Paper: Economics of Diamond Drilling with Conventional Rotary and Downhole Motors

As the search for new and more petroleum reserves forces the oil companies to drill deeper wells and to operate in more remote areas of the world, the cost per foot of drilling holes naturally increases. In order to continue to supply industry and the public with economic energy products, the petroleum industry must continually search out means of lowering and controlling drilling costs. One means of lowering drilling costs is to increase the on-bottom rotating time per day by reducing the number of trips required to change out bits. This has been accomplished in many fields around the world with the use of long-life diamond bits. Diamond bits are being used today to drill less expensive and safer wells. Downhole motors play an important part in many diamond drilling situation. A quick and easy method for determining the drilling economics for diamond bits will be discussed in this paper. Included will be the use of diamond bits in conjunction with downhole motors as well as with conventional rotary.