PDC BIT COURSE

PDC
 PDC BIT BASICS
• STEEL PDC BITS
• Are milled (machined) from steel stock. PDC cutters are attached and silver brazed
in place in appropriately located drilled pockets. Surfaces that are subject to
abrasion and erosion must be protected by hard-facing and coating.

• MATRIX PDC BITS

• Are castings made of matrix material. PDC cutters are attached and silver brazed
in place in appropriately located pockets. Because of the natural hardness of
matrix, it is unnecessary to provide additional protection against abrasion or
erosion.
 MATERIALS
Differs Between Matrix & Steel
• Matrix bits have a cast body, steel bits are milled
from forgings or wrought materials. Matrix
material is too hard to be machined.

• Matrix bits are far more abrasion and erosion

resistant than steel. Steel bit must be protected
against abrasion and erosion with hard-facing.

• Steel bits are structurally stronger and tougher

than matrix bits. Matrix bits require the support
of an internal steel structural member (a blank).
 MATERIALS
Differs Between Matrix & Steel
• Steel bits are relatively easy to manufacture and can be delivered
relatively quickly. Cast, matrix require cores, patterns and / or
milled molds that can be difficult and time consuming to produce.

• Milled, steel bits are dimensionally more accurate and are more
repeatable than cast, matrix bits.

• Because of the difference in structural capabilities of steel and

matrix, bit geometries are dissimilar. For example, steel blades can
often be taller and less think than matrix bit blades.

• Impregnated bits can only be constructed of matrix materials.

 MATERIALS
Differs Between Matrix & Steel
• Because of the weld-ability of steel, steel body bits can be easily
refurbished. Cutters and hard-facing can be replaced, minor
erosion damage can be repaired, and threads can be restored.
GeoDiamond developmental now makes certain rebuild activities
possible with matrix bits, too.

• Matrix-body PDC bits are commonly preferred over steel bits in

cases in which erosion of the body is likely to cause the bit to fail.

• For example, in smaller diameter wells in which drilling mud flow

rate is high or in which the mud contains a high proportion of
abrasive solid material.
Matrix Materials Testing
 PDC: POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND
COMPACT
• A PDC is a composite comprised of synthetic (man-
made) diamond grit and tungsten carbide.

• “Compact” is a term given to materials formed by the

compression of powders.

• The diamond is sintered, with a metallic binder, onto a

sintered tungsten carbide substrate for use as a cutter.

• Diamond crystals in PCD are oriented in diverse

directions.
 TSP: THERMALLY STABLE PCD
• diamond. As PCD is heated, the contained catalyst will expands at a
greater rate than the surrounding Diamond particles. At about
750°C, the expanded catalyst begins to break diamond-to-diamond
bonds and thermal degradation of the PDC will begin.

• PDC thermal stability can be improved by removing catalyst content

from the PDC by an acid leaching process. After catalyst removal,
the modified PDC is called TSP and is thermally stable to a
temperature of1,150°C (similar but slightly below diamond).

• TSP is manufactured in wafers that can be cut into required shapes

and sizes suitable for an intended application. Like diamond, TSP it
is not “wettable,” however, and cannot, as a result, be bonded to a
supporting substrate.
Matrix Manufacturing
Matrix Manufacturing
Matrix Manufacturing
Matrix Manufacturing
 MANUFACTURING STEEL BODY BITS
• Are manufactured from forged, alloy steel that is
heat treated to the proper mechanical properties.

• The bit profile, hydraulic design, and API pin

connection are all machined. Cutter attachment
is achieved by brazing PDC cutters into the
machined cutter pockets. The pockets are drilled
into the bit body face with a CNC.
 MANUFACTURING STEEL BODY BITS
• tungsten carbide hard-facing is then applied to the blade
faces and top using thermal spray techniques.
• Field experience has shown that steel body bits are more
susceptible to erosion and abrasion than matrix bits.

• This generally occurs in conjunction with high bit pressure

drops, extended bit runs, and / or high solids content
drilling fluids.

