SPE 88446 Making Steerable Bits: Separating Side-Force from Side-Cutting

Tom Gaynor and David C-K Chen, Halliburton Sperry-Sun

Copyright 2004, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc. This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition held in Perth, Australia, 1820 October 2004. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of information contained in a proposal submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to a proposal of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The proposal must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.

Abstract PDC bits are often designed to side cut for a better steering capability. However, these high side-cutting bits come with the costs of bit whirl and hole spiraling, resulting in bit and BHA/MWD failures and poor hole quality. Long-gauge bits are known to reduce bit vibration and produce high quality wellbores. The question is then can long-gauge bits which by their nature do not side-cut be used to drill directional wells? To solve this puzzle, Halliburton Energy Services has been studying the use of long-gauge bits with steerable motors and rotary steerable systems. The results show that BHA steerability is mostly determined by the side force of the BHA, not the side-cutting capability of the bit. Therefore, with an appropriate BHA design long-gauge bits can perform as well as the short-gauge bits. Introduction PDC bits can be and generally are designed to side-cut: the phrase with aggressive side-cutting performance is a staple of bit advertisements. It is quite easy, however, to establish using a domestic power drill that side-cutting capability in a cutter is not all good news. Tools that side-cut for example, rotary burrs, reamers, abrasive flap wheels, and cutting-off wheels, engage with the material to be worked and can be difficult or impossible to keep steady. No one who has attempted to drill a hole with a side-cutting burr would be keen to repeat the experience. Tools that do not side-cut (for example the ubiquitous twist drill) are much more benign. There is absolutely no reason to expect that drilling bits will behave any differently. Until a few years ago however, the discussion stopped there. Arguments in favor of smoother running and faster drilling from stabilized bits could be immediately trumped by the unassailable assertion that bits had to side-cut to steer. The unstable running of short gauge bits, their shorter life, and their slower drilling were a cross that had to be borne to drill a directional well.

These observations are the best evidence that side-cutting is greatly over-rated. Since 1999, over 5 million feet of directional hole have been drilled using steerable motors1. And, 1 million feet have been drilled using point-the-bit rotary steerable systems2 which employed long-gauge bits having almost no side-cutting capability. A long-gauge bit is illustrated in Fig. 1. Not only is side-cutting not designed into such a bit, it is positively designed out. If effective sidecutting were essential for efficient deviated drilling, it is probable that someone would have noticed by now. The evidence also shows clearly that the superior performance of long-gauge bits is not just a case of providing some capability to deviate a well, long-gauge bits also provide better bit life leading to faster drilling, and improved hole quality by resisting spiraling, etc. Observation and published performance predictions indicate that point-the-bit rotary steerable systems with long- gauge bits have a higher turn rate than commercial rivals which rely to a greater or lesser extent on side-cutting bits and an externally created side force. However, the most unequivocal evidence comes from the steerable motor system. Directional drillers quickly recognized that to obtain the same dogleg from a long-gauge bit motor system as was expected from a short gauge bit on a similar motor assembly, it was necessary to reduce the bend setting, typically by 10-20%. This observation suggests that sidecutting may not be necessary or desirable for steerable bits used for steerable motor systems and for the point-the-bit rotary steerable systems. Deviation Mechanisms Directional drilling requires some type of deflecting method to initiate a trajectory change. Commonly used deflecting methods today are steerable motor systems and rotary steerable systems. The main purpose is to create a large, side force at the bit to deviate the BHA laterally. Thus, in general, dog-leg capability of a BHA is directly linked to the side force at the bit at the current inclination and curvature. The larger the bit side force, the more acute the dog-leg that a BHA can produce. However, does bit steerability contribute significantly to BHA steerability? PDC bits with aggressive gauge designs are often considered to have a greater side-cutting capability and thus are frequently used in directional drilling systems to increase the dog-leg-severity (DLS). Is greater side-cutting capability necessary for steerable bits? To look at this issue, we will study the side-force and side cutting issues separately.

