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FIELD APPLICATION OF PDC BITS

Tarik Al Ani
INTODUCTION: 19 may, 08

PDC Bits have been successfully used in all SHERARA fields. About 30 of them have
been already used since 2004, which have saved rig time and money.
Many of these Bits drilled 12 ¼” face all the way down to Hawas or Maymount
formation, but few of them succeeded to drill through down to TD.
Most of PDC Bits drilled Marar & Wanin formation to top of Akakus, but failed to
continue through and POOH. But rerun later in Tanzzuft and probably in another wells.

Different type of PDC Bits from different manufacturer has been used. Most of them are
profitable, but to various extend. Some drilled more than 2 wells down to Hawas, where
some others of same kind finished only one well.
Although most of the Bits are well used, there are many others were over used to the limit
of dropping ROP below those of conventional Bits, causing a reduction in the gain which
has already made in the first place. There fore it is vital to define a minimum ROP in
each section to use it as an index to enable company men to decide where is the Bottom
line to POOH?

There is also a need to review the grading of PDC Bit condition. Such condition might
reach in course of drilling to a skeptical stage; might mislead to unbeneficial Rerun.

The study include the calculation of average ROP at each section of 12 ¼” hole using
conventional Bits .The ROP is calculated from 15 wells, taken from different fields.
In comparison to that an average ROP in similar sections is also calculated from wells
using PDC Bits, in order to reflect roughly the amount of saving of time and money in
each of these sections or in them all.

The study also includes some recommendation of the best parameters to be applied
concluded from best Bits performance .Beside some guide lines to be considered in using
PDC Bits.
Needless to say, this study is not an official one to bind to. The decision is eventually up
to the company man in charge, and people in the line of authority,

BITS CONFIGURATION

The PDC Bits are in general in a concave shape at center, four inch in Diameter.
Circulate by shoulder 4.125”wide. The concaved center occupies 12.5 in2. Contain three
Ribs, lined up with one row of inserts
The shoulder occupy are of 107.4 in2, about 90% of the total area of 117.9 in2 of the Bit.
It contains six Ribs and six mud channels in between. Each Rib lined up with 1- 2 rows
of inserts. The Ribs cover about 50% of the total Bit area.
Inserts are of a cone shape; consist of different kind of hard materials. The base of it
packed with carbide, ½” in diameters. The cones are embedded on the face of Ribs side
way .The carbide bases facing clock wise, stick up about ¼” above the face of the Ribs.
The sharp edges of inserts stab into formation and might help also to stab part of shoulder
s’ Ribs into formation if it is soft.
In each Bit turn, Ribs or/and inserts cut and swept the formation in between them
There are 6 -10 Nozzles (depend on the kind of Bit), scattered around mud channels, at
least half of them in central area.
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PDC BIT DULL GRADING

The Bit wears increase gradually and ROP decline accordingly as drilling progress and
hour on Bit increased. Most PDC Bit run for 150 hrs drilling about 5000ft before it wear
out completely to be scraped , or partially to be rerun ineffectively at most of the time,
deceived by the general good look of it, over looked the wear in on the inserts of
shoulder which are the most effective’ . It is not unusual that the inserts of Shoulder
wear out first, since it travels a distance in each rotation 4 times the distance of those in
the center, covering an area of drilling , nine times more than those in central area.
The torsion on shoulder’s inserts is much higher too than those in the center,
The wear out appear first as an erosion and biting on the stick up of insert cones at outer
circle, then followed by the next to the inside and finally those in center .It also extend
to the gauge inserts, and eventually the Bit will be ringed out if not POOH on time.
Shoulders s insert once fall out, it work as lathe machine, cutting the Bit in no time.
There fore it is necessarily to concentrate in grading Bit dull on the degree of erosion in
the ¼” stick up of 1st, 2nd and 3rd inserts from out side, which lined up on the front row on
each Rib, Those are the most effective inserts .Once they are eroded the efficiency of
the Bit decline accordingly even if the other inserts are still good.
The wear in some Bits could be misleading if not checked out with previous Bit
performance, especially in the last run.
The ROP in using PDC Bits should not fall below those of average ROP of conventional
Bits which should be taken as an reference index as follow :.
U/L Marar & Wanin Formation 21ft/hr, Akakus formation 8.5 ft/hr, Tanzzuft
formation 18ft/hr.
PDC Bit at such ROP would only spare the prices of conventional Bits. Below that it will
be ineffective and unfeasible.
Attached are the photos of four used Bits send to Adwoc118. The photo shows Bits
condition relative to its performance, which are as such.