• This becomes the limiting factor when cutters cannot be

replaced or the nozzle retention system is hampered, due
to erosion or abrasion.
 PDC CUTTER MANUFACTURING
PROCESS
• The diamond layer in PDC, is called wafer.
• Wafer is produced by mixing fine grained, man-made, diamond grit (100
microns or less in diameter) with a catalyst, typically cobalt or nickel.

• mixture is subjected to pressure, over million psi., temperature, 1350ºC

• The final product is a thin piece of random oriented, interconnected

diamonds with the pore space filled with residual catalyst.
 PDC CUTTER MANUFACTURING
• hybrid bits are named because more than one
diamond type is employed in their construction
• All PDC wafer is made in two steps:
– manufacture diamond grit from graphite
– a growth of mono-crystalline grit crystals
• The shape of the container determines the final
shape of the product.
 PDC BIT DESIGN
• Mechanical design parameters,
• Hydraulic conditions, and,
• The properties of the rock being drilled.
 Weld Strength
• All PDC bits are manufactured in two parts, the body section and the pin
section.

• These two sections are integrated by a weld that joins the steel, structural
bit blank in the body with the steel pin section.
•
• This joint must be capable of transferring full torque loads between the
body and pin and must withstand all impact loading the bit sustains.
 Weld Strength
Braze strength is principally governed by four factors:
• Joint design,
• Joint integrity,
• Materials capabilities, and,
• Manufacturing methods.
 PDC BIT PROFILE
• Bit stability,
• Bit steer-ability,
• Bit cutter density,
• Bit durability,
• Bit ROP,
• Bit cleaning efficiency, and,
• Prevention of thermal damage to cutters by
cooling efficiency.
 THE INFLUENCES OF BIT PROFILE
• Balance two cross purposes:
– bit ROP
– bit stability

• When a bit is capable of generating cuttings faster than they can be

removed, however, penetration is restricted by the cuttings and the
achievement of optimal ROP is impeded.
PDC FORCES
PDC FORCES
 PROFILE ELEMENTS
• The apex
• The cone
• The nose
• The shoulder or taper
• The outside diameter radius
• The gage
 Cone Area
Deep Cone Angle 90 Deg, Shallow Cone Angle, 150 Deg, Profile
 Deep Cones
• provide a high degree of bit stability.
• The cone shaped portion of the borehole bottom projects upward into the bit’s
cone and counteract forces encouraging lateral bit movement
• makes bits difficult to steer & the large central area renders less aggressive.
• The large central area of deep cone bits makes high central area cutter
densities possible.
• This is an advantage for diamond bits in highly abrasive formations.
• For PDC bits, large cutter density at the bit center is not an advantage,
however.
• Because cuttings must travel over a relatively longer, (compared to shallow
cones), and curved distance to escape the cone area, bits with deep cones are
relatively more difficult to clean.
 Shallow Cone
• Shallow cone bits:
– more steerable
– easier to clean
– more aggressive than deep cone bits.

• Flatness of the profile provides cutters in nearly the same plane, allowing more
cutters to take impact loads as hard stringers are encountered.

• The shallow cone and absence of a nose characteristic of this profile provide little
stabilization for radial loads. The profile requires a long gage to maintain
directional stability.

• Any eccentric rotation of these motors during the rotary mode will produce
excessive wear on the gage cutters because of the low number of cutters available
to support gage Loading.
 Bit Nose
• The location of a bit nose and the sharpness of nose radius
curvature influence bit aggressiveness and durability of the design.

• More generous nose radii increase bit durability; the closer the
centerline of a bit is to the bit’s nose, the more aggressive the
design will be.
 Bit Nose
• Potential for cutter density in a bit design is a function of the bit’s nose
shape and length.

• Longer profile lengths have more surface area available for the placement
of cutters, hydraulic layouts, and nozzles. Surface area requiring cleaning
increases with longer profile lengths.

• Shorter profile lengths are less stable but reduce the distance cuttings
must travel to reach the annulus.
• Shorter profiles provide more uniform loading, when drilling across
transitions, than do longer profiles.
 Nose Radii
• A large nose radius provides
higher surface area for better
load distribution in hard and
transitional drilling.

• A small or sharp radius

provides higher point loading
on cutters and is best suited
for soft, homogeneous
formations.
 Nose location
• closer to the centerline of the bit
provides a larger bit surface area
and makes it possible to increase
cutter density on the bit shoulders
and suitable for soft, abrasive
formations.

