Patent Application
20250018470
Not applicable.
The disclosure relates generally to earth-boring drill bits used to drill a borehole for the ultimate recovery of oil, gas, or minerals. More particularly, the disclosure relates to fixed cutter drill bits with improved cutting structures for cutting through downhole metal and rubber structures and then through the subterranean formation.
In drilling a borehole into an earthen formation, such as for the recovery of hydrocarbons or minerals from a subsurface formation, it is typical practice to connect a drill bit onto the lower end of a drillstring formed from a plurality of pipe joints connected end-to-end, and then rotate the drillstring so that the drill bit progresses downward into the earth to create a borehole along a desired trajectory. In some applications, the borehole may be drilled in a plurality of stages, where, following the drilling of each stage, a casing or production liner joint is installed within the drilled borehole, and cement is pumped in the annulus existing between the outer surface of the casing joint and the inner surface of the borehole. After the pumped cement has set or cured, the inner surface of the section of cased borehole is isolated from fluids disposed within a central passage of the borehole. Additionally, in some applications, each subsequently installed casing or liner joint may be physically supported or anchored from the precedingly installed casing or liner joint, forming a casing or liner string in the borehole.
After each stage of the borehole is lined with casing and the casing is cemented in place, drilling can continue through the cased section of the borehole and the formation therebelow. Such continued drilling may require drilling through components associated with the casing and/or cementing operation before drilling through the formation itself. Such components may be made of materials such as metal (e.g., aluminum, steel, etc.), non-metals (e.g., rubber), or combinations thereof, which are different than the rock in the formation being drilled.
Embodiments of methods for manufacturing a fixed cutter drill bit for drilling an earthen formation are disclosed herein. The drill bit has a central axis and includes a bit body, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced blades extending from the bit body, a plurality of cutter elements mounted to a cutter supporting surface of each blade and defining a formation cutting structure, and a tool cutting structure extending from the cutting supporting surface of each blade. The formation cutting structure configured to cut a subterranean earthen formation and the tool cutting structure is configured to drill a downhole tool. In one embodiment, the method comprises (a) providing a mold including a rigid body and a cavity extending from an upper end of the rigid body. The cavity includes a bit body recess, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced blade recesses extending from the bit body recess, and a tool cutting structure recess extending from each blade recess. The method also comprises (b) placing a first binder in each tool cutting structure recess. In addition, the method comprises (c) filling each blade recess and the bit body recess with a powdered matrix material comprising tungsten carbide after (b). Further, the method comprises (d) placing a second binder on top of the powdered matrix material after (c). Still further, the method comprises (e) heating the mold, the first binder and the second binder after (d) to melt the first binder and the second binder. Moreover, the method comprises (f) infiltrating the powdered matrix material with the melted second binder during (e). Additionally, the method comprises (g) cooling the mold, the melted first binder, and the melted second binder to solidify the melted first binder and the melted second binder after (f) to form the bit body, the plurality of blades, and the tool cutting structure.
Embodiments of methods for manufacturing a fixed cutter drill bit for drilling an earthen formation are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a fixed cutter drill bit for drilling an earthen formation comprises (a) providing a mold including a rigid body and a cavity extending from an upper end of the rigid body. The cavity includes a bit body recess, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced blade recesses extending from the bit body recess, and tool cutting structure recess extending from each blade recess. The bit body recess is configured to form a bit body of the drill bit, the blade recesses are configured to form a plurality of blades of the drill bit. The tool cutting structure recesses are configured to form a tool cutting structure of the drill bit for drilling through a downhole tool. The method also comprises (b) placing a plurality of pieces or particles of hard metal or a metal alloy in each tool cutting structure recess. In addition, the method comprises (c) filling each tool cutting structure recess with a first binder after (b). Further, the method comprises (d) filling each blade recess and the bit body recess with a powdered matrix material comprising tungsten carbide after (c). Still further, the method comprises (e) placing a second binder on top of the powdered matrix material after (d). Moreover, the method comprises (f) heating the mold, the first binder, and the second binder after (e) to melt each binder and convert each binder to a liquid, wherein the hard metal or metal alloy has a melting temperature greater than a temperature to which the mold is heated in (f). Additionally, the method comprises (g) infiltrating the powdered matrix material with the second binder during (f). The method also comprises (h) infiltrating the plurality of pieces or particles of hard metal or metal alloy with the melted first binder during (f). In addition, the method comprises (i) cooling the mold, the first binder, and the second powdered binder after (g) and (h) to convert each binder to a solid. The solidified second binder and the matrix material form the bit body and the blades of the drill bit, and the solidified first binder and the plurality of pieces or particles of hard metal or metal alloy form the tool cutting structure of the drill bit.