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BHA Dog-Leg Capability The dog-leg capability of a BHA corresponds to its ability to achieve a lateral deviation. It is usually proportional to the bit side force. It is convenient for our purposes to deal only with build and drop although the argument applies equally to turn. By convention, a positive bit side force will create a build DLS and a negative bit side force will create a drop assembly. Key factors influencing the dog-leg capability are BHA design, hole curvature, wellbore inclination, weight-on-bit (WOB), and formation anisotropy. Thus, dog-leg capability of a BHA can be expressed as a function of all these variables as in Eq. (1). BHA Dog-Leg Capability= Fn (BHA, WOB, Inclination, formation anisotropy) --------------- Eq. (1) Among all these factors, BHA design is the most important factor determining DLS. Directional drilling industry has utilized computer modeling programs to calculate the DLS of a BHA under various downhole conditions. The primacy of BHA design is well known and accepted. Bit Side-Force A vector diagram (see Fig. 2) can be used to illustrate a simplistic view of why a BHA steers. If we assume first that the bit will cut as efficiently sideways as forwards, then the resultant path will be pro-rata to the ratio of WOB to SOB (Sideforce-On-Bit). The model is simplistic, however, because sideforce is largely generated by strain energy the BHA is bent into a curve. The exception to this mechanism is the push-the-bit rotary steerable system which creates an additional sideforce by tapping in to rig hydraulics. Lacking an externally created sideforce, a combination of BHA geometry and WOB deflects the BHA. What resists the desire of the BHA to relax (return to its unstressed shape) is the inability to side-cut (Figs. 3a and 3b). In Fig. 3a, the BHA curvature is retained right to the bottom of the BHA. In 3b, if the stabilizers and bit can side-cut, doing so will release the strain energy. The BHA will begin to straighten out, and DLS will tend to diminish. Applying a sideforce to a sidecutting bit is no more effective than moving a circular saw by pushing on the blade. In the Millhiem and Warrens paper4 (1978), the side forces that deflect the BHA must be resisted by an equal and opposite force which is wholly dependent on the resistance of the formation to side-cutting. Their paper dealt with rock bits, which do not side-cut particularly efficiently. Resistance to sideforce may not be 100%, but it is high in order to achieve the desired DLS from the BHA. Bit Side-Cutting Bit side-cutting corresponds to the ability of a bit to achieve a purely lateral deviation. The bit side-cutting can be defined as the ratio of the lateral drillability to the axial drillability3: Bit Side-Cutting = D_lateral / D_axial ---------- Eq. (2)

displacement per bit revolution divided by the WOB. The bit side-cutting capability, depending on the cutting profile, gauge cutters, and gauge length, is generally in the range of 0.001 to 0.1 for PDC bits. A bit with a high side-cutting has a strong propensity for lateral deviation if an appropriate side force is applied. There exists here an interesting proposition: if bit lateral instability is seen as bit steerability then highly laterally unstable bits become highly steerable bits. A great deal of the evidence, however, points in the opposite direction. The evidence suggests that equating lateral instability to steerability is at the very least misleading. Bits that steer well need not be laterally unstable; therefore lateral instability can not confer good steerability on a bit. The evidence suggests that, at worst, lateral instability reduces the potential steerability of the BHA; and, at best, it is irrelevant to it. Bit Tilt Another critical factor in bit steerability is bit tilt. The authors believe that bit tilt contributes more to bit steerability than side-cutting. The bit itself, under the influence of the factors in Eq. 1, is continuously tilted relative to the instantaneous direction of the wellbore. This relationship is illustrated in Fig. 4. The tilt is relative to a tangent to the curve drilled /to be drilled. The point of tangency is at the point where the bit meets formation. The degree of tilt needed can be very small and yet create wellbore curvature. For example, if the bit tilt is about 0.1 degree and the distance between the tangency and fulcrum is 1 foot, then a rate of turn of 10 degrees / 100 feet is approachable by bit tilt itself. The bit tilt theory would apply to short-gauge and longgauge bits equally and has the advantage of explaining why the bit follows a curve. It would explain why long-gauge bits perform better directionally in soft formations than short gauge bits do. It also has the advantage of accommodating a number of anomalies not satisfactorily covered by other theories. The above examples suggest that with the exceptions noted, e.g. push-the-bit rotary steerable systems side-cutting is unnecessary for bit steerability if the bit is continuously tilted in the desired direction of travel. It does not have to side-cut. All cutting takes place on or near the front of the bit. The implication of such a conclusion is not to dismiss sidecutting as totally unnecessary but rather to focus on when side-cutting is essential. When it is not essential, the smooth running of stabilized bits can be retained. However, five-year experience with some six million feet drilled with non-sidecutting bits reveal that there are remarkably few applications in which side-cutting is essential or even a significant benefit. One exceptional application involves very short radius drilling. Although the long-gauge bit benefits can be retained without penalty up to DLS rates of 20 degrees/100 feet, rates above this have proved difficult to achieve. Side-cutting therefore probably plays a central role in very short radius drilling. The other application is in sidetracking at low angle where bit side-cutting must be used with the side force to deviate the BHA.

In this equation, the lateral drillability (D_lateral) is defined as the lateral displacement per bit revolution divided by the side force. The axial drillability (D_axial) is the axial

