Fulfilling the need for speed: Drill bit designs drilling farther, faster

摘要

Modern drill bits have improved exponentially over the past several years, but operators continue to raise the bar in terms of expectations for more efficiency and durability. From horizontal wells in North American shales to Middle Eastern wells with 3,000- to 6,500-ft sections and even some deepwater wells using rotary steerable systems, operators now oftentimes expect to drill entire hole sections without tripping out for a new bit. "More than 60% of the sections drilled around the world today are already done with one bit, which means that the primary way to reduce customers' drilling costs in those sections is to significantly increase ROP," said Allen White, Product Champion at Smith Bits, a Schlumberger company.