Embodiments described herein comprise a combination of features and characteristics intended to address various shortcomings associated with certain prior devices, systems, and methods. The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical characteristics of the disclosed embodiments in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. The various characteristics and features described above, as well as others, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description, and by referring to the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated that the conception and the specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes as the disclosed embodiments. It should also be realized that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the principles disclosed herein.
For a detailed description of various exemplary embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
The following discussion is directed to various exemplary embodiments. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not function. The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form and some details of conventional elements may not be shown in interest of clarity and conciseness.
Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth herein should be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints, and open-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commercially practical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered as inclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates the contrary.
In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . ” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct engagement between the two devices, or through an indirect connection that is established via other devices, components, nodes, and connections. In addition, as used herein, the terms “axial” and “axially” generally mean along or parallel to a particular axis (e.g., central axis of a body or a port), while the terms “radial” and “radially” generally mean perpendicular to a particular axis. For instance, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to the axis, and a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to the axis. Any reference to up or down in the description and the claims is made for purposes of clarity, with “up”, “upper”, “upwardly”, “uphole”, or “upstream” meaning toward the surface of the borehole and with “down”, “lower”, “downwardly”, “downhole”, or “downstream” meaning toward the terminal end of the borehole, regardless of the borehole orientation. As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and the like mean within 10% (i.e., plus or minus 10%) of the recited value. Thus, for example, a recited angle of “about 80 degrees” refers to an angle ranging from 72 degrees to 88 degrees. In general, the hardness or softness of various components and materials described herein can be determined and compared using conventional techniques known in art such as Rockwell tests, Vickers tests, Brinell tests, or the like; and sizes of particles described herein can be determined using conventional techniques known in the art such as sieve analyses.
As previously described, some drilling operations may require drilling through downhole components (e.g., a stage tool) made of metal and/or non-metal materials followed by drilling through rock of the formation itself. To efficiently drill through such different materials (e.g., metal and rock) it may be particularly desirable and beneficial to employ different cutting technologies (e.g., different cutting tools with cutting elements tailored to cut different materials). One conventional approach to drilling through a downhole component and then into the formation is to deploy two different drilling tools—a first drilling tool (e.g., a drill bit or mill) specifically designed to drill through the downhole component, and then a second drilling tool (e.g., a drill bit) specifically designed to drill through the formation. This process typically requires drilling through the downhole component with the first drilling tool, then retrieving the drill string and first drilling tool to the surface, replacing the first drilling tool with the second drilling tool, and then deploying the second drilling tool downhole via the drill string to drill through the formation. This process, known as a “trip” of the drill string, requires considerable time, effort and expense.
Another approach to drilling through a downhole component and then into the formation is to deploy a single drill bit capable of efficiently drilling through both the downhole component and the formation. One conventional drill bit for such an approach comprises a fixed cutter drill bit that includes hard metal pieces (e.g., carbide pieces) secured to the face of the drill bit for drilling through the downhole component and polycrystalline diamond cutter elements underlying the carbide pieces for drilling through the formation. The hard metal pieces extend further from the face of the drill bit than the cutter elements such that the hard metal pieces provide the primary cutting edges for cutting through the downhole component, but then break and wear away shortly after cutting through the downhole component into the formation, thereby exposing and allowing the underlying cutter elements of the drill bit to provide the primary cutting edges for cutting through the formation. Typically, the hard metal pieces are secured to the face of the drill bit via oxy acetylene torch welding. However, the welding process may weaken and/or damage (e.g., cause cracks) the underlying body of the fixed cutter bit, especially fixed cutter bits having matrix bit bodies.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved drill bits for drilling through downhole components (e.g., metal and non-metal structures) such as stage tools, and subsequently drilling through the surrounding formation without requiring a trip of the drill bit, and for methods of making such drill bits. Such drill bits would be particularly well-received if the manufacturing methods could be used in connection with matrix bit bodies without undesirably weakening or damaging the matrix bit body.
