DRILLING BITS

JAMES A. CRAIG

Table of Contents

Types of Bit
Drag Bit
Roller Cutter Bit

Drill Bit Classification

Drag Bit Classification
Roller Cutter Bit Classification

Drill Bit Grading

Tooth Wear/Loss
Bearing Wear
Gauge Wear

Types of Bit
Drag Bit
Roller Cutter Bit

Drill Bit Classification

Drag Bit Classification
Roller Cutter Bit Classification

Drill Bit Grading

Tooth Wear/Loss
Bearing Wear
Gauge Wear

Table of Contents

Types of Bit
Drag Bit
Roller Cutter Bit

Drill Bit Classification

Drag Bit Classification
Roller Cutter Bit Classification

Drill Bit Grading

Tooth Wear/Loss
Bearing Wear
Gauge Wear

DRILLING BITS

A steel-toothed piece of equipment attached to the

lower end of the drillstring in order to:
crush,
scrape and,
grind

formation loose.

The two types available are:

drag bits
rolling cutter bits

Drag Bits
They consist of fixed cutter blades that are integral
with the body of the bit and rotate as a unit with
the drillstring. The cutting element consists of
steelcutters, diamond, or polycrystalline diamond
compact (PDC).
Steelcutter bits

the serrated steel blades are set at different angles (e.g.

a fishtail bit).

Natural diamond bits

the face or crown of the bit consists of many diamonds

set in a tungsten carbide matrix.

Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits

a layer of synthetic PDC is bonded to a cemented

tungsten carbide, it contains many diamond crystals

bonded together. The sintered PDC compact is bonded
either to a tungsten carbide bit-body matrix or to a
tungsten carbide stud that is mounted in a steel bit.

Thermally stable polycrystalline (TSP) bits

these bits are manufactured in a similar fashion to PDC

bits but are tolerant of much higher temperatures than

PDC bits.

Roller Cutter Bits

They 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.
The 3-cone rolling cutter bit is by far the most
common.
Important factors to consider in this type of bit are:
structural materials, bearing-seal-lubricating
design, cutting structure arrangements, and
hydraulic arrangements.

Structural materials
steels with appropriate yield strength, impact resistance,

machineability, and heat-treated properties are usually

selected. Cones are commonly heat treated and made
of NiMo-steel, teeth are sometimes made of NiCrMosteel

Bearing-seal-lubricating design
they function as a unit and they must be able to

withstand large impact loads, chemicals in the drilling

fluids, and high temperature.
Sealed bearings grease lubricant (much longer life)

pressure surges can cause leak

Journal bearings wear-resistant hard surface on journal

O-ring seal and grease

solid lubricant inside cone journal race

Cutting structure arrangements

the arrangement must provide efficient penetration of

the formation to be drilled with accurate cut gauge. The

gauge of the hole drilled is maintained by the outside
cutters which are also known as gauge cutters. Teeth
are vulnerable to wear and that increases in abrasive
sandstone formations. When the gauge cutters are
worn out, the consequent hole drilled is undergauge.
The cones rotate at the bottom of the hole and drill hole
predominanatly with a grinding and chipping action. The
teeth are pressed onto the formation below the bit and
applies a force exceeding the compressive strength of
the rock

Hydraulic arrangements
they must be designed so as to efficiently remove and

evacuate all cuttings from the bottom hole.

Drill Bit Classification

Drill bits are classified by IADC (International

Association of Drilling Contractor) to identify
similar bit types made from dierent
manufacturers.

Drag bit classification it consists of four digits.

First Digit an alphabet. It defines the type of cutter

and the body material.

D: natural diamond matrix body
M: matrix body PDC
S: steel body PDC
T: matrix body TSP
O: others

 Second Digit numbers 1 to 9 define bit profile. G

denotes gauge height and C denotes cone height.

1: G high, C high
2: G high, C medium
3: G high, C low
4: G medium, C high
5: G medium, C medium
6: G medium, C low
7: G low, C high
8: G low, C medium
9: G low, C low

Third Digit numbers 1 to 9 define hydraulic design.

a: fluid exit (changeable jets, fixed ports, open throat)
b: cutter distribution (bladed, ribbed, open-faced)

 1: changeable jets, bladed

2: fixed ports, bladed
3: open throat, bladed
4: changeable jets, ribbed
5: fixed ports, ribbed
6: open throat, ribbed
7: changeable jets, open-faced
8: fixed ports, open-faced
9: open throat, open-faced

Fourth Digit numbers 0 to 9 denote cutter size and

density.
0: impregnated
1: density light, size large
2: density medium, size large
3: density heavy, size large

 4: density light, size medium

5: density medium, size medium
6: density heavy, size medium
7: density light, size small
8: density medium, size small
9: density heavy, size small

Roller bit classification consists of four digits.

