GT Drilling Bits 6aug Final

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY
TRAINING DEPARTMENT, DEHRADUN

DRILLING BITS
History of Drilling Bits
The first roller cone, or rock, bit came into use in 1909. Before that, drag bits were
the only bits available. A drag bit is just two, three, or four steel blades attached to a
shank. These bits were called fishtail bits also because the blades looked like the tail of
a fish. Fishtail bits worked well in soft formations but not so well in hard rock. As a
result, the rock bit steadily gained acceptance for use primarily in hard-formation
areas.
Early roller cone bits had only two cones, which did not mesh, so they readily
balled up in soft shales. A bit balls up when cuttings mix with the drilling fluid and
form a sticky mass on the bottom of the bit. This mass packs into the spaces between
the teeth. In effect, balling up makes the cutting edges on the ends of the teeth so short
that they hardly penetrate into the formation. A balled-up bit thus has a slow rate of
penetration.
In the first bits, the watercourses were drilled through the bit so that drilling fluid
can get out. But the watercourses eroded quickly. With the watercourses washed out,
the fluid could not clean the bit's cutters. Abrasive material such as sand in the fluid
was the main culprit. Manufacturers solved the erosion problem by fitting a
replaceable washpipe inside the watercourses. A washpipe is a short pipe with a very
hard inside coating that resists erosion.
The three-cone rock bit appeared during the 193Os. It featured open or non-sealed
bearings lubricated by the drilling fluid and different types of teeth for different
formations. These bits appear outwardly to be quite similar to those available today.

Roller Cone Bits
Two types of roller cone bits are available:
Steel-tooth or milled tooth bits and tungsten carbide inserts or button bits.

Steel-tooth or Milled-tooth Bits
Teeth are milled or cut out of the cone body after the cone is cast. Some
manufacturers forge the teeth from the cone. Forging uses a heavy-duty press to
compress the cone metal and form the teeth: no cutting, or milling is involved.
Tungsten Carbide Inserts Bits
Tungsten carbide insert bits (often called insert or button bits) have the tungsten
carbide inserts in the cones. The inserts or buttons are small solid cylinders that have
rounded or softly sharpened ends. The manufacturer presses, or inserts, the buttons
into holes drilled in the cone. Both teeth and inserts are called cutters.
Tungsten carbide is a gray metal powder that manufacturers heat with a special
binder and cast in a mold to make inserts. They blend the binder with the tungsten
carbide powder and place the blend in the mold; they then heat the mixture to melt the
binder, which holds (binds) the powder in place. Manufacturers can also apply
tungsten carbide in layers to steel teeth and other parts of a bit that may contact the
side of the hole. Since tungsten carbide is much harder than steel, it withstands
abrasion better and increases the life of a bit. Applying tungsten carbide to a steeltooth bit does not, however, make it a tungsten carbide insert bit. Only bits with
tungsten carbide inserts, instead of steel teeth, are insert bits.
Insert bits have some advantages over milled-tooth bits. Tungsten carbide wears
very little, so the inserts last longer than steel teeth. Also, the same tungsten carbide
bit can drill many different types of formations, so the driller does not need to change
bits as often.
Disadvantages include the possibility that, as the inserts dig deeply into the rock,
the cones in which the buttons are mounted can hit the formation and transmit impact
shocks to the bearings. These shocks can destroy the bearings and ruin a bit. Another
disadvantage is that abrasive drilling fluid can erode the cones so severely that the
inserts fallout. What is more, tungsten carbide insert bits are much more expensive
than steel-tooth bits and cannot drill as fast as a steel-tooth bit in most soft-to-mediumhard formations.

Roller Cone Bit Manufacture and Design
A bit designer wants heavy-duty bearings for long life, a strong cone that will not
wear away, and cutters sized for a fast rate of penetration. Each feature competes with
the others for the limited space on a bit.
In addition, a roller cone bit designer must choose whether to make the cutters out
of steel or tungsten carbide. Tungsten carbide is harder than steel but more brittle.
Steel is softer than tungsten carbide but more pliable. A brittle material does not break
easily when compressed, even by a great force, but it does break under an impact, or a
sudden blow. In drilling, impacts occur, for instance, when the bit suddenly hits a ledge
of hard rock. This can cause the bit to bounce, producing impact shocks to the cutters.
Cones
Each cone is a hollow part cast in a mold. It has teeth or inserts on the outside, and
the bearing assembly fits inside the hollow and attaches the cone to a leg of the bit.
How thick to make the cone is one of the compromises the designer must make. A
thicker cone is stronger, but it leaves less room for the bearings. The bearings wear an
enormous amount because of the weight on the bit and the speed of rotation. The
designer therefore must make the cone thin enough to allow enough space for heavyduty bearings.
The cones are made of a steel alloy. All steels are iron and carbon with small
amounts of other metals added to improve heat resistance and hardness. Some of the
preferred alloys contain high percentages of nickel and molybdenum. Harder alloys can
also include chromium, silicon, or cobalt.
Bit manufacturers make steel stronger by treating the finished parts of the bit with
heat. This heating process consists of three steps:
1. Carburizing-heating the steel in a carbon-rich atmosphere. In this way the outer
layer absorbs carbon, which forms a tough outer shell.
2. Heating and quenching-immersing the hot carburized steel in a liquid so that
the steel cools quickly. This action causes the carbon atoms to become trapped

between the iron atoms. Heating and quenching make the steel harder but more
brittle.
3. Tempering-reheating to a lower temperature than in step 2. Tempering prevents
cracks from forming due to the stresses that quenching causes. It also restores the
steel's impact strength.
ConesCone
Cone Alignment
When assembling the cones, the manufacturer can either align each cone so that
they do not line up with the center axis of the bit, or align each cone so that they do line
up with the center axis of the bit. Cone alignment is thus either on-centre or off-centre.

On-centre
Off-centre
If the cones have on-center alignment, the cutters rotate around a common centre
as the bit rotates. Rotating around a common center causes the tip of the cutters to
contact the formation straight-on. This straight-on contact, along with weight on the
bit, forces the cutters straight into the rock. The cutters punch into the rock and
fracture it, much like a pointed chisel penetrates and removes rock when struck with a
hammer as shown below. .Just as the hammer's impact forces the chisel to penetrate
the rock, the weight on the bit forces the cutters to penetrate the formation.

Off-centre alignment, called offset, changes the way the cutter tips contact a
formation. Offset cutters do not rotate around a common center as the bit rotates. Offset
causes the cutter
tips to drag, or
scrape, across the
formation. Offset
makes the teeth
act much like a
shovel as shown
below: the teeth scrape across the formation and gouge it out.

