Downhole Measurement and Monitoring
Lead to an Enhanced Understanding of
Drilling Vibrations and Polycrystalline
Diamond Compact Bit Damage
L.W. Ledgerwood III, SPE, Jayesh R. Jain, SPE, Olivier J. Hoffmann, SPE, and Reed W. Spencer, SPE, Baker Hughes
Summary
Since backward whirl was discovered as a severe cause of poly-
crystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit failure, the oil and gas
industry has made great strides toward creating whirl-resistant
bits and operating practices. But is whirl still the major cause of
PDC bit damage in conventional rotary applications? This paper
reports on a recent field study in which downhole vibrations were
measured by use of a newly available in-bit vibration-monitoring
device. The focus of this study was to understand the primary
source of bit damage. In addition, four wells were also drilled by
use of a research drilling rig in Oklahoma. In these tests, the PDC
bits, bottomhole assemblies (BHAs), and operating parameters
were varied to document their effect on downhole vibrations. In
these four wells, vibration measurements from the new in-bit
measuring device were validated against a commercially available
and industry-proven measurement-while-drilling (MWD) vibra-
tion-monitoring service.
The results of this study indicate that the most common field
vibration in hard-rock vertical conventional rotary drilling is
stick/slip, not whirl. In field tests, stick/slip was observed almost
exclusively. For typical field applications with a surface rotary
speed of approximately 70 rpm, the team measured a peak down-
hole rpm as high as 500 during the slip phase. Stick/slip was iden-
tified as the primary cause of bit damage in these applications.
Lateral vibration occurring during the slip phase correlated well
with the observed damage and is proposed as a new mode of dam-
age during stick/slip. The characterization of the lateral vibrations
coupled with stick/slip is presented on the basis of downhole
measurements.
Introduction
Analysts have long recognized that drillstrings vibrate, and these
vibrations damage bits and BHA components. Early studies (Cun-
ningham 1967; Daering and Livesay 1968; Deily et al. 1968;
Denison 1979) focused on axial and torsional vibrations of the
drillstring. In 1989, researchers at Amoco identified backward
whirl as a common vibration experienced by PDC bits. Backward
whirl can catastrophically damage a PDC bit in a matter of sec-
onds (Brett 1992; Warren et al. 1990). From that time to today,
PDC bit designers have focused on developing strategies for
creating PDC bits that resist backward whirl (Cooley et al.
1992; Sinor and Warren 1993; Johnson 2006; Fuselier et al.
2010). Meanwhile, cutter-technology improvements have enabled
drillers to apply more bit weight to increase drilling efficiency.
High bit weight can cause stick/slip, and, therefore, PDC bits are
now more susceptible to stick/slip than when they were first
introduced.
The research reported in this paper was conducted to deter-
mine the predominant vibration mode that damages PDC bits in
Copyright V
C 2013 Society of Petroleum Engineers
This paper (SPE 134488) was accepted for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition, Florence, Italy, 19–22 September 2010, and revised for
publication. Original manuscript received for review 1 February 2013. Revised manuscript
received for review 9 May 2013. Paper peer approved 16 May 2013.
254
vertical conventional-rotary wells. The authors chose to focus on
vertical, conventional-rotary wells and partnered with an operator
that uses packed BHAs and good drilling practices. The team con-
ducted tests in two target areas—one west of Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma and the other in the vicinity of Fort Worth, Texas—by
use of a new in-bit vibration sensor to quantify the vibrations
experienced downhole (Pastusek et al. 2007). The team also con-
ducted tests in four research wells drilled by a drilling rig dedi-
cated to research (Sinor et al. 2001). In these research wells, the
in-bit vibration sensor was used in tandem with a commercial
MWD vibration-monitoring system (Heisig et al. 1998). The team
chose drilling parameters that caused a variety of downhole
dynamic dysfunctions in the research wells to create stability
maps showing the realms of stick/slip, smooth drilling, and back-
ward whirl.
This investigation shows that stick/slip is a common downhole
vibration in vertical conventional-rotary wells and demonstrates
that stick/slip can cause serious damage to PDC bits. The analysis
of the dull condition and the measured vibrations led to the under-
standing that lateral vibrations occurring during the slip phase
damage the bits. The nature of these coupled vibrations is dis-
cussed in light of measured downhole data. It is suggested that the
most effective way to minimize the damage is to mitigate stick/
slip. Several stick/slip-mitigation strategies have been reported in
the literature, including some in recent papers (Chesher et al.
2010; Dykstra et al. 2011; Jain et al. 2011). One such strategy is
to introduce a motor in the BHA. Fortunately, recent develop-
ments in the field and the need for more power at the bit have led
to an increasing usage of motor drilling. Nevertheless, motors do
not eliminate stick/slip completely, and can still experience high
lateral vibrations in the BHA during slip phase, as is evident from
the examples reported in this paper.
Downhole Vibration Sensors
The in-bit vibration sensor (Pastusek et al. 2007) fits in the shank
of the bit, as shown in Fig. 1. The device has a special set of
accelerometers from which the axial, lateral, and torsional vibra-
tions and bit angular velocity are computed. It stores 5-second-
long samples of high-frequency data, called “burst files,” at regu-
lar intervals. The device also calculates and stores average values
including axial and lateral accelerations and maximal, minimal,
and average rotary speeds. The user can control how frequently
the burst files and average values are stored in the memory. It is
easy to identify the presence of stick/slip from a plot of bit rotary
speed vs. time, which will become evident in the following sec-
tions. The existence of backward whirl is detected from the accel-
erometers’ measurements processed in a proprietary manner.
The team validated the in-bit sensor in two different ways.
Tests were conducted in a full-scale drilling laboratory that uses
laser proximity sensors to measure the lateral motion of the bit.
Results of these tests, shown in Fig. 2, indicate that the whirl rates
(or whirl frequency) calculated from accelerations measured by
the in-bit device agree very well with the whirl rates calculated
from the lasers. The team also compared angular velocities and
lateral vibrations, measured by the in-bit device, with the
September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion

Fig. 1—In-bit dynamics sensor.
commercial MWD vibration monitor in the research wells. This is
discussed in the following section.
Tests Conducted in the Research Wells
The team conducted several tests in the research wells at the test
facility in Oklahoma (Sinor et al. 2001) to validate the in-bit sen-
sor and to study downhole vibrations. The in-bit vibration sensor
was programmed to acquire a high-frequency burst file every 2
minutes. The team used the MWD vibration monitor to obtain
real-time feedback while conducting the tests to help choose
appropriate operating parameters for the tests. After completing
the tests each day, the bit was pulled out of the hole and the data
in the in-bit sensor were downloaded for detailed analysis.
Stick/Slip
The term “stick/slip” refers to torsional oscillations in which the
bit comes to a complete stop. Fig. 3a shows bit angular velocity
measured during stick/slip by the in-bit sensor and the commer-
cial MWD vibration monitor. The measurements show excellent
agreement. Fig. 3b shows the downhole rotary speed from a typi-
cal stick/slip event measured during the tests. Note that the rotary
speed reaches a maximum of approximately 210 rpm, and the
length of the “stuck” phase is approximately 1.5 seconds. In this
case, the surface rotary speed was 70 rpm and the depth was
2,900 ft.
The MWD tool uses readings from magnetometers to deter-
mine the angular velocity, whereas the in-bit device derives it
from centripetal acceleration. Each of these methods has advan-
tages and limitations. The magnetometers provide very accurate
measurements even at very low velocities, and have less noise
(see Fig. 3). On the other hand, accelerometers do not need non-
magnetic subs, and they more accurately capture very-high-fre-
quency variations in angular velocity.
250
MWD Tool
200 In-bit Device
150 Surface
RPM
RPM
100
50
0
35 40 45 50 55
Time (s)
(a)
Fig. 3—Downhole measurement of rotational speed during stick/slip.
September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion
20
10
In-Bit Device Ω (Hz)
0
–50 –30 –10 10
–10
–20
–30
–40
–50
Laser Ω (Hz)
Fig. 2—Whirl rate (X) measured with the in-bit device compared
with kinematic measurements with laser probes.
To characterize the damage caused by stick/slip, a 121=4-in. bit
was run in the research well under conditions that exposed the bit
to stick/slip exclusively. This bit was run on 5 successive days,
tripping in and out of the hole each day to quantify vibrations and
to document the progress of bit damage. Over a 5-day period, the
bit drilled a total of 471 ft in the Wilcox sandstone, McLish shale,
Oil Creek sandstone, and Arbuckle dolomite. Fig. 4 shows typical
worn cutters from the bit at the end of the 5-day period. The flat
surfaces in Cutters 77, 79, 81, and 83 are ground surfaces; they
are not bit wear. The cutter damage on this bit began with spalling
on the ground flats, such as that evident in Cutter 83. Then, as the
damage evolved, it spread from the ground flat to the cutter face,
as is evident in Cutter 81. Damage to the primary cutters, such as
is evident on Cutters 20 and 43, began after the damage to the
ground flats.
Backward Whirl
Fig. 5a shows the lateral accelerations during backward whirl
measured by the in-bit device, and Fig. 5b shows the same event
measured by the MWD tool. Despite being approximately 50 ft
apart, the two devices measured very similar lateral vibration. The
backward whirl probably originated at the bit and propagated into
the BHA. The bending moments measured by the MWD tool, not
shown here, support this claim. As expected, these vibrations are
damped in the BHA as is evident from the lower amplitudes in
Fig. 5b. Bit damage because of backward whirl is well-known and
was also experienced in these tests.
Torsional Resonance of Drill Collars
Another vibration that was frequently observed in the research
wells was torsional drill-collar resonance. As shown in Fig. 6, the
bit angular velocities measured by the in-bit sensors and the
MWD tool during an episode of torsional resonance are in good
agreement. Warren identified this vibration in 1998 (Warren and
250
200
150
100
50
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s)
(b)
255
 19 20 21 22