First Digit numbers 1, 2, and 3 designate steel-milled

tooth bits and correspond to increasing formation

hardness.
1: soft formation with low UCS and high drillability
2: medium to medium-hard formations with high UCS
3: hard semi-abrasive and abrasive formations

Numbers 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 designate tungsten carbide

insert bits and correspond to increasing formation
hardness.
4: soft formation with low UCS and high drillability
5: soft to medium-hard formations with low UCS
6: medium-hard formations with high UCS
7: hard semi-abrasive and abrasive formations
8: extremely hard and abrasive formations

Second Digit numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 denote a sub-

classification of the formation hardness in each of the

eight classes determined by the first digit. Number 1
depicts softess formation in a series and number 4
depicts hardess formation in a series.

Hardness

UCS (psi)

Formation Types

Ultra soft

<1,000

Gumbo, clay

Very soft

1,000 4,000

Unconsolidated sands, chalk, salt, claystone

Soft

4,000 8,000

Coal, siltstone, schist, sands

Medium

8,000 17,000

Sandstone, slate, shale, limestone, dolomite

Hard

17,000 27,000

Quartzite, basalt, gabbro, limestone, dolomite

Very hard
>27,000
Marble, granite, gneiss
*** UCS = Uniaxial unconfined compressive strength

Third Digit defines the type of bearing and specifies

the presence/absence of gauge protection by tungsten

carbide inserts.
1: standard roller bearing (non-sealed)
2: roller bearing, air cooled
3: roller bearing, gauge protected
4: sealed roller bearing

 5: sealed roller bearing, gauge protected

6: sealed friction bearing
7: sealed friction bearing, gauge protected

Fourth Digit provides in general information about the

bit characteristics.
A: air application, journal bearing bits with air circulation

nozzles
B: special bearing seal, application at high RPM
C: center jet
D: deviation control
E: extended jets
G: extra gauge/body protection
H: horizontal/steering application
J: jet deflection

 L: lug pads, pads very close to gauge diameter

M: motor application, special design for use on downhole

motors
S: standard steel tooth model
T: two-cone bits, sometimes used for deviation control and
penetration rate
W: enhanced cutting structure
X: chisel tooth insert
Y: conical tooth insert
Z: other insert shape

Examples

135M
Soft formation
milled tooth bit;
roller bearings with
gauge protection;
motor application

447X
Soft formation
insert bit; friction
bearings with
gauge protection;
chisel inserts

637Y
Medium-hard insert
bit; friction bearings
with gauge
protection; conical
inserts

Drill Bit Grading

Dull drill bits are graded after runs according to

tooth wear/loss, worn bearings, and gauge wear.

Tooth Wear/Loss the reduction of tooth height.

It reported in the nearest eighth, thus a bit which
teeth are worn out to half of its original height is
4/8 and reported as T-4. Normally, the tooth wear
of a bit is not evenly distributed, some are worn
more than others, some are broken out, BT; some
are chipped (insert bits), CT; some are lost (insert
bits), LT.

BT

BT

LT

CT

Bearing Wear bearing wear in the field is

difficult since the bit would need to be
disassembled for inspection. Often the bearing
wear is reported based on the total bit running
hours. Thus, a bit expected to have a rotation time
of 40 hours but rotated at bottom for 10 hours,
would bearing wear is reported as B-2, i.e.
10 hours
8
40 hours

Gauge Wear when the gauge teeth of a bit are

worn, the drilled hole will be under-gauged which
may lead to damage of the next bit. A ring gauge
is used to measure the wear. The loss of diameter
in inches is reported as the nearest eighth. A bit
which diameter is reduced by 0.5 in. is reported as
G-O-4, (i.e. 0.5 x 8). Letter O is for out-of-gauge
and letter I is for in-gauge.

Lost cone

Cracked cone

Balled-up bit

Washed-out bit