The scraping and gouging action caused by offset is best for soft formations
because scraping across soft rocks is the best way to remove soft material.
Bits for medium formations have some cone offset but not as much as those for
soft formations. Medium-formation bits combine scraping, gouging, and penetration of
the formation.
Intermeshing
Intermeshing is the distance that the ends of the cutters of one cone extend into the
spaces of the adjacent cone. Intermeshing mechanically cleans the spaces between the
rows of cutters. Good intermeshing also allows the cones to be larger, since the teeth or
inserts do not meet tip to tip but extend into spaces in the adjacent cone. Larger cones,
in turn, allow longer cutters, thicker cones, and more space for the bearings.
Journal Angle
The journal angle is the angle formed by the centre line of the bearing pin and the
horizontal plane. This angle plays a role in the size of the cones. Each cone must
completely fill the allotted space to intermesh correctly and drill the proper size hole.
So the larger the journal angle, the larger the diameter of the cone (and therefore the
bit) can be

Steel-Tooth Cutters
Steel-tooth bits have long or short teeth, depending on the hardness of the
formation they will drill. Long teeth are for soft formations, short teeth are for hard
formations, and medium-long or medium-short teeth are for medium-soft or mediumhard formations, respectively.
In soft formations, where the tooth scrapes and gouges the formation, long teeth
are desirable because they can remove a lot of formation. Also, long teeth tend not to
break in soft formations. In hard fonnations, on the other hand, where the tooth
punches into the formation, short teeth are desirable because they shatter the rock
without breaking themselves. A long tooth cannot absorb as much impact as a short
tooth without breaking. For medium formations, tooth lengths fall somewhere between
the longest and the shortest.
Manufacturers cover the teeth of some steel-tooth bits with tungsten carbide to
minimize wear in hard, abrasive formations. Such steel-tooth bits are not insert bits,
however. They still have milled teeth instead of inserts as the main cutting structure.
Some steel-tooth bits have self-sharpening teeth. The manufacturer puts tungsten
carbide hardfacing on only one side of the tooth. The side of the tooth without the
hardfacing wears faster than the hardened side, thus enabling the hardened side to hold
a sharp edge.
Tungsten Carbide Inserts

Insert bits have chisel-shaped, cone-shaped, or hemispherical cylinders made of
tungsten carbide. The shape of the inserts determines how hard a formation the bit can
drill. The longer chisel-shaped inserts are good for softer rock, where they scrape and
gouge. Cone-shaped inserts are for medium formations, where they combine scraping
and gouging with penetration. Short hemispherical inserts are good for the hardest
rock, where they penetrate and shatter the formation.

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Bit Gauge
Gauge can refer to the diameter of the hole or to the diameter of the bit used to drill
it. The gauge of the bit is also any part of the bit that contacts the sides of the hole.
The parts of the bit, on both the cones and the flank, that parallel the wall of the
drilled hole are called the gauge areas. The gauge cutters (also called the gauge row or
the heel row) are the outermost row of cutters. These gauge cutters cut the outside edge
of the hole and therefore determine its diameter. Changing the angle of the gauge
cutters on the surface of the cone increases or decreases the diameter of the bit without
changing the size of the cones.
Unlike the rest of the rows, the gauge rows of each cone do not intermesh. To
reduce a bit's balling up, this row may have missing teeth in the pattern to create more
space between the cutters.
The gauge cutters are very important because they determine the size of the hole.
They also take the most stress because they are the part of the bit that first drills the
rock. The gauge area also wears because of abrasion from the drilling fluid and
cuttings. To reinforce these areas, steel-tooth bits have a tungsten carbide coating on
the gauge of the cone or tungsten carbide inserts alongside the gauge teeth. These
inserts relieve the cutters part of the impact load and wear in very hard or abrasive
formations. This helps the gauge cutters to maintain the gauge of the hole.
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Watercourses and Nozzles

The drilling fluid comes down the drill string and out of the bit through either
watercourses or jet nozzles. Watercourses, the older design, are just holes drilled in
the centre of the bit that allow the fluid to-flow out. They direct the fluid onto the
cutters to clean and cool them. Diamond bits have watercourses and no nozzles.
In many cases, however, drilling fluid coming out of watercourses does not
adequately clean the cutters or the bottom of the hole. Hole cleaning or moving
cuttings away from the bit's cutters- is important for good rate of penetration. If the
drilling fluid exiting the bit does not adequately clean the hole, then the bit's cutters
redrill old cuttings and the ROP suffers.
The speed, or velocity, of the mud as it leaves the bit influences how well the
drilling mud cleans the cutters and the bottom of the hole. In bits with watercourses,
the velocity of the mud leaving the bit is relatively slow'--say 30 metres per second. In
some cases, this speed is adequate to clean the hole; in many cases, however, it is not.
Because watercourses often do not effectively clean the bottom of the hole, bit
designers came up with jet nozzles. Jet nozzles on a bit create high-velocity jets of
drilling fluid as the fluid leaves the nozzles. This velocity increase creates turbulence
around the bit, which cleans and cools the cutters and sweeps the cuttings away. Most
modern roller cone bits have three jet nozzles on the side of the bit between the legs.
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The nozzles are made of a special erosion-resistant material to minimize wear from the
fast-moving stream of abrasive drilling mud.
Jet nozzles come in various sizes and are interchangeable. The operator can thus
change the size of the nozzles to match the volume of fluid being pumped and keep the
jet's speed high. IADC measures nozzles in thirty-seconds of an inch or in mm. In the
English system, the IADC recommends using only the first number in the fraction to
indicate nozzle size. For example, a 10 nozzle is 10/32 inch (7.938 mm) in diameter; a
9 nozzle is 9/32 inch (7.144 mm), and so on. With the right combination of fluid
volume and nozzle size, fluid velocities in jet bits may exceed 122 metres per second.
On larger bits, the standard position of the jets puts them several inches (cm) from the
bottom of the hole, so the hydraulic power weakens before the fluid reaches the
cuttings. To overcome this problem, manufacturers make bits that have jets that extend
from the body of the bit. These elongated jet nozzles, called extended nozzles, deliver
more hydraulic power to the bottom. Extended nozzles also help prevent balling in soft
formations by cleaning the cuttings away better.
Some bits also have a center jet along with the three standard side jets. Each cone then
has fluid flowing past it on the inside, as well as the outside, which, under certain
conditions, may clean the cutters better and reduce balling.
Extended nozzle
Centre nozzle
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Roller Bit Classification

