Islamic Azad University

Science And Research Branch

Drilling Department

Drilling bits
Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Herriot-Watt University / chapter 4

Presented by :-
Ali Nahi Al-Hasnawi
Student no. :- 39912340342081
 Introduction
• A drilling bit is the cutting or boring tool which is made up on the end of the
drillstring The bit drills through the rock by scraping, chipping, gouging or grinding
the rock at the bottom of the hole.

• When a section of hole has been drilled and the bit is pulled from the wellbore the
nature and degree of damage to the bit must be carefully recorded. A system,
known as the Dull Bit Grading System, has been devised by the Association of
Drilling Contractors - IADC to facilitate this grading process.

• In addition to selecting a bit, deciding upon the most suitable operating parameters,
and then describing the wear on the bit when it has drilled a section of hole, the
drilling engineer must also be able to relate the performance of the bit to the
performance of other bits which have drilled in similar conditions. The technique
used to compare bits from different wells and operations will also be described
 Types of Drilling Bits
• There are basically three types of drilling bit :-

• Drag Bits.

• Roller Cone Bits.

• Diamond Bits .
•
 Drag bits
The first bits used in rotary drilling, but are no longer in common
use. Because :-
1. The introduction of roller cone bits, which could drill soft
formations more
efficiently
2. If too much WOB was applied, excessive torque led to bit failure or
drill pipe
failure
3. Drag bits tend to drill crooked hole, therefore some means of
controlling
deviation was required
4. Drag bits were limited to drilling through uniformly, soft,
unconsolidated
formations where there were no hard abrasive layers.
 Roller cone bits
•Roller cone bits (or rock bits) are still the most common type
of bit used world
wide.
•Rock bits are classified as
milled tooth bits or insert bits depending on the cutting
surface on the cones.

Advantages :-
1.Improved cleaning action by using jet nozzles
2.Using tungsten carbide for hardfacing and gauge protection
3. Introduction of sealed bearings to prevent the mud causing
premature failure
due to abrasion and corrosion of the bearings.
 Diamond bits
Its divided into :-
1- Natural Diamond Bit :

• The diamond bit is really a type of drag bit since it has no

moving cones and operates as a single unit and
• The cutting action of a diamond bit is achieved by
scraping away the rock.
• Despite its high wear resistance diamond is sensitive to
shock and vibration and therefore great care must be
taken when running a diamond bit.
• The major disadvantage of diamond bits is their cost.
 Diamond bits
2- PDC Bits :
• A new generation of diamond bits known as polycrystalline
diamond compact (PDC) bits were introduced in the 1980’s.

• These bits have the same

advantages and disadvantages as natural diamond bits but
use small discs of
synthetic diamond to provide the scraping cutting surface.

• They have been particularly successful (long bit runs and

high ROP) when run in combination with turbodrills and oil
based mud.
 Diamond bits

3- TSP bits
• A further development of the PDC bit concept was
the introduction in the later
1980’s of Thermally Stable Polycrystalline (TSP)
diamond bits. These bits
are manufactured in a similar fashion to PDC bits
but are tolerant of much higher
temperatures than PDC bits.
 Bit design
1- Roller cone bit design :-The design of roller cone bits
can be described in terms of the four principle
elements .

A. Bearing assemblies.
B. Cones.
C. Cutting elements.
D. Fluid circulation .
 Bearing assemblies
• There are three types of bearings used in
these bits: -

• Roller bearings .
• Ball bearings.
• A friction bearing.
Bearing assemblies
 Cone design
• All three cones have the same shape except that the No. 1 cone has a spear point.
• One of the basic factors to be decided, in the design of the cones, is the journal or
pin angle .
• One important factor which affects journal angle is the degree of meshing or
interfit (i.e. the distance that the crests of the teeth of one cone extend into the
grooves of the other). The amount of interfit affects several aspects of bit design
(cont.) .
 Cone design
• It allows increased space for tooth depth, more space for bearings and greater
cone thickness
• It allows mechanical cleaning of the grooves, thus helping to prevent bit
balling
• It provides space for one cone to extend across the centre of the hole to
prevent
coring effects
• It helps the cutting action of the cones by increasing cone slippage.

In some formations, it is advantageous to design the cones and their

configuration so that they do not rotate evenly but that they slip during rotation.
This Cone slippage,
 Cutting structure
• Soft formation bits require deep penetration into the rock so the
teeth are long, thin
and widely spaced to prevent bit balling.
• Moderately hard formation bits are required to withstand heavier
loads so tooth
height is decreased, and tooth width increased .
• Hard formation bits rely on a chipping action and not on tooth
penetration to
drill, so the teeth are short and stubbier than those used for softer
formations.
 Fluid circulation
• The original design for rock bits only allowed the
drilling mud to be ejected from the middle of the
bit .

• The fluid is now generally ejected through three

jet nozzles around the outside of the bit body .
• Jet nozzles are small rings of tungsten carbide
and are available in many sizes. The outside
diameter of the ring is standard so that the
nozzle can fit into any bit size.
 2- PDC Bit Design
• The five major components of PDC bit design are :-
• Cutting Material.
• Bit Body Material.
• Cutter Rake.
• Bit Profile.
• Cutter Density.
• Cutter Exposure.
• Fluid Circulation .
 Cutting Material
The materials used to manufacture the cutting surface are :-
1. PCD (Polycrystalline Diamond) :- is formed in a two stage high temperature,
high pressure process.
• If one requires a composite compact in which PCD is bonded chemically to a
tungsten carbide substrate .
• The cutters can be manufactured as disc shaped cutters or as stud cutters
 Cutting Material
• 2-