Energize your mind. www.halliburton.

com May 2005

One of the greatest challenges for
any PDC bit application is "hard
rock" drilling where impact damage,
heat damage and the abrasive wear
of PDC cutters limits bit
performance. A common
misconception held by many is that
hard rock formations consist of high
compressive strength rock when, in
fact, it is actually hard-to-drill rock
and formations. Since drillers can
spend as much as 80% of their budget drilling hard rock footage
that represents only 20% of a well's total footage, bit selection
becomes critical since poor bit choices can be costly.
Due to the inability of past PDC bits to effectively deal with the
various destructive forces of hard rock formations, roller cone
bits have dominated hard rock drilling for years. Now, new
developments in PDC technology are extending PDC bit
applications to hard rock and, as a result, PDC bits are routinely
replacing roller cone bits these formations.
One of the newer PDC technologies is the FM3000 series drill
bits from Security DBS that incorporate a new, highly abrasion-
resistant PDC cutter in their design. These bits are successfully
extending PDC bit drilling applications to hard rock formations
like the Spraberry field in West Texas and the Travis Peak
formation in East Texas.
In direct offset comparisons, the new bits, which are fitted with
newly developed PDC cutters, are producing significant increases
in both footage drilled and rate of penetration (ROP) in hard rock
formations. This, in turn, is resulting in significant drilling costs
reductions for operators.
Designed using new tools that capitalize on a better
understanding of bit dynamics, the FM3000 bits utilize a highly
abrasion-resistant Z3 claw cutter as its primary cutter. The Z3
cutters are backed by secondary PDC R1 cutters that not only
remove rock efficiently, but optimize depth of cut for maximum
New PDC Bit Design, Cutter Technology
Overcome Hard Rock Drilling Challenges


Guy Lefort

Global Product Champion,
Security DBS

drilling efficiency and add restorative forces when engaged.



The secondary R1 back-up
PDC cutter not only adds
significant diamond volume in
high wear areas, but also aids
in stability when engaged.
Click image to enlarge
New cutter exceeds by an order of magnitude the abrasion
resistance of industry standard cutters.
By using the R1 cutters to trail the Z3 cutters, the FM3000 bit
designs can result in fewer overall blades than competing bits.
Fewer blades mean fewer primary cutters, which translates to
faster rates of penetration and ultimately lower drilling costs. The
R1 backup cutters are placed using software that allows the bit
designers to optimize the primary cutters' engagement based on
drilling parameters. The backup R1 cutters also prevent the
primary cutter from over engagement during moments of high
instantaneous ROP. When engaged, these sharp cutters
efficiently remove rock which reduces drag, torque, and axial
vibration associated with excessive cutter over-engagement.
In addition to improving cutter technology, it is important to note
that the FM3000 bits comprise a highly engineered design
platform and are designed using a "tool box of options" that
combines advanced modeling and sophisticated analytical
capabilities to allow customized designs for hard or abrasive
applications. Cutting efficiency and durability are optimized
according to specific rock properties and drilling parameters, and
a transitional drilling model simulation evaluates how cutting
forces are affected during the transitional drilling often

encountered in hard rock environments.
Also, FM3000 series bits are globally force balanced with forces
equally distributed to optimize axial, lateral, and torsional forces
for more effective bit performance in challenging hard rock
environments.

Advanced Cutter/Rock Interaction Model
When weight is applied to a PDC bit, a portion of that weight is
distributed to each cutter that is in contact with the formation.
Depending on the position, shape characteristics and orientation
of each cutter, resultant forces are generated. These forcesdrag
force, axial force and radial forceare calculated for each cutter.
In order to accurately calculate the engagement area of the
cutter, each surface is meshed into very small grids. In this way,
the effects of cutter orientation on the engagement area can be
considered. Depending on the cutting depth, forces on each
surface may be significantly different.
It is well known that cutter wear depends on cutting force,
relative speed, temperature, cutter material properties and rock
properties. Previous wear models estimated only the wear flat
without considering the orientation of the wear flat, the actual
diamond thickness, the interface geometry of diamond layer and
carbide, and abrasive resistance.
Using the new cutter/rock interaction model described above,
cutter wear can be considered three dimensionally and all
neglected factors in previous models can be easily considered as
well.
Global Force Balanced Bits
Of the three forces acting on a bitaxial force, lateral force and a
bending momentit has long been recognized that balancing the
lateral force is very important to preventing whirl. In fact,
previous concepts of PDC bit force balancing referred only to
lateral force balance due to the belief that once lateral force was
balanced, the bit bending moment was balanced also.
However, further study revealed that bit bending moment
contributes not only to bit lateral motion or whirl, but also to bit
tilt motion, which significantly effects bit directional control. Even
a perfectly force balanced bit may exhibit tilt motion caused by
the bending moment. Therefore, balancing the bending moment
is equally as important as balancing lateral force.








Bending moment generated by uneven distribution of axial forces
over cutter.


