Matrix drill bit with dual surface compositions and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Matrix drill bits and other downhole tools may be formed with one or more layers of hard materials disposed on exterior portions thereof. Exterior portions of used rotary drill bits or other downhole tools may be measured using three dimensional (3D) scanning techniques or other techniques to determine specific locations of undesired abrasion, erosion and/or wear. During the design of a new rotary drill bit or other downhole tool, computational flow analysis techniques may be used to determine potential locations for excessive erosions, abrasion, wear, impact and/or fatigue on exterior portions of the rotary drill bit or other downhole tools. One or more layers of hard material may be disposed at such locations on exterior portions of matrix bit bodies and other matrix bodies based on analyzing exterior portions of used downhole tools and/or computational flow analysis.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method of making a matrix drill bit comprising:
 determining potential locations for excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of a matrix bit body;   placing layers of hard material at selected locations on interior portions of a matrix bit body mold corresponding with the potential locations for excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the associated matrix bit body;   placing a hollow bit blank in the matrix bit body mold;   placing at least one matrix material selected from the group consisting of cemented carbides, composite carbides, spherical carbides, macrocrystalline tungsten carbide and cast carbide and formulates thereof in the mold;   placing a binder material in the mold with the binder material disposed proximate the matrix material and the hollow bit blank;   heating the mold and the materials disposed therein to a selected temperature to allow the binder material to melt and infiltrate the matrix material and the layers of hard material and associated tungsten carbide pellets with hot, liquid binder material; and   cooling the mold and materials disposed therein to form a matrix bit body with multiple layers of hard material disposed proximate selected locations on exterior portions of the matrix bit body.   
     
     
         24 . The method of claim  23  further comprising forming interior portions of the matrix bit body with more than one matrix material. 
     
     
         25 . The method of claim  23  further comprising forming multiple layers of tungsten carbide pellets at selected locations on exterior portions of the matrix bit body associated with engaging and removing downhole formation materials during formation of a wellbore. 
     
     
         26 . The method of claim  23  further comprising forming multiple layers of crushed sintered tungsten carbide at selected locations on exterior portions of the matrix bit body associated with engaging and removing downhole formation materials during formation of a wellbore. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The method of claim  23  further comprising forming the layers of the hard material with respective dimensions including thickness selected to minimize erosion, abrasion and/or wear proximate the corresponding selected location on exterior portions of the matrix bit body. 
     
     
         29 . A method of making a matrix drill bit comprising:
 determining potential locations for excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of a matrix bit body;   placing first layers of adhesive material at selected locations on interior portions of a matrix bit body mold corresponding with the potential locations for excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of a matrix bit body;   placing tungsten carbide pellets in each first layer of adhesive material;   placing a respective second layer of adhesive material on each first layer of adhesive material and associated tungsten carbide pellets;   placing additional tungsten carbide pellets in each second layer of adhesive material;   placing a hollow bit blank in the matrix bit body mold;   placing at least one matrix material selected from the group consisting of cemented carbides, composite carbides, spherical carbides, macrocrystalline tungsten carbide and cast carbide and formulates thereof in the mold;   placing a binder material in the mold with the binder material disposed proximate the matrix material and the hollow bit blank;   heating the mold and the materials disposed therein to a selected temperature to allow the binder material to melt and infiltrate the matrix material and the layers of adhesive material and associated tungsten carbide pellets with hot, liquid binder material; and   cooling the mold and materials disposed therein to form a matrix bit body with multiple layers of tungsten carbide pellets disposed proximate selected locations on exterior portions of the matrix bit body.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising forming interior portions of the matrix bit body with more than one matrix material. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising forming multiple layers of tungsten carbide pellets at selected locations on exterior portions of the matrix bit body associated with engaging and removing downhole formation materials during formation of a wellbore. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising selecting the adhesive material from the group consisting of one component adhesives and two component adhesives. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising forming the layers of second material with respective dimensions including thickness selected to minimize erosion, abrasion and/or wear proximate the corresponding selected location on exterior portions of the matrix bit body. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising:
 forming the mold cavity with a plurality of displacements disposed therein and each displacement having a complex, arcuate configuration corresponding with a desired configuration for a respective fluid flow path disposed on exterior portions of the a head; and 
 forming the mold cavity with a plurality of negative blade profiles with each negative blade profile disposed between associated displacements and each negative blade profile having a complex, arcuate configuration corresponding with a desired configuration for a respective blade disposed on exterior portions of the bit head. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29  further comprising selecting an infiltration material from the group consisting of tungsten carbide, monotungsten carbide, ditungsten carbide, macro crystalline tungsten carbide, other metal carbides, metal borides, metal oxides, metal nitrides, polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or mixtures of such infiltration materials. 
     
     
         37 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining comprises simulating fluid flow over exterior portions of the matrix drill bit in combination with analyzing wear patterns on exterior portions of a similar used matrix drill bit. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein simulating fluid flow comprises using a computational fluid dynamics program. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein analyzing wear patterns comprises three dimensional (3D) scanning of the similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein 3D scanning comprises digital scanning. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein analyzing wear patterns comprises visual inspection of the similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining comprises three dimensional (3D) scanning of a similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein 3D scanning comprises digital scanning. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein determining comprises visual inspection of a similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein determining comprises simulating fluid flow over exterior portions of the matrix drill bit in combination with analyzing wear patterns on exterior portions of a similar used matrix drill bit. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein simulating fluid flow comprises using a computational fluid dynamics program. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein analyzing wear patterns comprises three dimensional (3D) scanning of the similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein 3D scanning comprises digital scanning. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein analyzing wear patterns comprises visual inspection of the similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein determining comprises three dimensional (3D) scanning of a similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein 3D scanning comprises digital scanning. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein determining comprises visual inspection of a similar used matrix drill bit to determine areas of excessive erosion, abrasion and/or wear of exterior portions of the used matrix bit body.