Nose

41 43 45 47
Shoulder

77 79 81 83
Gage

Fig. 4—Damage to PDC bit that experienced stick/slip for 471 ft of drilling.

10 300 36.4 Hz
10 40
Magnitude

Magnitude
36.4 Hz
200
ax (g)

ax (g)
0 0 20
100
–10 0 –10 00
0 2.5 5 0 50 100 80 82 84 50 100
10 Time (s) 300 Frequency (Hz) Time (s) Frequency (Hz)
10 40
Magnitude

36.4 Hz

Magnitude
200 36.6 Hz
ay (g)

ay (g)

0 0
100 20
–10 0
0 2.5 5 0 50 100 –10 00
80 82 84 50 100
Time (s) Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)
Time (s)
(a) (b)

Fig. 5—Comparison of in-bit-device and commercial-MWD-tool accelerations during backward whirl.

Oster 1998). Warren and Oster used BHA modeling to show that
the frequencies at which this oscillation occurred were the tor-
sional natural frequencies of the BHA. Our data from the 83=4-in.
research wells also show that this vibration occurs at discrete fre-
quencies of 4, 8, and 9 Hz, which BHA modeling reveals to be
natural torsional frequencies of the packed BHA that we used in
the 83=4-in. wells. Warren and Oster thought that short instances of
reverse rotation could occur during torsional drill-collar reso-
nance, and these instances of reverse rotation might damage bits.
None of our data suggest that the torsional resonance of the drill
collars was damaging PDC bits or that any significant reverse
rotation was occurring.
Stability Maps
The team conducted several tests in the research well to define
stability maps. The testing included two bit sizes, at least two dif-
ferent bit designs for each bit size, and multiple formations in two
wells. A stability map is plotted in bit weight vs. rotary-speed
space, as shown in Fig. 7. The colored disks in this space repre-
sent bit-weight/rotary-speed combinations at which a test was
conducted to acquire a “data point.” The procedure to acquire
each data point involved going to the bottom, establishing the
desired bit weight and rotary speed, and then drilling at those pa-
rameters for 5 to 6 minutes to collect data. The in-bit vibration
sensor was programmed to acquire a high-frequency burst file

