During petroleum exploration, a drilling bit is utilized to drill a wellbore, penetrating through numerous rock formations layers to access the oil or natural gas resources.

A drill bit is utilized for cutting into the rock during oil or gas drilling. A drill bit is located at the drill string tip, below the drill pipe and drill collar. It is a rotating apparatus that involves two or three cones, made up of the hardest materials, and sharp teeth that cuts into rock and sediment.

It includes roller cones or fixed cutter bits. A roller cone drill bit is considered a tungsten carbide insert or steel tooth tool. A fixed cutter bit is also considered as the impregnated bit or polycrystalline diamond cutter bit.

Percussion drilling involves a continuous dropping of heavy weight to chip away the rock in the wellbore. The rotary drilling involves rotating drill bit to cut, grind, scrape, and crush the rock at bottom of the well. It is also the most preferred drilling for oil and gas. It includes a drill collar, drill bit, drilling fluid, hoisting apparatus, rotating equipment, and prime mover.

Prime mover serves as the drilling power source. During, hoisting the equipment handles, drill pipe lifting either involves inserting it into the well or lifting it out of the well.

The rotating equipment sets the whole system in motion. The capping off the drill string is known as the drill bit. The encompassing of the drilling process is known as drilling fluid. It provides support in offering buoyancy to the drill string, lubricating the drilling process as well as removing wellbore cuttings.

Types of Drill Bits

There are numerous types of drill bits. Steel tooth rotary bits are widely used drill bits, while insert bits are considered steel tooth bits with tungsten carbide inserts.

Polycrystalline diamond compact bits utilize synthetic diamonds as they are attached to the carbide inserts. They have 40 to 50 times higher strength than steel bits. The diamond bits are integrated with industrial diamonds that can easily drill extremely hard surfaces. In addition, such hybrid drills can tackle various specific drilling challenges.

Numerous drilling designs are employed for varying results, such core bits are utilized for collecting formation cores for effective logging. Similarly, mill bits are utilized for removing the cuttings from the well. Fishtail bits are used for enlarging the drill hole located above the drill bit.

Different configurations work better on varying formations. That is why a number of varying drill bits can be utilized on one well. In addition, the drill bits might need to change due to wear and tear.

The drilling engineers choose drill bits, relying on the type of formations needed, whether it is directional drilling or not.

The major players operating in the industry are; Baker Hughes, Atlas Copco, Schlumberger Limited, Kingdream Public Limited Company, Torquato Drilling Accessories Inc., and Bulroc (UK) Ltd.

Therefore, the rising demand for oil and gas leads to their increasing exploration from the ground and hence boosts the requirement for oil and gas drill bits.