The IADC has developed a standard system to classify bits. Every bit
manufactured anywhere in the world has a classification code based on this system. By
reading the code, the driller can evaluate bits from different manufacturers and select
the bit needed for a particular job.
Bit classification chart lists bits according to this system. The code for roller
cone bits has four characters:
First character (Series of the cutting structure)
The first character is a number (called the series) from 1 to 8 that describes the type of
bit and the formation it can drill. Series 1 to 3 are for steel-tooth bits and series 4 to 8
refer to tungsten carbide insert bits. Within the two groups, the lowest number stands
for bits that drill the softest formations. So a series 1 bit is a steel-tooth bit for a soft
formation, and a series 4 bit is an insert bit for a soft formation. Bits for soft formations
will have longer and more widely spaced cutters, thinner cones with a greater offset,
and no hardfacing.
Second character (Type of the cutting structure)
The system divides each series into four types to further define the degree of formation
hardness that the bit can drill. Type 1 refers to the softest formation within the series.
Type 4 is for the hardest.
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Third character (Bearing type and gauge surface)
This character is a number from I to 7 that describes the bearings and what type of
gauge protection the bit has. Codes 1 to 5 refer to roller bearings and 6 and 7 refer to
journal bearings. The chart divides bearing types into sealed, nonsealed, and air-cooled
(also nonsealed) bearings. Codes 3, 5, and 7 apply to bits with extra gauge protection.
(Incidentally, the IADC has reserved codes 8 and 9 for future designs, even though they
are not shown in table)
Fourth character (Special features)
The last character in the code, which is optional, is one of 16 letters that indicate special
features a bit may have. A particular bit may have more than one of these special
features, but the manufacturer uses the code for the most important one.
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Dull Bit Grading
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It is very important to grade dull bits properly. Grading a dull bit means estimating how
much and where it has worn. Proper dull bit grading helps to correct poor drilling
practices, select the best type of bit for specific conditions, and make decisions that
affect the cost of future drilling. It is a form of ongoing field-testing.
Bits wear out eventually. Ending a run because of unnecessary wear on a bit is,
however, costly, because of both the expense of replacing the bit and the time lost. The
bit designer is responsible for engineering the best possible combination of materials
and design; the driller's responsibility is to use the bit under the appropriate conditions
to get the longest life from it. Evaluating how and where the used bit is worn can reveal
problems and suggest ways to eliminate or reduce them Bit evaluation can also be a
valuable source of information about the formation or drilling conditions. IADC has
devised a list of codes for recording the condition of used bits.
The parts that can fail in a roller cone bit are the cones, the cutters, and the bearings. If
the penetration rate is slower than expected (given the type of formation and choice of
bit, hydraulics, weight, and rotary speed), the operator may have rig crew members pull
the bit and examine it for wear. The pattern and type of wear on the cutters, cones, and
bearings indicate why the bit is not drilling as it should. Improper weight on the bit,
drilling fluid pumped at too high a volume, using the wrong bit, and junk in the hole
cause the most damage to bits.
Roller cone bits and fixed-head (diamond) bits are both graded using an IADC dull bit
classification system with eight categories. Since fixed-head bits have no bearings, the
column for bearing wear (B) always has an X in it when grading diamond bits. The list
of codes for cutter wear includes some that apply only to diamond bits and some that
apply only to roller cone bits.
The first four columns on the dull bit grading chart refer to the condition of the cutters.
Column 1 refers to the inner two-thirds of the cutters, the ones that do not touch the
side of the hole.
Column 2 refers to the outer one-third of the cutters (the gauge cutters).
Each of these two columns can have a grade from 0 to 8 that indicates the number of
cutters left on the bit and how much they are worn. Code 0 represents no wear, and 8
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means that no usable cutters are left. A grade of 4 means that 50 percent of the cutters
remain usable.
Column 3 Dull characteristic contains specific information about how the cutters are
worn. There are many two-letter codes for various types of wear, as the table shows.
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Column 4
shows the exact location of the worn cutters or the number of cutter.
Column 5
refers to the bearing wear. The grading of a used bearing is the most difficult because it
must be an estimate. Nonsealed bearings get a code from 0 to 8. Code 0 indicates a new
bearing, and 8 indicates that the bearing is useless (locked or missing). A code of 6
means that 6/8 of the estimated life of the bearing has been used. Sealed bearings get a
letter E, F, or N. E means the seal is effective, F means the seal has failed, and N means
that the driller was not able to grade the seal or the bearing condition.
Column 6
Shows whether the bit can still drill proper size hole. The letter I means that the bit is
still in gauge. If the bit is undergauge, record the amount in sixteenths of an inch. To
determine this measurement for a roller cone bit with three cones, use a ring gauge and
the two-thirds rule. Place the ring gauge over the bit and hold it so that two of the cones
touch the ring at their outermost points. If the bit is undergauge, the ring gauge will not
touch the third cone-a gap will exist between the inside of the ring gauge and the
outside surface of the cone. Measure the distance between the third cone and the ring
gauge and multiply by 2/3. Round that number to the nearest 1/16 of an inch to get the
code for wear in this column.
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Column 7
Contains two-letter codes for any secondary wear to either the cutters or the bit as a
whole.
Column 8
It is a two- or three-letter code for the reason the bit was pulled out from the hole
Cone Problems
Cone problems usually result from improper drilling practices or poor cone design.
They can be very serious.
Cone skidding or dragging occurs when a cone locks (stops turning) as the bit rotates.
This flattens the part of the locked cone that contacts the bottom of the hole. Balling up
of the bit or junk (loose pieces of metal in the hole) lodged between the cones can lock
the cones, as can bearing failure or a pinched bit. A pinched bit is a bit in which the bit's
legs and cones are forced toward the centre of the bit. A driller can pinch a bit by
jamming it into an undersized (undergauge) hole.
Cracked cones can occur because of severe erosion. Cones can, however, crack in
many other ways. For example, cones may crack where junk in the hole has dented
them, where the bit has hit a ledge, or where the cones hit the bottom of the hole hard
because the driller dropped the drill string. Defective manufacture or design can also
cause cones to crack. Cracks can migrate from the area of the inserts because of the
stresses produced by pressing the inserts into the cone during manufacture.
If a cone breaks but most of it remains attached to the bit, you have a broken cone.
When the cone is knocked off the bit, it is said to be lost. It is essential to remove the
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lost or broken cone pieces from the hole with some type of junk retrieving or milling
tool before resuming drilling.
Cutter Wear
Most forms of cutter wear affect both teeth and inserts. The same type of wear,
however, may mean something different for each.
Tungsten carbide inserts usually show little wear after normal drilling. Most damage to
insert bits is a result of improper drilling practices or abnormal conditions in the hole or
formation. Broken inserts, the most common damage to insert bits, are a normal wear
characteristic in some formations. If, however, the bit run was unusually short-that is, if
the driller had to pull the bit from the hole much sooner than expected because the
penetration rate was too slow-then junk in the hole may have broken the inserts, or the
driller may have put too much weight on the bit or rotated it too fast. Broken inserts are
also caused by improper break-in of the bit, and by striking a ledge in the hole or
slamming the bit into the bottom.
What is more, inserts can break if the operator uses a bit that is not designed for a hard
formation. The best solution, of course, is to select a bit designed for the formation, but
circumstances can make this unfeasible. For example, an insert bit can last so long in a
formation it was designed to drill that the operator may keep drilling with it even
though it encounters a harder formation lying below the formation the bit was selected
for. In such cases, the driller can increase the weight on the bit and decrease the rotary
speed while drilling the harder formation. While the rate of penetration may suffer,
increased WOB and decreased rpm should prevent the harder formation from breaking
the bit's inserts.
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Inserts can also break because of the high rotary speed often used in harder
formations. In this situation, inserts in the gauge row usually break. If gauge row
breakage occurs when using a soft- formation bit, change the bit. If gauge row breakage
occurs when using a hard-formation bit, reduce the rotary speed.
Chipped cutters are fairly common and do not always indicate a problem. A cutter is
chipped, as opposed to broken, when a substantial part of it remains above the cone.
One of the frustrations of drilling with tungsten carbide insert bits is that, once the
inserts start breaking or falling out, the broken pieces on the bottom of the hole are
almost certain to damage the bit further because they are so hard. Tungsten carbide is so
dense (and therefore heavy) that it is almost impossible to circulate the broken pieces
out of the hole. One solution is to run in a junk sub to fish out the inserts after removing
the damaged bit.
Broken teeth, unlike broken inserts, are not normal for steel- tooth bits. Broken
teeth on a steel-tooth bit indicate that the driller used the wrong bit for the formation or
used improper drilling practices, as described earlier for broken inserts.
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Two kinds of normal abrasion wear to teeth are flat-crested wear and selfsharpening wear. Flat-crested wear occurs when the tops of the teeth wear evenly and
flat over the bit. Self- sharpening wear is expected and desirable. In bits with selfsharpening teeth, the drilling mud abrades the softer metal on one side of each tooth.
The harder metal on the other side does not abrade- and so holds a sharp edge. If
abrasion wear is excessive, however, the drilling fluid may be too abrasive, or the fluid
velocity may be too high.
Flat-crested wear
Self-sharpening wear
Bearing Wear and Failure