200 MED Tool

In-the-bit Device
150 Surface
RPM

100

50

0
360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370
Time (s)

Fig. 6—Bit rpm measured by in-bit-device and commercial MWD tool during drill-collar torsional resonance.

256 September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion

 30 30

25 25

20 20
WOB (kips)

WOB (kips)
15 15

10 10

5 5

0 0
0 50 100 150 200 0 50 100 150 200
RPM RPM
(a) (b)

Fig. 7—The 121=4-in. PDC bits drilling in Wilcox sandstone: (a) stable bit and (b) unstable bit.

every 2 minutes. This process captured vibration information in at
least 2 burst files for each data point. The team chose thick, homo-
geneous formations to conduct stability-map tests. All data points
in any one stability map come from one formation in an interval
of approximately 50 ft of drilling. The team used the MWD vibra-
tion monitor to obtain real-time feedback while constructing the
stability map to choose optimal coordinates for the data points.
After completing all data points in the stability map, the bit was
pulled out of the hole, and the data in the in-bit sensor were down-
loaded. The stability maps shown in this paper were constructed
on the basis of high-frequency data from the in-bit sensor. Data
points in the stability maps with a blue disk indicate data points at
which stick/slip occurred. Data points in red indicate data points
in which backward whirl occurred. Green disks represent data
points in which neither stick-slip nor backward whirl occurred.
The size of the disk is proportional to the severity of lateral
vibrations.
We compared the stability maps of two different 121=4-in. bits.
One of the bits, called the “stable bit,” is designed to resist back-
ward whirl. The other bit, called the “unstable bit,” is not. The
team conducted laboratory tests to quantify the backward-whirl
tendency of these two bits. In this test, the depth of cut is
increased in steps at a constant rotary speed. Most bits whirl at the
lowest depth of cut, and then stop whirling at some higher depth
of cut. The depth of cut at which the bit stops whirling is taken as
a measure of its stability. Bits that stabilize at low depths of cut
have fewer tendencies to whirl backward than bits that stabilize at
higher depths of cut (Cooley et al. 1992). Laboratory tests of these
two bits showed that the stable bit stabilized at 0.04 in./rev, and
the unstable bit was unstable even at 0.96 in./rev. Fig. 7 shows the
stability maps for these two bits drilling in the research well. Both
bits were run on the same packed BHA in the Wilcox sandstone at
a depth of approximately 2,700 ft. Note that the backward-whirl
region for the stable bit is much smaller than the backward-whirl
region of the unstable bit. The unstable bit exhibits significantly
more backward whirl, which becomes more severe at lower bit
weight and higher rotary speed as is evident from higher lateral
vibrations in that zone in Fig. 7b. Stability maps for these two bits
were also created in the Arbuckle Dolomite with the same result.
The team also tested the packed and slick BHAs to confirm
their effect on downhole vibrations. Figs. 8a and 8b show the
MWD whirl diagnostic plotted in the bit-weight/rotary-speed
space of the stability map for packed and slick BHAs, respec-
tively. Both tests were conducted with the same 83=4-in. PDC bit
at approximately 3,100-ft depth in the Arbuckle dolomite. The
significant difference in lateral stability is evident from the plots;
the slick BHA experienced much higher whirl instability com-
pared with the packed BHA. In-bit measurements, not shown
here, indicated a stable region between the stick/slip and back-
ward-whirl regions for the packed BHA. When the stabilizers
were removed, the stable region was almost nonexistent. The slick
BHA also exhibited a few episodes of severe lateral vibrations at
the bit. It is interesting to note that the effect of stabilization was
more significant on the BHA whirl than on the bit whirl.
The stability maps that we measured contradict the claims
made in Xianping et al. (2010). Several figures in that paper are

