Applications and Limitations of Advanced Steel Body PDC Bit Technology

Smith, Lee M.; Perrin, V.P.; Al-Habsi, M.; Mody, F.K.; Delwiche, R.; Akin, E.

doi:10.2118/49256-ms

All Days 1998

DOI: 10.2118/49256-ms

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Applications and Limitations of Advanced Steel Body PDC Bit Technology

Lee M. Smith¹,

V.P. Perrin

M. Al-Habsi

et al.

Abstract: New steel body PDC bit technology is shown to enhance drilling performance in a range of applications previously limited to matrix body bits. Specific aspects of the technology are &taile& including various proven desigm features, and unique manufacturing and materials treatment. In addition. the paper addresses the impact of increasing energy available at the bit face through utilization of a new hydraulic jet technology in combination with the advanced features of steel body PDC bits. Case histories are incl… Show more

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Paradigm Shift in Egypt's Western Desert: Premium Grade Steel-Body Bits Displacing Matrix Designs in Key Applications

Kamel¹,

Mansour²,

Ibrahim³

et al. 2015

SPE Middle East Oil &Amp; Gas Show and Conference

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Recent manufacturing and hardfacing advances have produced a steel-body PDC bit (SB-PDC) capable of efficiently drilling interbedded formations at significant depth. These technological advances have increased the bit's resistance to abrasion/erosion and enabled a new style steel-body PDC bit to drill formations in Egypt's western desert previously drilled by matrix PDC bits. Field tests have confirmed the steel-body PDC bit can outperform matrix PDCs in a wide-range of interbedded applications that contain a heterogeneous mixture of shale, sand/siltstone, and limestone. The approach combines optimized cutting structure design and premium PDC cutters that enable the steel-body PDC bit to drill the abrasive sand/siltstone component. The bit can also efficiently drill shale and soft limestone due to its hydraulic efficiency which was a factor limiting performance improvement in previous designs. The bit solution employs: ➣Cutting structure optimized using FEA-based modeling system➣Premium grade PDC cutters➣Next generation of abrasion/erosion resistant hardfacing material➣Hydraulically efficient bullet-shaped body type The new SB-PDC technology was deployed in a sequence of tests in different applications and fields in Egypt's western desert. The trials were run in different lithologies at different depths. Direct comparisons to relevant matrix PDC technology and other available steel-body bits clearly demonstrates the new-style steel-body PDC bit's value by setting new benchmarks and reducing cost/ft.

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Paradigm Shift in Egypt's Western Desert: Premium Grade Steel-Body Bits Displacing Matrix Designs in Key Applications

Kamel¹,

Mansour²,

Ibrahim³

et al. 2015

SPE Middle East Oil &Amp; Gas Show and Conference

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Solving Swelling Clay Issues in Egypt's Western Desert: Combination of Fluid Engineering and Steel-Body PDC Bit Displaces Roller Cone in Large Hole Section

Ahmad¹,

Hussein²,

El-Azm³

et al. 2015

Day 1 Mon, September 14, 2015

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Drilling the top hole section in Egypt's Western Desert has proven to be a challenge because finding the optimal balance of drilling speed, pulling out of hole without issue, and running the casing without clay swelling is critical. Historically, a standard milled-tooth (MT) bit, slick BHA, and top hole mud system were used for economic considerations. Recently, a problem arose when drilling a 17½-in surface hole in the Western Desert Moghra sand and Dabaa area, where the formation is composed of swelling clays that caused delays and cost increases.The solution to combat clay swelling would require an effective mud strategy; a PDC design that could increase ROP and resist balling while remaining economic; and a slick BHA that ensured hole verticality without the aid of directional tools and minimizes the affect of drillstring dynamics for prolonged PDC bit life. The intent of such optimization is providing enough buffer time for the casing to be run without problems, and the overall solution needs to be more economic than the previous drilling practice.An integrated BHA, bit design, and mud strategy were deployed in a field test with outstanding results. The results showed a step-change in ROP performance and allowed a trouble-free hole. The PDC bit and slick BHA successfully mitigated vibrations and maintained verticality. The application of customized drilling fluid formulation that contained high-performance shale stabilizers with the redesigned mudweight schedules and early fluid displacement resulted in significant enhancements in tripping while drilling as well as in running and cementing the 13 3 ⁄8-in casing.

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Novel Slim-Matrix PDC Construction Boosts Drilling Efficiency: A Field Study of Deep Applications

Sherif

Oufy

Ragheb

et al. 2016

SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition

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The ability to construct slim body matrix bits has been proven and demonstrated to be of value when compared to conventional matrix construction and steel body PDC bits. The new matrix material with enhanced toughness has shown it can take the drilling and dynamic loads of medium depth applications with low to medium compressive strength. However the technical limits possible using slim body construction needs to be established. Recent developments in applications drilling deep sections in medium to hard formations with extended intervals has shown a need to have heavy set PDC bits to be more hydraulically efficient. The construction of heavy set matrix bit has always suffered from tight junk slot area and open face volume because of the high blade count and dense cutting structure. The challenge with the rock column of deep sections is interbedding between soft formations and hard formations creating a need for a cutting structure to be durable but in the same time not suffer from poor cleaning when formation transitions to a softer member column. The new matrix material with enhanced toughness allows for the design of a slim-body PDC matrix construction. The technology was initially rolled out for 8½ in and 12¼ in shallow hole sections and results are recorded in SPE-KSA-113. The scope of this study is testing the structural integrity of this construction together with its effectiveness by extending the concept to heavy set bits and deploying them in deep interbedded rock column applications. The main value sought is that the drilling complexity and costs increase in deep applications and targeting improvement in ROP would have a direct consequence on cost per foot. In this context even an increase of 5% in ROP can have a significant effect if the hole depth is at 15,000 ft TVD. Thus this study focuses on measuring the success rate fo slim body matrix by measuring rate of ROP improvement while ensuring the structural integrity of this technology is not a risk at such depths. The severity of the applications in which these tests were conducted were evaluated when possible with rock compressive strength analysis and measuring that against ROP. The results portion of this part of the campaign (deep applications) has shown surprising results with more success rate percentage of improving ROP vs what was recorded in shallow applications (see SPE-KSA-113). The cost per foot effect was even more significant at such depth with the incremental improvement in ROP as the slim-body matrix construction responded to the variation of formation compressive strength. The slim body matrix feature proved its advantage in interbedded applications, where formations fluctuate from hard to soft and vice versa with no compromise to structural integrity even at the deepest applications drilled in Egypt's rock column.

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Applications and Limitations of Advanced Steel Body PDC Bit Technology

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Paradigm Shift in Egypt's Western Desert: Premium Grade Steel-Body Bits Displacing Matrix Designs in Key Applications

Paradigm Shift in Egypt's Western Desert: Premium Grade Steel-Body Bits Displacing Matrix Designs in Key Applications

Solving Swelling Clay Issues in Egypt's Western Desert: Combination of Fluid Engineering and Steel-Body PDC Bit Displaces Roller Cone in Large Hole Section

Novel Slim-Matrix PDC Construction Boosts Drilling Efficiency: A Field Study of Deep Applications

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