFD produces results
quickly and economically, and is particularly useful
when complex shapes and flow conditions are
difficult to reproduce experimentally.
Analysis by CFD influenced fixed-cutter
designs like Switchblade hydraulics and is
increasingly utilized for designing roller-cone bit
hydraulics (above).28 Simulation results must be
validated quantitatively, so CFD will not replace
experimental flow testing, especially for radically
different shapes and designs. However, modeling
will be an important tool for accelerating the
design process.
A key to PDC bit modeling is equations for
cutter-rock forces and interactions. The HYDI program, an advanced design tool for predicting
forces that result from interactions between PDC
cutters and rock, has been under development for
more than three years. During this time, algorithms have been optimized through single-cutter
tests and testing in the Pressurized Drilling
Laboratory. Currently, the HYDI program is used
primarily to calculate unbalanced forces, but it can
also indicate inherent bit stability. Bit simulations
can be run in kinematic (motion) or dynamic (force)
modes. Other options are also available, including
bit motion, tilting of the bit and PDC density. A
torsional model is in development and testing.

Autumn 2000

Advanced computer-aided design (CAD) software allows engineers to design tools and bits in
three dimensions and generate mathematical models to drive computer numerically controlled (CNC)
machines that replicate designs exactly in steel or
tungsten carbide. These capabilities facilitate optimization and customization by further reducing
lead-time, which moves bits from engineering to
manufacturing in weeks instead of months.
In the past, drilling bits were evaluated primarily by testing individual components and limited small-scale tests on complete bits, followed
by prototype field testing. This approach is costly
in terms of time and money. Design decisions are
often based on incomplete or inconsistent field
performance, and final products are not always
optimized. Full-scale bit testing in rock samples
under pressure began at TerraTek in Salt Lake
City, Utah, USA, in 1977. In 1982, Reed built the
first in-house Pressurized Drilling Laboratory
(PDL) to bridge the gap between component tests
and field testing (below). This facility provides

> Pressurized Drilling Laboratory (PDL). PDL facilities, including a FlowVisualization Chamber and Endurance Test Rig, were instrumental in development of Mudpick, Mudpick II and Switchblade hydraulic designs, texturized
radial seals and the Threaded Ring bearing. The main rig is a triangular frame
that supports hydraulic cylinders that provide force to the bit. A pressure
vessel within this structure contains the rock samples. Two 500-hhp triplex
mud pumps provide system flow and pressure. Vessel pressure to simulate
downhole borehole conditions is generated by a computer-controlled choke
that creates the proper backpressure. The PDL facility has a complete mud
system that allows either water- or oil-base mud systems to be used.

55

operators with cost-effective solutions and

reduces the time to commercialize new bit products by allowing extended evaluation of bearings, seals and grease.
Individual components like bushings, seals
and cutting structures are still tested using specialized equipment. An Endurance Test Rig is
available to test instrumented full-size bits in
pressurized drilling mud at elevated temperature
for long periods. Bits are then disassembled to
determine wear characteristics. The system is
capable of applying bit weights and rotary speeds
similar to field parameters. Temperatures, pressures and stresses are recorded. Because these
tests generate bearing conditions that are similar
to field runs, test results can distinguish design
improvements. A Flow-Visualization Chamber

allows circulation over a bit face to be viewed

through clear plastic. Areas of insufficient or
excess flow can be identified and corrected
before prototype bits are tested downhole.
Traditionally, bit selections were made using
data and logs from offset wells, but this approach
does not take into account formation strength.
Because sonic velocity is related to rock hardness,
sonic well logs have been used as an indication of
formation strength.29 Recently, programs were
developed that use sonic log data to compute
unconfined compressive strengthrock hardness
at atmospheric pressure. This is an improvement
over using sonic velocities directly, but often understates in-situ formation strength. Compressivestrength analysis is a new quantitative method to
estimate rock hardness, which can be used to identify the proper application for a bit.30

The Rock-Strength Analysis (RSA) program

was developed in 1993 for PDC bit selection and
recently adapted for roller-cone bits. The RSA
system defines rock hardness in terms of confined compressive strength, which approximates
in-situ hardness. The program uses sonic and
gamma ray well logs plus data from mud logs.
Within lithology ranges for which this program is
valid, rock hardness can be determined accurately. Program output is typically graphed in a
log format that displays raw data traces from
well logs, computer-interpreted lithology, calculated confined compressive strength and various
optional rock-mechanics outputs (below).

> Rock-Strength Analysis (RSA). A computer analysis program was developed to aid in PDC bit selection. The program uses sonic and gamma ray data
from well logs and input from mud logs to accurately define rock hardness in terms of confined strength or in-situ hardness. Program output is typically
graphed in log format that displays raw data traces from well logs, computer-interpreted lithology, calculated values of confined compressive strength
and rock mechanics parameters.