Bearing wear and failure often make it necessary to stop drilling and replace the
bit. Spalling and galling used to be me biggest problems with bearings. The advent of
sealed bearings has substantially reduced such wear, however. Even so, better design
has not eliminated bearing wear altogether.
The outer bearings (the roller bearing or journal bearing under the gauge
cutters) can fail for any of several reasons. Excessive rotation time coupled with high
WOB can wear them out. Abrasive materials in the drilling fluid can damage nonsealed
bearings,. Signs of outer bearing failure are skid marks on me cones and one or more
locked cones.
The inner bearings (the inside roller bearing and nose bearing under the nose of
me cone) can fail when a bit is drilling a formation that is too hard for it. In this case,
the teeth wear down to a flat top (they suffer flat-crested wear) and, as a result, the ROP
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slows. The driller may add more weight to keep up the rate of penetration. The
extra weight can stress the bearings beyond their design limitations.
Reaming out an undergauge hole also stresses the inner bearings. The driller can
partially or completely eliminate inner bearing failure by using a bit designed for harder
formations, reducing the time the bit is in the hole, decreasing the rotary speed, or
choosing a special bit for reaming.
Both the inner and the outer bearings can fail if the weight on bit is too high, the
rotary speed is too fast, the bit is used to ream undergauge hole, an abrasive drilling
fluid is in use, or the bit is used too long.
Sometimes a nozzle can fallout of the bit because of improper installation or
design or because of damage to the nozzle or its retaining system. The missing nozzle
causes a decrease in the hydraulic pressure and becomes junk in the hole. The junk
nozzle can damage any part of the body of the bit as well as the cutters.
Any place on the bit that has a weld can be washed out, or eroded, by the drilling fluid
if it cracks or is not completely closed . The drilling fluid washes through the crack and
erodes it very quickly.
Bit damaged by junk
Washed out bit
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Diamond Bits
Bits for oil well drilling with natural diamond cutters date from the 1940s.
Diamonds are the hardest mineral on earth, almost nine times harder than the next
hardest naturally occurring mineral. A diamond will outwear or cut anything without
affecting the diamond in any way, with only two limitations: it will disintegrate if the
temperature is too high, and it is brittle and is therefore susceptible to fracturing under
shock loads.
Nothing can scratch a diamond and a diamond can scratch anything without
dulling-the softer the other material; the deeper the diamond can scratch it or, in other
words, cut or grind it. Diamond is 2 1/2 times harder than tungsten carbide, a hard
manufactured substance, and so has better wear resistance. Diamond also has the best
compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of any material- over twice those of
tungsten carbide.
Because a diamond has high compressive strength and modulus of elasticity, if
you gradually apply a force, or load, to a diamond, it will not break until the load is
very high. Instead, it will deform and then recover its shape and size after you remove
the force. Diamond can overcome the strength of any other material in this way.
Diamond also has the best thermal (heat) conductivity of any material. Good thermal
conductivity means that heat flows through a substance very quickly. A iamond can
transmit the heat generated by drilling to the drilling fluid as fast as the fluid can absorb
it, so the diamond is as cool as the fluid.
Another valuable property of diamond is its low friction force. A diamond under
a heavy weight (like the weight placed on a bit) can move against other materials (like
formation rocks) without using a great deal of force (as in rotating a bit) and without
generating a great deal of heat.
Because of diamond's unique qualities, you might think that diamond bits would
drill the hardest formations without ever wearing out. But they do wear out. Two other
properties of diamonds-low impact strength and low thermal stability-explain their
limits for drilling. Although diamonds do not break under gradual loads and do not
scratch, they do break very easily under impact, or a sudden blow. In fact, you could
shatter a diamond into dust by just hitting it with a hammer. The operator must also
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choose the right design for the formation. Most important, the drilling crew must
handle and use the bit correctly.
Thermal stability is the ability to withstand high temperatures. Although
diamonds are stable up to about 405 degree Celsius (C), temperatures in the borehole
can get much higher. When the temperature reaches about 1,270 degree C, the diamond
changes into graphite, one of the softest minerals.
At high temperatures, the carbon atoms of the diamond also begin to react with
the atoms of the rock if oxygen is present. It is the same type of chemical reaction that
causes iron to rust and wood to burn. The diamond actually wears away, not because of
a mechanical process that takes off pieces of diamond, but because of a chemical
reaction that removes the individual atoms. Then it is worthless for drilling rock, of
course, and an expensive tool is ruined.
Temperatures high enough to damage diamonds are easy to reach in drilling.
The thermal instability of diamond is the reason that designers and operators are always
trying to improve the hydraulics of bits. They vary the volume, velocity, and flow
pattern of the circulating fluid to take advantage of diamond's thermal conductivity to
cool the bit as much and as fast as possible.
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Diamond bits originally replaced roller cone bits for the hardest, most abrasive
formations because diamonds are so much tougher and last longer than even tungsten
carbide.
Because of the greater hardness and lower impact strength of diamond cutters
compared with steel teeth or tungsten carbide inserts, the design of a diamond bit is
quite different from a roller cone bit. A diamond bit is a fixed-head, or shear, bit.
Instead of having three independently moving cones, a diamond bit has a stationary (a
fixed) head that rotates as one piece with the drill string. It is a shear bit because it cuts
the rock by slicing it like a knife, instead of gouging and crushing the rock, as a roller
Cone bit does. A diamond bit has three main parts: the cutters, the body, and the shank
Hydraulics
Natural diamond bits do not use jet nozzles, as roller cone bits do. Instead, they
have an outlet for the drilling fluid in the center of the bit. The outlet leads the fluid
into channels cut into the matrix body. This causes the fluid to travel across the face of
the bit. As with rock bits, the purpose of the hydraulic design is to cool the cutters and
clean the cuttings from the hole.
The channels for directing the fluid come in two main designs: radial flow and
cross-pad flow (also called feeder-collector). In both types, the centre outlet through
which the fluid flows is called a crow's foot. The crow's foot has three channels (like a
bird's toes) that cause the fluid to split from a single stream into three streams
In a radial-flow bit, the fluid flows from these crow's foot openings into
watercourses that radiate out from the center directly to the gauge area. The
watercourses are channels that sit below the level of the diamonds and run between
each row of diamonds. They may have either parallel sides or expanding sides that get
wider as they approach the gauge of the bit, and they may also get shallower. These
variations control the velocity of the fluid across the face of the bit, which influences
the cleaning and cooling power.
26

The feeder-collector, or cross-pad, type of watercourse has channels similar to

radial-flow channels; these channels are called feeders. It also has a second kind of
channel called collectors. The collectors do not connect directly to the feeders or to the
crow's foot. They are V-shaped and start close to the gauge area and quickly widen.
This arrangement creates a low pressure in the collectors that sucks the fluid from the
feeders across the top of the diamonds. Fluid moving directly over the diamonds (crosspad flow) cools them better than fluid moving beside them in the watercourses (radial
flow).
27

The radial-flow hydraulic design removes the greatest quantity of cuttings, which is
important when the rate of penetration is faster. The feeder-collector pattern cools better
and so it works best in harder and more abrasive formations. Stone size also affects
what type of hydraulics the bit will need. Larger stones are easier to clean and cool
because of the greater distance between the matrix and the top of the diamond.
Synthetic Diamond Bits

