SPE 74514
Innovative Low-Friction Coating Reduces PDC Balling and Doubles ROP Drilling
Shales with WBM
M. Rujhan Mat and Mohd Zulkifi Bin Zakaria, Petronas Carigali, Steve Radford and Darren Eckstrom, Hughes
Christensen/Baker Hughes
Copyright 2002, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.
This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference held in Dallas,
Texas, 26–28 February 2002.
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract 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
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Abstract
This paper describes the successful development and
application of a new low-friction flouropolymer-based coating
applied to PDC bits to minimize and often prevent balling
while drilling shale formations. Successful laboratory testing,
the results of several field runs and one field case study will be
presented. The rate of penetration is shown to more than
double in certain cases resulting in significant savings to the
operator.
Introduction
During development of the new coating process, full-sized
commercial bits were tested in a laboratory under very
controlled, simulated downhole conditions with and without
the proprietary coating. The authors will present data from
these laboratory tests, summarize several successful field runs
and provide detailed results of one case study where a coated
bit was used in the Tembungo B9 well for Petronas Carigali in
Malaysia. This flouropolymer-based coating more than
doubled the average penetration rate relative to standard PDC
bits traditionally used to drill this hole section.
The Malaysian case study will document that the coating
prevented bit balling while drilling more than 1,400 feet.
Although the coating was eroded at the conclusion of the run,
the test was considered successful because of the significant
improvement in average rate of penetration. Additionally, the
authors document the economic savings of preventing
downhole balling with PDC bits in water-based muds.
Background
PDC bits drilling with oil-based muds (OBM) or synthetic-
based muds (SBM) have consistently set the performance
benchmark for drilling shales, especially in deep, high
pressured wells. The exceptions are areas where tightening
environmental regulations, high risk of lost circulation and/or
marginal project economics make use of OBM/SBM
unattractive. These areas are growing and this has persuaded
operators and service companies to invest considerable
resources into trying to improve the performance of PDC bits
with water-based muds.(1)
The worldwide average penetration rate in deep,
overpressured sections experienced by one major operator in
1997 was 12.7 feet per hour. Taking the figures for water-
based mud alone, the average penetration rate was even lower.
The combination of oil-based muds and PDC bits gave the
best overall average rate of 17.3 feet per hour. It was
recognized that if this performance could be achieved in all
wells, the annual worldwide savings would exceed $500
million.(4) However, the use of oil-based muds is prohibited or
restricted by environmental, safety, and other considerations in
many parts of the world. Therefore, innovative methods must
be found to solve the bit-balling problem, and increase drilling
penetration rates with water-based muds.
Causes and Prevention of Bit Balling
When drilled with a PDC bit, rock tends to fail in shear,
scraping cuttings off of the bottom of the borehole. PDC bit
balling occurs when the chips do not separate themselves from
the cutters and, instead, accumulate on the body of the bit.(5)(6)
Historically there has been confusion about what causes
drilling cuttings to agglomerate and attach themselves to the
bit and bottom hole assembly.
When shale material fails due to the cutting action, there is a
sudden and large increase in formation porosity and a
corresponding drop in pore pressure.(3) This phenomenon is
known as rock dilation. In addition, most clay-rich shales
exhibit a pronounced tendency to hydrate i.e. draw water into
2 ZAKARIA, MAT, RADFORD, ECKSTROM
the clay fabric and swell upon rock failure. Thus, right after
failure we are left with a shale chip that combines low pore
pressure (due to rock dilation) with a pronounced tendency to
hydrate (due to the effects of the swelling pressure). When
such a cutting comes in contact with the bit-face, it becomes
isolated from the mud pressure on that side, and may be held
in place by differential pressure. The material, thus,
“vacuums” itself onto the bit face or, if present, onto other
cuttings.(1)
Field experience shows that bit-balling problems are often
more severe deeper in the well, i.e. at high hydrostatic
pressure.(2) One report concluded that the bit performance in
only the deep, over-pressured sections of wells represented
almost 20 percent of the total cost of such wells or about $2.9
billion worldwide in 1997. (4)
To be successful in preventing bit balling, the problem must
be approached in a systematic manner, addressing many
elements: including bit design, drilling mud design, hydraulics
and the surface characteristics of the bit.
It has been recognized for some time that certain bit features
tend to minimize bit balling. The most common of these are
