Stinger

Conical diamond element

Stinger
Applications

Wide variety of formation types and compressive strengths

Rotary, motor and rotary-steerable drive systems and any
BHAconfiguration
Vertical, build, and lateral drilling

Benefits

Enhances drilling efficiency for greater ROP

Increases bit stability and decreases vibration

Increases bit durability to minimize bit runs

Produces larger cuttings for more accurate formation evaluation

Features

Unique conical shape produces increased point loading to

fracture rock more efficiently

Synthetic, ultrathick diamond material layer increases durability

Center-placed cutting structure enhances rockdestruction

Design integrates into a wide range of PDC bit sizes and types

Beyond shear
performance
The Stinger* conical diamond element
provides an innovative cutting structure
enhancement that significantly increases
a PDC bits performance. Located at the
bits center, the element enables high-point
loading to fracture rock more efficiently
for increased durability and ROP across
a wide range of formations and operating
parameters. When compared with standard
PDC bits in durability tests, PDCbits with
a Stinger element demonstrated improved
resistance to wear and impact.

In field tests comparing conventional

PDC bits and PDC bits fitted with a
Stinger element across a wide range of
rock types and operating parameters, bits
with a Stinger element demonstrated
greater durability and stability while
increasing ROP as much as 46%.

Technology answers drillbit performance challenges

RESULTS
EVALUATION
SIMULATION
DEVELOPMENT
CHALLENGE

Improve PDC bit

performance:

Fail rock more

efficiently at bits
center
Eliminate cored out
dull condition to
extend bit life
Drill efficiently in
a wide range of
formations

Enhance cutting
structure at bits center:

Undertake modeling
with IDEAS* integrated
drillbit design platform:

Innovative conical
cutting element
Ultrathick synthetic
diamond layer
PDC bit cutting
structure
adaptability

tinger elements
S
center placement
increases lateral
stability
ROP improvements
through increased
rock failing efficiency

Conduct extensive
laboratory testing:

Measure increased
stability and
boreholequality
Chart enhanced rock
removal
Analyze larger
cuttings

PDC bits with

Stinger element vs.
conventional PDC bits:

Increased ROP as
much as 46%
Improved cutting
structure durability
Minimized bit runs

Borehole center challenges conventional PDC bits

Cutter force and velocity plot for conventional 8.75-in, 6-blade PDC with 16-mm cutters
1

1
0.9

Highest-load cutters

0.8

0.8

0.7

0.7
Relative cutter force

0.6

0.6

0.5

0.5

0.4

0.4
Relative cutter velocity

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.1

0.1

Normalized cutter velocity

Normalized cutter force

0.9

A common challenge to conventional PDC bits

is that they are inefficient at removing rock
from the center of the borehole. Because the
rotational velocity of cutters decreases with
their proximity to the center of the cutting
structure, rock removal by the center-most
cutters is much less efficient, especially in
hard formations.
Because the center cutters bear the highest
load, operational and formation changes
can cause large variations in depth of cut,
inducing bit torque fluctuations. This results
in decreased drilling efficiency at the center
of the bits cutting structure, which can cause
low rates of penetration, destructive lateral
vibrations, and cutter damage.

0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5

Distance from bit center, in

Plot shows typical forces and cutter velocity, from the bit center to the gauge. The center-most cutters
experience the highest loads and have the lowest rotational velocity, subjecting them to more stress and
making them lessefficient.

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

EVALUATION

RESULTS

Center-placed element increases PDC efficiency

To decrease damage and increase
performance at the center of a PDC bits
cutting structure, bit design engineers
conceived a center-placed conical
diamond element.
To position the element in the bit, engineers
removed the center cutters. The absence
of these cutters allows a stress-relieved
column of rock to develop while drilling,
which continuously fractures and crushes,
thereby improving drillingefficiency.

With conventional PDC bits, cutters extend from the

center of the bits cutting structure to the gauge.

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

Removal of the PDC bits centermost cutters was

required to accommodate a center-placed conical
diamond element.

EVALUATION

RESULTS

Conical diamond element advances rock destruction

Stinger Element

The Stinger element produces a crushing

action as opposed to the action of traditional
synthetic diamond cutters and inserts used in
PDC and roller cone bits.

CHALLENGE

PDC Cutter

Positioned on bit blades, the higher velocity

PDC cutters are optimized to effectively
shear the formation and ensure bottomhole
cuttingefficiency.

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

Diamond Enhanced Insert

The diamond enhanced inserts (DEI) are used

on the gauge and heel row of roller cone bits
to ensure gauge hole integrity.

EVALUATION

RESULTS

Proven materials engineered to extend bit durability

Stinger element

PDC

DEI

1.00

Relative scale

The Stinger element has twice the diamond

thickness of conventional PDC cutters and
is manufactured from synthetic diamond
material engineered to provide impact
strength and superior resistance to abrasive
wear. Combining this capability with the
Stinger elements unique conical geometry
results in a cutting element that significantly
increases a PDC bits durability.

