SPE-202929-MS

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Demonstrating Reliability, Improved Efficiency And Robustness Whilst
Deploying Novel Shaped PDC Cutter Geometries

Nooh Shamea, Ahmed Suleiman, Michael James Bailey, Richard Rivera, and Ahmed A. Thallab, National Oilwell
Varco

Copyright 2020, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference to be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, 9 – 12 November 2020.
Due to COVID-19 the physical event was changed to a virtual event. The official proceedings were published online on 9 November 2020.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect
any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written
consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may
not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract
As shaped polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter geometries become more prevalent across the
industry, this paper statistically reviews field testing of novel shaped PDC cutters in a variety of challenging
applications. Firstly, the paper identifies the improvement in efficiency when compared with conventional
PDC cutter geometries. Secondly, it confirms the reliability and robustness of the aforementioned shaped
cutter geometries.
After several years of field testing shaped PDC cutter geometries, the question of how they hold up
against conventional cylinder-shaped cutters remains unanswered. This study looks at drill bits that have
the same overall design; however, each bit has different shape configurations that are deployed in a range
of hole sizes and drilling applications. Data was collected from more than 100 runs and included advanced
dull evaluation techniques, data mining, and comparative analyses. During data collation and interpretation,
several statistical methods were used to improve the accuracy of comparisons and observing trends.
These results are statistically profound, they show that in the majority of cases, shaped cutter geometries
enhance drilling efficiency either in line or beyond laboratory testing. For a comparable parameter envelop,
an improvement of between 20-40% in rate of penetration (ROP) was observed in various hole sizes,
particularly in carbonates through Arabian Gulf reservoir formations. The reliability assessment, which
speaks to the number of runs per serial number, has shown an improvement over conventional type cutters
and in some cases reaching six re-runs. Cutter robustness was deduced by comparing the average interval
drilled, while also reviewing the overall dull in context to the typical dull condition.
When considering all three metrics over the large data set, it can be concluded that shaped cutters have,
at a minimum, equivalency in both robustness and reliability, but, more importantly, bring an efficiency
advantage over their legacy generation of PDC cutters. When considering the deployment of shaped cutter
technology, the study has highlighted a significant flexibility in vertical, directional, and extended lateral
applications from hard and abrasive rock to highly interbedded formations. Overall, shaped cutter efficiency
and robustness have been validated in the laboratory and now proven to bring greater change in drilling
performance and reliability.
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This paper pushes beyond the claims within laboratory testing and statistically proves the robustness,
reliability, and efficiency of shaped cutter geometries within the drill bit market. Not only is their usage
growth now statistically proven, but a methodology has been developed to comparatively assess this
technology during field testing. As PDC shaped cutter technology continues to grow, it is important to define
its limitation along with determining where to deploy its strengths to obtain peak drilling performance.

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Introduction
Shaped cutter technology has been around in the industry since the early 1990s using rudimentary cutter
design and manufacturing techniques (Weaver et al. 1993). When these PDC shapes (shown in Fig. 1)
were initially created, diamond technologists were still developing understanding in both construction and
failure mechanisms of diamond cutters. This typically resulted in shaped PDC cutters that had thin wafer
thicknesses and were highly angular. When trialing these cutters, they were prone to fractures and breakage
early in the bit run leading to premature trips. The perception developed, that all shaped PDC cutters brought
the benefit of point loading but were also plagued with breakages. It was because of this perception that
companies within the industry at that time did not want to use them.

Figure 1—Representative images of the early scribe style cutters.

Over a decade after the first trials of shaped PDC cutter technology, PDC technology has seen a paradigm
shift in development. This progress allowed for a revisit to shaping concepts where a laser focus was put
on understanding which shapes bring the greatest efficiency benefit and how to ensure that both durable
and robust shapes were selected.
This paper will explore the V-shaped PDC cutter against a conventional full round Fig. 2. The V-shape
induces high stress, increasing efficiency when drilling harder formations. Carbonate formations are unique
since they are initially hard and brittle like sandstone, but then transition to become soft and ductile, see
Fig. 3. This requires a cutter shape that can both fracture and shear, which is provided by the V-shape that
induces high stress followed by shear for greater efficiency.
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Figure 2—Comparative renders to show the V-shaped cutter geometry vs. cylindrical (full round).

