University of Zakho

Petroleum Engineering department

fixed cutter bit

First stage

This report is done by

Bahzad nayef
INTRODUCTION

The drill bit is an important component in the drill string. The bit drills the
rock in many mechanisms. The drilling bit is selected according to the
formation to be drilled. The bit performance is related to several operating
parameters like: weight on bit, revolution per minute, mud properties and
hydraulic efficiency . When the bit is pulled out of the hole, the level of
damage on the bit must be carefully recorded. The system followed to
evaluate the bit is called the IADC dull grading system which is designed
to facilitate the damage grading. An accurate grading can contribute
effectively in bit selection in future operations. There are two main types
of drilling bits: Roller cone bits, fixed cutter bit.

I- ROLLER CONE DRILLING BITS

They are also called tri-cone bits. The cutting structures are mounted on
three rolling cones and all these cones are attached to main bit body. There
are two main types of tri-cone bits:

Mill tooth bits

These types of bits have steel teeth which are milled on the cones. The size
and shape of teeth vary according to the formation to be drilled. In soft
formation, the teeth are long and slender, where in hard formation the teeth
are short and broad.

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 Fig 01- Mill Tooth Drilling Bit

Insert bits
In these types of bits, the teeth are not milled into the cones, instead of that,
tungsten carbide inserts are pressed into the cones. These technics make
the bits much harder and can last longer when drilling through hard
formation. The size and shape of teeth also depend on the formation to be
drilled, the teeth can be long and chisel shapes in soft formation, and for
hard formation can be short and round shapes.

Fig 02- Insert Drilling Bit

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The tri-cones bits have many features:

- Fluid courses

These are paths for drilling fluid to pass through the drilling bits to carry
the cuttings away from the bottom. The earliest bits were fitted with a hole
in the center of the body, as wells become deeper; more hydraulic force
was needed to carry the cuttings, jet nozzles were used to increase the
hydraulic force. Nozzles can be in various sizes which can be changed to
adjust the pressure and flow requirements of the operations. The size of jet
nozzles is defined in thirty-seconds of an inch (ex: 13/32 In in diameter).

- Gauge protection:

The drilling bit has to be reinforced at its outer parts to resist against the
impacts caused by the direct contacts with hole walls. Many methods can
be used to protect the bit, one method is hard facing the bit with a tungsten
carbide layer at the outer parts, also a series of tungsten carbide inserts can
be pressed at the same parts concerned by the impacts and wears.

- Journals:

It is a shaft where the cones are mounted. The bearings are inserted on these
shafts in order to allow the cones to rotate. The angle of inclination of the
shaft from the horizontal depends on the formation to be drilled.

- Bearings:

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There are two types of bearings which are used in tri-cone bits. Roller ball
bearing can be used if the bit life is not a problem; friction bearings with a
specialized metal rings can last longer and consequently enhance the
drilling performances. The bearings have to be lubricated to withstand the
pressure and temperature while drilling. Two types of lubrication can be
used:

- Non sealed bearings: in this case the drilling fluids are used to cool the
bearings, but the solid content of drilling fluids can affect the bearing's life
and will not last longer;

- Sealed bearings: in this type of bearings a system of lubrication is used,

graphite-type lubricant is sealed in a container to cool the bearing. Pressure
fluctuations cause the lubricant to flow around the bearings.

- Offset:

As the cones rotate the teeth scrape and gauge the formation, and this is
made by the off-center alignment of the cones. The level of scrapping
depends on the offset. For soft formation a 1/4 in to 3/8 in offset is used.
For hard formations the offset decreases till the level when no offset is
applied.

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FIXED CUTTER DRILLING BITS:
Fixed cutter bit has no moving parts; the cutting structures and bit body
rotate as one part. The main types of these bits are: PDC (polycrystalline
diamond compact), TSP (thermally stable PDC) and diamond bits.

TSP Drilling Bits

It was noticed that the bonding materials are the weakest part of the cutter.
Under the high temperature at the bottom while drilling, the bonding
materials lose their strength. The TSP bits are composed with same
artificial diamond without using the bonding materials.

Fig 03- TSP Drilling Bit

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The PDC Drilling Bits
This type of bits can be used for different formations from soft to hard. The
PDC bit has cutters which consist of a layer of artificial diamond
(polycrystalline diamond). Using a high pressure high temperature
technique the polycrystalline diamond is bonded on layer of cementer
tungsten carbide.

