Stinger

Conical diamond element

 Stinger
Applications
■■ Wide variety of formation types and compressive strengths
■■ Rotary, motor and rotary-steerable drive systems and any
BHA configuration
■■ Vertical, build, and lateral drilling

Benefits
■■ Enhances drilling efficiency for greater ROP
■■ Increases bit stability and decreases vibration
■■ Increases bit durability to minimize bit runs
■■ Produces larger cuttings for more accurate formation evaluation

Features
■■ Unique conical shape produces increased point loading to
fracture rock more efficiently
■■ Synthetic, ultrathick diamond material layer increases durability
■■ Center-placed cutting structure enhances rock destruction
■■ Design integrates into a wide range of PDC bit sizes and types

1
Beyond shear
performance
The Stinger* conical diamond element
provides an innovative cutting structure
enhancement that significantly increases
a PDC bit’s performance. Located at the
bit’s center, the element enables high-point
loading to fracture rock more efficiently
for increased durability and ROP across
a wide range of formations and operating
parameters. When compared with standard
PDC bits in durability tests, PDC bits with
a Stinger element demonstrated improved
resistance to wear and impact. In field tests comparing conventional
PDC bits and PDC bits fitted with a
Stinger element across a wide range of
rock types and operating parameters, bits
with a Stinger element demonstrated
greater durability and stability while
increasing ROP as much as 46%.

2
3
Technology answers drillbit performance challenges
RESULTS
EVALUATION
SIMULATION
DEVELOPMENT
CHALLENGE

PDC bits with

Undertake modeling
with IDEAS* integrated
Enhance cutting
drillbit design platform:
Stinger element vs.
Conduct extensive conventional PDC bits:
laboratory testing: ■■ Increased ROP as
■■ Measure increased much as 46%
stability and Improved cutting
■■

structure at bit’s center: borehole quality structure durability

Improve PDC bit ■■ tinger element’s
S
Innovative conical
■■ Chart enhanced rock Minimized bit runs
performance:
■■
center placement ■■

cutting element removal

increases lateral
■■ Fail rock more Analyze larger
■■ Ultrathick synthetic stability ■■

efficiently at bit’s cuttings

diamond layer ROP improvements
center ■■

■■ PDC bit cutting through increased

■■ Eliminate cored out
structure rock failing efficiency
dull condition to
adaptability
extend bit life
■■ Drill efficiently in
a wide range of
formations
 Borehole center challenges conventional PDC bits
Cutter force and velocity plot for conventional 8.75-in, 6-blade PDC with 16-mm cutters A common challenge to conventional PDC bits
1 1 is that they are inefficient at removing rock
from the center of the borehole. Because the
0.9 Highest-load cutters 0.9
rotational velocity of cutters decreases with
0.8 0.8 their proximity to the center of the cutting
structure, rock removal by the center-most
0.7 0.7
cutters is much less efficient, especially in

Normalized cutter velocity

Normalized cutter force

0.6
Relative cutter force
0.6 hard formations.

0.5 0.5 Because the center cutters bear the highest

load, operational and formation changes
0.4 0.4
can cause large variations in depth of cut,
Relative cutter velocity
0.3 0.3 inducing bit torque fluctuations. This results
in decreased drilling efficiency at the center
0.2 0.2 of the bit’s cutting structure, which can cause
0.1 0.1
low rates of penetration, destructive lateral
vibrations, and cutter damage.
0 0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5

Distance from bit center, in

Plot shows typical forces and cutter velocity, from the bit center to the gauge. The center-most cutters
experience the highest loads and have the lowest rotational velocity, subjecting them to more stress and
making them less efficient.

5 CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

Center-placed element increases PDC efficiency
To decrease damage and increase
performance at the center of a PDC bit’s
cutting structure, bit design engineers
conceived a center-placed conical
diamond element.

To position the element in the bit, engineers

removed the center cutters. The absence
of these cutters allows a stress-relieved
column of rock to develop while drilling,
which continuously fractures and crushes,
thereby improving drilling efficiency.

With conventional PDC bits, cutters extend from the Removal of the PDC bit’s centermost cutters was
center of the bit’s cutting structure to the gauge. required to accommodate a center-placed conical
diamond element.

CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

6
Conical diamond element advances rock destruction

Stinger Element PDC Cutter Diamond Enhanced Insert

The Stinger element produces a crushing Positioned on bit blades, the higher velocity The diamond enhanced inserts (DEI) are used
action as opposed to the action of traditional PDC cutters are optimized to effectively on the gauge and heel row of roller cone bits
synthetic diamond cutters and inserts used in shear the formation and ensure bottomhole to ensure gauge hole integrity.
PDC and roller cone bits. cutting efficiency.