Figure 3—Performance of V-shaped cutters performance in typical formations from pressurized full-scale drilling lab

The successful resurgence of shaped technology has been driven primarily by the innovation in diamond
technology and the shaping design and manufacturing processes. Three components are typically used when
determining the best characteristics of a PDC cutter: thermal, abrasion, and impact.
The V-shaped edge produces point loading in the weight/axial direction, improving depth of cut (DOC)
efficiency. The stress increases throughout the stress profile and to the surface and therefore helps propagate
the crack to the surface, increasing efficiency in the shearing direction. Fig. 4 shows the results that were
also confirmed by a finite element model. This specific shape creates larger, more pronounced cracks that
propagate to surface, requiring less energy to fail the rock while creating thinner unconsolidated cuttings.
4 SPE-202929-MS

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Figure 4—A finite element model to illustrate the increase in cutting stress for the V-shaped cutter.

Very few papers have statistically explored shaped cutter performance across a diverse range of
applications. Typically, cutter testing has been confined to regions that can quickly yield results with some
sporadic tests in well-known applications. This paper explores a larger data set across several applications
to validate the lab-based characteristics The V-shaped efficiency gains are strong and have been proven in
previous papers (Rahmani 2019), and the robustness has been proven via extensive lab testing. However,
this paper brings both of those measures together with reliability to consolidate the overall benefits of V-
shaped cutters.

Laboratory testing
In recent years more in-depth laboratory cutter testing has been performed to provide better insight into
cutter geometry efficiency and durability. All laboratory tests compare shaped cutters that are tested
alongside round cutters of the same grade, meaning the material properties are the same. There are three
main testing categories; pressurized single cutter testing used to establish cutter geometry efficiency in
various rock types; standard single cutter testing that provides thermal stability, abrasion resistance, and
impact resistance ranking; and full-scale atmospheric or pressurized drill bit testing for geometry efficiency
validation in various rock types. Each of these have been used to thoroughly establish V-shaped cutter
performance improvements versus cylindrical cutters and have been documented.

Pressurized Single Cutter Testing

Each new geometry is tested for rock failure efficiency using a custom-made instrumented, pressurized,
single cutter, rock cutting apparatus. It can simulate in high pressure downhole environments up to 10,000
psi in the presence of drilling fluid. An accurate triaxial loadcell is used to measure cutting forces on the
cutter, while rock type, depth of cut, RPM, and drilling fluid can be varied depending on the purpose of the
test. In this test V-shaped cutters and round cutters were tested at 1mm depth of cut on Torrey Buff sandstone.
The V-shaped cutter required 21% less axial load to achieve the prescribed 1mm depth of cut (Fig. 5).
Once the shape has proven efficiency over full rounds, the cutter will be tested for durability using standard
single cutter testing methods to validate durability with regards to thermal stability, abrasion resistance, and
impact resistance.
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Figure 5—Axial force comparison between V-shaped and cylinder cutters.

Standard Single Cutter Testing

Thermal stability and abrasion benchmarking are performed using an instrumented vertical turret lathe
(VTL) test involving cutting a large sierra white granite disk. The thermal stability test is run without coolant
and is highly related to leach depth. The cutter is set to a specific depth of cut, backrake, and a constant
velocity, it is then run until catastrophic failure occurs due to graphitization of the diamond table. The
distance the cutter travels to the failure point is used to compare performance. This method of testing was
confirmed by multiple field trials (Roberts et al. 2013). The V-shape and round cutter scored equivalently,
as shown in Fig. 6.

Figure 6—VTL tests on cylindrical (round) and V-shaped cutter with (left) and without (right) coolant fluid.

While the abrasion test has a different set of parameters, it will have a specific depth of cut, backrake,
and constant velocity just like the thermal stability test. This test is run with water as the coolant and
keeps the temperature below the graphitization threshold. The test is paused at 50 pass intervals and the
diamond volume removed is measured to establish wear. The wear progression is plotted over 250-500
passes depending on the grade (Fig. 7). The V-shaped cutter and the round cutter score equivalently.
6 SPE-202929-MS

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Figure 7—Abrasion testing comparing cylindrical (round) and V-shaped cutters with coolant.

Overall, the V-shape and round cutters perform equivalently with regards to thermal stability and abrasion
ranking. Toughness benchmarking uses a progressive drop test (PDT) method where an anvil is dropped
from incremental heights onto a cutter at a specific backrake until the diamond table damage failure
threshold is reached or exceeded. The larger the height (relates to energy level) to failure the higher the
ranking. This test is used to establish tip overload. The round cutter results range from 3.9 to 33.8, and all
the V-shaped results fall into this range. This gives some confidence that the V-shaped cutter will perform
with some comparison to the round cutter with regards to impact resistance. One significant observation is
that the V-shaped cutters results have a tighter grouping with a standard deviation of 5.1, where the round
cutter standard deviation is 10.9 (Fig. 8).