Referring now to
The portion of bit body 110 that faces the formation at downhole end 100a includes a bit face 111 provided with a cutting structure 140. In embodiments described herein, cutting structure 140 is specifically designed and configured to both (a) cut through a downhole tool (e.g., an aluminum and rubber stage tool), and (b) subsequently cut through the formation rock in a single trip. As will be described in more detail below, cutting structure 140 includes a plurality of blades 141, 142 that extend from bit face 111, a formation cutting structure 160 mounted to blades 141, 142 (
As best shown in
In this embodiment, primary blades 141 and secondary blades 142 are integrally formed as part of, and extend from, bit body 110 and bit face 111. More specifically and as will be described in more detail below, bit 100 is a composite matrix bit in which bit body 110 and blades 141, 142 are monolithically formed using powdered metal tungsten carbide particles (e.g., WC (tungsten carbide), WC/W2C (cast carbide) or mixtures of both) infiltrated with an infiltrant binder (e.g., a copper alloy) to form a hard metal cast matrix. Primary blades 141 and secondary blades 142 extend generally radially along bit face 111 and then axially along a portion of the radially outer periphery of bit 100. In particular, primary blades 141 extend radially from proximal central axis 105 toward the periphery of bit body 110. Primary blades 141 and secondary blades 142 are separated by drilling fluid flow courses 143. Each blade 141, 142 has a leading edge or side 141a, 142a, respectively, and a trailing edge or side 141b, 142b, respectively, relative to the direction of rotation 106 of bit 100.
Referring still to
In this embodiment, cutter elements 161 are generally arranged in a single row on each secondary blade 142 and arranged in two rows on each primary blade 141. In particular, a plurality of cutter elements 161 are positioned adjacent one another in a radially extending row proximal the leading side 142a of each secondary 142; whereas a first plurality of cutter elements 161 are positioned adjacent one another in a radially extending row proximal the leading side 141a of each primary blade 141, and a second plurality of cutter elements 161 are positioned adjacent one another in a radially extending row rearward of the row of the first plurality of cutter elements 161 on the same primary blade 141. In
Each cutting face 162 has a cutting tip distal the corresponding cutter support surface 144 to define an extension height or exposure of the corresponding cutter element 161. In general, the extension height of a cutter element (e.g., cutter element 161) or other structure mounted to the cutter supporting surface of a blade (e.g., cutter supporting surface 144 of a blade 141, 142) is the distance from the cutter support surface of the blade to which the cutter element is mounted to the outermost point or portion of the cutter element as measured perpendicular to the cutter supporting surface.
As best shown in
Referring again to
In this embodiment, each band 171 is made of a continuous, monolithic solid metal or metal alloy binder 172 and a plurality of chunks or pieces of hard metal 173 dispersed throughout binder 172. In embodiments described herein, binder 172 is made of a metal or metal alloy that is softer and less wear resistant than the powdered metal tungsten carbide particles of bit body 110 and blades 141, 142, and also softer and less wear resistant than the pieces of hard metal 173 disposed within binder 172. In other words, the powdered metal tungsten carbide particles of bit body 110 and blades 141, 142, as well as the piece of hard metal 173 are harder than the binder 172. In addition, in embodiments described herein, binder 172 has a melting temperature that is less than the melting temperature of the powdered metal tungsten carbide particles of bit body 110 and blades 141, 142, and also less than the melting temperature of the pieces of hard metal 173 disposed within binder 172. More specifically, the melting temperature of binder 172 is less than the temperature at which bit body 110 and blades 141, 142 are cast such that binder 172 melts during manufacture of bit 100 as described in more detail below. The melting temperature of the powdered metal tungsten carbide particles of bit body 110 and blades 141, 142, and the melting temperature of the pieces of hard metal 173 are greater than the temperature to which bit body 110 and blades 141, 142 are cast, and thus, do not melt during manufacture of bit 100. In embodiment described herein, the pieces of hard metal 173 can have sizes greater than or equal to 1/16 in. (0.0625 in.). In general, metal binder 172 and hard metal 173 can be any suitable metal or metal alloy with the foregoing characteristics. Examples of suitable materials for binder 172 include, without limitation, copper, brass, bronze, nickel, silver, gold, and alloys thereof. Examples of suitable materials for pieces of hard metal 173 include, without limitation, tungsten carbide, steel, tungsten, iron, titanium carbide, niobium carbide, pyrite, niobium, cemented tungsten carbide cobalt, and cemented tungsten carbide nickel. In one embodiment, pieces of hard metal 173 comprise cemented tungsten carbide cobalt having a cobalt concentration ranging from 5.0 to 20.0 wt %.