MWD Whirl Diagnostic MWD Whirl Diagnostic

25 7 25 7

6 6
20 20
5 5
WOB (kips)

WOB (kips)

15 4 15 4

10 3 10 3

2 2
5 5
1 1

0 0 0 0
0 50 100 150 200 0 50 100 150 200
RPM RPM
(a) (b)

Fig. 8—Whirl severity for 83=4-in. PDC bit on packed BHA and slick BHA.

September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion 257

stability maps generated by use of drillstring-dynamics simula-
tions. Their simulation-based stability maps indicate that stick/
slip occurs in the upper-left portion of the stability map. This is in
agreement with the team’s findings. Their simulation-based stabil-
ity maps, however, indicate that backward whirl occurs at a high
rotary speed and high bit weight. They show a forward-whirl
region in the lower-right portion of the stability-map space, sug-
gesting that one way to get out of the backward-whirl region is to
drop the bit weight. Contrary to this, the team’s measurements
indicate that backward whirl becomes more intense and more
likely as the operating parameters move to lower bit weight and
higher rotary speed. These measurements agree with the recom-
mended industry practices for eliminating backward whirl (Brett
et al. 1989; Warren et al. 1990).
Field Evaluation
The team ran field tests in a total of nine field wells. Four of the
wells were 83=4 in. and five were 121=4 in. The field wells varied in
depth from approximately 6,000 to 11,000 ft. From all these field
tests together, the team collected 263 high-frequency burst files of
vibrations with in-bit vibration sensors. Table 1 shows the inci-
dence of vibrations measured from these 263 cases. Stick/slip
was, by far, the most predominant vibration measured, occurring
in 64% of the 83=4-in. burst files and in 78% of the 121=4-in. burst
files. Incidents of backward whirl were recorded in none of the
83=4-in. wells and in only 6% of the burst files in 121=4-in. wells.
Torsional drill-collar resonance occurred only in one 83=4-in. field
well. In this well, torsional resonance was strong right after the
drilling out of surface casing at 1,024 ft. As the bit drilled deeper,
the magnitude of torsional resonance decreased, and the lower
fundamental frequency of the drillstring predominated.
Fig. 9 shows examples of the bit rotary speed measured during
stick/slip in the field. Fig. 9a is for a 6,000-ft well near Fort
Worth, Texas. The surface rotary speed was 70 rpm. The burst file
shows the bit speed increasing to 200 rpm at the beginning of the
5-second window then dropping to zero at approximately 1.6 sec-
onds, remaining “stuck” for more than 2 seconds, and then accel-
erating to more than 200 rpm. Fig. 9b is for a well in western
Oklahoma at 10,400 ft. The surface rotary speed was 60 rpm. At
this depth, the period of stick/slip is so long that it cannot all be
captured in the 5-second window (models show that the period is
approximately 8 seconds). The bit accelerated to 400 rpm at the
beginning of the run, and then dropped to zero at approximately
2.4 seconds and remained “stuck” for the remainder of the burst
file.
TABLE 1—DOWNHOLE VIBRATIONS MEASURED IN FIELD
WELLS AND FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE
83=4-in. Wells 121=4-in. Wells
No dynamic dysfunction 14% 16%
Stick/slip 64% 78%
Drill-collar torsional resonance 22% 0%
Backward whirl 0% 6%
250
200
150
RPM
100
50
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s)
(a)
Fig. 9—In-bit measurements of stick/slip in field wells.
258
The image in Fig. 10 shows the dull condition of a bit that was
damaged in one of the field wells. Industry analysts have specu-
lated why stick/slip damages bits. One theory is that reverse rota-
tion, which can occur just after the bit decelerates to zero rpm,
might be the cause of the damage to PDC bits during stick/slip.
Although it is certainly true that the reverse rotation of the bit can
catastrophically damage PDC bits, the team saw little evidence of
the reverse rotation in the data. Only one of the 263 burst files
acquired in the field tests showed reverse rotation, indicating it is
a rare phenomenon. Nevertheless, bits were damaged by stick/slip
in the field. This suggests looking elsewhere for the primary-dam-
age mechanism.
Field measurements of stick/slip suggest that lateral vibrations
that occur during the high-rpm portion of the stick/slip cycle are
responsible for damaging bits. Fig. 11 shows the rotary speed of a
bit in combination with the lateral accelerations measured at the
same time. Note that the lateral vibrations are highest during the
high-rpm portion of stick/slip. The form of damage (chipping/
breakage) in the dull condition corroborates this hypothesis. The
formation was not particularly abrasive; therefore, wear is not
considered as the primary-damage mechanism. However, it is
possible that these lateral vibrations started/caused the cutter dam-
age and also led to the accelerated wear of the cutters.
In five of the field tests, the bits experienced only stick/slip.
That is, there was no indication of drill-collar torsional resonance
or whirl that might have damaged the bit. Comparing the damage
on these bits to the peak values of the lateral accelerations that
occurred during the high-rpm portion of stick/slip indicates that
there is a relationship between the two. Fig. 12a shows the dam-
age to the outer cutting structure, quantified in International Asso-
ciation of Drilling Contractors dull grades of 0 to 8, plotted
against the average over the bit run of the peak lateral accelera-
tions experienced during the high-rpm portion of stick/slip. Fig.
12b shows the dull condition plotted against the highest of the
peak average accelerations experienced during the bit run. Both
quantifications of vibration indicate that the bit damage is a func-
tion of the lateral vibrations experienced during the high-rpm por-
tion of stick/slip. Figs. 12c and 12d show the dull condition
plotted against drilling hours and footage, respectively. In the ab-
sence of vibrations, one would expect a trend indicating increased
bit wear with increasing footage and drilling hours as shown in
the green arrow superimposed on the graph. However, these data
do not follow that trend. The fact that the dull condition is not a
function of drilling hours or footage drilled, but is a function of
the lateral-vibration level, is strong evidence that lateral vibrations
that occur during stick/slip are damaging to bits. These results
agree with recent observations made by another research team
(Craig et al. 2010).
Lateral Vibrations Occurring During the Slip
Phase
It is important to understand the nature of the lateral vibrations
occurring during the slip phase. It is well-known that backward
whirl occurs at higher rotational speeds. Therefore, a possible
mechanism causing higher lateral vibrations is the coupling of
backward whirl with the slip phase. As an example of such a
400
300
RPM
200
100
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s)
(b)
September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion

