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Drill Bit
Drill bit selection and technology

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About Drilling bit

Drill Bit

A drilling bit is used in petroleum exploration to drill a wellbore through various layers of
rock formations to access oil or natural gas resources. It is engineered to penetrate the
subsurface rock formations and to do so quickly and for as long as possible.

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Drill Bit Types

A drilling bit is used in petroleum exploration to drill a wellbore through various layers of rock
formations to access oil or natural gas resources. It is engineered to penetrate the subsurface
rock formations and to do so quickly and for as long as possible.

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Drill Bit Types

✓Roller Cone Bits Drill Bits

Mill Tooth Bits
TCI Insert Bits
Fixed Roller
✓Fixed Cutter Bits Cutter Cone

PDC Bits
Natural Diamond Bits and Impregnated Bits Mill
PDC Diamond Insert
Tooth
Hybrid (TSP/IMPREG)
Eccentric Bits (bi-center)

Natural Impregnated Roller Journal

TSP Diamond Bearing Bearing
Diamond

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1. Roller Cone Bits

• A roller-cone bit is a drill bit used for drilling through rock, for example when drilling for oil
and gas.
• Three rotating cones, assembled with either inserted or milled teeth,
• Crush and grind the rock underneath it.

Insert tooth milled tooth

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1. Roller Cone Bits

Tungsten carbide insert (TCI)

40% of applications

Steel Tooth (MT)

10% of applications

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1. Roller Cone Bits

Pitch Break Number 1 Cone

Gage Row Insert

Inner Row
Chisel Crest Insert

Inner Rows
Intermesh Area
or Groove

Number 3 Cone Number 2 Cone

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1. Roller Cone Bits

◉ Milled Tooth
• less expensive than insert type.
• Allows more bearing room, no holes needed for inserts.
• faster ROP in soft and plastic formations due to optimal tooth
design for gouging/scraping.
• better suited for cleaning metal/debris and reaming operations.

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1. Roller Cone Bits

◉ Milled Tooth
Advantages
▪ Fast ROP
▪ Good Stability
▪ Economic

Considerations
▪ Tooth Wear Rate
▪ Bearing Life

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1. Roller Cone Bits

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1. Roller Cone Bits

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1. Roller Cone Bits

• Very Soft

• Soft

• Medium-Soft

• Medium
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1. Roller Cone Bits

◉ Insert Bits
• Insert bits also more expensive but
typically have longer interval runs
• Harder formations and more wear
resistant

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1. Roller Cone Bits

◉ Insert Bits
Advantages
▪ Cutting Structure Durability
▪ Range of Formations
▪ Interbed Tolerance
▪ Steerability and Stability

Considerations
▪ Slower ROP
▪ Bearing Life

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1. Roller Cone Bits

Insert Bit Cutting Structures.

• Tungsten Carbide Inserts

Very Soft Soft Medium-Soft
77/8” Bits

Medium-Hard Hard Very Hard

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1. Roller Cone Bits

Insert Bit Cutting Structures

• Rock hardness is one of the determining

factors taken into account when
selecting an appropriate drill bit.
• The cutting structure of the bits varies
according to the rock formation.
• Softer formations are drilled with a
roller-cone bit with widely spaced, long
protruding teeth.
• Harder formations are drilled with
closer-spaced and shorter-toothed bits.

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1. Roller Cone Bits • Tungsten Carbide Inserts

Insert Bit Cutting Structures

Soft

Medium
to Hard

Soft Hard
to Medium

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

• A drilling tool that uses polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutters to shear rock with a
continuous scraping motion.
• These cutters are synthetic diamond or natural diamond

PDC NATURAL DIAMOND

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

◉ polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC)
• Cutting by scraping
• PDC, 40% applications.
• Use a small discs of synthetic diamond
• Most widely used in industry

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

◉ PDC

Advantages
• Very Fast ROP
• Long Life Potential

Considerations
• Impact Damage
• Abrasiveness
• Stability

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

PDC Cutter

Blade Junk Slot

Waterway

Interchangeable
Nozzle

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

Cone
Nose
Face Cutter
Shoulder

Gauge Cutter

Gauge Pad
Gauge Insert

Back reaming
Cutter
Shank

API Pin
Shank Bore Connection
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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

• Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC)

• A manufactured synthetic diamond bonded to a
tungsten carbide substrate

o
45 edge chamfer
to increase edge Up to 3 mm thick
Toughness of PDC Diamond Table

Tungsten Carbide Cylinder 8 – 25 mm OD

Substrate

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

◉ Natural diamond
• Natural diamond <2%.
• TSP, thermally stable polycrystalline <2%.
• Cut by grinding
• Drill a hard rock and longer section
• Diamond are bonded on surface of material
• Sensitive to vibrations and chocks
• Cost 10 times more expensive
• Slow ROP than Roller cone
• Last longer without wear

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

◉ Natural diamond

Advantages
• Very Durable
• Hard Rock Capability
• Low Junk-in-Hole Risk
Considerations
• Slower ROP
• RPM Sensitivity
• High Cost Applications

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

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2. Fixed Cutter Bits

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The Bit Selection Process

Offset Data
Objectives

Geology

Limitations Other

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Geology - Lithological Analysis

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The Bit Selection Process

◉ IADC
Rock Classification
failur modes
The IADC classification system, developed by the International Association
of Drilling Contractors has been the representative voice of drillers
worldwide since 1940.

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IADC chart

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Rock failure modes

SHEARING CRUSHING

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Bottom Hole Profile

PDC ROLLER CONE

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Roller Cone Mechanics

• Roller Cone Bits drill by crushing and / or gouging the rock
• Rock requires high energy WOB to fracture the rock with
compressive loading

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PDC Mechanics
• PDC Bits drill by shearing the rock
• Rocks typically fracture more easily with shear loading (less energy, WOB)
• Most efficient cutting action

Polycrystalline
Diamond
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Compact
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Natural Diamond Mechanics

• Natural Diamond Bits drill by ploughing and grinding the rock
• Normally require higher RPM for better performance (e.g. high speed
motor or turbine)

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Bit Cost Ranges

Drill Bit Category Range of Costs ($ USD)

Steel tooth 5,000 – 15,000
Tungsten Carbide Insert 7,000 – 30,000
PDC, Diamond, TSP 40,000 – 80,000
Impreg w/turbine sleeve +100,000 > 12-1/4” bit
Reamers 40,000 – 100,000

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