7 CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

Proven materials engineered to extend bit durability
The Stinger element has twice the diamond
thickness of conventional PDC cutters and
Stinger element PDC DEI
is manufactured from synthetic diamond
material engineered to provide impact 1.00

strength and superior resistance to abrasive

wear. Combining this capability with the
Stinger element’s unique conical geometry 0.75

Relative scale
results in a cutting element that significantly
increases a PDC bit’s durability.
0.50

0.25

0
Wear resistance Impact strength Diamond thickness

In tests, PDC bits with a Stinger element demonstrated greater wear resistance and impact strength properties
than PDC bits fitted with conventional cutters or rock bits fitted with DEIs. The Stinger element has a synthetic
diamond layer that is significantly thicker than that of a conventional PDC cutter or DEI.

CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

8
IDEAS design platform optimizes element’s placement
To ensure that the Stinger element’s
incorporation into a PDC bit would maximize
drilling efficiency, engineers used IDEAS
integrated drillbit design platform to improve
a PDC’s cutting structure in two major ways:
They shortened the blades that held the PDC
bit’s low-velocity center cutters and placed
the Stinger element at the center of the PDC
bit’s cutting structure.

To measure the effectiveness of adding a

Stinger element to a reconfigured PDC bit’s
cutting structure, IDEAS platform simulated
drilling was conducted in shale, limestone,
and sandstone. In these tests, PDC bits
with a Stinger element demonstrated ROP
increases of as much as 18%.

By reconfiguring the bit with the Stinger element, a column of rock is allowed to form at the center of the
cutting structure, which is continuously fractured and crushed, increasing drilling efficiency.

9 CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

Advanced modeling tools enable cutting structure optimization
FEA modeling
Using finite element analysis (FEA) modeling
software, engineers analyzed the precise
point at which the Stinger element tip indents
a rock’s stress field.
The analysis showed that significantly less
applied load is required to fracture rock, if the
load is concentrated at a single point.
FEA modeling software was used to study fracturing
mechanics at the point the Stinger element tip
indents the rock.
CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT
The effect of this single-point loading
is compounded with a Stinger element
because the column of rock that the bit
allows to develop is isolated and thereby
unconstrained, making it easier to destroy.
This effect has also proven to increase
stability and reduce vibration.
Precise nozzle placement for cleaning
Placing the Stinger element in the center of
the cutting structure makes it essential that
nozzle orientation and the resulting flow field
are optimized. This will ensure the Stinger
element is efficiently cleaned and cooled.
A detailed hydraulic analysis was undertaken
using advanced computational fluid dynamic Optimized nozzle placement showing cross flow
(CFD) software to accurately simulate the pathlines and higher fluid velocity for enhanced
flow around the Stinger element. In the cleaning and cuttings removal.
course of each new bit development, nozzle
positions are adjusted and finely tuned to
maximize cleaning of the Stinger element and
the bottom hole around the bit’s center.
SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS
10
Bottomhole evaluation confirms increased rock failing efficiency
In a controlled test, a standard PDC bit
and a PDC bit with a Stinger element were
subjected to downhole confining pressures
and evaluated to identify the bottomhole
profile of each.

The bit with the Stinger element produced

a highly developed rock column at the very
center of the bit that mirrored its cutting
structure. The rock column clearly showed
evidence that it was being fractured,
confirming that the conical diamond element
was crushing the rock into larger-than-
normal fragments.

Bottomhole profile generated by conventional PDC bit Bottomhole profile generated by PDC bit with
in the test (above) and IDEAS simulation (below). Stinger element in the test (above) and IDEAS
simulation (below).

11 CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

Increased geological evaluation accuracy
PDC bits with conventional cutting structures
drill by scraping and shearing rock, which
produces cuttings that are often too small for
accurate formation evaluation.

A PDC bit with a Stinger element delivers

a crushing action, causing much larger
cuttings to splinter from the rock column that
is created. The resulting larger fragments
enable wellsite geologists to determine
more accurate rock properties for reservoir
characterization and wellbore placement.

0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3
cm cm
0 1 0 1
in in

When cuttings collected from a drilling simulator were compared, those generated by a conventional PDC bit
were smaller (left) than those produced by a PDC bit with a Stinger element (right).

CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

12
Greater stability for improved borehole quality
0 0
A test was conducted to compare borehole
quality produced by a conventional PDC bit
versus that of a PDC with a Stinger element
when changes are introduced to weight on bit.
0.5 0.5
The test was run in hard-medium grained
sandstone with a unconfined compressive
strength (UCS) of 9,000 psi. Bit revolution was
1.0 1.0
maintained at a constant 85 RPM on both bits
to control variance. The borehole drilled by
the PDC bit with a Stinger element showed

Depth, ft
Depth, ft
the least amount of hole diameter variance, 1.5 1.5
which is reflective of a more stable cutting
structure design that is less vulnerable to
lateral and torsional shocks and vibrations.
2.0 2.0
The stability demonstrated by bits with a
Stinger element is a positive dynamic, which
improves borehole quality and reduces
stress on drillstring components, increasing 2.5 2.5
BHA reliability.
PDC bit with Stinger element
Conventional PDC bit
3.0 3.0
0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 0 4,000 8,000 12,000