Due to the extension heights of the bands 171 being greater than the extension heights of cutter elements 161 relative to cutter-supporting surfaces 144, bands 171 engage and drill the downhole component while cutter elements 161 are generally preserved while drilling the downhole component (i.e., cutter elements 161 do not contact or engage the downhole component while drill bit 100 drills the downhole component). However, the relatively soft and less wear resistant binder 172 of bands 171 abrasively erodes and wears away while drilling the downhole component and during the initial stages of the subsequent drilling of the formation rock, thereby exposing cutter elements 161 for drilling through the formation rock.
Referring now to
Composite blade profile 148 and bit face 111 may generally be divided into three regions conventionally labeled cone region 149a, shoulder region 149b, and gage region 149c. Cone region 149a is the radially innermost region of bit body 110 and composite blade profile 148 that extends from bit axis 105 to shoulder region 149b. In this embodiment, cone region 149a is generally concave. Adjacent cone region 149a is generally convex shoulder region 149b. The transition between cone region 149a and shoulder region 149b, referred herein to as the nose 149d, occurs at the axially outermost portion of composite blade profile 148 where a tangent line to the blade profile 148 has a slope of zero. Moving radially outward, adjacent shoulder region 149b is the gage region 149c, which extends substantially parallel to bit axis 105 at the outer radial periphery of composite blade profile 148. As shown in composite blade profile 148, gage pads 147 define the gage region 149c and the outer radius R110 of bit body 110. Outer radius R110 extends to and therefore defines the full gage diameter of bit 100.
Primary blades 141 extend radially along bit face 111 from within cone region 149a proximal bit axis 105 toward gage region 149c and outer radius R110. Secondary blades 142 extend radially along bit face 111 from proximal nose 149d toward gage region 149c and outer radius R110. Thus, in this embodiment, each primary blade 141 and each secondary blade 142 extends substantially to gage region 149c and outer radius R110. In this embodiment, secondary blades 142 do not extend into cone region 149a, and thus, secondary blades 142 occupy no space on bit face 111 within cone region 149a. Formation cutting structure 160 and associated cutter elements 161 extend radially along bit face 111 and blades 141, 142 from within cone region 149a proximal bit axis 105 toward gage region 149c and outer radius R110. In this embodiment, tool cutting structure 170 and associated bands 171 extend radially along bit face 111 and blades 141, 142 from within cone region 149a proximal bit axis 105 to shoulder region 149b proximal nose 149d. However, in other embodiments, the tool cutting structure (e.g., tool cutting structure 170 and associated bands 171) may be positioned in other regions of the bit face (e.g., other regions 149a, 149b, 149c of blade profile 148 and bit face 111).
Although a specific embodiment of bit body 110 has been shown in described, one skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous variations in the size, orientation, and locations of the blades (e.g., primary blades 141, secondary blades, 142, etc.), the formation cutting structure (e.g., formation cutting structure 160 and associated cutter elements 161), and the tool cutting structure (e.g., tool cutting structure 170 and associated bands 171) are possible.