Research scientists at General Electric were the first to succeed in 1954 in
making synthetic diamonds. Synthetic diamonds turned out to be even more expensive
to manufacture than natural diamonds are to mine.
The polycrystalline diamond compact, or PDC, is one of the most important
advances in recent years. Since their first production in 1976, bits using PDC cutters
have become as common as roller cone bits. Each polycrystalline diamond compact,
which is the cutter, is a special type of synthetic diamond bonded to tungsten carbide.
To manufacture a PDC, a special furnace heats carbon to a very high temperature
and, under great pressure, forms many tiny (about 0.00004 of an inch) diamond
crystals ("poly" means "many"). The manufacturer then mixes the diamonds with a
metal powder, called the catalyst metal, and puts the mixture into a can. A layer of
tungsten carbide powder mixed with diamond is added, and, finally, a polycrystalline
wafer is put on the top.
The manufacturer then seals the can and heats it under high pressure. The pressure
and heat cause the diamonds to bond with each other and with the tungsten carbide to
28

make a polycrystalline diamond compact (a compact is any object produced by
compressing metal powders). The tiny diamond crystals in a PDC face in different
directions, which makes the PDC very strong, sharp, and wear-resistant. It is selfsharpening because when a layer of crystals wears away, another layer with its many
sharp edges is exposed.
The main disadvantage of PDCs is that they are even less stable at high
temperatures than are natural diamonds. As the PDC contacts the rock during drilling
and heats up, the catalyst metal expands at a different rate from the diamond.
Eventually, when the temperature reaches about 750 degree C, the PDC cracks. This
temperature is not difficult to reach in drilling and is much lower than the temperature
at which a natural diamond disintegrates (1,270 degree C)
Although bits with PDC cutters look different from natural diamond bits, they are
still fixed-head bits-that is, they rotate as one piece. The body of the bit can be either
steel or matrix
A steel-body bit starts as a length of solid steel that the manufacturer turns on a
lathe to create the threads for attachment to the drill string. The manufacturer then
machines the watercourses, nozzle ports, and pockets for the PDC cutters and may
add a tungsten carbide hardfacing. The cutters are brazed (a type of soldering) into the
pockets.
A steel body is easier to manufacture to exact dimensions and is less brittle than
matrix. Matrix, however, wears better than steel because it is harder. Steel-body bits
may have a tungsten carbide hardfacing, as roller cone bits do, and they are
repairable. The manufacturer can replace the cutters, build up areas of light erosion,
reapply the hardfacing, and restore the threads.
29

Matrix-body PDCs work best when erosion of the body is likely to cause the bit to
fail, such as in smaller holes where the drilling mud flows at a high velocity or when
the mud contains a high proportion of solid material.
PDC Cutters
PDC cutters range in size from about 3/8 inch to 2 inches (9 to 50 mm), but they are
most commonly about 1/2 to 3/4 inch (13 to 19 mm) in diameter.
The most common shapes of the PDC cutter are the cylinder (its shape when it comes
out of the manufacturing can) and the stud, which is a cylinder bonded to a tungsten
carbide post. The PDC layer on top of the cylinder can be flat or domed. The edge that
meets the formation may be rounded to help prevent the cutter from chipping
The most obvious design difference between natural diamond bits and PDC bits is
how the cutters fit into the bit. PDC cutters sit sideways inside pockets, either
individually or on blades that are part of the body of the bit. In this way, they look
more like one cone of a steel-tooth roller cone bit than like a natural diamond bit.
Bladed PDC bits can have from three to more than twenty blades, each with many
or only a few cutters. The more blades and cutters, the more durable the bit is, but the
slower the penetration rate.
30

Hydraulics
PDCs cut deeper than natural diamonds because they are larger, which
produces more cuttings to clear away. The cooling function of the drilling fluid is also
crucial because of a PDC's thermal weakness. The harder the formation, the more
important the cooling function is to prevent the cutters from disintegrating. The softer
the formation, the more important the cleaning function is to prevent balling.
Like roller cone bits, PDC bits use jet nozzles as outlets for the drilling mud. The
nozzles come in various sizes and are usually interchangeable (but not with roller cone
bit nozzles). The nozzles direct the cuttings into junk slots on the outside diameter of
31

the bit. The junk slots work like the collectors on natural diamond bits-that is, they
provide a low-pressure area that pulls the fluid with the cuttings up and away from the
nose of the bit
Each nozzle usually points toward the bottom of the hole or at a slight angle and
cleans and cools a group of cutters or, on some bits, a single cutter. The number of
nozzles depends on the design of the rest of the bit. For instance, the designer can put
fewer nozzles on a bit with fewer blades because the cutters are more exposed and the
fluid can reach them more easily.
PDC and Diamond Bit Classification

The IADC adopted a system for classifying natural diamond and PDC bits in 1990. The
codes for these bits have four characters.
First character (Body material)
For PDC bits the first character in the code is either M or S, for matrix or steel body.
Diamond bits always have matrix body.
Second character (Cutter density)
The second character is a number from 1 to 4 or from 5 to 8 that represents the total
number of cutters on the bit. A PDC bit uses the codes 1 to 4, with 1 meaning the
fewest cutters and 4 the most. A natural diamond or TSP bit uses codes 6 to 8, which
refer to the size of the stones and, by inference, how many there are. Code 6 represents
sizes of more than three stones per carat, 7 represents three to seven stones per carat,
and 8 represents more than seven stones per carat. In general, bits designated 1 drill the
softest formations and 8 the hardest.
Third character (Cutter size or type)
The third character is a number from 1 to 3, or, in one case, 4, and depends on the type
of bit. For a PDC bit, the number refers to the size of the cutter, where 1 is the largest
and 3, the smallest. For natural diamond and TSP bits, the codes indicate the type of bit.
Code 1 indicates natural diamonds, 2 indicates TSPs, 3 represents hybrid, or
combination bits and 4 applies to impregnated diamond bits. Hybrid bits uses natural
diamonds and TSPs.
32

Fourth character (Body style)
The final character is a number from 1 to 4 that gives a general idea of the profile. Bits
with the shortest flank or side dimension have the designation 1. Codes 2, 3, and 4
represent increasingly longer profiles.
How Bits Drill

Roller cone bits, natural diamond bits, and PDC bits work with different actions to
drill the rock. These actions work best under different conditions and they all have
their place in drilling operations. Scraping, gouging, plowing, and shearing are all
forms of scratching a rock with something harder than the rock-either steel, tungsten
carbide, natural diamond, or synthetic diamond.
A roller cone bit scrapes or gouges and crushes the formation with the help of the
heavyweight on it. It scrapes or gouges any rock softer than the metal of the bit, and at
the same time it compresses or squeezes the rock until it breaks. This action is not very
efficient because it requires a great deal of energy for the amount of rock it drills.
A natural diamond bit plows the rock-that is, it pushes the rock aside to form a
groove like a plowed furrow. It can also grind the rock, as a millstone grinds wheat
into flour. This type of bit drills very slowly, and it is also not very efficient. It works
well in harder and more abrasive formations, however, because the diamonds are
always harder than the rock.
A PDC bit shears, or slices, the formation. Shearing takes only one-third the energy of
crushing, requires less weight on the bit, and drills faster
Bit Selection
Roller cone bits can drill all types of rock. Designers originally developed tungsten
carbide insert bits to drill extremely hard, abrasive cherts and quartzites that were a
problem for steel-tooth bits, but now insert bits are available that can drill any
formation.
33