Figure 8—Progressive drop test (PDT) results on cylindrical (round) and v-shaped cutters.
SPE-202929-MS 7

Now that there is a good understanding of the V-shaped cutter efficiency gains from the pressurized single
cutter test and there is an acceptable durability, the shape can further be investigated in a pressurized full-
scale drill bit test.
The first of these tests were performed to understand the optimal placement of the shaped cutters on the
cutting structure (Rahmani et al. 2016). This test utilized V-shape cutters in the cone only and resulted in a

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100% increase in ROP for any given weight on bit (WOB) (Table 1) and a 20% reduction of torque (Fig. 9).

Table 1—Parameters used in the full-scale bit testing.

Figure 9—ROP vs. WOB and Torque vs. ROP plots for V-shaped 8¾-in. full-scale testing (Rahmani et al. 2016).

Other configurations were tested on this drill bit to better understand efficiency gains specifically as it
relates to full V-shaped cutting structures and variations of secondary cutters.
The next round of test performed used different rock types to better understand the effectiveness of the
V-shape cutters in different applications (Rahmani 2019). An 8½-in. laboratory bit chassis was used for
this full-scale drill bit test. This chassis was specifically designed for lab testing only using 3 blades and
16mm cutters. Four rock types were drilled: Catoosa shale, Torrey Buff sandstone, Carthage Marble, and
salt (halite). Table 2 shows the various parameters for each rock test. Fig. 10 shows the pressurized tests
on Carthage marble. Each test was repeated to confirm repeatability. The various figures illustrate the ROP
versus WOB for each of the four rock types and are averages of both tests.
8 SPE-202929-MS

Table 2—Parameters for testing in the four rocks types.

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Figure 10—Pressurized full-scale tests with cylindrical vs. V-shaped bits in Carthage marble.

Although V-shaped cutters have been thoroughly tested, the structural integrity when drilling hard rocks
has been a concern with customers when compared to their understanding of round cutters. This was not
completely investigated until recently and results indicate that V-shaped cutters suffer less impact damage
in full-scale drilling when compared to full round cutters (Ramani et al. 2020). This was attributed to the
cutter geometry more effectively stressing the rock while the stresses on the cutter were reduced. In addition,
the boreholes developed from the V-shape cutter resulted in smoother boreholes, decreasing the ledges that
could induce impact damage. V-shaped cutters were tested side by side with round cutters drilling sierra
white granite (a moderately hard rock) and quartzite (a very hard rock). Two bit sizes and two cutter grades
were tested, creating two series of tests. Table 3 outlines the test plan.

Table 3—Parameter used for structural integrity testing.

SPE-202929-MS 9

The full round cutters immediately experienced gross failure before reaching the planned WOB in both
series of tests and in both rock types. These failures are indicated in red in Table 4. In both rock types and
in both series of test, the round cutters failed at 20klbs where the V-shape cutter only had surface cracks.

Table 4—Tabularized results of the structural integrity testing.

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There has been extensive laboratory testing performed to truly understand V-shaped cutters. This
understanding has supported the use of shaped cutters in more challenging applications then was previously
thought possible.

Field testing
Following the promising results of the V-shaped cutter in the laboratory, the next step was to verify the
results in the field. In order to quantify the effect of the V-shaped cutters, a set of data from the Arabian
Peninsula was gathered. The data was based on daily drilling reports from November 2017 to April 2020.
More emphasis has been given to the 6⅛-in. and 8½-in. hole sizes because of the availability of bits with
identical cutting structure that have been used in the same application. Conventional bits (for example, a 5
bladed, 16mm cutter conventional bit = 516) and V-shaped bits (for example, a 5 bladed, 16mm cutter V-
shaped bit = V_516). The difference between these two types of bits is the usage of V-shaped cutters in the
V-shaped bits versus cylindrical or full round style cutters in the conventional bits.
A large-scale statistical analysis has been conducted that includes 143 runs with V-shaped cutters.
Advanced dull pictures have been evaluated for these runs. As the number of runs per bit type is not
identical, the following comparison metrics have been defined to improve the accuracy of the analysis. Table
5 presents a condensed version of the data used to create metrics to compare both V-shaped and conventional
bits in their respective fields.
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Table 5—A tabularized data example of the 6⅛-in. RSS lateral section.

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1. Robustness: Average number of runs per bit serial number.

2. Reliability: Average footage drilled per run and percentage of runs that reached the total depth (TD).

Where y is a scaling factor with respect to hole size.

3. Efficiency: Average rate of penetration (ROP) per run.

Where k is a scaling factor with respect to hole size.

6⅛-in. Lateral Sections

Firstly, the 6⅛-in. hole size was analyzed. This section is drilled laterally with an inclination of 85° to 90°
at a true vertical depth (TVD) of around 6,300 feet using a Rotary Steerable System (RSS). It consists of
drilling layers of carbonates interbedded with anhydrite. The operator requested that they drill at least two
laterals with one serial number. Fig. 11 shows an overview of the 6⅛-in. lateral section.
SPE-202929-MS 11

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Figure 11—8½-in build section and 6⅛-in. lateral sections.