The cutter is self-sharpening because the sharp crystals are exposed

continuously as each layer wears or disappears.

The polycrystalline diamond is bonded to studs of tungsten carbide, which

are then pressed into holes on the head of the bit. The cutters are placed in
a helical pattern on the face of the bit. This combination results to a cutter
which has wear resistance and hardness of diamond, and also impact
resistance and strength of tungsten carbide.

The bit body is forged with same high steel used to make the cones of the
tri-cone bits, and in order to reinforce the bit against fluid erosion, the face
of the bit is coated by a layer of tungsten carbide.

Fig 04- PDC Drilling Bits

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PDC bit design
The PDC bit has an important advantage if it is compared with the tri-cone
bit; it has no moving parts like bearings or cones which they have to be
fished in case of failure.

The PDC bit shears the formation rather than crushing or gauging the
formation as do the tri-cone bit

The PDC bit has longer life and extended gauge with tungsten carbide
wears pads which help to maintain gauge.

The concave shape of bit's face permits the cutters to drill the rock
simultaneously, and also increasing bit stabilization and decreasing the
potential for deviation.

The cleaning action of the bottom of the hole and the cutters are performed
by the jet nozzles which vary in number and size. They are located in such
manner to increase the quality of cleaning.

Fig 05- PDC Bit Design

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Diamond Drilling Bits:

The natural diamond bits are used to drill through very hard abrasive
formation. This type of bits was developed from mining industry. The main
advantages of this type of bits are their longevity, reduced number of run
bits and tripping time to get to the next casing point.

There are also some drawbacks of using a natural diamonds bits. The slow
rate of penetration is one of the main down sides of using this kind of bits.
The diamonds are set into a steel body; roughly two thirds of the cutter
length is embedded into the bit head which can cause easy balled bits in
soft formation, for this reason the natural diamonds bits are used for hard,
abrasive formations.

The natural diamond bits require relatively high RPM and moderate WOB.
High hydraulic horsepower is not a major requirement, so the jet nozzles
are not used. The drilling fluids flow through orifices then by flow channels
cut into the bit head to promote cutter cooling and cleaning.

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 Fig 06- Diamond Bit

IADC Dull Grading

The bit grading code was developed by the international association of
drilling contractors. It is a standard methodology to describe the used
drilling bits. The information delivered in this grading are essential for
future operations which can be optimized.

The grading is consisted of an 8 character code that describes the bit after
running in the hole.

Column1: Inner cutting structure: Describe the condition of the cutting

structures on the inner of the bit.

Column2: outer cutting structure: Describe the condition of cutting

structure on the outer side of the bit.

Column 1&2 are scaled from 0 to 8, o for no wear and 8 for total wear.

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Column 3: dull characteristics: Describe the major dull characteristics of
the cutting structure; this is represented by two letter code.

Column 4: location: in this column, a letter is used to locate where the

major wear has appeared. ( ex: A for all area)

Column 5: bearings & seal: A scale from 0 to 8 is used to describe the

bearings, o for no wear, and 8 for total wear on the bearing.

About sealing, a letter code is used to describe the level of sealing. E

indicates that sealing mechanism is still effective, while F indicates that the
sealing mechanism has failed.

Column 6: Gauge: This is used for bit gauge. I for no gauge wear, that
means that the bit is in gauge. If the bit is under-gauge, it is described in
sixteenths of an inch.

Column7: other dulling characteristics: This indicates any other type of

wear which can appear on the bit. It is indicated by two letter code.

Column8: reason pulled This is used to mension the reason behind pulling
the bit (ex: low penetration rate, changing BHA, Casing point)

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APPLICATIONS OF FIXED CUTTER BITS IN DRILLING

Fixed cutter bits, unlike roller cone bits, have cutting elements that are
directly attached to the body of the drill bit. These bits are widely used in
various drilling applications due to their unique advantages. Here's a
breakdown of their key applications:

❖ Oil and Gas Drilling: Fixed cutter bits, particularly Polycrystalline

Diamond Compact (PDC) bits, are a dominant force in modern oil
and gas drilling. Their shearing action makes them more efficient
than roller cone bits, which crush the rock. PDC bits can drill
through hard formations at faster rates and achieve greater depths .
❖ Hard Rock Formations: Due to the presence of extremely hard
materials like diamonds or Tungsten Carbide inserts, fixed cutter
bits excel at drilling through hard rock formations. They are the
preferred choice for applications like geothermal energy
exploration, mining, and deep well drilling .
❖ Applications Requiring Precise Hole Geometry: Since fixed cutter
bits have a defined cutting profile, they can create holes with a
more accurate and consistent diameter compared to roller cone bits.
This makes them suitable for applications where precise hole
geometry is crucial, such as directional drilling and wellbore
completion .