• Nose locations closer to the bit

gage provide more surface area on
the bit face for better load
distribution. This type of profile is
best suited for harder formations.
 Gage
• Gage helps to stabilize the bit and maintain an in-
gage wellbore.

• Bit gage features can also provide stabilization to

the bit and help to prevent undesirable operating
properties such as bit whirl.
 PROFILE TYPES
• Flat profile,
• Short parabolic profile,
• Medium parabolic profile,
• Long parabolic profile.
 Flat profiles
• Flat profiles with relatively sharper noses are used for
drilling relatively softer, less abrasive formations.
• Flat profiles are less aggressive than parabolic profiles.
 Short Parabolic Profile
• it provides an effective compromise between ROP, wear, and cleaning.
• Surface area is not significantly increased, relative to cleaning and cooling.
• Cutter density can be increased due to the increase in surface area, thus
the ability to evenly distribute workloads and wear.
• Note: generally as cutter density is increased, ROP will be reduced.
• This reduction is offset by the more aggressive profile.
• This bit profile does offer good resistance to impact loading of the cutters
due to the blunt nose.
 Short Parabolic Profile
• The characteristic provides a large surface area on the nose to accommodate a
higher cutter density.
• As with the flat shallow cone profile, a greater number of cutters are available to
take up impact loading as harder formations are encountered.
• The short parabolic profile does not accomplish this task as well as the shallow
cone profile, but becomes a good compromise if greater wear resistance is needed
by increasing cutter density.

• Typically this profile is used both for rotary and down-hole motor applications.
• Have the sharpest noses of the three types of parabolic profiles.

• This profile is not aggressive and is used for drilling softer, less abrasive formations.
 Medium & Long Profile
• Medium Parabolic Profile
• Medium parabolic profiles with
relatively wide noses are rather
aggressive and are used to drill
harder and more abrasive
formations.
• Medium parabolic profiles clean
better than short parabolic profiles.

• Long Profile
• Long parabolic profiles with wide
noses are used to drill harder and
more abrasive formations,
 CUTTER DENSITY
• Redundancy of cutters will generally increase from the center to the
outer radius of the bit, due to work of greater radial positions.
• Increased cutter density lowers ROP but increases bit life.
• Cleaning of a bit can be expected to fall as cutter density increases.
• Decreasing number of cutters results with same WOB the unit load
per cutter is increased & cutters are pushed deeper into the
formation (greater depth of cut) finally ROP increases and higher
torque results.
 When cutter density is increased
• Design engineers increase cutter density on a bit face with increased radial
distance from bit centerline.

• This is because, as a cutter’s radial position increases, it must travel farther and
faster. For an equal depth of cut, a cutter on the outer radius travels farther at a
higher linear velocity and must remove more rock per revolution than an inner
cutter.
• It is evident that outer cutters are required to do more work.
• Outer cutters are subject to a greater wear rates than those near the centerline.
 When cutter density is increased
• In order to equalize work and the associated wear, the WOB supported by each
cutter must be reduced as radial position increases.

• To achieve uniform wear, cutters are shifted outward, radially to provide higher
regional density in areas of higher wear and lower density in areas of lower wear.
• Regional cutter density can be examined by rotating the cutter placement, through
360º onto a single plane,

• Note: The graphic shows that cutter density as been increased, for the depicted
bit, in the “outward” radial direction from bit centerline.
• Note also that the planer cutter strike pattern inscribes an image of bit profile.
 CUTTER EXPOSURE
• The manner in which exposure is achieved depends on:
– The depth to which a cutter is mounted in the bit body,
– Cutter size, and / or,
– Structures designed onto the bit to elevate the cutters above the face.
• From the hydraulic aspect:
– exposure and thus chip clearance should be small in order to maintain high fluid velocities
that quickly remove cuttings and effectively cool the cutters.
– exposure must be sufficiently large so that it does not impede chip generation and removal.
 CUTTER EXPOSURE
• In soft formations & larger chips, insufficient exposure cause the cuttings
compact under the bit This impedance results in bit balling.