Fig. 10—A typical dull condition of the bit.
coupling, Fig. 13a displays the time history of angular velocity
and lateral vibrations measured downhole by the in-bit device
during stick/slip when the rotational speed at the surface was 60
rpm. The corresponding calculated whirl diagnostics are also
shown. At the end of the stick phase (approximately 3 seconds),
the lateral vibrations increased with the rotational speed. The high
lateral vibrations were a result of backward whirl, which occurred
at a frequency proportional to the rotational speed in this case. A
recent paper (Raap et al. 2011) reported that such coupling was
not observed in their measurements and that the observation was
consistent with theoretical results reported in Leine et al. (2002).
The team would like to clarify that the model of Leine et al.
(2002), which concludes that a combination of stick/slip and whirl
motion is rare or nonexisting, assumed the fluid forces to be the
cause of the phenomena they observed in the measurements.
Although insightful, their model did not include effects such as
mass imbalance, interaction with the nonperfect wall, and bit/rock
interaction. Therefore, such a coupling of stick/slip and backward
whirl cannot be ruled out on the basis of their model. A similar
coupling was recently reported in the literature in which backward
whirl was seen at a higher angular velocity during the slip phase
(Lesso et al. 2011).
If backward whirl were the only phenomenon causing lateral
vibrations during stick/slip, then such vibrations could be miti-
gated by using antiwhirl bit designs. However, these vibrations
are not necessarily a result of coupled backward whirl. In fact, the
majority of downhole measurements of such vibrations showed
no indication of backward whirl. For example, Fig. 13b shows
time history measured by the in-bit device in which high lateral
vibrations were recorded in the field while the system was experi-
encing extreme stick/slip. For a surface rpm of 60, the peak rpm
measured downhole was more than 500. The whirl diagnostics did
not show backward whirl, and instead detected nonsynchronous
forward whirl.
Because motors are being increasingly used in the field, an
example of stick/slip with a motor BHA in horizontal drilling is
presented. Fig. 14a shows the time history of rotational speed and
lateral vibrations measured below the motor, while the system
was experiencing stick/slip. The BHA exhibited high lateral
vibrations during the slip phase. In this case, there were no