On both insert bits-and steel-tooth bits, the number of rows per cone, the number of
teeth or inserts per row, and the length and shape of the cutters help determine the type
of formation a roller cone bit will work best in. Two widely spaced rows of cutters or
teeth work well in softer formations such as sands and clays. The teeth on softformation steel-tooth bits are the longest of all. The inserts on soft-formation insert bits
are long and chisel-shaped, with sharp crests. Both drill large cuttings. The wide
spacing allows the intermeshing of the cutters to clean the bit. The high offset of the
roller cones causes the scraping action. The cutters penetrate the formation and they
drag and twist over it before moving on.
Soft formations may contain abrasive sand that sandblasts, or erodes, the bit cones at
the high rotational speeds and mud circulation rates involved in drilling. So the steel of
the cone of an insert bit is carburized (hardened) to be more resistant to abrasion. The
cone is also thicker so that it does not wear away and cause the inserts to fall out. The
teeth of a milled bit may have a tungsten carbide hardfacing for the same reason.
Bits for medium-soft formations such as shales and soft limestones and
sandstones have a design similar to that of soft formation bits. Less offset, however;
gives a twisting-scraping action to the cutters on the bottom of the hole. Because of the
greater hardness of the formation, the cutters need to be slightly stronger and shorter,
and each cone has more cutters that are closer together than on a soft-formation bit.
Enough space, however, remains between cutters to allow the drilling fluid to carry
away the fairly large cuttings easily. The inserts on insert bits are still chisel- shaped.
These formations may also be abrasive, so the teeth and gauge surfaces on milled bits
can have tungsten carbide hardfacing. The gauge teeth have the thickest
hardfacing because they receive the most wear in medium-soft formations.
Medium-hard formations such as limestone, dolomite, hard shale, chert, and
quartzite are too hard and sometimes too abrasive for bits designed to drill medium-soft
formations. The cutters on medium-hard formation bits are therefore shorter and do not
penetrate very far into such rocks. Instead, they use a chipping and crushing action with
a heavy WOB to penetrate. These bits work more like a chisel on granite than like a
shovel in dirt to gouge out smaller pieces of rock than soft-formation bits do.
34

The cones on medium-hard formation bits have only a slight offset to reduce the
twisting action that a lot of offset produces. The cutters are shorter, stronger, and closer
together so that each cutter takes a lower load. Typically, three or four rows of cutters
exist on each cone. The inserts in bits for medium-hard formations are cone-shaped.
The ventilation grooves between the rows of inserts are shallower for harder
formations.
Steel-tooth bits for abrasive and hard formations are very short and strong. They
often have tungsten carbide hardfacing on the teeth and the gauge surfaces to fortify
them against wear .Inserts for the hardest formations are hemispherical on the top and
do not project far beyond the cone.
Diamond Bits
Natural diamond bits drill formations that are moderately to extremely hard,
abrasive, and elastic. Generally, smaller ridge-set diamonds set in a closely spaced
pattern drill faster in harder formations. They have greater impact resistance because
the load on each diamond is lower. Larger but fewer surface-set diamonds work better
in softer (but still moderately hard) formations, where the risk of breaking caused by
impact is not as great. They sit out farther from the body of the bit, so they can plow
more rock at each rotation, and cleaning and removing cuttings is easier.
Because of the small exposure of the diamonds in either case- remember, a onecarat diamond is only about 1/4 inch (6 mm) in diameter, so, at most, only 1/12 inch (2
mm) of the diamond is exposed-the bit cuts much less rock during each rotation than a
roller cone or PDC bit. The rate of penetration for natural diamond bits is
therefore slow. The grade of diamond used also affects the ROP. Round stones are more
resistant to impact but cut more slowly. Sharper, high-grade stones cut faster but break
more easily.
Formations that are soft to medium-hard with low-to-medium abrasiveness are
ideal for PDC bits. PDC bits are very versatile. Their ROP is about three times that of
roller cone bits. The stud type penetrates faster than the cylinder type for the same
reason that larger natural diamonds drill faster than small ones: more of the diamond
35

layer contacts the formation. PDC cutters are much larger than natural diamonds (1/2
inch, or 13 mm, and larger), so their ROP is much faster.
WOB, RPM and ROP

Getting the best performance from a bit depends on properly adjusting the WOB and
RPM. Generally, the higher the RPM, the lower the WOB, and vice versa. A 30 to 40
percent increase in weight on a steel-tooth bit sometimes doubles the rate of
penetration.
Usually, however, an operator or contractor does not just want to improve the drilling
rate for a short time. Rather, good overall performance-both the ROP and the total
metrage per bit-is necessary to achieve the minimum cost per metre of hole. Moderate
weights and high rotary speeds are best in quickly drilled, soft, nonabrasive formations.
Heavier weights and lower rotary speeds, however, are better for slowly drilled,
abrasive, harder formations.
Roller Cone Bits
The WOB in softer formations usually must be relatively light to avoid balling.
But the driller can compensate for the reduced weight, and keep a good penetration
rate, by using a faster rotary speed and high-velocity drilling mud circulation for good
cleaning.
Rotary speeds of 200 to 250 RPM are not uncommon for steel-tooth bits. The
abrasiveness of a formation, however, limits the rotary speed much beyond 250 RPM.
Very fast speeds coupled with abrasive particles increase the wear on steel teeth and
bearings. Also, insert bits require slower speeds because, at very fast speeds, the inserts
can break because of impact shocks. Insert bits will run up to 180 RPM.
Roller cone bits in harder formations require a heavy WOB to crush the rock. The
heavier weight stresses the cutters and bearings and wears them out sooner. Another
reason to increase the weight on bit when using steel-tooth bits is to maintain an
economical drilling rate as the teeth become duller. A heavier weight allows the bit to
work longer before the driller must replace it.
36

Running times vary with the formation and type of bit as well. A steel-tooth bit
may last 30 hours in a soft formation. A tungsten carbide insert bit can last as long as
300 hours. Sometimes, therefore, only one or two tungsten carbide bits can drill a well
to final depth.
Diamond bits
Diamond bits require a lighter WOB than roller cone bits, but the driller still
adjusts the WOB and RPM to obtain the lowest cost per metre of hole drilled. PDC bits
can drill very fast-up to 60 metres per hour-in soft, nonabrasive formations because the
cutters shear deeply into the rock on each rotation. Matrix-body PDC bits resist erosion
well and typically run for 300 hours or more. Occasionally, in soft formations, one bit
may drill several thousand metres in each of several wells. PDC rotary speed is
generally between 80 and 160 RPM. A driller may rotate a bit made up on positive
displacement tool as fast as 600 RPM, or one made up on a turbine as fast as 1,000 to
1,200 RPM.
Natural diamond bits have the slowest penetration rate, 1.5 to 4.5 metre per
hour, because they are grinding very hard formations and drill only a small amount of
rock on each pass. They use the lightest WOB and relatively high RPM, usually 120 to
140 RPM. Because they drill slowly and because they are often used in the most
abrasive formations, they typically last for only 300 to 600 metres.
ROP, Bit Life and Gauge

Everyone wants a bit that gives a good ROP, has a long life and drills a fullgauge hole. Full-gauge hole is a hole whose diameter is the same size as the
manufactured diameter of the bit. Rig owners and operators want the bit to drill fullgauge hole during the entire time it is in use. If the sides of the bit wear down, it will
drill an undersize or undergauge hole. Full-gauge bits and other tools rig crew
members may lower into an undergauge hole can get stuck. Crew members therefore
usually have to open, or ream, the undergauge hole to make it full gauge. Reaming
undergauge hole wastes valuable time.
37