Bit 100 includes an internal plenum extending axially from the uphole end through pin 120 and shank 130 into bit body 110. Plenum permits drilling fluid to flow from the drill string into bit 100. Body 110 is also provided with a plurality of flow passages extending from the plenum to downhole end 100b. As best shown in
Referring now to
Drill bit 100′ is a fixed cutter bit having a central or longitudinal axis 105, a first or downhole end 100a, and a second or uphole end (not shown) opposite the downhole end 100a. Bit 100′ rotates about axis 105 in the cutting direction represented by arrow 106. In addition, bit 100 includes a bit body 110, a threaded connection extending axially from the uphole end, and a shank extending axially between the pin and body 110 as previously described. Bit body 110 includes a bit face 111 provided with a cutting structure 140 specifically designed and configured to both (a) cut through a downhole tool (e.g., an aluminum and rubber stage tool), and (b) subsequently cut through the formation rock in a single trip. Cutting structure 140 includes a plurality of blades 141, 142 that extend from bit face 111, a formation cutting structure 160 mounted to blades 141, 142, and a tool cutting structure 170′ mounted to blades 141, 142. Blades 141, 142 and formation cutting structure 160 are as previously described. Tool cutting structure 170′ is similar but not identical to tool cutting structure 170 previously described. More specifically, tool cutting structure 170′ includes a plurality of rigid strips or bands 171′ integral with blades 141, 142 and extending axially from cutter supporting surfaces 144 of blades 141, 142. One band 171′ is provided on each blade 141, 142, and further, each band 171′ extends circumferentially from the leading side 141a, 142a to the trailing side 141b, 142b, respectively, of the corresponding blade 141, 142, respectively. In addition, each band 171′ extends from the corresponding cutter supporting surface 144 to an extension height that is greater than the extension heights of cutter elements 161. Still further, each band 171′ is made of a continuous, monolithic solid metal binder 172 as previously described. However, in this embodiment, bands 171′ do not include a plurality of chunks or pieces of hard metal (e.g., hard metal 173) or any other component dispersed throughout binder 172.
Due to the extension heights of the bands 171′ being greater than the extension heights of cutter elements 161, bands 171′ engage and drill the downhole component while cutter elements 161 are generally preserved while drilling the downhole component (i.e., cutter elements 161 do not contact or engage the downhole component while drill bit 100 drills the downhole component). However, the relatively soft and less wear resistant binder 172 of bands 171′ abrasively erodes and wears away while drilling the downhole component and during the initial stages of the subsequent drilling of the formation rock, thereby exposing cutter elements 161 for drilling through the formation rock.
In the embodiment of bit 100 previously described, bands 171 of tool cutting structure 170 comprise binder 172 and pieces of hard metal 173, and in embodiments of bit 100′ previously described, bands 171′ of tool cutting structure 170′ comprise binder 172 alone. In yet another embodiment, the bands of the tool cutting structure (e.g., bands 171 of tool cutting structure 170) comprise binder 172 as previously described and small particles of (e.g., powdered) metal or metal alloy that is harder and more abrasion resistant than binder 172, and that has a melting temperature greater than the melting temperature of binder 172 and greater than the temperature to which the bit body and blades (e.g., bit body 110 and blades 141, 142) are cast, and thus, do not melt during manufacture of the bit (e.g., bit 100). Examples of such metals or metal alloys include, without limitation, tungsten carbide, tungsten, steel, and iron. In such embodiments, the small particles of metal or metal alloy can have sizes less than or equal to ¼ in. (0.25 in.) (e.g., via sieve analysis).
Referring now to
Mold 200 includes a recess or cavity 220 extending axially form upper end 210a toward lower end 210b. Recess 220 has the general shape and outer contours of bit body 110, blades 141, 142, and tool cutting structure 170. It should be appreciated that cutter elements 161 of formation cutting structure 160 are manufactured separately from the remainder of bit 100, and are secured within pockets 145 of blades 141, 142 (e.g., via brazing) after casting bit body 110, blades 141, 142, and tool cutting structure 170. As will be described in more detail below, cylindrical blanks having the same geometry as cutter elements 160 are placed within cavity 220 to create the voids defining pockets 145 during the casting process.