large open face volume and junk slot area combined with
optimized nozzle placement and adequate hydraulic
horsepower. These variables are most effectively optimized
using numerical modelling through computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) computer software. Other important
considerations include focus on chip management with sharp,
polished cutters(3), aggressive rake angles and edge geometry.
Depth of cut control through operating parameters and bit
design features is another way to limit cuttings volume and
size.(1)
Bland, et al, concluded that, with some limitations, “use of
synthetic-based mud or the addition of Drilling Enhancers to
water-based mud were … effective in increasing rate of
penetration and preventing balling” of PDC bits. The drilling
enhancer appears, in some cases, to keep the cuttings more
discrete, helping to reduce their creation of cohesive masses.
Bit Anti-Balling Treatments
Various types of anti-balling coating systems have been
applied to PDC bits for over 20 years, but with very limited
success. They have ranged from ultra-smooth epoxy paints to
nickel plating, rare metals, and nitriding.
There is also published university laboratory research showing
that the application of strong electrical potential reduces the
electrical attraction of shale to steel. Claims have been made
by one bit manufacturer that the very small latent negative
charge left after applying a proprietary processing technique to
the surface of a steel-body PDC bit is sufficient to accomplish
this phenomenon. No known research has been published of a
full-scale bit being tested under controlled conditions with and
SPE 74514
without the treatment. Some results are presented later in this
paper, which provide an indication of the relative effectiveness
of this treatment.
Coating Development
For many years, PDC bit manufacturers have recognized the
great potential of an effective non-stick coating that could
prevent bit balling.
Teflon®, which was accidentally invented by engineers at
duPont in 1938, is the best known of the non-stick coatings,
and novel uses for its unique properties continue to be
discovered. Flouropolymers like Teflon® have the unique
property of being non-water-wet with very excellent release
properties. In other words, clay and shale will not adhere to
flouropolymer coatings.
At various times over at least the past 20 years, Hughes Tool
Co. and Christensen Diamond Products have tested Teflon®
coatings. Along with the many attempts that were made by
other bit manufacturers, the results were disappointing.
Success has fiinally been achieved however, with the
development of a coating process that uses a specially
formulated, reinforced Teflon®-like flouropolymer.
When used alone, Teflon® and other flouropolymer coatings
are relatively soft and only attach to a surface mechanically,
not chemically. This effectively means that the roughness of
the surface is the only thing holding the coating in place.
Typically, the coating was found to peel, scrape or erode very
quickly. After nearly three years of experimentation,
however, a new reinforced flouropolymer coating process has
been developed, which has proven very successful.
The new coating, which was developed cooperatively by a bit
manufacturer and a commercial coating supplier, retains all of
the non-stick properties of Teflon®, along with greatly
improved durability and enhanced ability to adhere to a base
surface. The coating is reinforced with proprietary additives
to give it extraordinary toughness. To improve adhesion, the
surface of the matrix or steel body bit undergoes a special
roughening process that gives the coating a three-dimensional
profile to grip. When this is used together with a newly
developed surface primer to chemically assist in the adhesion,
the coating develops an excellent bond to the bit.
Laboratory Testing
Single Point Cutter Testing
Initial testing was performed in the Hughes Christensen
laboratory, utilizing a traditional Single Point Cutter machine.
The models used to test the coatings had no PDC cutter, but
were simply machined from steel. Tests were performed in
the apparatus cutting Catoosa shale (a typically balling shale)
in water both before coating and then after coating. Two
samples were coated with different types of commercial
Teflon® and two others were plated with a commercial nickel-
Teflon® plating process.
SPE 74514 INNOVATIVE LOW-FRICTION COATING REDUCES PDC BALLING AND DOUBLES ROP DRILLING SHALES WITH WBM
Figure 1 shows that one of the Teflon® formulations reduced
axial force by 25% and tangential force and coefficient of
friction by lesser amounts. These results gave initial
indication that flouropolymer coating could increase bit ROP.
It was also noted that the commercial nickel/Teflon® platings
would probably not be effective.
Baseline Full-scale Bit Testing
A 6 ½ inch IADC M332 bit was selected as the baseline test
bit and run in a downhole drilling simulator located at the
Hughes Christensen research facility.
The bit was intentionally run at conditions that would promote
shale bit balling, drilling Catoosa shale with 1.0 hsi, 250 gpm,
240 rpm, with 9.5 ppg water-based FW/CLS mud at 6000 psi
confining pressure.