300
3
alat (g)

200
RPM

2
1 100
0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s) Time (s)
(a) (b)

Fig. 11—Lateral vibrations during the high-rpm portion of stick/slip.

Outer Dull Condition vs. Average of Peak Lateral g’s Outer Dull Condition vs. Highest of Peak Lateral g’s
Experienced During Stick Slip Experienced During Stick Slip
5 5
Outer Dull Condition

Outer Dull Condition

4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
0 0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 5 10 15
Average of Peak Lateral g’s Highest Instance of Peak Lateral g’s
(a) (b)
Outer Dull Condition vs. Hours Drilled Outer Dull Condition vs. Footage Drilled
5 5
Outer Dull Condition

Outer Dull Condition

4 4
d
3
Tr T
ren
end 3
d
cttee
d d nrden
2 pec
Epxe
2 dT
te d
T
re
x petce
1 E 1
Ex pEex c
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Hours Drilled Footage Drilled
(c) (d)

Fig. 12—Relationships between bit damage and various parameters.

September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion 259

 500 1000

Bit RPM

Bit RPM
500

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Time (s) Time (s)
10 20
Lateral Accel. (g)

Lateral Accel. (g)

5 10

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Time (s) Time (s)

100 100
Whirl Rate (Hz)

Whirl Rate (Hz)

0 0

–100 –100
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Time (s) Time (s)
(a) (b)

Fig. 13—Downhole measurements showing the coupling of whirl with stick/slip.

500 500
Bit RPM

Bit RPM

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s) Time (s)
10
Lateral Accel. (g)

Lateral Accel. (g)

20

5
10

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s) Time (s)
(a) (b)

Fig. 14—Examples of stick/slip without whirl.

indications of well-defined motion such as forward or backward
whirl. Although this example is not intended to show a typical
motor drilling scenario, it serves as evidence that high lateral
vibrations during the slip phase are not limited to bit dynamics or
conventional rotary drilling. They can occur with any system
experiencing stick/slip, and can lead to bit/BHA damage.
Finally, though the team did find that high lateral vibrations
were more likely to occur during more severe stick/slip, severe
stick/slip does not always cause high lateral vibrations. The team
measured severe stick/slip with moderate to low lateral vibrations
in the same run in which high lateral vibrations during the slip
phase were measured. Fig. 14b plots the time history of bit rpm
and lateral vibrations measured downhole. Despite the peak rpm
reaching 400, the drilling is remarkably smooth. The team
believes that lateral vibrations during the slip phase are a result of
the complex interaction of BHA elements with the borehole. Such
interaction likely involves impacts because of sudden accelera-
tion/deceleration of the BHA while the strain energy stored during
the stick phase is being released. It can be envisaged that such
vibrations would depend on the formation, wellbore quality, bit
design, BHA design, and several other factors that can be difficult
to predict and control. These observations have important impli-
cations. Although antiwhirl bits and stabilized BHAs may allevi-
ate the problem, they would not mitigate lateral vibrations in all
stick/slip cases. The most effective strategy would be to mitigate
stick/slip through design and operating guidelines, in combination
with a laterally stable bit/BHA design.
Conclusions
The oil and gas industry has not invested enough effort into
understanding the synergy between PDC bits and stick/slip of the
drillstring. The effect of stick/slip on PDC bit damage has not
been thoroughly investigated either. A few papers suggest that

