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

Abstract 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.