Figure 2 shows results of testing this baseline, uncoated bit,
compared to the same bit coated with ceramic/epoxy (CK); a
plastic/Teflon® composition; nickel-Teflon® plating; and
another commercial downhole flouropolymer coating
(Comm01). These are compared against developmental bit
coatings 9901B, 9901E, and 9901F.
It can be seen from the results that the Comm01 coating was
the only coating with performance close to the developmental
9901 coatings, but still had 40% lower ROP. The
developmental 9901 series of coatings all provided ROP of
over four times that of the bare matrix baseline bit. All
coatings exhibited full or partial shale balling at the conclusion
of the tests. The baseline uncoated bit was fully balled up
with shale at 3,500 lb WOB.
Simulator Testing of Two Commercial Bits
Two full-sized commercial PDC drill bits were tested both
uncoated and then coated in a downhole drilling simulator at
typical downhole drilling conditions. Both showed substantial
ROP improvement with the 9901 coating. Neither coated bit
experienced bit balling and both pushed the simulator to its
maximum ROP.
Figure 3 shows the results of running an 8 ¾” IADC M323
PDC bit, a commercial bit typically run in soft shale
formations, in a downhole simulator. The bit drilled Catoosa
shale in 9.5 ppg WBM at typical conditions. The uncoated
matrix bit drilled with a maximum ROP of 200 fph before
balling, while the coated bit did not experience bit balling and
was able to attain a test-machine maximum ROP of 270 fph.
The coated bit drilled 25-50 fph faster at all bit weights. The
coating, therefore, not only prevented bit balling, but it seems
to have improved penetration rate throughout the test.
Historically few bits have drilled to maximum simulator
penetration rate in high weight (16 ppg) water-based mud,
when drilling Catoosa shale. The uncoated developmental 8
3
½” IADC M223 bit balled in the shale at a normally
respectable 175 fph (see Figure 4). However, coating the bit
with the test coating prevented balling and allowed the
simulator to drill to it’s maximum ROP of 270 fph before
ceasing the test. Figure 5 shows a typical full-sized bit coated
with the proprietary reinforced flouropolymer coating.
Case Study: Malaysia
Petronas Carigali has historically experienced bit balling
problems offshore Malaysia, in some formations below 8,000-
foot depth when using water-based mud. Having achieved
some improvement in a previous well using a commercial bit
which was treated with a process involving surface electrical
charge, Petronas Carigali decided to try a Hughes Christensen
bit with reinforced flouropolymer coating on the Tembungo
B9 well. The uncoated PDC IADC M323 bit is shown as
Figure 6.
Field History
A six-slot jacket was installed in the Tembungo field in
September 1993. This field is about 48 miles northwest of the
city of Kota Kinabulu, which is on the island of Sabah
(Borneo) in Malaysia (see map Figure 7). The initial project
was completed in February 1995 after a seventh slot was
installed. Two more slots were installed in January 2000,
during the Tembungo Western Area Further Field
Development project, and wells were drilled to nearly 13,000-
foot depth.
Tembungo B9 was spudded in March 2000. The reinforced
flouropolymer coated PDC bit was run in the 12 ¼” hole
section, and reached a section TD of 11,527 feet. Tembungo
B9 was the final well of the project, and was completed as a
dual string selective oil producer in April 2000.
Case Study Details
As typical of the previous eight wells drilled with water-based
mud in the Tembungo Western Area, the ROP on Tembungo
B9 sharply decreased due to bit balling as the well reached
greater depths with higher mud weights being used. Figures 8
and 9 show that at hole depth shallower than 7,800-ft, the rate
of penetration remained a reasonable 67 fph with a light-set
PDC bit. Thereafter as the well depth increased, the ROP
decreased even though PDC and aggressive milled-tooth roller
cone bits were used.
A PDC bit run achieved 43 fph, following which, successive
runs with roller cone and PDC bits never exceeding 30 fph,
one PDC bit drilling at only 10 fph. At that point, Petronas
Carigali decided to try a PDC bit that was coated with the
newly developed reinforced flouropolymer coating. The
potential risks associated with running the coated bit were
considered minimal since the IADC M323 bit style (HCC
BD535), had been the top ROP performer in the 8 ½” hole
section of the previous Tembungo B8 well, and it was
considered unlikely that the bit coating could adversely affect
performance.
4 ZAKARIA, MAT, RADFORD, ECKSTROM
Case Study Results
The PDC bit was run at a depth of 10,125 ft. with the drilling
conditions and parameters described in Figure 8. The bit
drilled 483 feet at 101 fph until an MWD failure required the
drill string to be tripped out of the hole. This, however,
allowed inspection of the bit, which was still found to be in
excellent condition and was rerun. The 12 ¼” hole section
reached TD with this bit at 11,527 ft with an overall bit ROP
of 72.3 fph. As can be seen in Figure 9, this overall average
ROP of the polymer-coated bit was DOUBLE the average of
all other bits previously run in the 12 ¼” hole section with a