260 September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion

PDC bit design features affect the genesis of stick/slip, and some
discuss the damage caused to PDC bits by stick/slip (Brett 1992;
Fear et al. 1997; Abbassian and Dunayevesky 1998; Richard 2001;
Richard et al. 2002). This paper argues that stick/slip is more wide-
spread than previously believed, warranting more focus on stick/
slip for PDC bit development. A companion paper focuses on
the mitigation of stick/slip through PDC bit design (Jain et al.
2011).
In vertical conventional-rotary drilling applications, stick/slip
is a common downhole vibration. Stick/slip is a primary cause of
PDC bit damage in these applications. The occurrence of high lat-
eral vibrations during the high-rpm portion of stick/slip is identi-
fied as a new mechanism for bit damage during stick/slip. It is
demonstrated through measured examples that the lateral vibra-
tions in some cases are backward whirl, whereas, in many other
cases, they are not. In all cases, stick/slip is the root cause of dam-
age—if the stick/slip could be eliminated, the lateral vibrations
would be eliminated.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge Baker Hughes for permis-
sion to publish this paper. The authors would also like to recog-
nize Eric Sullivan, Tu Trinh, Gabriel Teodorescu, Keith Glasgow,
and Jason Habernal for help with in-bit sensing; Kurtis Schmitz
and Cara Weinheimer for field support; Hanno Reckmann for
help with MWD tools; and Erica Tucci for reviewing the manu-
script. Special thanks to Sarvesh Tyagi and Lance Endres for their
contributions throughout the project.
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L.W. (Roy) Ledgerwood III is a technical adviser with Baker
Hughes. He has worked in drill-bit research for more than 37
years, beginning his career with Hughes Tool Company. Ledg-
erwood earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering from
Texas Tech University and an MS degree in mechanical engi-
neering from Rice University, where he studied with John
Cheatham. His research today focuses on the physics of
rock destruction at high pressure and drill-bit vibrations.
261
Ledgerwood is the author of 16 engineering publications and
holds 10 patents.
Jayesh R. Jain is a research engineer with Baker Hughes. He
earned a master of technology degree in mechanical engi-
neering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, where he was
awarded a DAAD Scholarship for conducting research in rotor
dynamics at Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. Jain’s
doctoral research at The Ohio State University, Columbus, was
in computational mechanics with a focus on the multiscale
modeling of composites. His current research deals with drilling
mechanics and drilling-system dynamics. Jain has coauthored
8 research articles and 6 patent applications. He serves as a
technical editor for SPE Drilling & Completion and as a reviewer
for several international journals. Jain was the winner of the 2011
SPE Young Professional Paper Contest in the Drilling category.
262
Olivier J. Hoffmann worked with Baker Hughes as a research
engineer in drilling mechanics for more than 5 years. He
earned an MS degree in applied geology from Université de
Franche-Comté, France, and a PhD degree in civil engineer-
ing from the University of Minnesota, USA. Hoffmann’s areas of
expertise include drilling mechanics, rock characterization,
and data processing.
Reed W. Spencer is a research engineer with the Drilling
Mechanics Group at Baker Hughes. He holds a BS degree in
mechanical engineering from the University of Utah, where he
graduated magna cum laude. Spencer leads projects involv-
ing the development of drilling-simulation software. His
research includes the directional drilling behavior of bit/BHA
drilling systems and the dynamic behavior of bit/BHA drilling
systems.
September 2013 SPE Drilling & Completion