56

Oilfield Review

Communication plug

Batteries

Inches

120
80
40

0
5000

0
-1

4000

-2

RPM

Dataacquisition
system
Sensor
module

Stick-slip

Whirl
Torque, ft-lbf

Regular
thread
connection

-3

3000
2000
1000

-4

0
-4

-3

-2

-1

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> Recording bit data downhole. The instrumented Drilling Research Tool (DRT) system contains accelerometers to measure lateral, axial and torsional
(rotational) acceleration, and also to determine the spatial position of a bit. In addition, the tool measures bit speed and angular orientation with a
magnetometer, and weight on bit and torque with strain gauges. Sensors measure temperature and pressureinternal and external.

Output from the RSA program is used in new

bit designs and to modify current designs. The program is most effective when formations are homogeneous, isotropic and plastic, which is typical of
most rocks that contain oil and gas. It does not
work well for conglomerates, unconsolidated sediments or highly brittle and nonplastic rock types
like igneous and metamorphic, and compressivestrength analysis alone does not indicate abrasive
formations or damaging minerals like pyrite.
Tracking and Monitoring Bit Performance
The surest way to optimize bits and improve
drilling performance is to quantify experience by
monitoring successes and failures. A database of
bit runs and parameters is vital for bit manufacturers to evaluate drilling performance. ReedHycalog has long recognized the advantages of
having a bit-run database to close the design loop.
A single, company-wide BitTrak database is
linked throughout the organization, so that bitperformance data and available offset-well information are accessible in field locations worldwide.
Engineers from all parts of the company use the
BitTrak database for both roller-cone and fixedcutter bits to analyze and solve problems.
PowerSteering strategies require that the
database record the factors and variables related
to directional drilling, including bottomhole
assembly data, motor specifications, well profiles
29. Mason KL: Three-Cone Bit Selection With Sonic Logs,
paper SPE 13256, presented at the 59th SPE Annual
Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Texas,
USA, September 16-19, 1985.
30. Fabian RT: Confined Compressive Strength Analysis
Can Improve PDC Bit Selection, Oil & Gas Journal 92,
no. 20 (May 16, 1994): 59-63.

Autumn 2000

and survey data. The BitTrak database is also

useful for monitoring test-bit performance as
well as bits in general use. Being able to track,
manipulate and evaluate bit-performance data
makes analysis easier and more useful.
Downhole dynamics affect bit life, but phenomena like whirl and stick-slip are difficult to
detect and monitor accurately at surface because
of drillstring mass, flexibility and damping
effects. As a result, it has been difficult to develop
a full understanding of downhole dynamics.
Similarly, laboratory data do not always represent actual operating environments. To overcome
these limitations, Reed developed the Drilling
Research Tool (DRT) sensor package to capture
high-frequency downhole data, evaluate bits in
real operating environments, identify potential
new developments, validate laboratory tests and
enhance predictive modeling (above). Two DRT
toolsa 634 in. and a 912 in.are currently in use.
The 634-in. tool has been used with both rollercone and fixed-cutter bits. The DRT system measures bit motionaxial, lateral and rotational
accelerationsspeed, angular orientation,
weight and torque as well as internal and external pressures and temperatures. Continuous
slow-speed data are collected for the entire run.
High-speed data bursts can also be collected during specific events or timed windows. This tool
improves understanding of downhole dynamics,
possibly the single most important area of drilling
operations. Predicting and controlling bit dynamics will increase bit performance and facilitate bit
optimization. In combination, DRT sensors and
the BitTrak database are powerful tools for optimizing bit designs and drilling performance.

On the Horizon
What is the future of drilling bits? Product and
drilling service delivery will include seismic
while drilling, global positioning of bits, reservoir
analysis at the bit, bit-life prediction and realtime dynamics monitoring and control. Areas of
ongoing research include full-scale laboratory
testing, downhole data monitoring, modeling to
support bit and drilling optimization, and emerging-materials technology. Bit specialization and
customization will play increasingly important
roles in the delivery of optimized bit products,
services and solutions. Streamlining manufacturing by locating mills and lathes together in centers, or cells, has facilitated bit customization,
improved efficiency and reduced manufacturing
time. This allows quick retooling to accommodate design revisions.
In the final analysis, the primary objective of
any drilling bit is to apply the best cutting structure and optimal cutting action to help construct
cost-effective wells. Emerging-materials technology, like diamond composites, will continue to be
critical in future bit developments. The full potential of these materials for improving drilling performance depends on developing processes for
manufacturing more efficient cutting shapes and
robust materials. Substrate-interface modifications, residual-stress measurement and modification, and functionally graded diamond layers
are also active areas of research. New high-pressure, high-temperature processes are generating
diamond production efficiencies that reduce cost
and extend the application of diamond-composite elements across cutting structures for both
fixed-cutter and roller-cone bits.
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