Fixed cutter drill bit with high fluid pressures

Abstract

A drill bit includes a bit body with high and low fluid pressure bodies. The low-pressure bit body includes a fixed cutting structure, and the high-pressure bit body includes a first high-pressure fluid channel and nozzle capable of withstanding fluid pressures greater than 40 kpsi (276 MPa). A bottomhole assembly includes a drill bit with a bit body having fixed cutter and fluid jetting portions. Low and high-pressure channels in the bit body exit in the fixed cutter and fluid jetting portions. The first high-pressure nozzle is coupled to the fluid jetting portion and the high-pressure fluid channel, and a plurality of fixed cutting elements are coupled to the fixed cutter portion. A pressure intensifier is coupled to the drill bit and is configured to increase a pressure of a fluid supplied to the high-pressure fluid channel in the bit body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for removing material, the device comprising:
 a low-pressure bit body including a fixed cutting structure;   a high-pressure bit body coupled to the low-pressure bit body;   a first high-pressure nozzle connected to the high-pressure bit body; and   a high-pressure fluid conduit providing fluid communication through the high-pressure bit body to the first high-pressure nozzle, the high-pressure fluid conduit being configured to withstand fluid pressures of greater than 40 kpsi (276 MPa).   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , the high-pressure bit body being joined by one or more mechanically interlocking features with the low-pressure bit body. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of high-pressure channels and a plurality of high-pressure nozzles, wherein the first high-pressure nozzle and the plurality of high-pressure nozzles are in fluid communication with the high-pressure conduit via the plurality of high-pressure channels. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the high-pressure bit body comprises an additively manufactured bit body having the plurality of high-pressure channels. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , the at first high-pressure nozzle comprises an ultrahard material. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the first high-pressure nozzle comprises a monolithic polycrystalline diamond. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the ultrahard material forms a coating of an inner diameter of a substrate of the first high-pressure nozzle. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one low-pressure nozzle connected to the low-pressure bit body.   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of cutting elements coupled to the high-pressure bit body. 
     
     
         10 . A bottomhole assembly for removing material, comprising:
 a pressure intensifier configured to communicate a first fluid and a second fluid, wherein the pressure intensifier increases a first pressure of the first fluid to supply the first fluid to a high-pressure fluid channel, and the pressure intensifier passes the second fluid without increasing a second pressure of the second fluid, wherein the second pressure is less than 35% of the first pressure; and   a drill bit coupled to the pressure intensifier, the drill bit comprising:
 a bit body having a center axis, the bit body configured to rotate about the center axis, the bit body including a fixed cutter portion and a fluid jetting portion, the fixed cutter portion and the fluid jetting portion formed of different materials; 
 a low-pressure fluid channel in the bit body configured to receive the second fluid, wherein the low-pressure fluid channel directs the second fluid to exit the bit body in the fixed cutter portion; 
 a plurality of high-pressure fluid channels in the bit body configured to receive the first fluid, wherein the plurality of high-pressure fluid channels direct the first fluid to exit the bit body in the fluid jetting portion; 
 a plurality of high-pressure nozzles coupled to the fluid jetting portion of the bit body and in fluid communication with the plurality of high-pressure fluid channels; and 
 a plurality of fixed cutting elements coupled to the fixed cutter portion of the bit body. 
   
     
     
         11 . The bottomhole assembly of  claim 10 , the fluid jetting portion being substantially free of active fixed cutting elements. 
     
     
         12 . The bottomhole assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first fluid is different than the second fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The bottomhole assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid jetting portion comprises an additively manufactured portion. 
     
     
         14 . The bottomhole assembly of  claim 10 , the drill bit including an abrasive particle reservoir or an abrasive particle feeder in communication with the high-pressure fluid channel. 
     
     
         15 . A method of removing material from a formation, the method comprising:
 flowing a first fluid through a plurality of high-pressure nozzles in a drill bit at a fluid pressure greater than 40 kpsi (276 MPa);   directing the first fluid at the formation in a plurality of fluid jets;   weakening the formation with the plurality of fluid jets to create a weakened region forming between 20% and 90% of a bottom of a wellbore;   removing at least a portion of the weakened region as cuttings;   flushing the cuttings from the weakened region with a second fluid at a fluid pressure less than 35% of the first fluid.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 mechanically cutting the formation with a plurality of active fixed cutting elements, substantially all of the plurality of active fixed cutting elements being positioned radially outside the fluid jets in shoulder and gage regions of the drill bit.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of high-pressure nozzles comprise an ultrahard material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , the plurality of fixed cutting elements defining a fixed cutter region of the wellbore having less than 15% overlap with a fluid jetting region of the wellbore. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first fluid is clean water. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein flushing the cuttings from the weakened region includes flushing the cuttings at least partially with the second fluid provided through a low-pressure channel in the drill bit, wherein the second drilling fluid is different than the first fluid.