Two identical 6⅛-in. bits with 6 blades and 13 mm cutters, the conventional 613, and the V-shaped version
V_613 were compared. The sole difference between the two is that the later one has v-shaped cutters. When
examining the performance overview of the 6⅛-in. runs (Table 5), it is observed that there have been 62
runs with V-shaped cutters (V_613) using only 26 serial numbers. This results in V-shaped bits averaging a
respectable 2.4 runs for each serial number used. The bits with cylindrical cutters (conventional) averaged
2.1 runs per serial number. As this comparison demonstrates, by switching from cylindrical cutters to V-
shaped cutters, the average number of runs per serial number has increased. This clearly indicates that the
V-shaped cutters are more robust than a cylindrical cutter equivalent bit. Comparing to other bit vendors in
the field, deploying V-shaped cutters brought the previous 613 bit’s robustness in line with Competitor A,
but more importantly improved efficiency which will be discussed later.
The reliability of 6⅛-in. bits, which is a combination of factors including : the average footage drilled
per run and the percentage of runs that reached TD, has improved significantly by utilizing the V-shaped
cutters. The average footage drilled by the V-shaped bits has increased by 69% and the percentage of bits
that reached TD has increased from 73% to 81% compared to the conventional bits. While the conventional
613 bits were achieving average footage with the cylindrical cutters, they have surpassed Competitor A by
15% with greater consistency for reaching TD when deploying the V-shaped cutters.
Given the improvements in robustness and reliability, the efficiency of the conventional 613 bit was
substantially enhanced when making use of V-shaped cutters. While the conventional bits were averaging
an ROP of 39.4 ft/hr, the V-shaped bits have pushed the boundary to achieve an average ROP of 62.4 ft/
hr. This represents an increase of 58% in ROP compared to the conventional bits and a 14% increase over
Competitor A. Thus, when used in the same 613-bit chassis, the V-shaped cutters are more robust, reliable,
and efficient compared to their cylindrical counterpart. Fig. 12 summarizes the metrics comparison of the
6 ⅛-in. between V_613 bits, 613, and Competitor A.
12 SPE-202929-MS

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Figure 12—Overall metric comparison of the 6⅛-in. RSS lateral section.

Field A case study - 6⅛-in. Lateral

A similar trend appears when focusing on the 6⅛-in. lateral section in Field A, which is an offshore oil field
with the well section shown in Fig. 11. The robustness of V-shaped bits has improved by 25%, increasing the
number of runs per serial number from 1.6 for the conventional bits to 2.0 for the V-shaped bits. Deploying
V-shaped cutters in Field A enhanced the performance of conventional 613 bits to increase the number of
runs per serial number above the field average.
The reliability of the 613 chassis has also increased by virtue of the V-shaped cutters. The average
footage drilled by the V-shaped bits extended beyond the baseline set by conventional 613 bits from 2,201
to 2,870 feet. This denotes a 30% increase in footage drilled compared to conventional bits, a 33% increase
compared to the field average, and a 16% increase compared to the top performer in the field. In addition, the
consistency of reaching TD increased from 71% for conventional 613 bits to 83%, setting a new benchmark
for competitors to catch.
Furthermore, the efficiency of conventional bits has improved by taking an advantage of the V-shaped
cutters. The average ROP achieved by the v-shaped bits is 56.9 feet/hour, while the conventional ones
achieved an average ROP of 51.9 feet/hour. This accomplishment broke the current 613 field record while
surpassing the field average ROP by 24%. As shown by the Field A study, the use of V-shaped cutters has
enhanced the bits performance in the three investigated metrics: robustness, reliability, and efficiency.
A dull analysis investigation has been conducted for some of the comparable runs in Field A. Two 6⅛-in.
lateral sections were drilled in this field using both V-shaped and conventional bits with an interval of 4,821
and 4,880 feet, respectively. The V-shaped cutters show the same dull as cylindrical ones indicating that
they are as robust. The metric results are shown in Fig. 13 with corresponding dull conditions in Fig. 14.
SPE-202929-MS 13

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Figure 13—Field A - 6⅛-in. RSS lateral section metrics comparison.

Figure 14—Field A – 6 ⅛-in. RSS lateral section dulls comparison.