A PDC bit that is balanced both in terms of lateral force and
bending moment is a "global force balanced" bit. Designing such
a bit involves adjusting the cutting structure to reduce the
imbalance numbers. For example, the new FM3000 series bits are
force balanced according to a specific set of design criteria which
considers the summation of cutter forces to a global lateral and
axial bit imbalance, resulting in a global force balanced design.
Energy Balanced Bits
The concept of "energy balanced" bits is based on the fact that
the amount of formation removed by each individual cutter on a
bit differs and, as a result, the force acting on each cutter also
differs. Furthermore, the number of cutters differs from blade to
blade; therefore, the forces acting on each blade differ.
Therefore, to avoid overloading individual cutters and blades, it is
necessary to control these load distributions.
Equally distributing the forces minimizes the change in work or
force among regions or zones of the cutting structure. Thus,
designing a "torque and drag balanced" PDC bit involves
analyzing the distribution of work and forces on a cutting
structure with the aim of controlling force distribution over both
blades and cutters.
As with force balancing, a specific set of force distribution bit
design criteria has been developed. In this case, the ratio of the
average change in cutter torque across zones to the average
cutter torque over the entire region is considered. By controlling
the force distribution over both the blades and the cutters, these
bits can reduce impact damage and uneven wear while promoting
improved ROP.
Field Applications and Testing

The innovations incorporated in the FM3000 series bits provide a
number of benefits in terms of drilling performance. Global force
balancing reduces lateral and axial vibration to maximize ROP,
while energy balancing evenly distributes cutter forces, reducing
impact damage and uneven wear. Use of the new Z3 PDC cutters
offers significantly increased abrasion-resistance with no loss of
impact-resistance, effectively drilling even hard rock formations
The following case histories offer a sampling of recent field
performance and testing of the new PDC bits:
Field testing in the Spraberry Trend, Spraberry Field.
The major formations encountered in the Spraberry Trend are the
Rustler, Yates, Grayburg, San Andreas, Upper and Lower
Spraberry, and, sometimes, the Wolfcamp. All subject formations
are Permian in age. Below 10,000 feet depth, the formations are
generally hard carbonates, primarily limestone and dolomites,
with compressive strengths ranging from 25 kpsi up to as much
as 40 kpsi. For initial trials a standard seven blade, 1/2-in. cutter
(FM2745) bit was chosen. This initial PDC design utilized the
force balanced features previously mentioned, asymmetrical
spiraled blades with a heavier set gage cutter configuration.
A total of 138 runs were made with the new designs, including Z3
cutters, and drilled an average of 7,720 feet in 119.9 hours for
an overall rate of penetration of 64.4 ft/hr. A total of 57 of the
bits (41%) made runs to the target depth of 8,500 feet or more.
This performance compares favorably to 30% for the initial
designs which reached the target depth.
Midland County
An FM2745, with Z3 cutters and track set design, drilled 7,686
feet in 84.0 hours for an overall rate of penetration of 91.4 ft/hr.
The run did not TD the well but the resultant cost-per-foot of
$5.76 was well below the average $11.75 cost-per-foot of the 7
7/8-in. roller cone runs in the area. The dull bit graded a 3-3-CT-
A-I.


Single set cutting structure of a PDC bit on the left and track set
cutting structure on the right. Track setting allows the formation
to extend up between the cutters, forming concentric rings on
the bottom hole to increase cutter contact with the formation.
Also, an FM2745R, track set design with Z3 cutters, was run in
Midland County. It drilled 9,330 feet in 133.5 hours for an overall
ROP of 69.9 ft/hr. This PDC run replaced three roller cone runs
and two trips for a combined saving of over $45,000.

Reagan County
An FM2745 equipped with Z3 cutters, track set design with full
impact arrestors, was able to drill 8,272 feet in 106.0 hours to TD
at an average rate of 78.0 ft/hr. The dull bit graded a 3-2-CT-N-
In gage. As a result of this outstanding ROP performance, the
customer realized an approximate saving of $44,000.
Other Bit Runs
Recently, data was obtained on 19 PDC bit runs in the area.
These bits were exclusively the FM2745R design with Z3 cutters
and utilized optimized energy levels and running practices
established throughout the test program. The bits averaged runs
of 8,231 feet in 134.2 hours for an overall rate of penetration of
61.3 ft/hr. The rate of penetration is down slightly from the total
average for all runs (64.4 ft/hr), but a total of 14 of the bits (74
%) reached the target depth of 8,500 feet or more.
Travis Peak Formation
The Travis Peak formation in the Oak Hill field in East Texas
comprises primarily very fine-grain sandstone interbedded with
shale and mudstone. Traditionally the interval could be drilled
only by using several IADC 647Y to 817Y insert bits. Recent
efforts using PDC bits to drill this section have been met with
only marginal economic improvement.

A new 7-7/8-in. FMX753 PDC bit equipped with Z3 cutters
successfully drilled 1,213 ft at 29.6 ft/hr, outperforming the next-
best offset with a 34% increase in footage and a 7% increase in
ROP.
The FMX753 bit drilled 58% more footage at a 40% higher ROP
than the average of all competitor offsets in the field, including
one offset that utilized two competitor bits. Even when combined,
the two competitor bits did not equal this single run performance,
which dropped cost/foot from a high of $73.54 to just $19.20/ft.
Additionally, the bit was pulled in repairable condition with a dull
grade of 1-2-WT-S-X-I-CT-PR. By comparison, competitive
designs were not repairable and had an average dull condition of
6-8-RO-N/S-X-3-BT-PR.
Summary
Hard rock formations come in as many variations as the designs
that drill them. Just as rock strength isn't the only definition of
hard rock; R1 backup cutters, or track set designs are just two of
several possible features used to tackle hard and abrasive
formations. Security DBS' field-deployed Applications, Design,
Evaluation (ADESM) Technical Specialists have the experience
and a "toolbox of options" to design your custom hard rock bit.
In a recent U.S. Oil Services PatchWork Survey conducted by
UBS, customers were asked which company provides the
greatest value in PDC bits. Halliburton improved 11 percentage
points over its 2004 standing while all other major competitors'
ratings fell over the same period. Indeed, Halliburton and
Security DBS are bringing value to the customer bit by bit.



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