DRILLING ENGINEERING

Drilling Bits

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Topics of Interest:
• Various bit types available (classification).
• Criteria for the selection for the best bit for a given
situation.
• Standard methods for evaluating dull bite.
• Factors affecting bit wear and drilling speed.
• Optimization of bit weight and rotary speed.

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5.1 Types of Bits

1. Drag Bits: Consist of fixed cutter blades that are integral

with the body of the bit and rotate as a unit with the drill
string (19th century).

2. Rolling Cutter Bits: (1909) have two or more cones

containing the cutting elements which rotate about the axis
of the cone as the bit is rotated at the bottom of the hole.

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Common Types of Drilling Bits 4
5.1.1 Drag Bits
• Design Features:
 Number and shape of the cutting blades or stones.
 Size and location of the water courses.
 Metallurgy of the bit and cutting elements.

 Drilling is achieved by physically blowing cuttings from

the bottom of the bore-hole.

Types
(a) Steel cutter bits
(b) Diamond bits
(c) Polycrystalline diamond bits 5
Diamond cutter drag bit - design nomenclature 6
Advantages
 No rolling parts which require strong clean bearing
surfaces
 Because it is made from one solid piece of steel there is
less chance of bit breakage, which would leave junk in
the bottom of the hole.

 Steel Cutter Bits: Best for soft, uniform unconsolidated

formations. Now, replaced by other
types in all area.

• Diamond Bits: Best for hard non-brittle formations.

 The face or crown of the bit consists of many diamonds
set in a tungsten carbide matrix.
 Fluid courses are provided in the matrix to direct the
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flow of drilling fluid over the face of the bit.
• Shape of crown profit is important
1. Step type
2. Long taper (straight hole, high wt.)
3. Short taper (easier to clean)
4. Non taper (directional drilling)
• Size and number of diamonds, depend on the hardness of
the formation.
• For hard formations: many small stones (0.07-0.125 carrot)
• For soft formations: few large stones (0.75-2.0 carrot)
• Pressure drop across the face of the bit
Pump pressure measured with the bit off bottom-pump
pressure with the bit drilling = 500 – 1000 psi
• Manufacturer usually provide estimate of approximate
circulating rate required establishing the needed pressure
drop across the bit.
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5.1.2 PolyCrystalline Diamond
(PCD) Bits
 Since the mid 1970’s a new family of drag bits has been made
possible by the introduction of a sintered polycrystalline
diamond drill blanks, as a bit cutter element.

 The drill blanks consist of a layer of a synthetic polycrystalline

diamond about 1/64 in. thick that is bonded to a cemented
tungsten carbide substrate in a high-pressure high-temperature
process.

 It contains many small diamond crystals bonded together.

 The PCD is bonded either to a tungsten carbide bit-body matrix

or to a tungsten carbide stud that is mounted in a steel bit body.
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 They perform best in soft, firm, and medium-hard, non-
abrasion formations that are not gummy.

 Good results are obtained in carbonates or evaporates that

are not broken up with hard shale stringers. Also good in a
sandstone, siltstone, shale.

 Design of crown profile is important, double-cone and flat

profile.

 Size, shape, number of cutters and angle of attack back

rake, side rake and exposure: -20

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Diamond cutter drag bit- radial and feeder
collectors 11
5.1.3 ROLLING CUTTER BITS

• The three-cone rolling cutter bit is by far the most common

bit.
• Available with a large variety of tooth design and bearing
types.
• Maximum use is made of limited space.
• Cone offset to stop rotating periodically to scrape the hole
like (PCD) bits.
• It increases drilling speed but tooth wears faster. (4 for
soft, 0 for hard)
• Shape of teeth: long widely spaced steel teeth are used for
drilling soft formations.
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• As the rock type gets harder the tooth length and cone
offset must be reduced to prevent tooth breakage.
• Tooth action = Scraping and twisting
• Zero offset cones action = Crushing
• Smaller tooth allows more room for the construction of
stronger bearings

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Classification of Tricone Bits
(a) Milled tooth cutters
(b) Tungsten carbide insert cutters

 Hard facing on one side of the tooth allows self

sharpening
 Chipping tends to keep tooth sharp.
 Intermeshing is advantageous.
 Heel teeth = outer-raw very difficult job it wears it
leads to out of gauge bit (hole).

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 Cheapest bearing assembly consist of:
 Roller-type outer bearing
 Ball-type intermediate bearing
 Friction-type nose bearing

All standard bearings are lubricated by drilling

fluids.