Field B case study - 6 ⅛-in. Lateral Section

Another 6 ⅛-in. lateral section that was analyzed is in Field B offshore oil field. The V-shaped bits were run
in this field 23 times using 10 serial numbers, which equates to 2.3 runs per serial number. Fig. 15 shows
14 SPE-202929-MS

that conventional 613 bits were displaying a competitive robustness. However, by using the V-shaped bits,
the robustness improved by 28%. In terms of reliability, conventional 613 bits were completing acceptable
intervals comparing to the competition. However, deploying the V-shaped bits improved the reliability by
52% with a consistency of reaching TD increasing from 64% to 91% compared to the conventional 613
bits. Regarding efficiency, the V-shaped cutters provided a rise of 28% in ROP compared to its cylindrical

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cutter equivalent. In contrast to the competition, the V-shaped bits have surpassed the top performer in the
field by 21% in robustness, 30% in reliability, and 28% in efficiency.

Figure 15—Field B - 6⅛-in. RSS lateral section metrics comparison.

Concerning the dull photos of the runs in Field B, the V-shaped V_613 and conventional 613 drilled
comparable intervals of 10,924 feet and 10,296 feet, respectively. After the third run with the 613, the bit
showed some wear on the bit nose and shoulder and it was marked for repair. Contrastingly, the V_613
dull was still green and in re-runnable conditions. Consequently, the customers operation cost was reduced
by reusing the V_613 on the subsequent well. The metric results are shown in Fig. 15 with corresponding
dull conditions in Fig. 16.
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Figure 16—Field B - 6 ⅛-in. RSS lateral section dull comparison.

Overall, when reviewing the field-testing data for all 6⅛-in. lateral sections the following conclusions
may be formed:

• Robustness increased by 14% over cylindrical equivalent.

• Reliability increased by 69%, with an 11% increased consistency of reaching TD on cylindrical

equivalent.
• Efficiency increased by 58% on cylindrical equivalent.
16 SPE-202929-MS

8½-in. Build and Lateral Section

Considering the improved robustness, reliability, and efficiency of the v-shaped cutters recorded in the
6⅛-in hole size, it was necessary to examine other sizes as well. The 8½-in. build and lateral section was
chosen to be analyzed given the parameter data available and the identical bits’ cutting structure. The 8½-
in. hole size is the section preceding the 6⅛-in. This is a build-up section that is drilled using a RSS with an

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inclination of around 35° to 90° at a TVD of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 ft. It consists of drilling mainly
carbonates and a thick layer of anhydrite interbedded with thin carbonates beds. The customer required that
the bit finish the section with one run. Fig. 11 shows an overview of the 8½-in. build-up section.
Two identical 8½-in. bits with 6 blades and 16 mm cutters, the 616 and the V_616 will be considered.
Once again, the sole difference between the two is that the V_616 bit has v-shaped cutters. When
investigating the robustness overview of the runs in this section (Table A-4 in Appendix), it was observed
that there have been 81 runs with V-shaped cutters using only 29 serial numbers. This means that the V-
shaped bits averaged 2.8 runs for each serial number used. Whereas the conventional bits averaged 1.5
runs per serial number. Exchanging cylindrical cutters to V-shaped ones upgraded the robustness by 87%.
Comparing to other bit vendors, utilizing the V-shaped cutters brought robustness in line with Competitor
A; however, it once again had a significantly higher average ROP.
The reliability of the v-shaped bits has somewhat improved over the conventional bits. The average
footage drilled by the v-shaped bits increased by 8% and the percentage of bits that reached TD maintained
around 77%. Given the specific drilling challenges seen in this section, the reliability shows that the v-
shaped cutters are as reliable as their cylindrical equivalents.
In terms of efficiency, V-shaped bits have significantly improved the performance. While the
conventional bits were averaging an ROP of 39.9 ft/hr, the V-shaped bits have pushed the boundary to
achieve an average ROP of 56.2 ft/hr. This represents an increase of 41% in efficiency compared to the
conventional bits and a 16% increase compared to Competitor A. Thus, it is apparent that the V-shaped
cutters are more robust, as reliable, and more efficient than the cylindrical ones. Fig. 17 summarizes
the metrics comparison of the 8½-in. build section between V-shaped bits V_616, conventional 616, and
Competitor A.

Figure 17—Metrics comparison of the 8½-in. RSS build-up section.

SPE-202929-MS 17

Field B case study – 8½-in. Build and Lateral Section

Moving to a shallower section, the 8½-in. build-up section in Field B is an offshore oil field shown in Fig.
18. In contrast to the other fields, V-shaped cutters (V_616 bits) were trialed before a conventional cylinder
(616 bits). The V-616 had 29 runs using 14 serial numbers which equates to 2.1 runs per serial number. This
is the same as the field’s average robustness.

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Figure 18—Field B - 8½-in. RSS build-up section metrics comparison.