Hole-diameter variance, in Weight on bit, lbf

13 CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

14
Case Studies

SHARC Bit with Stinger Element Increases ROP 46% in

North Dakota’s Bakken Field

Hard formations challenge bit Stinger element significantly advances

durability and ROP
To increase ROP and reduce the number
of bits used by operators drilling 8¾-in
vertical sections in the hard, abrasive, and
interbedded formations of North Dakota’s
Bakken basin, Smith Bits added a Stinger
element to a standard SHARC* PDC bit,
creating the MDSiZ616.
drilling performance
SHARC PDC bits were fitted with 16-mm
cutters and a Stinger element; the bits were
run on a directional BHA and drilled 8¾-in
vertical sections of between 6,209 and 6,477 ft
in single trips. Bits attained an average ROP
of 168 ft/h that included a record run with an
average ROP of 203 ft/h. When compared
with the next best average ROP reported by
other bits in offset wells, the SHARC bits with
a Stinger element increased overall average
ROP 46%.

15 CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

 MDSi616, Company A, Company B, MDSiZ616, MDSiZ616,
average average average average record run
0 250

1,000 225
203
2,000 200 When compared with
the next best average
3,000 168 175 ROP of 115 ft/h by
other bits, the SHARC
PDC bits with a
4,000 150 Stinger element drilled

ROP, ft/h
North Dakota’s Bakken
Depth, ft

5,000 115 125 basin at an average

97 ROP of 168 ft/h that
6,000 87 100 included a record run
with an average ROP
6,301 6,318 6,301
7,000 6,583 6,669 75 of 203 ft/hr, which is
an overall increase in
8,000 50 average ROP of 46%.

9,000 25

10,000 0

Smith Bits baseline bit SHARC bit with a Stinger element Other bits ROP, ft/h

CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

16
Case Studies

PDC Bit with Stinger Element Increases ROP 14% in

Utah’s Wasatch Formation

Challenging application Stinger element enhanced PDC

demands durability delivers increased durability and ROP
The lithology associated with applications in The PDC bit with a Stinger element drilled
northern Utah’s Wasatch formation consists 6,050 ft of the 77⁄8-in wellbore to TD in one trip.
of difficult interbedded sand and shale with The bit was pulled in excellent dull condition:
UCS that ranges from 2,000 to 30,000 psi. 1-2-BT-C-X-IN-WT-TD. When compared
For this application, a 77⁄8-in, MiZ616 PDC bit with four bits that reported the highest ROP
with a Stinger element was selected. The averages in offset wells, the PDC bit with a
assembly was run on a directional BHA using Stinger element increased ROP 14%.
a positive displacement motor (PDM) with
a 1.5° bend angle with the following goals:
Increase ROP, improve cutting structure
durability in high weight-on-bit applications
(30,000 to 50,000 lbf), and reach section TD in
one run.

17 CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

 MDSi616 Mi616 Mi616 Company A Average MiZ616
0 180

1,000
141 150
135 134 When compared with bits that had
the best average ROP in four offset
2,000 wells, the PDC with the Stinger element
120 delivered a 14% greater ROP with
124 increased footage.
3,000 117

ROP, ft/h
109
Depth, ft

90
3,792
4,000
4,402
4,770 60
5,000 5,109

5,778
6,000 6,050 30

7,000 0

Case study bit Smith Bits without Stinger element Other bits ROP, ft/h

CHALLENGE DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION EVALUATION RESULTS

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Reference
Nomenclature
A PDC bit equipped with the central Stinger
conical diamond element is identified by the
letter ‘Z’ in the bit type, directly before the
blade count and cutter size.
Dull grading Stinger element dull grade examples
The unique conical geometry of the Stinger
element requires a modified dull grading
system, in order to measure the amount of
damage observed (lost, worn, or broken). The
wear rating scale (0 to 8) is the same, as used
for standard PDC cutters.

0 (0% wear)

4 (50% wear)

8 (100% wear)

Examples
■■ MDSiZ616
■■ SDiZ513
■■ MiZ613
A wear card for field use is available
from Smith Bits to accurately measure Stinger element with 0 rating (0%) wear; no signs of
wear of the central Stinger element. wear or chipping.

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20
Stinger
Find out more about the Stinger conical diamond element at
www.slb.com/Stinger.

Animation ONYX II
See the advanced rock destruction efficiency the Stinger PDC cutters with greater
element gives a PDC bit. wear resistance and
durability to maximize ROP
Case Studies www.slb.com/ONYXII
■■ SHARC PDC bits with a Stinger element drilled 8¾-in vertical
sections in North Dakota’s Bakken basin in single trips, IDEAS
which included a record run with an average ROP of 203 Integrated drillbit
ft/h. This surpassed the average ROP reported by other bits design platform
in offset wells by 46%. www.slb.com/IDEAS
■■ A PDC bit with a Stinger element drilled a 6,050-ft, 77⁄8-in
wellbore through Utah’s Wasatch formation in one trip with
a 14% higher ROP and was in excellent dull condition.

www.slb.com/Stinger

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