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Classification of bits
Rotary bits drill the formation using primarily two principles: 1) rock removal by exceeding its
shear strength and 2) removal by exceeding the compressive strength. Broken rock is removed
by rotary scraping or hydraulic cleaning.
Drag Bits
The drag bit is the oldest rotary tool still used by the drilling industry. These bits are currently
manufactured in several different designs with various cutter blade quantities and shapes (Fig. 73). The cutting blades are integrally made with the bit body or are fixed to it and rotate as a unit
with the drillstem. This bit is used primarily in soft and gummy formations. Optimum
performance is attained by arranging the hydraulic equipment and selecting nozzle sizes so
maximum available hydraulic horsepower is expended at the bit. Metallurgy has played an
important role in improving current bit designs over the early two-blade fishtail bit.
Some of the improvements causing continued success in certain soft formations are the
following:
Milled tooth bits: Here the cutting structure is milled from the steel making up the cone.
Insert bits: The cutting structure is a series of inserts pressed into the cones.
Diamond (and Diamond Blank) Bits: The use of diamond inserts in a special bit matrix is an
accepted method of drilling various formations. The diamond is embedded in the formation and
dragged across the face of the rock in a plowing action. The diamond bit drills according to the
shear failure mechanism and is generally limited to certain hardness formations and hole sizes.
Diamond bits will be discussed in greater detail in later sections.
Rolling Cutter Bit Design
Rolling cutter bits receive predominant use throughout the world. As a result, an understanding
of their design principles is essential for effective drilling operations. Common designs used by
most manufacturers will be discussed with a description of various special designs when
applicable. Omission of new or innovative characteristics is done for practicality until these
advances have received adequate field testing.
Bit Bodies.
The bit body consists of
1) The threaded connection, or shank which attaches the bit to the drill string,
2) The bearing pins on which cones are mounted,
3) The lubricant reservoirs, which contain the lubricant supply for the bearings, and
4) The watercourses through which the drilling fluid flows to clean the cuttings from the hole.
The individual body sections, including the integral bearing pins, are machined from forgings or
castings of a nickel-chromium molybdenum alloy steel of a carburizing grade.
The shank of the bit connects the body to the bit sub or lowermost drill collar. The top of the
shank is used for identification. It contains such information as 1) bit diameter in inches, 2)
assembly number, 3) type, 4) manufacturer's trademark, and 5) serial number.
The shank seat and shoulder provide the fluid seal between the bit and the drill string. The bit
legs, when welded together, provide the structural support for the bit. The dimple is a buildup of
metal to provide additional support. The lower exterior section of the bit leg is the" shirttail." The
bit body is forged with nozzle shrouds for the jets in a jet-type bit.
The journal pin is an integral part of the bit leg that provides the connecting point between the bit
cone and the body. The angle of the journal pin from the horizontal varies, depending on the type
of the rock the bit is designed to drill. Hard-formation bits that are generally subjected to high bit
weights have the pin oriented so it can accept the greater vertical component of the bit load.
Another design feature of the bearing pin is the angle between the center line of the pin and the
geometric center of the bit. The offset from the center of the bit causes the cone to drag across
the formation and creates additional shearing actions, termed skew. As harder rocks are drilled,
the degree of offset for the various types of bits decreases since compressive failure becomes the
primary drilling mechanism instead of shearing. Too much skew will cause the bit to wear
quickly in hard formations.
Watercourses
An important part of a rock bit is the watercourses, without which the rest of the rock bit could
not function as intended. Water courses are passageways for the circulating fluid, which
primarily brings cuttings to the surface and cleans the formation below the bit. The design of the
passage ways and nozzles that direct the fluid at the bit differentiates between the two types of
watercourses: 1) conventional watercourses that direct the fluid onto the cutters and 2) jet
watercourses that direct the fluid onto the bottom of the hole.