0.75

0.50

0.25

Wear resistance

Impact strength

Diamond thickness

In tests, PDC bits with a Stinger element demonstrated greater wear resistance and impact strength properties
than PDC bits fitted with conventional cutters or rock bits fitted with DEIs. The Stinger element has a synthetic
diamond layer that is significantly thicker than that of a conventional PDC cutter or DEI.

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

EVALUATION

RESULTS

IDEAS design platform optimizes elements placement

To ensure that the Stinger elements
incorporation into a PDC bit would maximize
drilling efficiency, engineers used IDEAS
integrated drillbit design platform to improve
a PDCs cutting structure in two major ways:
They shortened the blades that held the PDC
bits low-velocity center cutters and placed
the Stinger element at the center of the PDC
bits cutting structure.
To measure the effectiveness of adding a
Stinger element to a reconfigured PDC bits
cutting structure, IDEAS platform simulated
drilling was conducted in shale, limestone,
and sandstone. In these tests, PDC bits
with aStinger element demonstrated ROP
increases of asmuch as18%.

By reconfiguring the bit with the Stinger element, a column of rock is allowed to form at the center of the
cutting structure, which is continuously fractured and crushed, increasing drilling efficiency.

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

EVALUATION

RESULTS

Advanced modeling tools enable cutting structure optimization

FEA modeling

Using finite element analysis (FEA) modeling

software, engineers analyzed the precise
point at which the Stinger element tip indents
a rocks stress field.
The analysis showed that significantly less
applied load is required to fracture rock, if the
load is concentrated at a single point.

FEA modeling software was used to study fracturing

mechanics at the point the Stinger element tip
indents the rock.

CHALLENGE

The effect of this single-point loading

is compounded with a Stinger element
because the column of rock that the bit
allows to develop is isolated and thereby
unconstrained, making it easier to destroy.
This effect has also proven to increase
stability and reducevibration.

Precise nozzle placement for cleaning

Placing the Stinger element in the center of
the cutting structure makes it essential that
nozzle orientation and the resulting flow field
are optimized. This will ensure the Stinger
element is efficiently cleaned and cooled.

A detailed hydraulic analysis was undertaken

using advanced computational fluid dynamic
(CFD) software to accurately simulate the
flow around the Stinger element. In the
course of each new bit development, nozzle
positions are adjusted and finely tuned to
maximize cleaning of the Stinger element and
the bottom hole around the bits center.

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

Optimized nozzle placement showing cross flow

pathlines and higher fluid velocity for enhanced
cleaning and cuttings removal.

EVALUATION

RESULTS

10

Bottomhole evaluation confirms increased rock failing efficiency

In a controlled test, a standard PDC bit
and a PDC bit with a Stinger element were
subjected to downhole confining pressures
and evaluated to identify the bottomhole
profile of each.
The bit with the Stinger element produced
a highly developed rock column at the very
center of the bit that mirrored its cutting
structure. The rock column clearly showed
evidence that it was being fractured,
confirming that the conical diamond element
was crushing the rock into larger-thannormalfragments.

Bottomhole profile generated by conventional PDC bit

in the test (above) and IDEAS simulation (below).

11

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

Bottomhole profile generated by PDC bit with

Stinger element in the test (above) and IDEAS
simulation (below).

EVALUATION

RESULTS

Increased geological evaluation accuracy

PDC bits with conventional cutting structures
drill by scraping and shearing rock, which
produces cuttings that are often too small for
accurate formation evaluation.
A PDC bit with a Stinger element delivers
a crushing action, causing much larger
cuttings to splinter from the rock column that
is created. The resulting larger fragments
enable wellsite geologists to determine
more accurate rock properties for reservoir
characterization and wellbore placement.

cm

cm
0

in

in

When cuttings collected from a drilling simulator were compared, those generated by a conventional PDC bit
were smaller (left) than those produced by a PDC bit with a Stinger element (right).

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

EVALUATION

RESULTS

12

Greater stability for improved borehole quality

The stability demonstrated by bits with a

Stinger element is a positive dynamic, which
improves borehole quality and reduces
stress on drillstring components, increasing
BHAreliability.

0.5

0.5

1.0

1.0

Depth, ft

The test was run in hard-medium grained

sandstone with a unconfined compressive
strength (UCS) of 9,000 psi. Bit revolution was
maintained at a constant 85 RPM on both bits
to control variance. The borehole drilled by
the PDC bit with a Stinger element showed
the least amount of hole diameter variance,
which is reflective of a more stable cutting
structure design that is less vulnerable to
lateral and torsional shocks and vibrations.

Depth, ft

A test was conducted to compare borehole

quality produced by a conventional PDC bit
versus that of a PDC with a Stinger element
when changes are introduced to weight on bit.

1.5

1.5

2.0

2.0

2.5

2.5
PDC bit with Stinger element
Conventional PDC bit

3.0
0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

Hole-diameter variance, in

13

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

3.0

4,000

8,000

Weight on bit, lbf

EVALUATION

RESULTS

12,000

14

Case Studies

SHARC Bit with Stinger Element Increases ROP 46% in

North Dakotas Bakken Field
Hard formations challenge bit
durability and ROP

To increase ROP and reduce the number

of bits used by operators drilling 8-in
vertical sections in the hard, abrasive, and
interbedded formations of North Dakotas
Bakken basin, Smith Bits added a Stinger
element to a standard SHARC* PDC bit,
creating the MDSiZ616.