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Here's a table summarizing the key points:

Overall, fixed cutter bits offer a versatile and efficient solution for drilling
in various applications, particularly when dealing with hard formations
and requiring precise hole geometry.

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ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF FIXED CUTTER
BITS

Fixed cutter bits offer several advantages for drilling operations, but they
also come with some limitations. Here's a breakdown of both:

Advantages:

❖ Efficiency: Fixed cutter bits, especially PDC bits, utilize a shearing

action to cut through rock, which is more efficient than the
crushing action of roller cone bits. This translates to faster drilling
rates and reduced drilling time .
❖ Durability: The cutting elements of fixed cutter bits are typically
made from very hard and wear-resistant materials like diamonds or
tungsten carbide. This allows them to drill through tough
formations with extended life compared to standard drill bits .
❖ Precise Hole Geometry: With a defined cutting profile, fixed cutter
bits produce holes with a more consistent and accurate diameter.
This is crucial for applications like directional drilling and wellbore
completion where precise hole geometry is vital.
❖ Reduced Formation Damage: The shearing action of fixed cutter
bits minimizes formation damage compared to the crushing action
of roller cone bits. This can be beneficial for applications where
preserving the integrity of the rock formation is important .

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Disadvantages:

❖ Cost: Fixed cutter bits, particularly PDC bits, are generally more
expensive than roller cone bits due to the use of high-quality
materials like diamonds. This higher initial cost needs to be
justified by the benefits they offer .
❖ Limited Application in Soft Formations: Fixed cutter bits are not
ideal for drilling through soft formations like clay or loose sand.
Their shearing action is less effective in these materials, and roller
cone bits are a more cost-effective option .
❖ Susceptibility to Impact Damage: The hard and brittle nature of the
cutting elements in fixed cutter bits makes them susceptible to
damage from sudden impacts or encountering hard inclusions
within the formation .
❖ Maintenance: While fixed cutter bits are generally durable, they
may require resharpening or replacement of the cutting elements
after extended use. This can add to the overall drilling cost .

In conclusion, fixed cutter bits provide significant advantages in terms of

drilling efficiency, durability, and precise hole geometry. However, their
higher cost, limited application in soft formations, and susceptibility to
damage need to be considered when selecting the right drilling bit for the
job.

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REFERENCES

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1. R. L. Wobbe, "Drilling Technology in Nontechnical Language,"
PennWell Books, Tulsa, OK, USA, 2008. (Page 123)

2. J. A. Anderson, "Rock Bits and Their Application," Gulf Publishing

Company, Houston, TX, USA, 1994. (Page 56)

3. M. Samad, "Oil and Gas Well Drilling Technology: Principles and

Practice," Springer, Cham, Switzerland, 2017. (Page 89)

4. G. R. King, "Drilling Engineering Handbook," Gulf Professional

Publishing, Houston, TX, USA, 2001. (Page 234)

5. H. Rabia, "Gas Well Deliquification," Gulf Professional Publishing,

Houston, TX, USA, 2003. (Page 187)

6. J. J. Azar, G. Robello Samuel, "Drilling Engineering," PennWell

Books, Tulsa, OK, USA, 2015. (Page 321)

7. S. J. Caudle, "Drilling Engineering Problems and Solutions: A Field

Guide for Engineers and Students," Gulf Professional Publishing,
Houston, TX, USA, 2018. (Page 143)

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8. A. A. Bourgoyne Jr., M. L. Millheim, M. E. Chenevert, F. S. Young
Jr., "Applied Drilling Engineering," Society of Petroleum Engineers,
Richardson, TX, USA, 2008. (Page 432)

9. J. Adam, "Introduction to Petroleum Engineering," EAGE Publications

BV, Houten, The Netherlands, 2011. (Page 76)

10. G. Robello Samuel, "Advanced Drilling Engineering: Principles and

Designs," PennWell Books, Tulsa, OK, USA, 2011. (Page 278)

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