The v-shaped cutters displayed the highest reliability. The field’s average footages drilled is 1,544 feet.
While the v-shaped bits average footage is 3,149 feet, which surpasses the competition by 104% and the
field’s top performer by 14% with a strong 72% consistency of reaching TD.
Considering drilling efficiency, the V-shaped cutter bit (V-616) achieved the highest average ROP. The
competition average ROP is 45.4 ft/hr, whereas the V-shaped bits average ROP is 56.6 ft/hr. This denotes a
substantial jump in ROP of 29% compared to the field’s average, and 13% compared to the top performer.
The dull photos are gathered for three bits that have drilled in multiple wells. The intervals drilled are
3,705 ft, 7,072 ft, and 12,415 ft. The bits are showing normal thermal wear on the nose and shoulder areas
even after being used multiple times to finish long intervals. No catastrophic failure of the cutting structure
has been seen while drilling this build-up section with interbedded formation, see Fig. 19.
18 SPE-202929-MS

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Figure 19—Field B - 8½-in RSS lateral section dull comparison.

Field C case study – 8½-in. Build and Lateral Section

In Field C, an offshore oil field, the V-shaped cutters showed average reliability but exceptional robustness
and efficiency. Fig. 20 shows the metrics comparison summary for this field. The V_616 was run 22 times
using only four serial numbers, resulting in 5.5 run per serial number. This is an 83% improvement in
robustness compared to the closest competitor. Regarding reliability, the V_616 drilled average footage
with a better consistency in reaching TD. As for the efficiency, the V-shaped cutters achieved an average
SPE-202929-MS 19

ROP of 56.4 ft/hr, which is a 17% increase compared to the top performing competitor. A dull condition
review can be seen in Fig. 21.

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Figure 20—Field C - 8½-in. RSS build-up section metrics comparison.

Figure 21—Field C - 8½-in. RSS build-up section dull comparison.

20 SPE-202929-MS

Overall, when reviewing the field-testing data for all 8½-in. lateral sections, the following conclusions
may be formed:

• Robustness increased by 87% on cylindrical equivalent.

• Reliability increased by 8%, with a negligible 3% decreased consistency of reaching TD on

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cylindrical equivalent.
• Efficiency increased by 41% on cylindrical equivalent.

Operational cost savings

The economic aspect was an important consideration when the V-shaped cutters were analyzed. Although,
V-shaped cutters carry a greater manufacturing cost than their corresponding cylindrical cutters, with the
added robustness, reliability, and efficiency they bring, they can lower the overall cost of operation for the
operator.
Fig. 22 tells the story of the 6⅛-in. RSS lateral section runs in Field B. Before introducing the V_613 bit
into this application, the average ROP of the top PDC bit runs in this section was 117.8 ft/hr, with an average
cost per foot (CPF) of $56.6. After introducing the v-shaped cutters into this application, the average ROP
increased to 127.4 ft/hr, with a CPF that decreased to $53.9. This is an 8.2% increase in ROP with a 5.4%
reduction in CPF that saved the customer approximately $14,000 per run.

Figure 22—Field B - 6⅛-in. RSS lateral section runs.

The same scenario can be noticed in field B’s 8½-in. RSS build-up section in Fig. 23. Prior to introducing
the V_616 bit into this application, the average ROP of the top PDC bit runs in this section was 40.3 ft/hr
with an average CPF of $145.6. Later when the V-shaped cutters were deployed, the average ROP jumped
to 69.0 ft/hr with a CPF that decreased to $93.5, increasing ROP by 71%, decreasing the CPF by 36%, and
saving the customer a remarkable $153,000 per run. By utilizing the robustness, reliability, and efficiency
of the V-shaped cutters, the customer saved a total of $682,000 in Field B’s 6⅛-in. and 8½-in. sections
examples.
SPE-202929-MS 21

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Figure 23—Field B - 8½-in. RSS build-up section runs.

Global V-shaped Cutters Success

The increase in efficiency, experienced by switching to V-shaped cutters, has been seen on the global level.
An application in Minehead, Canada, consists of a challenging drill-out procedure of an 8¾-in. hole size,
followed by vertically drilling highly interbedded shale, silt, and sandstone to section TD.
Two runs were compared that drilled in this application with the same 6 bladed, 16mm cutting structure.
The first one was using cylindrical cutters and the second had V-shaped cutters only in the cone region of the
bit as part of early field trials. They both drilled very similar interval of 4,895 ft and 5,033 ft, respectively.
However, the bit with V-shaped cutters finished the section with ROP increase of 49%.
The depth-based data for these two runs was analyzed and the mechanical specific energy (MSE) was
compared. Fig. 24 shows that in the deeper part of the run, the bit with V-shaped cutters required 75%
less energy to drill. In addition, significant improvement was observed in the bits dull. While the first bit
displayed signs of chipping in the shoulder, the second one showed normal thermal wear and no signs of
chipping, see Fig. 25.

Figure 24—MSE comparison between V-shaped and cylindrical cutter.