Formations and Bit Design
Hardness is a rock's resistance to scratching. Bit cutters must be harder than the
rock to scrape or gouge it. Scraping and gouging are intense forms of scratching. An
abrasive rock wears and erodes a tool that is working on it. An abrasive rock also
wears a tool faster than a nonabrasive rock does.
Even though many types of formation exist, it is not practical for rig operators to
change bits every time they encounter a different formation. For instance, a 'particular
formation may be made up of mostly medium-soft rocks with shallow streaks of a hard,
abrasive material running through it. In this case, the rig operator would probably select
a bit designed to drill medium-soft rocks even though the hard streaks may shorten the
bit's life. An operator must choose a bit that represents a compromise-that is, one that
performs reasonably well under all conditions it might meet.
Economics
Cost also influences which bit to use. Some bits are very expensive. Expensive bits
usually last longer, however, or drill a particular type of rock better. Crew members do
not have to replace such bits as often, so they require fewer time-consuming trips.
Drilling contractors often use a break-even analysis to determine the cost of drilling
per metre of hole. The following formula is used for this purpose:
C = { B + ( T + t ) * R }/ F
Where,
(1) Cost to operate the rig per hour in rupees, R
(2) Cost of the bit in rupees, B
(3) Trip time in hours, T
(4) Drilling time in hours, t
(5) Drilled depth by the bit in metre, F
(6) Cost/ metre of drilling, C
The choice of bit affects all of these expenses. A PDC bit may cost 15 times as
much as the same-sized steel-tooth bit and four times as much as the same-sized
38

tungsten carbide insert bit. The initial cost of the bit is only one factor, however. Using
a PDC bit affects other aspects of drilling, such as how long it takes to drill to a certain
depth and how many time-consuming trips a hole will need (PDC bits last longer). The
longer the drilling time, the more the drilling contractor has to pay for operating the rigsuch things as fuel, repairing or replacing equipment, and wages. Since drilling
companies intend to make a profit, the widespread use of PDC bits shows that they
must be economical in many situations.
Roller Bit Classification Chart
39

I ADC
111
113
114
115
116
117
Varel
TSK
(TI X)
PDEL
Greaves
Drilcos
Widia
L111, V4
V3A, L3A
3SS
3SS-M
B11
AO
DSJ
DCS-1
WN-11
BG 11
DSH
L114
3SSZ
BT 11
SDS
MSDSH
L115
BTG 11
SDSH
HP 11
FP 11
FT 3A
FDS
L116
3SSK
SL 11
G11F
S33SGF
MHP11G
MFDSH
SG 11
G11FH
L121, V3
L3, L3S
3S
3S-M
B1Z
AO1L
DT
DCS-2
WN12
L124
3SZ
BG 12
BT 12
DTH
SDT
Hughes
Security
R1, OSC 3A,

OSC 3AJ ,
DR1, LW3
-
S3SJ ,
2S, 3S J D
S3 SJ D
S3SGJ
S33S
MS33S
SS33S
Y11 AG
DSJ
DS
DJ
DST
S11
ST 3A
SDS
SDJ
S33SG
SS33SG
MSHG
S33SF
ATX-1
X3A
ATX-G1
MAX-G1
XG3A,MX3A
ATJ -1, ATJ 1S
ATM-1,
ATM1S- J 1
ATM-GIS
ATM-G1
JG 1
Reed
Y11
YT 3A
Smith
121
R2, OSC3
OSC 3J
S3J , S3TJ
S3J D
Y 12
YT3
123
124
CSC
X3
ST3
125
S33
S33G
SS33G
DTJ
DT,
SHDJ
DTT
SDT
L125
BTG 12
SDTH
I ADC
Hughes
Security
Reed
Smith
Varel
TSK
(TI X)
PDEL
Greaves
FDT
L126
3SK
SL 12
G12F
L127
L131
VH3G
LH3G
ATJ -2, J 2
J 2T
J G2
R3, OSC1G
OSC1GJ
DR3, LW1
ODG
C1C
ATX-3
S33TGF
HP 12
FT3, FP12
-
S4J , S4TJ
S4T
Y13
YT1A
DGJ
DG
S4TGJ
DGM
S44
ST1A
SDG
L134
135
ATXG3, X1DG
ATMG3, XGG
MX1G
S44G
SS44G
S13G
MS13G
SDGH
MSDGH
L135
136
J3
S44F
FDG
137
ATM-G3
J G3, J D3
S44GF
141
OSC, OSCJ
OSC2
OSC2J
S6
143
144
126
127
131
133
134
S33F
S6T
DS
S66
Drilcos Widia
3STK
SG 12
G12F
3MSS
3MSS-M
B13
A1
DG
DCS-3
WN13
3MSST
BG13
DGM
3MSSZ
BT13
SDG
3MSSTZ BTG13
SDGM
L136
3MSSK
SL13
G13F
FDGH
MGDGH
L137
3MSTK
SG13
G13FM
YT
YTL
K2
K2J
B14
K2M
BG14
BT14
ST1AG
FT11
FP13
H13G
MHP13G
FP13G
40

I ADC
Hughes
Security
Reed
Smith
Varel
145
146
147
R4, OWV
OWVJ , OW4,
OWGJ , DR4,
LW
ODV
OD4
DSS
-
FB1
-
M4NJ
M3
YS1
V2J
V1, V2
L211
V2, L2
YS1G
211
213
214
215
216
217
221
223
224
225
226
227
I ADC
XV
M44N
XDV, XD4
XGV
M44NG
MM44NG
J4
M44NF
J 64
J D4
OW, OWJ
WO, DR5
-
Hughes
M44NGF
SS1
S21G
MS21G
SS1G
FS4
FP21
HP21G
FP21G
PDEL
Greaves
Drilcos
Widia
BTG14
SL14
SG14
3MS
B21
MO
V1
DOM-1
WN21
3MST
BG21
V1H
L214
3MSZ
BT21
SV1
SVH
L215
3MSTZ
BTG21
SV1H
FV
L216
3MSK
SL21
G21F
FVH
L217
*
3MSTK
SG21
G21FH
V1H
V2H
SV1
SV2
M4
YS
B22
V2
DOM-2
FVM
-
L227
V2H
SV2
SV2H
-
TSK
(TI X)
PDEL
Greaves
Drilcos
Widia
3MH
M1
T2
DCM-3
3MHT
3MHZ
3MHTZ
3MHK
3MHTK
-
BJ 23
BT23
BTG23
SL23
SG23
B24
BG24
BT24
BTG24
SL24
SG24
T2H
ST2H
ST2H
-
3HS
B31
L4
DCH-1
WN31
3HST
BG31
L4H
Security
Reed
Smith
OWC, OWCJ
OWS, OWSJ
M4L
M5
YM
T2
DM
M44
DMM
M44LF
H7J , H7
H7TJ
YMG
SM
SMG
YH
YHW2
T2M
ST2
-
314
XC
XGC
R7, W7
W7J , W7C
WD7
WD7J
X7
315
XD7
316
J7
H77F
317
J G7
J D7
231
233
234
235
236
237
241
243
244
245
246
247
311
313
TSK
(TI X)
-
H7T
YHG
H77
SH
S31G
SHG
HP31G
FP31G
FHG
L4
Varel
L231
VH2
LH2
L234
L235
L236
L237
L311
V1, L1
L4H
L4AP
SL4
L314
3HSZ
BT31
SL4
SL4H
L315
3HSTZ
BTG31
SL4H
L316
3HSK
SL31
L317
3HSTK
SG31
G31FH
41

I ADC
Hughes
Security
TSK
(TI X)
Reed
Smith
Varel
W4
L321
3H
W4H
SWC
SWCH
FWC
-
VH1
LH1
3HT
3HZ
3HTZ
3HK
3HTK
-
PDEL
Greaves
Drilcos
Widia
B32
W4
DCH-2
WN32
BG32
BT32
BTG32
SL32
SG32
W4H
SW4
SW4H
-
DCW-3
321
W7R2
H7L
323
324
325
326
327
X7R
W7R
R8
YHW
YBV
-
H7U
YHWG
L337
3HR
B34
YBVG
SBV
SBVG
FV
WC
WCJ
WCH
-
3HRT
3HRZ
3HRTZ
3HRK
BG34
BT34
BTG34
SL34
FVG
3HRTK
SG34
Security
Reed
Smith
Varel
TSK
(TIX)
PDEL
Greaves
Drilcos
Widia
331
333
334
335
336
337
WR
WRJ
WDR
XWR
XDR
J8
J G8
J D8
341
343
344
345
346
347
IADC
415
417
427
435
437
Hughes
ATX05
MAX05
ATJ05
ATM05
ATJ 05C
ATX-11, X11
ATX 11 H
MAX 11 H
ATJ-11
ATJ -11 S
ATJ -11 H
ATM-11
ATM-11 H
J -11
H7SG
H7UG
H77SG
H77SGF
H7W
H7C
H7WG
H77C
H77CF
S81F
S82F
SS82
S43A
MS43A
M1S
V435
S82F
S82CF
EHP43A
HP43A
F1
V437
K10
G43FH
C1
HZ 582 F
445
ATX-11 C
S44A
MS44A
15J S
M15S
MF15SD
447
ATJ11C, J11C
ATM 11C
ATM 11CG
F15
MF15
MF15D
C-15,
C-17
515
ATX22
X22
2SS82
S84
SS84
S51A
MS51A
2J S,
2GS
M2S
M2SD
Z20
42

