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US 12,747,636 B2Granted
Earth-boring tools, hybrid earth-boring tools, and associated apparatus and methods
AssigneeBaker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC
InventorNathan S. Lockwood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An earth-boring tool includes a tool body with two or more blades, multiple cutting elements secured to the blades, and at least one roller cone positioned between the blades. The tool includes cutting structures extending from the roller cone, with at least two rows of cutting structures. One of the rows is underexposed and inset from the cutting profile defined by the cutting elements on the blades.
Claims19
An earth-boring tool, comprising:
- a tool body comprising two or more blades;
- multiple cutting elements secured to the two or more blades, the multiple cutting elements defining a cutting profile of the earth-boring tool;
- at least one roller cone positioned between the two or more blades;
- and
- cutting structures extending from the at least one roller cone, the cutting structures arranged in at least two rows of exposed cutting structures, and at least two rows of underexposed cutting structures is underexposed, such that the cutting structures in the at least two rows of underexposed cutting structures neighbor one another and are inset from the cutting profile defined by the multiple cutting elements secured to the two or more blades and the cutting structures in the at least two rows of exposed cutting structures extend to the cutting profile defined by the multiple cutting elements secured to the two or more blades.
2 more elements
A method of forming an earth-boring tool, the method comprising:
- forming a tool body including at least one blade, the at least one blade defining a cutting profile of the earth-boring tool;
- identifying an area of interest in the tool body;
- forming a roller cone including cutting structures extending therefrom, the cutting structures defining a roller cone cutting profile, the roller cone cutting profile including an exposed region comprising at least two rows of neighboring cutting structures and an underexposed region comprising at least two additional rows of neighboring cutting structures;
- and
- rotatably attaching the roller cone to the tool body, the roller cone positioned such that the underexposed region of the roller cone cutting profile is at a same radial distance from an axis of the tool body as the area of interest.
2 more elements
A method of drilling a wellbore, the method comprising:
- drilling a wellbore in a formation with an earth-boring tool, the earth-boring tool having a cutting profile defined by cutting elements secured to blades of the earth-boring tool and a roller cone including cutting structures defining a roller cone cutting profile, where a recessed portion of the roller cone cutting profile is inset from the cutting profile defined by the cutting elements secured to the blades of the earth-boring tool;
- and
- removing the earth-boring tool from the wellbore when the cutting structures in the recessed portion of the roller cone cutting profile engage the formation and reduce a rotational resistance of the earth-boring tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.