Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Dull Grading
for PDC Drill Bits
SPE/IADC 23939
First Revision to the IADC Fixed Cutter Dull
Grading System ~ 1992
Version 2.4
How is Dull Grading Useful?
Quick and simple way to describe the dull condition in
an internationally recognized format
Eight boxes capture the dull bit condition and reason pulled:
The SPE/IADC Fixed cutter dull grading document was last updated in
1992. Since then, the industry has adapted new, unofficial codes to
overcome some the short falls in the document.
The SPE/IADC 1992 Roller cone & Fix cutter IADC dull grade documents
use the same format and codes.
Dull Grade Summary
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Average wear Average wear BF Bond Failure C Cone X Used I = In-Gauge BU Balled Up BHA Changed Bottom Hole
on inner 2/3rds on outer 1/3rd BT Broken Cutter N Nose for all 1 = 1/16 CR Cored Assembly
of the diameter of the diameter CT Chipped Cutter S Shoulder fixed 2 = 2/16 JD Junk Damage DMF Downhole Motor
ER Erosion T Taper cutter bits 3 = 3/16 LN Lost Nozzle Failure
Value: 0-8 Value: 0-8 FC Flat Crested Wear G Gauge NR Not Rerunnable DSF Drill String Failure
HC Heat Checking 16 = 16/16 PN Plugged Nozzle DST Drill Stem Test
0: 0% Wear 0: 0% Wear LT Lost Cutter RO Ring Out DTF Downhole Tool
1: 1/8 Wear 1: 1/8 Wear NO No Characteristics RR Rerunnable Failure
2: 2/8 Wear 2: 2/8 Wear RG Rounded Gauge WO Wash out LOG Run Logs
3: 3/8 Wear 3: 3/8 Wear WT Worn Cutters RIG Rig Repair
4: 4/8 Wear 4: 4/8 Wear See also: CM Condition Mud
5: 5/8 Wear 5: 5/8 Wear Primary Dull CP Core Point
6: 6/8 Wear 6: 6/8 Wear Characteristics DP Drill Plug
7: 7/8 Wear 7: 7/8 Wear FM Formation Change
8: 100% Wear 8: 100% Wear HP Hole Problems
I can be Primary & Other
PP Pump Pressure
mistaken Characteristics used
4= 1/2 of
4/8 = 2= 1/4 of
2/8 = PR Penetration Rate
for 1. for Roller Cone bits:
the cutter the cutter TD Total Depth
diameter = 50% diameter = 25% TQ Torque
0 and BC - Broken Cone
wear wear TW Twist-Off
IN are CC - Cracked Cone
WC Weather Conditions
unofficially CD - Cone Drag
WO Washout Drill String
used. CI - Cone Interference
LC - Lost Cone
*Gauge Cutters *Box is only used *More than one Measured OC - Off Center Wear
are pre-ground for cutter dull Location can be with a No- PB - Pinched Bit
during the characteristic noted Go PDC SD - Shirttail damage
manufacturing Gauge Ring SS - Self Sharpening
process. Wear
TR - Tracking
Inner & Outer Row: Location
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Location of
Inner Rows Outer Rows Primary Dull Undersize Other Dull
Primary Dull Bearing Seals Reason Pulled
(Inner 2/3rds) (Outer 1/3rd) Characteristic (16ths inch) Characteristic
Characteristic
Average Cutter Average Cutter
Wear Wear
(0-8) (0-8)
Outer 1/3rd
Inner 2/3rds
Inner & Outer: Cutter Wear (0-8)
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Location of
Inner Rows Outer Rows Primary Dull Undersize Other Dull
Primary Dull Bearing Seals Reason Pulled
(Inner 2/3rds) (Outer 1/3rd) Characteristic (16ths inch) Characteristic
Characteristic
Average Cutter Average Cutter
Wear Wear
A grading scale between 0-8 is used to note the amount of wear in the Inner & Outer rows
Grade 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Wear 0/8 1/8 2/8 3/8 4/8 5/8 6/8 7/8 8/8
Inner & Outer: Cutter Wear (0-8)
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Location of
Inner Rows Outer Rows Primary Dull Undersize Other Dull
Primary Dull Bearing Seals Reason Pulled
(Inner 2/3rds) (Outer 1/3rd) Characteristic (16ths inch) Characteristic
Characteristic
2 3
Calculating Average Cutter Wear for Inner & Outer Rows
1) Grade each cutter with a 0 to 8
2) Add up the values
3) Divide by the number of cutters
4) Round to the nearest number
Inner 2/3rds Outer 1/3rd Example for only one Blade
Inner 2/3rds Row
0+1+2+3+3=9
9 / 5 = 1.8 (round up)
2 3 3 3 Inner 2/3rds Wear = 2
1 4
0 3 Outer 1/3rd Row
Example for only 1 blade 2 3 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 12
12 / 4 = 3
Gauge
Cutter Outer 1/3rd Wear = 3
(Not Included)
Tip: Inner & Outer: Cutter Wear
The wear value (0-8) is the average wear condition, not the maximum
amount of wear on one cutter.