• The use of fluid courses fed by a nozzle along the cutting edge, as in blade
bits, has proven to be an effective arrangement.
• Fluid along the cutting edge is maintained at a sufficient velocity through a
constant area watercourse along the cutting edge or blade.
• Junk slots, placed at the end of the watercourse or gage, allow fluids to be
channeled from a high pressure area directly to a low-pressure area.
 CUTTER EXPOSURE
• Weight on bit can produce a significant effect on cleaning with
regard to cutter exposure.
• As WOB is increased, average differential pressure applied to the
formation below the bit increase.
• Thus, the use of maximum practical cutter exposure should be
employed. Maximum cutter exposure:
– Provides and maintains space for chip clearance,
– Enables unimpeded fluid flow and velocity, and,
– Assures best possible cleaning efficiency.
 Cutter Exposure
• Partial Cutter Exposure
• When a portion of the cutter face is mounted
within the bit body, it is said to be partially
exposed.
• This design exhibits excellent cutter impact and
retention strength, but limits chip clearance in a
way that can interfere with cuttings generation.
Partially exposed cutters are best suited for
applications in harder formations because
generated cuttings volume is small.

• Full Cutter Exposure

• Full exposure requires that the entire cutter face
be exposed to the formation. This provides a
larger chip clearance that minimizes interference.
 CUTTER ORIENTATION
back rake & side rake
• BACK RAKE ANGLE:
• Back rake defines the aggressiveness of the cutter
• Rake angles would be closer to zero in the bit center
• As back rake angle is increased, the tendency of cuttings to
stick to the bit face is reduced
• greater back rake angles is suitable for Harder formations
require to give durability to the cutting structure and
reduce “chatter” or vibration but it reduces ROP
 BACK RAKE ANGLE

• TSP cutters generally have lower back rake than PDC cutters, in the
order of 0º - 5º. This aggressiveness is possible because TSP cutters
are thermally stable and are not, for the most part, subject to
thermal degradation wear as are PDC cutters.
 SIDE RAKE ANGLE
• he angle between the cutter face and the radial plane of
the bit
• A mechanical cleaning action is the benefit of side rake
• Cutters that incorporates side rake are
• forced forward in both a radial and a tangential direction
when the bit rotates
• Typical side rake is in the 15º order of magnitude although
the range is between 0º and 45º or even more.
 PDC CUTTER DEVELOPMENT
• manufactured layer of diamond, normally 0.5 to 1.2 millimeter thick.
• The diamond layer is characterized by a randomly oriented,
interconnected diamond crystal network with residual cobalt at the crystal
interfaces.

• PDC WEARING
• PDC and TSP cutting elements are subject to three types of wear
mechanisms:
– Abrasive (including erosion) wear,
– Impact wear, and,
– Thermal Damage.

• Each of these mechanisms is intensified at elevated temperatures because

of reduced mechanical strength and increased thermal stresses.
 ABRASIVE WEAR
• volumetric wear from abrasion is proportional to the load and sliding
distance at a particular speed.
•
• Abrasive wear occurs, through a process of impact shock and fatigue on
the individual diamond grains.

• In this case, the rate at which abrasion occurs is dependent upon the
hardness differential between cutter and formation.
•
• In soft formations, this wear rate is very low; as formation hardness
increases, wear rate also increases.

• Thermal conditions in a cutter directly affect the abrasion resistance.

• PDC cutters are considered thermally stable to 750°C and TSP cutters are
thermally stable to 1200°C.
 Thermal Damage
• This results in a mismatch of the thermal expansion
coefficient between the diamond / tungsten carbide
interface, producing large compressive and tensile
stresses. (350 to 700 Deg)
• abrasive wear is the only wear mechanism occurring if
cutter contact point temperature is maintained below
350°C
• The effect of cutter velocity is seen on dull bits, in
which outer radii cutters are significantly more worn
than the inner cutters. This is due to the higher linear
velocity of the cutters as radial position increases.
 The depth of cut per revolution
• F = ROP / RPM
• if greater penetration rate is required, it is
better to achieve it by increasing WOB rather
than rotary speed.
• Thermal degradation is the actual wear
mechanism in PDC cutters.
 THERMAL DEGRADATION
• Constant contact with abrasive rock rapidly heats the
cutting tip of the PDC cutters. The cobalt that fills the pore
space within the diamond lattice has a much higher
coefficient of thermal expansion than diamond.