95% ROP increase. Compared to the other bits run in the
deeper part of the hole (over 7800 ft), the ROP increase was
157%.
In reviewing the run parameters in Figure 8, it can be seen that
the coated bit was run with lower flow rates and lower WOB
than previous PDC bit runs. This indicates that in these cases
WOB and flow rate had only a limited effect on bit balling
when compared to the use of flouropolymer coatings. The
previous PDC bits had been run with TFA from 1.75 to as
high as 3.21 sq. inch, but all suffered from bit balling. The
polymer-coated bit did not suffer from bit balling with 1.74 sq.
inch TFA, and at lower flow rates.
The effect of bit balling increased, and ROP decreased, as
mud weight increased from 9.2 to 10.3 ppg. However with the
experimental coated bit, balling was avoided even with as high
as 10.6 ppg mud weight. The conclusion that has been
reached from this case study is that good bit hydraulic design,
combined with coating the bit surface with a flouropolymer to
prevent the shale from initially attaching to the bit surface,
seem to be key factors.
Comparison with AB-Process
On the previous Tembungo B8 well, at similar depths (below
10,000 ft), a bit had been run with an “anti-balling” electrical
charge surface treatment (described earlier). The comparison
is shown in Figure 10. At similar depths, and in the same
formations, 51 fph was achieved using the steel-body bit with
the anti-balling surface charge process. This ROP had been a
significant improvement over previous bit performance, but
was exceeded by 50%, using the flouropolymer-coated PDC
bit. The latter initially drilled at 101 fph and achieved an
average ROP of 72 fph over the full interval.
Durability of Flouropolymer Coating
Figure 11 shows that very little of the polymer coating
remained on the bit after it had reached hole section TD. By
nature, flouropolymers are soft. The reinforcement toughens
it and allows it to remain on the bit for a much longer period
of time. However, if the bit is drilled through a substantial
layer of sandstone or other hard rock, the coating will abrade
off. Further enhancements made since this April, 2000 test
make the coating substantially more durable, but toughness
will always be an issue with flouropolymer coatings. It is
SPE 74514
important for any operator to judge the value of any coating or
bit enhancement, not on the condition of the surface treatment
at the conclusion of the run, but on the economics: in this case,
doubling ROP and finishing the interval. The coating
remained on the bit long enough in this case study to make a
substantial postive impact on the average run ROP.
Economics of Polymer Coated Bits
The first six bits used in the 12 ¼” hole section of Tembungo
B9 drilled the 4003 ft interval in 108 hours. At a spread cost
of $70,000US per day, this is equivalent to $79US per ft. The
final 1402 ft were drilled in 19.4 hrs with the reinforced
flouropolymer-coated PDC bit, costing $40US per ft. This
represents a saving of $39US per ft. Applying these savings
to the first 4003-ft of the interval would have saved
$156,000US in drilling time. (See Figure 12) Additionally, if
three coated bits had drilled the interval rather than the
previous 6 bits, 4 bit trips (assuming 1000 ft/hr) would have
saved roughly 64 hours and another $187,000US. It is also
possible that, using coated bits higher in the hole in the easier
drilling section, penetration rates and net cost savings could
have even been higher.
Other Field Testing Experience of Reinforced
Flouropolymer Coating
Since April, 2000, when Petronas Carigali first utilized a
reinforced flouropolymer coating to reduce ROP in sticky
shale formations in Malaysia, the technology has been tested
worldwide and been commercialized for general usage. The
added cost of the coating is small relative to the total bit cost,
whereas the potential benefit is substantial. Figure 13
highlights ROP improvements of from 27% to 107% from
Africa to Argentina, Israel to Indonesia among others.
Through 31 October 2001, more than 70 bits have been coated
with the new product.
Summary
1. A new reinforced flouropolymer PDC bit surface coating
has been developed and is now commercially available.
2. The new proprietary coating reduced axial force by 25%
and tangential force by 15% in single point cutter testing.
3. Baseline developmental testing of the coating on a 6 ½”
PDC bit in a drilling simulator at downhole conditions
gave a 500% ROP improvement over an uncoated bit.
This magnitude of improvement may have been tied to
the particular bit type.
4. Simulator tests of flouropolymer-coated 8 ¾” and 8 ½”
PDC bits at up to 16 ppg mud prevented balling up to the
ROP capacity of the equipment, whereas the uncoated bits
balled at 175-200 fph.
5. In a Case Study from Petronas Carigali in offshore
Malaysia, a 12 ¼” IADC Type 323 PDC bit did not ball
with shale and doubled the average penetration rate of the
previous six bits, which had experienced balling.
6. In the Case Study, the flouropolymer showed 50% ROP
improvement over a different supplier’s anti-balling (AB)
process through the same hole section on the previous
SPE 74514 INNOVATIVE LOW-FRICTION COATING REDUCES PDC BALLING AND DOUBLES ROP DRILLING SHALES WITH WBM 5