22 SPE-202929-MS

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Figure 25—Dull comparison between V-shaped and cylindrical cutter.

A subsequent run was analyzed that drilled the same application using the same previously used design.
The only difference is that all the primary blades on this bit have been switched to v-shaped cutters. This
run has been compared to the first one with cylindrical cutters. Fig. 26 shows formation drilled performance
comparison between the two bits. As the two bits drilled deeper, the V-shaped cutters showed greater
efficiency. The increase in efficiency ranged from 16% to 104%.

Figure 26—Formation drilling performance comparison between 3D and cylindrical cutters.

SPE-202929-MS 23

Next steps
Given the enormous success of V-shape cutters in a wide range of applications, even in harder applications
than ever thought possible, it was only natural for further refinement and optimization for application
specific challenges. The first obvious thought is how much more rock failure efficiency can be gained by
making a sharper version of the V-shape. The revised geometry would require less force to fail the rock by

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increasing point loading. The sharp V-shaped cutter shows 25% reduction in axial force to achieve the same
depth of cut as the original V-shape cutter, as shown in Fig. 27.

Figure 27—Axial force comparison between V-shape and sharp V-shape.

These types of improvements will translate to efficiency in the field. The sharp V-shape cutter has also
been deployed in several applications with success. A 12¼-in. 6 bladed, 16mm cutter drill bit with 100%
sharp V-shape cutters in primary and secondary positions achieved a new field ROP record of 21.96 m/hr
and outperformed the previous field record by 32%. The run was from the Natih to Al-Khalata, consisting
of abrasion sand formations, and the bit was pulled for reaching TD with a 1-1-WT dull condition. Another
12¼-in. 6 bladed, 16mm cutter drill bit with 100% sharp V-shape cutters in primary and secondary positions
achieved a new field ROP record of 32.38 m/hr and outperformed the previous field record by 28%. This
was a single run through an interbedded sequence of formations, consisting mainly of limestone, dolomite,
and shale, in addition to sandstone and siltstone stringers, and the bit was pulled for reaching TD with a
1-1-WT dull condition, see Fig. 28. These initial consistent performances provided confidence to continue
running the sharp version in more applications.
24 SPE-202929-MS

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Figure 28—12¼-in. Dull condition of the field trial of the V-shaped sharp cutters.

Increasing the chamfer size by 0.006 in. can have a negative efficiency effect of 23% (Akbari et al.
2014). Increasing the chamfer angle and reducing chamfer size can double ROP (Barton et al. 2008). This
understanding has led to a V-shape cutter with a more aggressive chamfer. Lab results seen in Fig. 29 indicate
the more aggressive chamfer requires 38% less axial load to achieve the same depth of cut as the original
V-shape cutter. This variant of the V-shape is in field testing but has not been run.

Figure 29—Axial force comparison between V-shape and V-shape aggressive chamfer.

Another place where the V-shape geometry has shown promise is combined with a non-planar cutter, with
plow-shaped tip and relieved upper surface as seen in Fig. 30. This nonplanar shaped family of cutters were
developed based on numerous hours of research and development and were optimized for maximum rock
cutting efficiency while maintaining cutter durability via analytical and numerical cutter-rock interaction
modeling; finite element analysis; computation fluid dynamics; pressurized drilling tests on different rocks
including limestone, sandstone, shale, and salt; as well as field runs in several applications. The cutters
comprise a plough-shaped tip to increase the stress concentration on the formation which improves fracture
initiation and propagation and a bevel on the non-cutting side of cutter face to reduce contact area and friction
SPE-202929-MS 25

between the rock cuttings that extrude up the face of a PDC cutter in the form of ribbons. The unique plough
and bevel geometry of the cutters allows creation of much smaller cutting ribbons which helps with better
hole cleaning and cuttings evacuation. The non-planar chisel family includes four geometries all sharing
the plough-shaped tip and a bevel on non-cutting side. On two of the nonplanar cutters the length of the
plough tip is longer to improve cutter toughness in exchange of efficiency. Two of the nonplanar cutters

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plus a chisel tip which gives them ability to apply maximum stress concentration on rocks with higher
failure stress threshold to further improve rock cutting process. Full-scale pressurized drilling tests were
specifically designed to evaluate the cutters’ performance in rock under simulated in-situ conditions using
an 8½-in. PDC bit. Just as the original V-shape, the nonplanar family was tested on Torrey Buff sandstone,
Carthage Marble, and Halite (salt). The results indicated that for the same weight on bit, the nonplanar
cutters demonstrated ROP improvements of 29% to and 61%.

Figure 30—A collective family view of the non-planar chisel cutter geometries.