• In very hard, abrasive rocks the temperatures achieved at

the diamond cutting edge /point can exceed 2350ºF;
thereby, spontaneously reverting the diamond to graphite
and immediate wear of the newly formed graphite.

• At temperatures mentioned above, diamond, being carbon,

combines chemically with various media being drilled, iron
bearing minerals and silicates, for example.
 CUTTING MECHANICS
• Rock types:
– Brittle
– Semi-Brittle
– Ductile
• rock strength, is a function of rock composition and down-hole conditions:
– Temperature
– Pressure
– Depth
• Stresses Can be:
– Tensile
– Torsional
– Compression
• Strain (Deforming) Can be:
– very little for Brittle
– Elastic plastic for Ductile
 CUTTING MECHANICS
• PDC bits are primarily designed to drill by shearing.
• The resultant force defines a plane of thrust for the
cutter.
• In shear stress the energy required to reach the plastic
limit for rupture is significantly less than for
compressive stress.
• This result can be seen in the lower PDC bit weight
required in comparison to milled tooth bits.
 Substrate
• Substrates are a tungsten carbide material

• Generally, geometries that increase interface

surface area improve bonding. Geometries also
attempt to hold stresses at the bond to the
lowest possible level.
The maximum thickness of a diamond
layer is limited in two ways
• Diamond to diamond bonding requires that
cobalt be thoroughly diffused in the diamond grit.
This diffusion becomes more difficult as diamond
table thickness increases and diamond to
diamond bonding becomes erratic.

• • Chipping or flaking of the diamond table at the

edges and corners. Cracking in diamond layer that
can lead catastrophic failure of the diamond table
and eventually even the substrate.
 Diamond Table Thickness Ratio
(DTTR)
• DTTR =CTT / PTT
 PDC Cutting Structures
• Cutting structures must provide adequate
bottom hole coverage to address formation
hardness, abrasiveness, potential vibrations,
and satisfy customer productive and economic
needs.
 PDC Cutting Structures
1. Single set cutting structures: A random spiral distribution of
individual PDC cutters over the full face of a bit with one cutter in
each radial position on the face.
2. Single set ribbed or bladed cutting structures: A multiplicity of
ribs or blades with one PDC cutter in each radial position.
3. Plural set ribbed or bladed cutting structures: A multiplicity of ribs
or blades more than one PDC cutter in each radial position on the
bit face
 SINGLE SET BLADED CUTTING
STRUCTURES
• This evolutionary stage of cutting structure design focused on
visible change through its addition of blades and also through
innovation in cutter placement
• the design continues to be focused on bottom hole coverage rather
than cutter performance and longevity.
• Clockwise cutter distribution is called a forward spiral;
counterclockwise distribution is a reverse spiral,
 PLURAL SET BLADED CUTTING
STRUCTURES
• the current standard of cutting structure evolution.
• In plural set designs, invisible features (such as force
balancing) have the biggest influence on bit stability
and cutter layout and distribution.
• Plural set structures employ sets of cutters comprised
of two or more cutters per set having identical radial
positions.
 OTHER CUTTING STRUCTURE
ELEMENTS
• Visible features include:
– blade and cutter
– Layout
– gage geometry
– low friction pad, etc.
• Non-visible features:
– force balancing
– cutter distribution and layout, etc.
Nomenclatures
Nomenclatures
 Nomenclatures

Junk Slot Area

 Nomenclatures

Total face volume

 Nomenclatures

PDC BACKREAMING

BACK-UP FACE CUTTERS

 Nomenclatures

Gage Protection

Lo-Vibe or Anti Shock

DULL GRADING SYSTEM
DULL GRADING SYSTEM
NO.1, NO.2
DULL GRADING SYSTEM
NO.1, NO.2
Dull Characteristics
Location
 Bearings/Seals & Amount Under-gage

• Bearings/Seals: It will always be marked “X”

for fixed cutter bits.
• the amount the bit is under-gage is recorded
to the nearest 1/16th of an inch
Reason Pulled