well. presented at the 2000 Annual Technical Forum –

7. In the Case Study, the coated bit saved the operator $39 Improvements in Drilling Fluids Technology.
per foot in drilling time over the average of the previous (7) Bland, R., Pessier, R., Isbell, M., “Balling in Water-Based
six bits run in the well for a total savings of $156,000. Muds”, AADE 01-NC-HO-56 Paper presented at the 2001
Avoided bit trips would likely have provided additioinal AADE National Drilling Conference, Houston, March 27-
savings. 29.
8. More than 70 total bits have been successfully coated
with the new reinforced flouropolymer coating.
9. Coating durability is an issue although at least one bit has
drilled over 7,600 ft with some coating surviving.
Coating typically will be stripped off of bits drilled
through significant abrasive formations.
10. Success of using flouropolymer-coated bits should be
judged on improved rate of penetration, not on the final NOTE: Teflon® is a registered trademark of E.I. duPont
condition of the coating. Nemours and Company

Conclusion
Substantial drilling penetration rate improvements have been
exhibited in areas around the world with a unique new
reinforced flouropolymer bit coating now available to
operators. Though a relatively small part of the overall bit
cost, its use has the potential of saving the oil and gas drilling
industry millions of dollars through preventing bit balling in
common difficult shale formations.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Petronas Carigali and Hughes
Christensen for supporting this project and allowing data to be
used. We also want to thank Neil Hudson and Craig
Flemming for their contributions.