The nonplanar geometries have had record breaking performances around the world. More specifically
there has been recent success using the nonplanar cutters with a V-shape cutting profile. An 8⅜-in. 5
bladed drill bit using 19 mm cutter drilled from shoe to TD in a single run through challenging formations,
consisting mainly of dirty-salt, salt/halite, limestone, and dolomite. The challenge was also to achieve an
overall ROP of 10m/hr, which had only been achieved a few times before. The bit successfully drilled 876m
with an ROP of 23.11 m/hr and was pulled for TD with a dull of 1-1-WT, see Fig. 31 for the bit dull condition.

Figure 31—8⅜-in. dull condition of the field trial of the nonplanar cutters with a V-shape cutting profile.
26 SPE-202929-MS

Conclusion
This paper has illustrated that V-shaped cutters have clearly revolutionized the performance of PDC drill
bits. V-shaped cutters are now proven in 13mm, 16mm, and 19mm diameters and shown to be as reliable
and robust as cylindrical cutters and have increased drilling efficiency. Data was analyzed on more than 143
V-shaped bit runs with a cumulative footage of 380,000 ft drilled. This paper also shows a methodology for

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benchmarking new shaped cutters against significant metrics.
Deploying V-shaped cutters provide the following benefits:

• V-shaped cutters stay sharper longer, allowing the bit to drill more efficiently and reach TD more
reliably.
• V-shaped cutters stay sharper for longer and hence yield higher robustness when compared to their
cylindrical equivalents.
• A greater efficiency is observed in harder formations, carbonates/anhydrites etc.
A drilling torque reduction is clear when testing V-shaped cutters.
When reviewing overall metrics, it can be concluded that V-shaped cutters yield a:

• 51% increase in robustness against cylindrical equivalent.

• 39% increase in reliability, with a 4% increased consistency of reaching TD against cylindrical

equivalent.
50% increase in efficiency against cylindrical equivalent.
Globally, V-shaped cutters have now successfully drilled over 10 million feet of rock and enabled step
changes in performance as relatively simple drop-in replacements. It is an exciting prospect ahead with
encouraging development in both non-planar and new shaping geometries that are constantly evolving aided
by studies like this one conducted in this paper.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the following valuable contributors and supporters:
NOV for providing the laboratory resources and permission to publish this work. The NOV Operations
teams for their continuous invaluable support throughout the field-testing process.
Amanda Parks and the NOV technical writing team for their diligence and support.
A special thanks to Joseph Dunne for his significant contribution to the data analysis that supported this
paper.

References
Akbari, B, Miska, S, Yu, M & Rahmani, R 2014, 'The Effects of Size, Chamfer Geometry, and Back Rake Angle on
Frictional Response of PDC cutters', American Rock Mechanics Assocation, ARMA-2014-7458.
Barton, P, Deepthi, S & Clegg, J 2008, 'Testing of New PDC Cutter Edge Geometry Doubles Penetration Rate and Reduces
Torque', Society of Petroleum Engineers, pp. SPE-116173-MS. https://doi.org/10.2118/116173-MS.
Rahmani, R 2019, 'Rock Customized Shaped Cutters Improve Rock Cutting Efficiency', Society of Petroleum Engineers,
pp. SPE-194148-MS. https://doi.org/10.2118/194148-MS.
Rahmani, R, Bradford, J & Barocio, H 2016, 'New Drill Bit Technology Sets Drilling Records in Carbonates and Harsh
Rock Applications', Society of Petroleum Engineers, pp. SPE-183397-MS. https://doi.org/10.2118/183397-MS.
Ramani, R, Pastusek, P, Yun, G & Roberts, T 2020, 'Investigation of Geometry and Loading Effects on PDC
Cutter Structural Integrity in Hard Rocks', Society of Petroleum Engineers, pp. SPE-199598-MS. https://
doi.org/10.2118/199598-MS.
Roberts, T, Ludvigsen, E & O., H 2013, 'New Generation Thermally Stable Cutters Deliver High Penetration Rates While
Maintaining Durability in the Troll Field, Norway', Society of Petroleum Engineers, pp. SPE-163524-MS. https://
doi.org/10.2118/163524-MS.
SPE-202929-MS 27

Weaver, GE & Clayton, RI 1993, 'A New PDC Cutting Structure Improves Bit Stabilization and Extends Application Into
Harder Rock Types', SPE and IADC Members, pp. SPE/IADC-25734-MS. https://doi.org/10.2118/25734-MS.

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Table A-2—6⅛-in. metric data from Field A.

Table A-1—6⅛-in. overall metric data.
Appendix
28
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29

Table A-3—6⅛-in. metric data from Field B.

Table A-5—8½-in. metric data from Field B.

Table A-4—8½-in. overall metric data.
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SPE-202929-MS

Table A-6—8½-in. metric data from Field C.

30