Referring still to
Referring now to
Moving now to block 405, a plurality of blanks for defining pockets 145 that eventually receive cutter elements 161 are positioned in cutter element recesses 224 along blade mold recesses 222. Then the remainder of mold 200, including blade mold recesses 222 and body mold recess 221, is filled with a powdered matrix material, and in particular, powdered tungsten carbide particles in block 406. Next, particles and/or pellets of a solid infiltrant binder are placed directly on top of the powdered matrix material in block 407. In general, the infiltrant binder used in block 407 can be any suitable infiltrant binder known in the art including copper brass, copper alloy, etc. The infiltrant binder employed in block 407 can be the same or different from the powdered binder 172 employed in block 404.
Moving now to block 408, thermal energy is applied to mold 200 and the components therein including powdered binder 172 and the powdered infiltrant binder placed atop the powdered matrix material. For example, mold 200 may be placed in an oven and heated. Mold 200 is heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the powdered binders therein (e.g., powdered binder 172 and the powdered infiltrant binder) but below the melting temperature of hard metal 173 and the melting temperature of the powdered matrix material filling the blade mold recesses 222 and body mold recess 221. In block 409, the powdered binder 172 melts and liquefies, and then infiltrates (via capillary action) the pieces of hard metal 173 within each tool cutting structure recess 223 and may infiltrate portions of the powdered matrix material in the adjacent blade mold recesses 222. Further, in block 409, the powdered binder placed on top of the powdered matrix material in block 404 also melts and liquefies, and then infiltrates (via capillary action) the powdered matrix material in body mold recess 221 and blade mold recesses 222. The melted and liquified powdered binder placed on top of the powdered matrix material in block 407 may also infiltrate (via capillary action) some of the pieces of hard metal 173 in tool cutting structure recesses 223.
Next, in block 410, mold 200 and the liquified binders therein (i.e., the liquified binder 172 of tool cutting structure 170 and the liquified infiltrant binder) are allowed to cool. The liquified binders solidify as they cool, thereby forming a hard metal cast matrix bit body 110 and blades 141, 142, along with the metal cast tool cutting structure 170 as a single-piece, monolithic cast structure that can be removed from mold 200. To complete drill bit 100, in block 411, the blanks defining pockets 145 are removed from cutter element recesses 224, cutter elements 161 are fixably secured to blades 141, 142 within pockets 145, and a threaded pin connector is fixably attached to bit body 110.
In the manner described, drill bit 100 including tool cutting structure 170 and formation cutting structure 160 can be formed. It should be appreciated that method 400 does not require the separate welding of elements or structures to a matrix bit body or matrix blades following the casting of the matrix bit body or matrix blades, which may otherwise weaken or damage such matrix structures.
It should be appreciated that method 400 can be modified to manufacture bit 100′ previously described by simply omitting block 403. In addition, method 400 can be modified to rely on the infiltrant binder placed on top of the matrix material in block 407 for binder 172. In particular, block 404 can be modified to replace binder 172 with a sacrificial material such as glue or wax that fills tool cutting structure recesses 223 and surrounds hard metal pieces 173, but burns off in block 408 to allow the binder placed on top of the matrix material at the top of the mold in block 407 to infiltrate hard metal pieces 173 within tool cutting structure recesses 223 (via capillary action). Still further, method 400 can be modified to replace hard metal pieces in block 403 with particles of hard metal or metal alloy (e.g., powdered hardmetal or metal alloy) that is infiltrated with binder 172 placed in the mold in block 406 or the infiltrant binder placed on top of the matrix material in block 407.
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possible and are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, the relative dimensions of various parts, the materials from which the various parts are made, and other parameters can be varied. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the steps in a method claim may be performed in any order. The recitation of identifiers such as (a), (b), (c) or (1), (2), (3) before steps in a method claim are not intended to and do not specify a particular order to the steps, but rather are used to simplify subsequent reference to such steps.
This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/512,688 filed Jul. 10, 2023 and entitled “Fixed Cutter Drill Bits and Methods of Making Same,” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63512688 | Jul 2023 | US |