References
(1) van Oort, E., Bland, R., Pessier, R., “Drilling More Stable
Wells Faster and Cheaper with PDC Bits and Water
Based Muds”, IADC/SPE Paper 59192, presented at the
2000 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, New Orleans, Feb.
23-25.
(2) Smith, J.R., “Diagnosis of Poor PDC Bit Performance in
Deep Shales”, PhD Dissertation, Louisiana State
University, August, 1998, p. 347.
(3) Smith, R.H., Lund, J.B., Anderson, M., Baxter, R.,
“Drilling Plastic Formations Using Highly Polished PDC
Cutters”, SPE 30476, presented at 1995 SPE Annual
Conference, Dallas, Oct. 22-25.
(4) Smith, John Rogers, “Performance Analysis of Deep PDC
Bit Runs in Water-Based Muds”, ETCE2000/Drill-10123,
presented at ETCE/OMAE2000 Conference, New
Orleans, Feb. 14-17.
(5) Zijsling, D.H., Illerhaus, R., “Eggbeater PDC Design
Concept Eliminates Drilling in Water Based Drilling
Fluids”, SPE Paper 21933 presented at the 1991
SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam, March 11-
14.
(6) Bland, R.G., Halliday, B., Illerhaus, R., Isbell, M.,
McDonald, S., Pessier, R., “Drilling Fluid and Bit
Enhancements for Drilling Shales”, AADE Paper
6 ZAKARIA, MAT, RADFORD, ECKSTROM SPE 74514
SPE 74514 INNOVATIVE LOW-FRICTION COATING REDUCES PDC BALLING AND DOUBLES ROP DRILLING SHALES WITH WBM 7

Single-Point Cutter Test Machine with Water as Test Fluid

o
(no PDC cutter, 10 backrake, 9000 psi confining pressure,
.011" depth of cut, 273 rpm)
Percent Decrease with

30.0%
Teflon Coating

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

ef

ef
n

-10.0% n
lo

flo

i/T

i/T
ef

Te

N
LT

R
B

Axial Force Tangential Force Coefficient of Friction

Figure 1: Improvement over Bare Steel with Teflon and Ni/Tef Coatings

6 1/2" IADC M332 PDC Bit WBM - 9.5 ppg

Simulator Testing in Catoosa Shale: 250 gpm / 240 rpm / 1.0 hsi

90

60
ROP (fph)

30

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Weight on Bit (kip)

Baseline -Uncoated Bit 9901B Plastic/Teflon

CK 54 9901E 9901F

Comm01 Nickel-Teflon Plating

Figure 2: Simulator Testing of Various Coatings on IADC M332 PDC Bit

8 ZAKARIA, MAT, RADFORD, ECKSTROM SPE 74514

6,000 psi D ow nhole Sim ulator: 445 gpm , 2.0 hsi, 120 rpm
9.5 ppg FW /C LS W ater-B ased M ud in C atoosa Shale
300

250 C oated - R O P

U ncoated - R O P
200
ROP (ft/hr)

150

100

50

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
W O B (kip)

Figure 3: Performance of Coated vs. Uncoated 8 ¾” IADC M323 PDC Bit

6,000 psi Simulator, Catoosa Shale: 466 gpm, 5.0 hsi,

120 rpm, 16 ppg FW/CLS WB Mud w/5% Drilling Enhancer

300

250

200
ROP (ft/hr)

150

100 Uncoated Bit

Coated Bit
50

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
WOB (kip)

Figure 4: Performance of Coated vs. Uncoated 8 ½” IADC 223 PDC Bit

SPE 74514 INNOVATIVE LOW-FRICTION COATING REDUCES PDC BALLING AND DOUBLES ROP DRILLING SHALES WITH WBM 9

Figure 5: Typical PDC Bit Coated with Figure 6: IADC Type M323 used in Case
Prototype Reinforced Flouropolymer Study on Tembungo B9 (before coating)

Tembungo Field
Location

Figure 7: Map of Location of Case Study: Tembungo Western Area

10 ZAKARIA, MAT, RADFORD, ECKSTROM SPE 74514

Table of Test Parameters and Conditions

Well Petronas Carigali Tembungo B9

Depth 6,122 – 11,527 ft
RPM 200-275 total
Mud Type Water-based KCL/PHPA Glycol (no ROP-enhancers added)
Mud Properties 18-20 PV; 17-22 YP; 8.5-9.3 pH