Bit HTC, Type HCM 5072, S/N 721035

 Well H24NC186 Rig Adwoc 17
-Drilled 3333ft to TD. ROP U.Marar –T/Akakus 25.7ft/hr. BDSII- BDI 17.3ft/hr.BDS I
& Tanzzuft: 15.4ft/hr. Hawas ROP 12.6 ft/hr
 Well H36NC115 ,Rig Adwoc118
- Drilled 1452 ROP U&L Marar/ Wanin 20.3 ft/hr. Drilled 829’ in Tanzzuft ROP: 11.6
ft/hr. and 166 in Hawas, ROP 9 ft/hr
 Well H38 NC115 Rig Awoc118,
-Drilled 663 ft in Tanzzuft, ROP 20.7 ft/hr

Bit SII MS 616, S/N NSCD 468

 Well H33 NC186 Rig
-Drilled 1526’ in U&Marar /Wanin, ROP 24ft/hr, 119 of it in Tanzzuft ROP 12.9ft/hr
Well H38NC155, Rig Adwoc118
-Drilled 1561’ in U& L Marar/Wanin ROP 24 ft/hr, 39’ of it in BDSII, ROP 9 ft/hr

Bit SII MS 616, S/N NSCD 469

 H32i NC186 :
-Drilled 2584 ft Avg ROP: 39.8 ft/hr, 75ft of it in Hawas, ROP 6 ft/hr drop to 3 ft/hr
 H39iNC115 Rig Adwoc118
-Drilled 1452 in U Marar –T/Akakus ROP 29.1 ft/hr and 829’ in Tanzzuft ROP 11.4ft/hr
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Bit HTC, Type HCM 5072, S/N 721037

 Well H28i Rig Adwoc17
-Drilled, 796’ in Wanin & Akakus ROP 11.7ft/hr, 563 ft in Tannzzuft ROP 10.4 ft/hr. and
237 ft in Hawas ROP; 8.8 ft/hr.

DRILLING PARAMETERS
Weight on Bit:
BDC Bit does not need too much weight, as the area of contact is about half of those in
Conventional Bit, naturally the weight effect on square in of PDC Bit would be twice the
weight on Square in of conventional Bit for the same applied weight, Weight around 20K
lb is enough to start, could be increased at the end of Bit life to around 25K lb.
Rotation:
Rate of penetration in principle is a function of RPM in drilling soft formation, provide
that the flow rate is high enough to give fast both jet velocity & annular velocity to carry
out the cutting from bottom instantly and keep the Bit clean.
Rotation of 140-150 gives a better ROP in soft formation and help to keep the deviation
down. Where RPM 80-100, in hard formation is good enough.
Hydraulic
The Hydraulic is calculated at top of Hawas formation on the assumption of using pumps
dressed with 6 1/2” liners which give a Maximum Pressure of 2400psi
The calculation is based on Flow Rate of 800 GPM which provides a minimum annular
velocity of 146 ft/min passing DP. The annular velocity of 120 ft/min according to
Macobar Co study and lab test is sufficient to over come the slipping down by gravity of
all kinds of rock cutting.
The table below shows the numbers and sizes of Nozzles which been selected for
different type of PDC Bit which have been used in our fields.