What is the minimum and maximum cutter wear?
The average will be between the minimum and maximum values
Is it closer to the minimum or maximum value?
1
2 2
3
4 4 4
Up Drill
Tip: Inner & Outer: Cutter Wear
Grade: 3
Full
Diameter
Dull Characteristic: Primary
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Inner Rows - Outer Rows Location of
Primary Dull Bearing & Undersize Other Dull
Average Cutter Average Cutter Primary Dull Reason Pulled
Characteristic Seals (16ths inch) Characteristic
Wear Wear Characteristic
What is the most
notable cutter
condition?
Cutter
BF Bond Failure SPE 23939 Dull Characteristics The most
BT Broken Cutter
CT Chipped Cutter prominent or primary physical change from new
ER Erosion condition of the cutter is recorded in the 3rd box.
FC Flat Crested Wear
HC Heat Checking Other dull characteristics of the bit are noted in
LT Lost Cutter
NO No Characteristic the 7th box. The difference being that 3rd box
RG Rounded Gauge describes cutter wear, while the 7th box may
WT Worn Cutters concern other wear characteristics of the bit as a
whole.
Unofficial:
DL Delamination
SP Spalled cutter
Dull Characteristic: Primary
Cutter Cutters are in new condition with no notable dull characteristics
No No Characteristic
Dull Characteristic: Primary
Cutter Erosion of the carbide substrate
ER Erosion
Dull Characteristic: Primary
Cutter Smooth, flat wear across the diamond and
FC Flat Crested Wear
possibly the carbide substrate
BT - IADC BT - IADC
Dull Characteristic: Primary
CT Chipped Cutter
Cutter WT Worn Cutters is non-planar wear
BT Broken Cutter
WT Worn Cutters or the combination of the following:
ER Erosion
FC Flat Crested Wear
Missing cutter
Dull Characteristic: Primary
Cutter Separation between two carbide substrate pieces.
BF Bond Failure
BF Bond Failure can also be used to describe
SP - Spalling (Non-IADC)
DL - Delamination (Non-IADC)
LC Lost Cutter: 100% loss of the carbide substrate and diamond
Dull Characteristic: Primary
Cutter Cutter Cutter
BF - Bond Failure (IADC) SP - Spalling (Non IADC) DL - Delamination (Non IADC)
Separation between Separation between Separation between
Substrate & Substrate Diamond & Diamond Diamond & Substrate
Dull Characteristic: Primary
Cutter
RG Rounded Gauge
Shoulder to
Gauge transition
Tip: Dull Characteristic
Box 3 is dedicated for Cutter information.
If there are no cutter dull characteristic, then indicate NO.
Non-IADC practices:
Multiple codes in one box. Ie. BT/HC
DL Cutter Delamination, separation at the diamond-carbide
substrate interface.
SP Cutter Spalling, thin layers of diamond separated from the
cutter face.
