Downhole drilling tools including low friction gage pads with rotatable balls positioned therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9790749-B2
Application number	US-201315035717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2013
Priority date	Dec 13, 2013
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments, a downhole drilling tool comprises a bit body, a blade on an exterior portion of the bit body, and a gage pad on the blade. The gage pad includes a ball retainer and a ball located in the ball retainer such that an exposed portion of the ball is positioned to contact a wellbore and rotate in response to frictional engagement with the wellbore.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A downhole drilling tool, comprising:
a bit body;
a blade on an exterior portion of the bit body;
a gage pad on the blade, the gage pad including an uphole gage portion having a positive axial taper extending to an uphole edge of the gage pad;
a ball retainer in the gage pad; and
a ball located in the ball retainer such that an exposed portion of the ball is positioned to contact a wellbore and rotate in response to frictional engagement with the wellbore.

2. The downhole drilling tool of claim 1 , wherein the ball is further positioned to rotate at an angle corresponding to a spiraling rotation of the gage pad.

3. The downhole drilling tool of claim 1 , wherein the ball retainer is configured to maintain the position of the ball relative to the gage pad as the ball rotates.

4. The downhole drilling tool of claim 1 , further comprising a cover disposed on an outer portion of the gage pad to provide a seal for the ball retainer and partially enclose the ball in order to maintain the position of the ball relative to the gage pad.

5. The downhole drilling tool of claim 4 , wherein:
the cover is removable from the gage pad; and
the ball is removable from the gage pad if the cover has been removed.

6. The downhole drilling tool of claim 4 , wherein the cover is brazed onto the gage pad.

7. The downhole drilling tool of claim 4 , wherein the cover is welded onto the gage pad.

8. The downhole drilling tool of claim 1 , wherein the ball comprises one of a polycrystalline diamond compact material or a tungsten carbide material.

9. A downhole drilling tool, comprising:
a bit body;
a blade on an exterior portion of the bit body; and
a gage pad on the blade, the gage pad including:
a downhole gage portion including a surface to contact adj acent portions of a wellbore; and
an uphole gage portion including a ball retainer and a ball located in the ball retainer such that an exposed portion of the ball is positioned to contact the wellbore and rotate in response to frictional engagement with the wellbore, the uphole gage portion having a positive axial taper extending to an uphole edge of the gage pad.

10. The downhole drilling tool of claim 9 , wherein the ball is further positioned to rotate at an angle corresponding to a spiraling rotation of the gage pad.

11. The downhole drilling tool of claim 9 , wherein the ball retainer is configured to maintain the position of the ball relative to the gage pad as the ball rotates.

12. The downhole drilling tool of claim 9 , further comprising a cover disposed on an outer portion of the gage pad to provide a seal for the ball retainer and partially enclose the ball in order to maintain the position of the ball relative to the gage pad.

13. The downhole drilling tool of claim 12 , wherein:
the cover is removable from the gage pad; and
the ball is removable from the gage pad if the cover has been removed.

14. The downhole drilling tool of claim 12 , wherein the cover is brazed onto the gage pad.

15. The downhole drilling tool of claim 12 , wherein the cover is welded onto the gage pad.

16. The downhole drilling tool of claim 12 , wherein the ball comprises one of a polycrystalline diamond compact material or a carbide material.

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Chen Shilin

Classifications

• E21B10/55

  with preformed cutting elements · CPC title

• E21B12/04 Primary

  Drill bit protectors · CPC title

• E21B10/60

  characterised by conduits or nozzles for drilling fluids (for roller bits E21B10/18; for percussion drill bits E21B10/38) · CPC title

• E21B17/1092 Primary

  Gauge section of drill bits · CPC title

• E21B17/1078

  Stabilisers or centralisers for casing, tubing or drill pipes (E21B17/1007 - E21B17/1064 take precedence) · CPC title