An Analysis of the Field Performance of Antiwhirl PDC Bits

Clegg, John Martin

doi:10.2523/23868-ms

Cited by 8 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…This is commonly known as "Anti-Whirl" technology 1,6,7,8 . The Anti-Whirl PDC bit succeeded in lowering the cost per foot to drill this 16" section from over $195/ft, to under $122/ft.…”

Section: Saudi Arabiamentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Method of Producing Laterally Stable PDC Drill Bits

Johnson¹

2006

Proceedings of IADC/SPE Drilling Conference

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“…This is commonly known as "Anti-Whirl" technology 1,6,7,8 . The Anti-Whirl PDC bit succeeded in lowering the cost per foot to drill this 16" section from over $195/ft, to under $122/ft.…”

Section: Saudi Arabiamentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Method of Producing Laterally Stable PDC Drill Bits

Johnson¹

2006

Proceedings of IADC/SPE Drilling Conference

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Deepwater Drilling in Both Hard and Abrasive Formations; The Challenges of Bit Optimisation

Murphy¹,

Tetley²,

Partin³

et al. 2010

All Days

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In mid 2007, two deepwater exploration wells made the first significant oil discovery offshore Ghana, West Africa (Jubilee Field). Drilling of the first two wells and subsequent appraisal wells indicated hard and abrasive formations, notably in the 12-1/4" reservoir sections, where up to four bits were needed using a combination of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) and tungsten carbide insert (TCI) bits. Therefore amongst the many project challenges there were significant drilling challenges to overcome. The primary goal was to drill the 12-1/4" section in one run, with the benefits of substantially reducing drilling time and costs where full-spread operating rates are in excess of $1MMUSD/day. To address these challenges, the drilling team adopted a holistic planning approach prior to drilling the first development well. This used, in conjunction with a detailed analysis of the offset performance, a 4D finite element model that accurately predicts the performance of bit and bottom hole assembly (BHA). This approach allowed a fundamental understanding of the proposed system and its behaviour. The goal of drilling the section in one run was achieved far sooner than would have been expected using "trial and error" methodology, but with high vibration levels. Ongoing optimisation of the dynamic model with the actual down-hole data justified a BHA change to reduce vibration levels. Subsequently, the changes made to the BHA successfully reduced vibration levels, more than doubled rate of penetration (ROP) and facilitated good quality log while drilling (LWD) data. With the high cost base of deepwater drilling activity, optimisation solutions that can be applied before and during the drilling process will make significant contributions to the overall project economics. Efforts were therefore applied to making the best pre-well bit and BHA selection, then analysing and understanding initial results, with an emphasis on maximising any learning and incorporating recommendations into the subsequent well. On the Jubilee Project, on-going optimisation can now focus on maximising overall drilling performance.

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The Design and Testing of Anti-Whirl Bits

Cooley¹,

Pastusek²,

Christensen³

et al. 1992

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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SPE Members Abstract Laboratory drilling tests have been used successfully to determine the tendency of a PDC drag bit to whirl. Drill bit whirl has been demonstrated in all four drilling simulators where whirl tests were performed. This paper describes the design and testing of anti-whirl PDC drag bits. The verification process of the anti-whirl concept, which includes both laboratory and field tests, will be emphasized. Results from the laboratory drilling experiments that measure a bit's propensity to vibrate are presented. Additionally, results from more than 60 field runs are summarized and discussed, with three successful field runs discussed in detail. Introduction Backwards whirling motion has been shown to be detrimental to the life of polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drag bits. The emergence of technology to suppress this whirling tendency has resulted in the development of anti-whirl drilling bits. Anti-whirl technology is well-documented and consists of positioning the individual cutting elements on the bit so as to create a net imbalance force. This imbalance force pushes the bit against the side of the borehole, which in turn creates a stable rotating condition that resists backwards whirling. The following capabilities must be considered when fabricating drill bits according to anti-whirl technology:*Drilling model capability*Experimental verification of predicted bit stability*Manufacturing process control and verification of accurate final cutter placement; and*A field test and dull bit evaluation program Several authors have discussed drilling models in detail, so for this discussion, these will be addressed only briefly. The emphasis of this discussion will be on the laboratory and field verification of the anti-whirl bit technology. Furthermore, manufacturing process control, which addresses in part the accuracy required for cutter placement to achieve the desired imbalance force and the imbalance force direction, will not be discussed in this paper. Design Rules for Anti-Whirl Bits The inventors of the anti-whirl technology are responsible for the creation of design rules, which dictate, among other things, the magnitude of the imbalance force and the direction of that force with respect to the cutting structure. The design rules also specify the size and location of the cutter devoid area, the style of the gage, the cutter back rake, etc. In accordance with the design rules, for a bit to drill without whirl it is necessary to place the cutters in such as way as to produce the cutting force vector of the proper magnitude and direction. P. 403^

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An Analysis of the Field Performance of Antiwhirl PDC Bits

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

A New Method of Producing Laterally Stable PDC Drill Bits

A New Method of Producing Laterally Stable PDC Drill Bits

Deepwater Drilling in Both Hard and Abrasive Formations; The Challenges of Bit Optimisation

The Design and Testing of Anti-Whirl Bits

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