Location of Primary Dull Characteristic
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Inner Rows Outer Rows Location of
Primary Dull Bearing & Undersize Other Dull
(Average Cutter (Average Cutter Primary Dull Reason Pulled
Characteristic Seals (16ths inch) Characteristic
Wear) Wear) Characteristic
C, N, S, T, G, A
Location of
Primary Dull G: Gauge
Characteristic
C Cone
N Nose
S Shoulder S: Shoulder Curved
T Taper T: Taper - Straight
G Gauge
A All
More than one Location C: Cone
can be noted N: Nose
SPE 23939 Bearing This box is used only for roller cone
bits. It will always be marked X for fixed cutter bits
Gauge Undersize
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Inner Rows Outer Rows Location of
Primary Dull Bearing & Gauge Other Dull
(Average Cutter (Average Cutter Primary Dull Reason Pulled
Characteristic Seals Undersize Characteristic
Wear) Wear) Characteristic
# 16th Inch
Largest
Diameter
Largest
Step Gauge Diameter?
1-2mm undersize
Tip: Gauge Undersize
I In-Gauge is commonly mistaken as 1, 1/16th.
Unofficially, 0 or IN are used in place of I.
Use a No-Go gauge ring when dull grading PDC & Roller cones bits.
No-Go gauge ring: Measures minimum OD tolerance.
Go gauge ring: Measures maximum OD tolerance.
Unofficial:
DL Delamination
SP Spalled cutter
Dull Characteristic: Other
Hydraulic Formation attached to the bit body
BU Balled Up
Dull Characteristic: Other
Hydraulic Missing nozzle from the bit body
LN Lost Nozzle
Dull Characteristic: Other
Hydraulic Blocked nozzle from:
Motor stator debris
PN Plugged Nozzle
Formation
Junk dropped down the drill pipe
Dull Characteristic: Primary & Other
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Inner Rows Outer Rows Location of
Primary Dull Bearing & Undersize Other Dull
(Average Cutter (Average Cutter Primary Dull Reason Pulled
Characteristic Seals (16ths inch) Characteristic
Wear) Wear) Characteristic
What is the second
most notable
condition?
Unofficial:
DL Delamination
SP Spalled cutter
Dull Characteristic: Primary & Other
General NR - Not Rerunnable
NR Not Rerunnable
RR Rerunnable Bit is in poor condition, due to:
NO No Characteristics Cutter wear or damage
Under gauge
Damage to the bit body
RR - Rerunnable
Bit is suitable for additional runs
with minor cutter wear
NO - No Characteristics
No notable wear or damage to the
bit, suitable for Re-Run
Tip: Dull Characteristic: Other
If there are many notable characteristics on the bit, pick the
one that hindered performance or caused the bit to be
pulled out of hole.
For example: WT and not HC
Use only one code in Box 7
Non-IADC practices:
Multiple codes in one box.
DL Cutter Delamination, separation at the diamond-carbide
substrate interface.
SP Cutter Spalling, thin layers of diamond separated from the
cutter face.
BC Broken Cone used in place of BB - Broken Blade (Non-IADC)
Dull Grade Summary
Cutting Structure Bearing Gauge Remarks
Inner Rows Outer Rows Location of
Primary Dull Bearing Undersize Other Dull
(Average Cutter (Average Cutter Primary Dull Reason Pulled
Characteristic Seals (16ths inch) Characteristic
Wear) Wear) Characteristic
Reason Pulled
BHA Changed Bottom Hole Assembly
DMF Downhole Motor Failure
DSF Drill String Failure
DST Drill Stem Test
DTF Downhole Tool Failure
LOG Run Logs
RIG Rig Repair
CM Condition Mud
CP Core Point
DP Drill Plug
FM Formation Change
HP Hole Problems
PP Pump Pressure
PR Penetration Rate
TD Total Depth
TQ Torque
TW Twist-Off
WC Weather Conditions
WO Washout Drill String
Dull Grade Example #1
0-0-ER-C/N-X-I-ER-TD
1st ER Cutter characteristic
2nd ER Matrix body characteristic
Dull Grade Example #2
0-2-WT-N/S-X-I-LN-TD
Dull Grade Example #3
0-5-BT-S/G-X-I-ER-TD