PDC Bits Used in 12 ¼” Interval of Tembungo B9

Bit Mfgr. Vendor S Vendor H Vendor D Vendor S HCC

IADC Type M123 M223 M223 M123 M323

Coated? No No No No Yes

TFA (sq in) 1.75 1.86 2.53 3.21 1.74

Depth In (ft) 6122 7787 8956 9432 10125

Footage (ft) 1665 652 476 21 1402

Drlg Hours 24.7 15.0 16.0 2.1 19.4

ROP (fph) 67.4 43.5 29.8 10.0 72.3

Flow (gpm) 840-920 885-920 840-925 800-880 750-800

WOB (kip) 5-50 2-15 6-37 8-23 8-15

Well Angle 48.8 47.7 41.7 40.8 31.9

MWt (ppg) 9.2-9.7 9.7-9.8 10.2-10.3 10.3 10.3-10.6

Figure 8: Table of Test Parameters and Conditions for Case Study

SPE 74514 INNOVATIVE LOW-FRICTION COATING REDUCES PDC BALLING AND DOUBLES ROP DRILLING SHALES WITH WBM 11

Tembungo B9 Bit ROP vs Depth

80
Coated PDC IADC M323

70

PDC IADC M123

60
Average ROP (fph)

50
PDC IADC M223

40

PDC IADC M223

30

20 Roller Cone IADC 4.3.5 Roller Cone IADC 4.3.5

10
PDC IADC M123

0
6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000
Depth (ft)

Figure 9: Penetration Rate Improvement with Flouropolymer-Coated Bit

ROP in Deep Hole over 9,000 ft.

Tembungo B9 vs B8

90

80 HCC PDC IADC M323 PolymerCoated

70
Average ROP (fph)

60

50
PDC IADC M123
Security PDC IADC S323
40
w/Anti-Balling Process
30

20 Roller Cone IADC 4.3.5

Tembungo B8
10
Tembungo B9
PDC IADC M123
0
9000 10000 11000 12000
Depth (ft)

Figure 10: Comparison between Two Anti-Balling Processes

12 ZAKARIA, MAT, RADFORD, ECKSTROM SPE 74514

Figure 11: Photograph of Flouropolymer Coated Bit after Run

Tembungo B9 Drilling Costs

80

70

60
$
50

Cost per Foot

40
(US $)

30
$
20

10

0
Average of Previous Six Bits Used Polymer-coated Bit

Figure 12: Comparison of Drilling Cost per Foot between Polymer-Coated and Uncoated Bits
SPE 74514 INNOVATIVE LOW-FRICTION COATING REDUCES PDC BALLING AND DOUBLES ROP DRILLING SHALES WITH WBM 13

Location Coated Bit Interval Average Average Improvement over

Style Drilled (ft) ROP (fph) Comparable Offsets

Israel 20” DOSRWD 945 73 107%

(Gaza Marine 1)

Abu Dhabi 12 ¼” 2545 292 50% (Note 2)

(BAB Field) IADC M121
(Note 1)
Abu Dhabi 12 ¼” 527 87 71% (Note 2)
(W. Mubarraz) IADC M121
(Note 1)
Thailand 8 ½” 3729 199 55%
(Bongkot) IADC M122
(Note 1)
Indonesia 8 ½” 7122 134 63%
(Attaka Field) IADC M122
(Note 1)
Argentina 8 ½” 543 53 44%
(Can. Leon) IADC M122
(Note 1)
Nigeria 8 ½” 5222 94 27%
(MEJI) IADC M323 (Note 3)

Notes
1. The improved ROP in most cases is attributable to both improved bit design (cutter layout,
hydraulics, and junk slot improvement) plus the reinforced flouropolymer coating.
2. Improvement over other bit supplier’s patented AB Anti-Balling Coating
3. This was the second run on the bit. First was 2452 ft at 65 fph in an earlier well. Bit was not
re-coated between runs. Some coating was still visible after total of 7,674 ft. of drilling.

Figure 13: Selected Worldwide Field Testing Results

Of New Reinforced Flouropolymer Coating on PDC Bits