Flow Total Hydraulic Jet Annular

No Nozzles Rate Pressure impact Velocity Velocity
(g/min) (psi) (lbf) (ft/s) (ft/min)
6 6x13 800 2276 1349 348 146
6 4x13+2x14 800 2186 1280 330 146
6 3x13+3x14 800 2146 1249 322 146
7 5x12+2x13 800 2202 1293 333 146
7 4x12+3x13 800 2163 1263 326 146
8 4x12+4x11 800 2199 1290 333 146
8 5x12+3x11 800 2163 1237 326 146
9 5x10+2x11+2x12 800 2248 1328 343 146
10 6x10+4x11 800 2162 1262 373 146

The High flow rate of 800 gpm helps to keep the hole in good condition, it was observed
that at such rate, no drag or over pull was encountered, dismissing the need to make a
wiper trip before reaching top of Akakus
It would be more a beneficial to use higher flow rate at upper section until reaching the
Maximum pressure at top of Hawas, using the extra HHP available.
 DRILLING COST CALCULATION USING PDC BIT vs. CONE BIT.

U/Marar
to.T.Hawa
!2 1/4 Hole Sections s Lowe Marar-Acaus Akakus Tanzzuft
PDC Bit Con Bit PDC Bit Con Bit PDC Bit Con Bit PDC Bit
Interval length ft 2636 1700 236 700
ROP Ft/hr 33 21 42 8.5 16 18 29
Hours drilling 79.8 80.9 40.4 27.7 14.75 38.8 24.13
Hours tripping 8 7 7 7.5 * 8.5 8.5
Hours wiper trip 3 3 0 0 0 0 0
Total hours 90.8 90.9 47.4 35.2 14.75 47.3 32.63
Rig Rate + O.Head
$/hr 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100 1100
Drilling Time Cost 99880 99990 52140 38720 16225 52030 35893
Bit Cost 80000 14640 40400 18640 13800 14640 24130
Total cost 179880 114630 92540 57360 30025 66670 60023
All Values are an average taken either from 15 wells drilled Conventionally or from wells using PDC.
* A trip time in Akakus is not considered because PDC Bit is never run particularly to drill Akakus.

REMARKS:
-Although the cost of Bit and drilling is usually taken care of it and precisely calculated
in Tripoli office .The purpose of this calculation is only to give the people in the field a
general idea and roughly the saving in using PDC Bit in each section or in all in sections
in comparison of those using conventional Bits
-The calculation in this table is considering the PDC Bit life is only 80 hrs run either
continuously to drill to top of Hawas, or accumulatively of the Hours run in different
wells. According to that , the PDC Bit cost in each section is added, calculated relative
to the hours run in each section at a cost of 1000$/hr
-The table shows the saving of PDC Bit in comparison to the conventional Bit which is as
such: - All sections from U.Marar -T.hawas in one run $58780. In section U. Marar –
T.Akakus. $22090. In Akakus $27335.In Tanzzuft $ 5977, and $55402 in adding the
saving of the three sections, Obviously there is $ 3378 difference in between running
PDC Bits periodically in the three sections and between drilling the three section in one
run ,The difference in saving is due to the trips Various difference in ROP.
- The saving is $30043 in drilling with PDC to top Hawas in one run over drilling with
PDC Bit but interrupted by running conventional Bit in Akakus. However the Bit life will
be longer in avoiding Akakus which might be eventually more economic.
-Drilling Hawas with PDC Bit is not considered due to the poor rate of successes...

CONCLUTION:

The, using of PDC Bits no question has overwhelmed by far the using of conventional
Bit , not only in cutting drilling cost ,but also in putting new wells earlier on production
However the question now is how to improve the performance of PDC Bits? What is the
most suitable type of Bit ? Where to run it? , and when to pull it out?
The PDC Bit , HTC type 507ZX and Varl, type VYZ816 have proved to be the best
suitable type used until now ,they succeeded to drill many wells in one run to top of the
reservoir or even down to TD saving a lot of time and money ,but also failed more times
in drilling Akakus and or Hawas ,and still there is a challenge to find a better suitable
Bits and way to tackle them.