Polycrystalline-diamond drill bits for Venezuelan oil-field application

A cooperative USA/Venezuelan R and D drilling program has been performed which was directed toward the development of a hard-rock-drilling capability for the oil industry using diffusion-bonded polycrystalline-diamond compact (PDC) bits. The drilling program was implemented according to Annex V-A Drilling, of the Joint Agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) of the United States and the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) of the Republic of Venezuela. This report was originally prepared in two sections, one on bit design and fabrication and the other on the field test, to be a portion of a larger Venezuela-MEM/USA-DOE Fossil-Energy Report on Supporting Technology for Enhanced Oil Recovery. As such, it fulfills one of the requirements of the joint agreement. Three diffusion-bonded PDC drill bits of PCI/Sandia design were successfully used by MARAVEN/INTEVEP to drill the deep (13,152 to 14,579 ft) cretaceous carbonate formations located under Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. The bits gave penetration rates of 4.7, 13.2, and 13.5 feet per hour. This compares with penetration rates for conventional natural-diamond bits, drilling the same formation in nearby offset wells, of 2.0 to 6.77 feet per hour. If PDC bits are used to drill future wells, an average cost savings of about $90,000more » per well is projected. 17 figures, 9 tables.« less