PDC bit technology improvements increase efficiency, bit life

摘要

PDC (POLYCRYSTALLINE Diamond Compact) bits were introduced in the oil and gas industry in the mid 1970s. During the past 30 years, numerous technological improvements brought to the PDC cutters and bits have enabled them to take an important and growing share of the drilling bit market (50 percent of the total footage drilled in 2003 was with PDC bits compared to 26 percent in 2000). The total revenue of PDC bits sales in 2003 was around 600 million dollars. Improvements in PDC bit hydraulics, PDC cutter (tougher and more abrasion resistant cutter) and PDC bit dynamic stability have resulted in continuously and significantly increasing the average rate of penetration (ROP) and bit life of PDC bits, and extend their application in harder and more abrasive formations.