 Intermediate cost bearing assembly is the sealed

bearing assembly-lubricated by grease.
 Expensive assembly: Journal bearing must have
effective grease seals. It gives long bearing life.
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Wear Characteristic of milled-tooth bits 16
Example tungsten carbide insert cutter
used in rolling cutter Bits 17
 Mohr’s circle
graphical analysis

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IADC Diamond and PCD Drill Bits 19
IADC Diamond and PCD Drill Bits 20
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IADC Diamond and PCD Core Bits
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IADC Diamond and PCD Core Bits
IADC Roller Cutting Bits 23
IADC Roller Cutting Bits 24
Tooth Design Characteristic for Roller-Cutting
Bits 25
5.3 Bit Selection and Evaluation
• Determined by trial and error
• Most valid criterion: drilling cost per unit interval drilled.

Cb  C (tb  tc  tt )
Cf  (1.16)
D
Initial selection is based on formation characteristics and drilling
cost in an area.
Drillability: a measure of how easy the formation is to drill.
Abrasiveness:a measure of how rapidly the tooth of milled tooth
bit will wear when drilling the formation.
Rules of Thumb:
Table 5.5: Bit types often used in various formation types. 26
5.3.1 Grading Tooth Wear
 Tooth wear of milled tooth bits is graded in terms of
fractional tooth height that has been worn away and is
reported to the nearest eighth.
 Example: Half original tooth height has been worn away, the
bit will be graded as T4, i.e. the teeth are 4/8 worn.
“BT”: Broken teeth in a remarks column.
 The average wear of the row of teeth with the most severe
wear is reported.
 Measure the height before and after the bit run.
 Rapid visual estimates with experience.
 Tooth wear of Insert bits is reported as the fraction of the
total number of inserts that have been broken or lost to the
nearest eighth.
 Example: Half the inserts broken or lost it would be graded 27
T4. i.e. 4/8 of the inserts are broken or lost.
Tooth Wear guide chart for milled-tooth Bits
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5.3.2 Grading Bear Wear
 Difficult to evaluate in the field.
 Must be disassembled.
 Bearing failure results in;
 Cones do not rotate “locked”
 Extremely loose cones.
– Code B8 : Bearings are 8/8 worn
Bearing failure
B7: Slightly loose cone

If it cannot be detected: It is estimated from the number of

hours left in the bearing. 29
 B1

Estimated Hours Left

B4

B7

Actual Rotating Hours

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Bearing grading guide for rolling cutter bits
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5.3.3 Grading Gauge Wear
• When wear is in the base area of the rolling cones the bit
will drill under sized hole.

• A Ring Gauge and a Ruler are used to measure the amount

of gauge wear.

 Example:Bit loses 0.5 inch in diameter the bit is

graded G-O-4
O = Out of gauge bit
I = In gauge bit
4 = 4/8 of inch.
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Common Abbreviation used in describing bit 33
condition in dull bit evaluation.
5.6 Termination A Bit Run
• There is always uncertainty about the best time to terminate
a bot run and begin tripping operations.
• Tooth and Bearing wear equations give at best a rough
estimate of when the bit will be completely worn.
• It is helpful to monitor the torque needed to rotate the bit.
The torque increases or fluctuates when a cone become
locked due to worn bearing.
• If a sharp decrease in penetration rate is noticed it is
advisable to pull the bit before it is completely worn.
• If the lithology is uniform, the total drilling cost can be
minimized by minimizing the cost of each bit run.
• Keep a current estimate of cost/ft for the bit run, when it
starts to increase pull the bit even if significant life remains. 34
5.7 Factor Affecting Penetration Rate

 Bit type
 Formation Characteristics
 Drilling Fluid properties
 Bit operation conditions (bit weight. and speed)
 Bit tooth wear
 Bit Hydraulics.

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 5.8.3 Selection of Bit Weight and Rotary
Speed

The weight applied to the bit and the rotational speed of

the drilling sting have a major effect on the both the
penetration rate and the life of the bit.
Consideration must be given to the following items when
selecting the bit weight and rotary speed.
1. The effect of the selected operating conditions on the cost
per foot for the bit run question and on subsequent bit
runs.
2. The effect of the selected operating conditions on crooked
hole problems. 36
3. The max. desired penetration rate for the fluid
circulating rate and mud processing rates
available and for efficient kick detection.
4. Equipment limitations on the available bit
weight and rotary size.

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5.7.4 Operating Conditions
• The bit weight and rotary speed have a tremendous effect on
rate of penetration.

• As shown in the fig,

 No significant penetration rate is obtained until the threshold
bit weight is applied (Point a).
 Penetration rate then increases rapidly with increasing values
of bit weight for moderate values of bit weight (Segment ab).
 A linear curve is often observed at moderate bit weight,
subsequent increase in bit weight causes only slight
improvement in the penetration rate (segment cd)
 In some cases, a decrease in penetration rate is observed at
extremely high values of bit weight (Segment de). This
behavior is called bit floundering. It is due to less efficient
bottom hole cleaning at higher rates of cutting generation. 38
Rotary Speed

d
c e

b
a

Weight on bit

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