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Field Implementation of Long-Gauge Bits A special steerable motor system (SlickBore system) and a point-the-bit rotary steerable system (GeoPilot system) have been developed to run long-gauge bits that have minimum bit steerability. The following discussion will focus on the steerable motor system because the BHA steerability is more widely applicable. The principles are, however, applicable equally to both steerable motors and point-the-bit rotary steerable systems. Unlike a highly steerable bit which has little resistance for side force to act against, the long-gauge bit itself acts as a fulcrum. As a result, the drilling systems using the long-gauge bits inherently give a larger DLS than those using the shortgauge bits. In addition to the fulcrum on the bit gauge, a matched BHA is designed to maximize the side force at bit and to minimize the BHA drag. Table 1 shows the BHA modeling-predicted DLS and field measured DLS for the SlickBore drilling system. In general, with a 1.15 degree bend, the SlickBore system using long-gauge bits has been shown to produce about 10 degree/100 DLS. With a 1.5 degree bend, the DLS capability increases to 15 degree/100 ft. With a 1.83 degree bend, the DLS is further increased to about 20 degree/100 ft. These DLSs are higher than those from the conventional motor systems using short-gauge bits, as shown in Table 2, and are widely supported by field observation. High Side-Cutting vs. Low Side-Cutting Bits A bit with major side-cutting capability has a strong propensity for sideways deviation. A few applications require such deviations. For example, side-tracking and short-radius (>35 deg/100 ft) drilling as noted above. However, the features that bring high side-cutting capability have an adverse effect on the tool face control. For the majority of directional drilling, significant-side-cutting bits add very little to BHA steerability. Thus, bit side-cutting is not necessary; and it may be undesirable because its use precludes the many benefits associated with the limited-side-cutting bits. These benefits can be summarized as follows5. Lower vibrations; stabilizing the cutting structure results in longer bit life and longer drilling intervals Longer and better bit life in turn brings higher average ROP Better sliding ROP through better weight control. Better hole cleaning; no inbuilt cuttings traps Lower torque and drag resulting in fewer stuck pipes Better casing installations and cementing jobs Better logging tool response and greater MWD/LWD tool reliability

2.

While it is true that side-cutting bits steer, there is ample persuasive evidence that non-side-cutting bits steer even better in most circumstances. That being the case, sidecutting is irrelevant to the vast majority of deviated drilling applications. Sideforce is the essential and dominant factor in deviated drilling. The best use of side force is not to side-cut but to deflect the BHA such that it drills a curved path. A steerable systems performance can only optimized as a system. The cutting structure can safely be left to the bit designer alone. The gauge shape and size, however, intimately concern the directional driller and bears heavily on steerable system performance. Valid applications for major bit side-cutting capability are side-tracking and short-radius drilling. Open-hole flat turn sidetracks, however, can and regularly are achieved using non-side cutting bits. For the majority of directional drilling, bit side-cutting is not necessary and may be undesirable. There are many benefits associated with low side-cutting bits that are not possessed by high sidecutting bits. Benefits of using low side-cutting bits, such as long gauge bits, are lower bit vibrations and better hole quality. The former results in increased bit life, increased ROP, and better MWD reliability. The latter has been shown to improve almost every aspect of drilling and completion operations from better hole cleaning, lower torque and drag, better logging data, better casing runs, and more predictable cementing.

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4.

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6.

Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Halliburton Energy Services for the support and permission to publish this paper. References
1. Gaynor, T., Chen, D C-K, Maranuk, C., and Pruitt, J., An Improved Steerable System: Working Principles, Modeling, and Testing, SPE paper #63248, presented at the 2000 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition in Dallas, Texas, 1-4 October. Yonezawa, T., et al., Robotic Controlled Drilling: A New Rotary Steerable Drilling System for the Oil and Gas Industry SPE/IADC paper #74458, presented at the 2002 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference in Dallas, Texas, 26-28 February. Menand, S., et al., How the Bit Profile and Gauges Affect the Well Trajectory SPE/IADC paper #74459, presented at the 2002 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference in Dallas, Texas, 26-28 February. Millhiem, K. and Warren, T., Side Cutting Characteristics of Rock Bits and Stabilizers While Drilling, SPE paper #7518, presented at the 53rd Annual Fall Technical Conference and Exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, in Houston, Texas, Oct. 1-3, 1978. Chen, D. C-K, et al., Hole Quality: Gateway to Efficient Drilling, OTC paper #14277 presented at the 2002 Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas, 6-9 May 2002.

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Summary and Conclusions: 1. Some 6 million feet of mostly deviated footage has been drilled using long-gauge bits in steerable motors and rotary steerable systems. The long gauge bits used in the new drilling systems have very low bit side-cutting capability. This observation demonstrates that side cutting is not necessary for steerable bits when used with a BHA design that can maximize the role of a bit side and minimize the BHA drag. Such BHAs do not depart significantly from BHAs in common use.

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Bend Angle (degrees)

1.15

Maximum Build Rate (deg/100 ft) for SlickBore Predicted from BHA Modeling
Vertical Horizontal 10

Average Build Rate (deg/100 ft) for SlickBore Seen from the Field
10

15

1.5

Vertical Horizontal

13 19 15

1.83

Vertical

15 20

Horizontal

23

Table 1 - The Predicted and Measured DLS Drilled by SlickBore Motor System using Long-Gauge Bits.

Bend Angle (degrees)

Average Build Rate (deg/100 ft) for Conventional Motor Systems

1.15

1.5

1.83

10

Table 2 - Average DLS Drilled by Conventional Motor Systems Using Short-Gauge Bits.

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Fig. 1 - An example of long-gauge PDC bit used in SlickBore motor system and GeoPilot rotary steerable system.

Fig. 2 - A vector diagram of how BHA deviates

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Fig. 3A

Fig. 3B

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Fig. 4 Bit tilt on a long-gauge bit where the fulcrum is at the end of the sleeve.

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