IADC
516
517
525
Hughes
-
Security
-
Reed
-
Smith
-
Varel
YJ9
ATJ22
ATJ22S
ATM22
S84F
S84CF
DS84F
EHP51H
EHP51A
HP51X
F2
F2H
F2SA1
V517
HP51
HP51H
FP51A
F15H
F17
MF2D
F2J
MF2HD
-
ATM22G
J22
S52A
ATJ22C
ATM22C
J22C
S85
S85CF
HP52A
HP52X
HP52
537
PDEL
-
Greaves
-
Drilcos
-
K20
M20G
G31FH
Widia
C2
V525
F27
MF27D
V527
V527Y
V527C
Z30
C27
C3
FP52
FP52A
FPCT
FCT
527
535
TSK
(TIX)
-
X33
S86
SS86
S53A
3JS
V535
K30
M30G
G53FH
ATJ33
ATJ33S
ATJ33A
S86F
S86CF
HP53
HP53A
FP53
F3
F3H
MF3H
V537
V537Y
V537C
FPC55
MF3D
F3J
YJ7
ATM33
J33
J33H
43

IADC
545
547
615
617
Hughes
Security
Reed
Smith
Varel
TSK (TIX)
PDEL
Greaves
Drilcos
Widia
X33C
S88
GS88
DS88
C37
S88F
S88CF
HP54
HPSM
F37
F37D
S88FA
Z40
C4
C45
K-40
ATJ33C
ATJ35C
ATM33C
J33C
X44
X44R
ATJ44
ATJ44A
J44
J44A
625
627
635
637
X55R
ATJ, 44C
J44C
J55R
X55
ATJ55R
ATJ55
ATJ55A
M84
4J S
M84F
M84FA
HP61
HP61A
F4, F4A
F45A
V547
V547 Y
V547 C
V615
V615C
V617
V617 Y
M85F
HPM
F4H, F45H
F45, F4J
V617C
(YJ77)
S62A
SCM5
5JS
47JS
V625
Z50
M89T
M88
GM88
M89TF
M88F
M88FA
M89F
HP62
HP62A
FP62
8CM
HP63
HPMH
F47, F47H
F5, F5J
57 JS
F57
F57A
V627
V627 Y
V627 C
V637
K50
C47
C5
Z 60
K60
IADC
Hughes
Security
Reed
Smith
Varel
647
715
725
J 55
RG7XJ
-
M90F
-
F57D
6J S
727
FP63
SCH5
FP72
FPCH5
TSK
(TIX)
-
F6
V727
735
RG1X
X77
RGIXJ
7JS
737
ATJ 77
J 77
H87F
H84F
F7
745
H88
747
H88F
815
817
J 88
RG2BX
RG2BXJ
ATJ 99
ATJ 99A
J 99
835
837
SCH4
SCH
PDEL
Greaves
Drilcos
Widia
Z-70
V737
K-70
Z-80
K-80
H99F
HP73
HPH
FP73
SCH, SCH4
FCH4
FPCH4
-
8JS
F8
H100
SCHZ
9JS
Z90
H100F
HP83
FP83
FPCHZ
F9
K90
44

PDC Bit Classification Chart
Body style
Cutters
density
Size
1 Fishtail
HC
>24
<14
>24
R523
G573
B9-33
DS40H
G554 FM2466
AG574
R443
R423
<14
>24
CRYST GEO
HC
DBS
G536
FM2862
HYC
CRYST
GEO
S45
S94
M94
M96
M97
FM2445
FM2446
FM2648
DS100H
DS43ST
B9-44
G/R526
G526
2 14-24
AR526
AG526
HYC
B9-44
2 14-24
DBS
2 Short
B9-33
DS61H
S65I
TD19L DS105H
R426 FM2445 DS53H

AR426 TD13L DS39H
2 14-24
FM2465
FM2665
<14
FM2643
FM2445
>24
R482
FM2365
FM2463 DS103H
FM2365
DS95H
DS35
HZ23-2
DS35H
DS44ST
M53
M53V
DS68H
FM2862 DS88H
DS81
2 14-24
S66
G/R435
AG435
AR435
R335
M83
M83V
DS107H
DS102H
DS48H
FM2563
FM2565
FM2865
RD3
S75
HC
DBS
HYC
CRYST
GEO
FM2643
FM2745
FM2545
FM2845
<14
=
=
=
=
=
DS90H
M22
DS56H RD1001 M27
DS85H RD1002 M22V
DS84H
M27V
Hughes Christensen
Security Diamant Boart Stratabit
Hycalog
Crystal Profor
Geodiamond
45

PDC Bit Classification Chart
Body style
Cutters
density
Size
3 Medium
HC
1
1
CRYST
GEO
HC
S81
S91
M80
S76
<14
>24
DBS
HYC
CRYST GEO
2 14-24
<14
FM2743
DS46H
FM2943
>24
DS104
DS90
DS86
DS70
G/R535
2 14-24
AG545
<14
>24
=
=
=
=
=
S250
FM2643
FM2745
FM2546
FM2845
M91
M75
M88
S82
M75V
RD50
FM2943
FM2643
FM2943
M71
M71V
M42
M50
DS68
G/R547 FM2563
DS78H
2 14-24 R/R549 FM2565
DS77H
AR547 FM2865
DS70H
G/R437
AG437
<14
AR437
G/R447
FM2566
DS38
DS80H
B25
DS76H
FM2565 DS34H
DS76H
HC
DBS
HYC
CRYST
GEO
HYC
>24
2 14-24
3
1
DBS
4 Long
RD51
FM2862
R445
AG445
AR445
M44
M61
M68
M61V
M34/M35
DS93H
M36/M37
DS75H
RD90H M39/M40 G417
DS47H
M41/M42
DS47H
DS68H
DS92
FM2665
FM2865
S265H
B10-25
B36-2
FM2745
FM2846
DS65H
DS92H S280H
DS92H S280HY
DS57H
Hughes Christensen
Security Diamant Boart Stratabit
Hycalog
Crystal Profor
Geodiamond
46

GT Drilling Bits 6aug Final

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INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

TRAINING DEPARTMENT, DEHRADUN

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Tungsten Carbide Inserts

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Watercourses and Nozzles

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Roller Bit Classification

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Dull Bit Grading

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Bearing Wear and Failure

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Bit damaged by junk

Washed out bit

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

The feeder-collector, or cross-pad, type of watercourse has channels similar to

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Synthetic Diamond Bits

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

PDC and Diamond Bit Classification

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

How Bits Drill

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

WOB, RPM and ROP

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

ROP, Bit Life and Gauge

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Roller Bit Classification Chart

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

R1, OSC 3A,

INSTITUTE OF DRILLING TECHNOLOGY

Roller Bit Classification Chart