ROTARY DRILLING BITS
(a) Two-blade design. (b)Three-blade design
Fig. 5.1—Example steel cutter drag bits dressed with tungsten carbide.
courses must be sized small enough so that some of the
fluid is forced to flow between the matrix and the hole
bottom, thereby cleaning and cooling the diamonds.
An important design feature of a diamond bit (Figs.
5.4A through 5.4C) is its shape or crown profile (Fig.
5.4C). A bit with a long taper assists in drilling a straight
hole and allows the use of higher bit weights. On the
other hand, a short taper is easier to clean because the
available hydraulic energy can be concentrated over less
surface area. A more concave bit face can be used in
directional drilling applications to assist in increasing the
angle of deviation of the borehole from vertical.
The size and number of diamonds used in a diamond
bit depends on the hardness of the formation to be
drilled. Bits for hard formations have many small (0.07-
to 0.125-carat) stones, while bits for soft formations
have a few large (0.75- to 2-carat) stones. Examples of
diamond bits for both hard and soft formations are shown
in Figs. 5.2A and 5.2B. If the diamonds used are too
large for almost complete embedment in the formation,
the unit loading on the diamond points will be excessive,
resulting in localized heat generation and polishing of the
cutting edge of the stones.
Courtesy of Norton Christensen
(a) Soft formation design.
Fig. 5.2—Example diamond cutter drag bits.
191
(c) Four-blade design.
The design of the water-course pattern cut in the face
of the bit and the junk slots cut in the side of the bit face
controls cuttings removal and diamond cooling (Fig.
5.4A). Diamond bits are designed to be operated at a
given flow rate and pressure drop across the face of the
bit. Experiments conducted by bit manufacturers have
indicated the need for approximately 2.0 to 2.5 hhp/sq
in. of hole bottom with an approximate 500- to I,000-psi
pressure drop across the face of the bit to clean and cool
the diamond adequately. The pressure drop across the
face of the bit at a given flow rate can be established as
the difference between the pump pressure measured with
the bit off bottom and the pump pressure measured while
drilling. The bit manufacturer usually will provide an
estimate of the approximate circulating rate required to
establish the needed pressure drop across the bit face.
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 blank as a bit cutter ele-
ment. The drill blanks consist of a layer of synthetic
(b) Hard formation design.
192 APPLIED DRILLING ENGINEERING

(a) (b)
Courtesy of Norton Christensen

Fig. 5.3—Example polycrystalline diamond cutter bits.

polycrystalline diamond about 1/64-in. thick that is bond- accomplished in sandstone, siltstone, and shale,
ed to a cemented tungsten carbide substrate in a high- although bit balling is a serious problem in very soft,
pressure/high-temperature process. It contains many gummy formations, and rapid cutter abrasion and
small diamond crystals bonded together. The cleavage breakage are serious problems in hard, abrasive forma-
planes of the diamond crystals have a random orientation tions. As in the case of the older, steel cutter drag bits,
that prevents any shock-induced breakage of an in- bit hydraulics can play an important role in reducing bit
dividual diamond crystal from easily propagating balling.
through the entire cutter. As shown in Fig. 5.3, the The bit shape or crown profile is also an important
sintered polycrystalline diamond compact is bonded design feature of PCD bits. In addition to the double-
either to a tungsten carbide bit-body matrix or to a cone profiles (Fig. 5.4C) used for diamond bits, single-
tungsten carbide stud that is mounted in a steel bit body. cone profiles of various tapers and flat-bottom profiles
The PCD bits are still evolving rapidly. They perform are used for PCD bits. The hydraulic cleaning action is
best in soft, firm, and medium-hard, nonabrasive forma- usually achieved primarily by using jets for steel-body
tions that are not "gummy." Good results have been PCD bits and by using water courses for matrix-body
reported with PCD bits in drilling uniform sections of PCD bits.
carbonates or evaporites that are not broken up with hard Other important design features of a PCD bit include
shale stringers. Successful use of these bits also has been the size, shape, and number of cutters used and the angle
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