15

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

Stinger element significantly advances

drilling performance

SHARC PDC bits were fitted with 16-mm

cutters and a Stinger element; the bits were
run on a directional BHA and drilled 8-in
vertical sections of between 6,209 and 6,477ft
in single trips. Bits attained an average ROP
of 168 ft/h that included a record run with an
average ROP of 203 ft/h. When compared
with the next best average ROP reported by
other bits in offset wells, the SHARC bits with
a Stinger element increasedoverall average
ROP 46%.

EVALUATION

RESULTS

Company A,
average

Company B,
average

MDSiZ616,
average

MDSiZ616,
record run

1,000

203

2,000
168

175

Depth, ft

4,000

150
115

5,000

7,000

225
200

3,000

6,000

250

97
6,583

125
100

87
6,301

6,669

6,301

6,318

75

8,000

50

9,000

25

10,000

0
Smith Bits baseline bit

CHALLENGE

SHARC bit with a Stinger element

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

Other bits

EVALUATION

ROP, ft/h

MDSi616,
average

When compared with

the next best average
ROP of 115ft/h by
other bits, the SHARC
PDC bits with a
Stinger element drilled
NorthDakotas Bakken
basin at an average
ROP of 168ft/h that
included a record run
with an average ROP
of 203 ft/hr, which is
an overall increase in
average ROP of 46%.

ROP, ft/h

RESULTS

16

Case Studies

PDC Bit with Stinger Element Increases ROP 14% in

Utahs Wasatch Formation
Challenging application
demands durability

The lithology associated with applications in

northern Utahs Wasatch formation consists
of difficult interbedded sand and shale with
UCS that ranges from 2,000 to 30,000 psi.
For this application, a 778-in, MiZ616 PDC bit
with a Stinger element was selected. The
assembly was run on a directional BHA using
a positive displacement motor (PDM) with
a 1.5 bend angle with the following goals:
Increase ROP, improve cutting structure
durability in high weight-on-bit applications
(30,000 to 50,000 lbf), and reach section TD in
one run.

17

CHALLENGE

DEVELOPMENT

SIMULATION

Stinger element enhanced PDC

delivers increased durability and ROP

The PDC bit with a Stinger element drilled

6,050 ft of the 778-in wellbore to TD in one trip.
The bit was pulled in excellent dull condition:
1-2-BT-C-X-IN-WT-TD. When compared
with four bits that reported the highest ROP
averages in offset wells, the PDC bit with a
Stinger element increased ROP 14%.

EVALUATION

RESULTS

MDSi616

Mi616

Mi616

Company A

Average

1,000
135

MiZ616

141

134

Depth, ft

2,000
3,000
4,000

117

109

180
150
120

124

90

3,792
4,402

5,000

5,778

6,000

60

4,770

5,109

6,050

7,000

When compared with bits that had

the best average ROP in four offset
wells, the PDC with the Stinger element
delivered a 14% greater ROP with
increased footage.

ROP, ft/h

30
0

Case study bit

CHALLENGE

Smith Bits without Stinger element

DEVELOPMENT

Other bits

SIMULATION

ROP, ft/h

EVALUATION

RESULTS

18

Reference
Nomenclature

A PDC bit equipped with the central Stinger

conical diamond element is identified by the
letter Z in the bit type, directly before the
blade count and cutter size.

Dull grading

The unique conical geometry of the Stinger

element requires a modified dull grading
system, in order to measure the amount of
damage observed (lost, worn, or broken). The
wear rating scale (0 to 8) is the same, as used
for standard PDC cutters.

Stinger element dull grade examples

0 (0% wear)
4 (50% wear)
8 (100% wear)

Examples

MDSiZ616

SDiZ513

MiZ613
A wear card for field use is available
from SmithBits to accurately measure
wear of the central Stingerelement.

19

Stinger element with 0 rating (0%) wear; no signs of

wear orchipping.

20

Stinger
Find out more about the Stinger conical diamond element at
www.slb.com/Stinger.
Animation

See the advanced rock destruction efficiency the Stinger

element gives a PDCbit.

Case Studies

SHARC PDC bits with a Stinger element drilled 8-in vertical

sections in North Dakotas Bakken basin in single trips,
which included a record run with an average ROP of 203
ft/h. This surpassed the average ROP reported by other bits
in offset wells by 46%.

ONYX II

PDC cutters with greater

wear resistance and
durability to maximize ROP
www.slb.com/ONYXII

IDEAS

Integrated drillbit
design platform
www.slb.com/IDEAS

A PDC bit with a Stinger element drilled a 6,050-ft, 778-in

wellbore through Utahs Wasatch formation in one trip with
a 14% higher ROP and was in excellent dull condition.

www.slb.com/Stinger

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Copyright 2013 Schlumberger. All rights reserved. 12-BT-0091