Why PDC Drill Bits Dominate 80% of the Drill Bit Market?

Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) Drill Bits are the most used drill bit type today in drilling operations. However, it is interesting to note that PDC drill bits came into the market, way back in 1971. Designed by American multinational conglomerate, General Electric, PDC Drill Bits were offered as a reliable substitute to steel tooth roller cone used in moderate formations and the natural diamond surface-set bits used in the hardest and most abrasive formations.

Post-2000, PDC Drill Bits have seen a rapid penetration into the market, and have become a preferred choice for drillers around the world.

In this article, let us read about some of the leading PDC drill bits manufacturers, and the new aspects of drill bit technology!

Global PDC Drill Bit Manufacturers

Smith Bits: Schlumberger-owned Smith Bits is a pioneering drill bits manufacturer, and is widely recognized for delivering superior quality drill bits to the oil and gas industry. Smith Bits uses the most advanced design technology to optimize bits for specific drilling needs. Smith bits optimise the PDC drill bits so as to enhance their dynamic stability in a wide range of applications.

Baker Hughes: One of the largest oilfield services companies in the world, Baker Hughes delivers cutting-edge PDC drill bits for the drilling industry. A General Electric Company, Baker Hughes’ product portfolio for PDC drill bits include Dynamus Extended-Life Drill Bit, Talon Force High-Velocity PDC Drill Bits, and Genesis General-Purpose PDC Bits. With its proven history of providing innovative PDC drill bits, Baker Hughes has been a preferred choice of many drillers around the world.

National Oilwell Varco (NOV): Leading services and equipment provider, National Oilwell Varco (NOV) is a US-based oil and gas company, with operations spanning across six continents. Established through a merger between National Oilwell and Varco in 2005, the firm leverages domain expertise of ReedHycalog to provide excellent PDC drill bits to the drilling industry.

The performance of bits depends on several operating parameters such as weight on bit (WOB), revolution per minute, mud properties and hydraulic efficiency, and so on. It is extremely important to understand here the different types of drill bits available today to the drilling companies, and the drill bit technology most preferred for drilling wells!

Types of Drill Bits

Drill bits come in all shapes and size. From Steel Tooth Rotary Bits to Insert Bits, from Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) Bits to Diamond Bits to hybrids of all the mentioned bit-types, there are all sorts of drill bits available to drilling operators in the industry. Choosing a bit type mostly depends on the type of formation, where drilling is performed. There are majorly two categories of drilling bits:

Roller Cone Bits: Sometimes also referred to as tri-cone bits, Roller Cone bits feature the cutting structures on three rolling cones, where all the cones are attached to the main bit body. Roller Cone bits are further classified into the following bit types:

• Mill tooth bits: The Mil tooth bit type has steel teeth milled right on the cones. The formation-type decides the size and shape of teeth on the mil tooth bit. While long and slender teeth are used in soft formation, the hard formation sees the usage of short and broad teeth.
• Insert bits: The Insert bits are characterised by cones with tungsten carbide inserts pressed into them. The bits are much harder and last longer when drillers face hard formations. Similar to the case of mil tooth bits, the teeth are long and chisel-shaped for soft formations, and short and round-shaped for hard formation.

The roller cone bits have many features such as:

– Gauge protection

– Journals

– Bearings

– Offset

Fixed Cutter Bits: As is evident from the name, fixed cutter bits have no movable parts, which means that the cutting structures and bit body rotate together. Fixed cutter bits are further classified into PDC drill bits, Thermally Stable PDC (TSP) bits and diamond bits. Let us find out more about them here:

• PDC Drilling Bits: The PDC bit consists of cutters which have a layer of artificial diamond (polycrystalline diamond). The polycrystalline diamond is bonded to the layer of cemented tungsten carbide by the means of a high-pressure and high-temperature technique. Since the wearing and tearing of each layer exposes the sharp crystals, the cutter becomes self-sharpening. While manufacturing, the cutters are placed in a helical pattern on the face of the bit, while the head of the bit has studs of tungsten carbide bonded with diamonds, pressed into them. This self-sharpening, hard and wear-resistant cutter adds greatly to the PDC drill bits’ strength.
• TSP Drilling Bits: The need for TSP Drilling Bits arose to solve the problem of weakening bonds between the bonding materials in high-temperature downhole conditions. The TSP bits consists of polycrystalline diamonds, but without the bonding materials.
• Diamond Bits: The diamond bits usually come into the picture when the formation to be drilled is very hard and abrasive in nature. Diamond bits are beneficial in terms of longevity, reduced number of bit trips and time required for the bit to get to the next casing point. However, diamond drill bits also come with drawbacks such as slow rates of penetration. Apart from this, the diamonds are embedded into a steel body, which can lead to easy balled bits in soft formation. The natural diamond bits necessitate relatively high RPM and moderate weight on bit (WOB). That is why the use of diamond drill bits are limited to hard formations.

Latest Drill Bit Technology

The technology employed behind manufacturing PDC drill bits has seen a massive transformation over the years. The drill bit manufacturers are working with a renewed focus on enhancing the performance of the PDC drill bits. A major effort in this area is the introduction of the Cruzer™ Depth-of-Cut Rolling Element by Halliburton. The innovative solution offered by Halliburton drives more efficiency into PDC drill bits. Through the use of Cruzer technology, penetration rates have seen a significant improvement, all the while delivering better tool-face control. This enables drillers to drill the intervals on target, constantly. Many times, the PDC bit over engages because of changes in the formation or due to vibration. The depth-of-cut control (DOCC) rolling element reduces this over-engagement without diminishing cutting energy, such that all torque is available for the cutters to shear the rock. The Cruzer™ Depth-of-Cut Rolling Element technology is designed to overcome the most challenging formations.

With all the advantages that PDC drill bits provide and the consistent R&D in the field has rendered drillers one of the most cost-saving, efficient and reliable drill bit in the world. It is no wonder that more than 80% of the footage drilled worldwide is achieved through PDC Drill bits. It’d be interesting to observe what more PDC drill bits will have to offer in the coming future!