Basic Drilling Equipment

Objectives
At the end of this training session you should be able to:
• List 4 different types of drill bits
• Become familiar with the basic drilling equipment
 Major Drill Bit Types
Insert
PDC Fixed
Cutter

Tooth

Diamond
Roller & Impreg
Cone
 Bit Selection - Tooth Bits

Advantages
• Fast ROP
• Good Stability
• Economic

Disadvantages
• Tooth Wear Rate
• Bearing Life
• Junk-in-Hole Risk

4
 Bit Selection - Insert Bits

Advantages
• Cutting Structure Durability
• Range of Formations
• Interbed Tolerance
• Steerability and Stability

Disadvantages
• Slower ROP
• Bearing Life
• Junk-in-Hole Risk

5
 Bit Selection - PDC Bits

Advantages
• Very Fast ROP
• Long Life Potential

Disadvantages
• Impact Damage
• Abrasiveness
• Stability

6
 Bit Selection
Impreg & Natural Diamond Bits

Advantages
• Very Durable
• Hard Rock Capability
• Low Junk-in-Hole Risk
Disadvantages
• Slower ROP
• RPM Sensitivity
• High Cost Applications
 The Drill String
Rock is removed from the bottom of the hole hydraulically and
is carried to surface in a fluid, depending on conditions one of
these fluids will be used:
• Water
• Air or Natural Gas
• Oil
• A chemically composed, fit for purpose, drilling fluid
– Mud
– Drill in completion fluid
 The Drill String

For the Drill String to facilitate these requirements it must

have the following properties:
• The ability to carry a fluid, under pressure, without leaking
• The ability to transmit torque
• The ability to handle tensile loads
• The capacity to handle these simultaneously
• The ability, for some components, to handle pressure and
torque while in compression
 The Drill String
A connection is required to join Drill String components:

• Simple & Reliable

• Rapid make / break

This connection needs also to have similar attributes to the

component to which it belongs.
 The Drill String
The drill string is commonly considered in two parts:

• The Bottom Hole Assembly or BHA

• The Drill Pipe
 Why do we need a BHA?
The traditional BHA was derived for drilling vertical and low
inclination wells. It provided the following features.
1. Weight
– Provision for required WOB
2. Stiffness
– To provide stability
– To run in compression
– To facilitate directional control
 BHA - Weight
Weight Requirement:

• WOB for Drilling

• Weight available for directional requirements

 Weight - DC

The Drill Collar is the component that is

most commonly used to provide weight
in the BHA. They are available as:

• Slick Collars
– Basic Collar
– MWD or NMDC

• Spiral Drill Collar

 Weight - DC
Drill Collars and other BHA components, for the hole sizes
stated, typically come in the following sizes:
 Weight - HWDP

Hevi-wate Drill Pipe also belongs in the BHA

as it is designed for its weight characteristics
but also to handle like Drill Pipe.

• Hevi-Wate

• Spiral Hevi-Wate

Hevi-wate Drill Pipe is usually selected to be

the same nominal size as the Drill Pipe in use
 BHA - Stabilizers
Stabilizers are available in several type:
• Integral Blade
• Sleeve and Mandrel
• Welded Blade
• Clamp-On
All Stabilizers can have either straight blades or spiral blades
Stabilizers are String(box / pin) or Near Bit (box / box) types
 Stabilizers – Integral Blade
• Integral Blade (IB) Stabilizers are cast or
forged from a single piece of steel. The
Tungsten
blades are then milled into the billet and Carbide
covered in Tungsten Carbide inserts to inserts
provide wear resistance.
• Depending on their application the width
and pitch of the blades may differ.
• They are the most rugged and reliable of
the stabilizer types.
 Stabilizers – Sleeve type
• Sleeve & Mandrel or Sleeve Stabilizers
are the least beneficial of all stabilizers
available.
• The low height of the blades due to the
large ID and the Short length of the
sleeve mean that this stabilizer has poor
flow and poor weight distribution
characteristics. In addition it is possible
for the sleeve to unscrew down hole.
 Stabilizers – Welded Blade
• Welded Blade Stabilizers are
commonly found in the larger hole
sizes and are made purely because
they are much cheaper to
manufacture than those with
integral blades.
• In vertical holes they are often
adequate to requirements.
 Stabilizers – Clamp On
• After making their entry in earlier years as the
most versatile stabilizers (Could be fixed
virtually anywhere on the drill collar) allowing
the most customization of the Directional
Drilling Assembly.
• Today they are only found on specialized tools
where assembly fail-safe are in place to reduce
the risk of failure.
 Stabilizers - The role
The role a Stabilizer plays:

• Removes ledges
• Smoothes the wall
• Limits lateral lotion of lools
• Acts as a fulcrum
 BHA – Roller Reamers
Roller Reamers:

• Substitute for Stabilizers

• Moving Parts
• Life of parts usually less than Bit
• Small contact area compared to Stabilizer
 BHA - NBS & BS
• When a Near Bit Stabilizer (NBS) is not
required then a Bit Sub (BS) is used for
connecting the bit to the first Drill Collar.
• It can contain one of the following:

– Float Valve
– Survey Baffle / Totco Ring

• Near Bit Stabilizers can also be ordered

bored to accommodate these tools
 BHA – Other Components
Other tools that also are commonly found in the BHA include:
• UBHO Subs
• Pony / Short Drill Collars
• LWD Tools
• Jars
• Circulation Subs
• Hole Openers
 BHA - UBHO
The Universal Bottom Hole Orientation
(UBHO) Sub is used to allow the alignment
of retrievable survey tools with the Tool Face.

Holes to accept the Allen Screws for orientation

A view of the Key Sleeve that sits inside

The key shown inside the sleeve

 BHA – Pony Collars
• Pony Drill Collars or Short Drill Collars are used to control
the spacing between tools.
• They are most commonly used in Bit to Stabilizer and
Stabilizer to Stabilizer spacing. Typical lengths to provide
the required stiffness are:

Collar Size Max Length Collar Size Max Length

9" - 9 1/2" < 20' 6" - 6 3/4" < 12'
7 3/4" - 8 1/4" < 15' 4 3/4" < 8'
 BHA – Jars
Drilling jars is used in the jarring
operations with the purpose to un-stuck
the drilling assembly
 BHA – Circulation Subs

http://www.natoil.com/Products/We
bCat/search.aspx?
q=circulation+sub

Single & Dual Ball

Check Valve
 BHA – Hole Openers
Hole Openers are used to increase the
size of a hole to a larger size.
They range from very small sizes to in
excess of 36”.
 The Drill String
In addition to the BHA which provides the weight for
drilling we also need Drill Pipe that will connect the BHA
to the Top Drive or Kelly and to provide the length to drill
wells.
Drill Pipe is selected according to its properties:
• Tensile Capacity
• Torsional Capacity
• Resistance to H2S
 The Drill String
Three grades of Drill Pipe are commonly found:
• S 135
– 135,000 psi tensile yield
• G 105
– 105,000 psi tensile yield
• E 75
– 75,000 psi tensile yield
 Torsional Failures
• Torsional stress limit is
exceeded.

• Failures occur in form of

stretched pin or belled box.

• Torsional failures usually

occur in the tool joint.
 Combination of Tension/Torsion
Failures
• These failures are most likely to happen while fishing or
pulling on stuck pipe.
 The Connection
Threaded connections are used to join the tubular and all
except specialist fishing strings have a right hand thread.

• For Collars we simply call it a “Connection”

• For Drill Pipe it is called a “Tool Joint”
Making a Connection at
the Rig site
Applying Dope
Stabbing
Tong Placement
Ready to Torque
Joint Torque
 Line Pull

Line Pull Gauge

Load Cell
Iron Roughneck
 Objectives Review
At the end of this training session you should be able to:
• List 4 different types of drill bits
• Become familiar with the basic drilling equipment