Rotary Drill Bits with Gage Pads Having Improved Steerability and Reduced Wear

A rotary drill bit operable to form a wellbore comprising:

• a bit body having one end operable for attachment to a drill string;
• a bit rotational axis extending through the bit body;
• a plurality of blades disposed on exterior portions of the bit body;
• at least one of the blades having a gage pad with an exterior surface operable to contact adjacent portions of a wellbore formed by the rotary drill bit;
• the exterior surface of the gage pad having an uphole edge with a leading edge and a trailing edge extending downhole therefrom;
• the leading edge of the gage pad defined in part by a first radius extending from the bit rotational axis to the uphole edge;
• the trailing edge of the gage pad defined in part by a second radius extending from the bit rotational axis to the uphole edge;
• and
• the second radius larger than the first radius as measured in a plane extending generally perpendicular to the bit rotational axis.

A rotary drill bit operable to form a wellbore comprising:

• a bit body having one end operable for attachment to a drill string;
• a bit rotational axis extending through the bit body;
• a plurality of blades disposed on exterior portions of the bit body;
• at least one of the blades having a gage pad operable to contact adjacent portions of a wellbore formed by the rotary drill bit;
• an exterior surface of the gage pad having an uphole edge with a leading edge and a trailing edge extending downhole therefrom;
• a plurality of compacts disposed on and extending from the exterior surface of the gage pad;
• each compact having a respective exterior surface disposed a respective radial distance from the bit rotational axis;
• at least one of the respective compacts disposed proximate to the leading edge of the gage pad;
• at least one of the respective compacts disposed proximate the trailing edge of the gage pad;
• and
• the respective exterior surfaces of the compacts disposed in a generally radially tapered configuration extending from proximate the leading edge of the gage pad toward the trailing edge of the gage pad as measured in a plane extending generally perpendicular to the bit rotational axis.

A fixed cutter rotary drill bit operable to form a wellbore comprising:

• a bit body with a bit rotational axis extending through the bit body;
• a plurality of blades disposed on and extending from the bit body;
• each blade having a respective gage pad operable to contact adjacent portions of a wellbore formed by the fixed cutter rotary drill bit;
• each gage pad having a respective uphole edge with a respective leading edge and a respective trailing edge downhole extending therefrom;
• the respective leading edge of each gage pad defined in part by a first radius extending from the bit rotational axis to a location proximate the respective uphole edge;
• the respective trailing edge of each gage pad defined in part by a respective second radius extending from the bit rotational axis to a location proximate the respective uphole edge;
• and
• a respective exterior portion of each gage pad having a generally continuous radially tapered surface extending from proximate the respective leading edge to proximate the respective trailing edge of each gage pad as measured in a plane extending generally perpendicular to the bit rotational axis.

A rotary drill bit operable to form wellbore comprising:

• a bit body having a bit rotational axis extending through the bit body;
• a plurality of cutting elements extending from the bit body;
• at least one gage segment defined in part by an exterior surface;
• the at least one gage segment having a respective leading edge and a respective trailing edge;
• a recessed portion formed in the exterior surface of the at least one gage segment;
• the recessed portion having a reduced radius relative to the bit rotational axis;
• and
• the recessed portion having an overall configuration of a parallelogram.

A fixed cutter rotary drill bit operable to form wellbore comprising:

• a bit body having one end operable for attachment to a drill string;
• a bit rotational axis extending through the bit body;
• a plurality of blades disposed on exterior portions of the bit body;
• each of the blades having a respective gage portion operable to contact adjacent portions of a wellbore formed by the rotary drill bit;
• the gage portion of each blade having a respective leading edge and a respective trailing edge;
• a respective cut out formed in each gage portion adjacent to the respective trailing edge;
• the cut out having a reduced radius relative to the bit rotational axis;
• and
• the cut out having an overall configuration of a parallelogram.

A rotary drill bit operable to form a wellbore comprising:

• a bit body having a bit rotational axis extending from bit body;
• a plurality of blades disposed on and extending from the bit body;
• at least one of the blades having a gage pad defined in part by an uphole edge with a leading edge and a trailing edge extending downhole therefrom;
• the leading edge of the gage pad disposed at a first, generally uniform radial distance extending from the bit rotational axis;
• the trailing edge of the gage pad disposed at varying radial distances from the bit rotational axis;
• the radial distance from the bit rotational axis to a downhole edge of the gage pad proximate the leading edge generally equal to the radial distance from the bit rotational axis to the downhole edge of the gage pad proximate the trailing edge;
• and
• the radial distance between the bit rotational axis and the uphole edge of the gage pad decreasing between the leading edge and the trailing edge as measured in a plane extending generally perpendicular to the bit rotational axis.

A fixed cutter drill bit operable to form a wellbore in a downhole formation comprising:

• a bit body having one end operable to releasably engage the drill bit with a drill string;
• a bit rotational axis extending through the bit body;
• a bit face profile defined in part by a plurality of blades disposed on exterior portions of the bit body;
• each blade having a gage pad;
• each blade and respective gage pad having a leading edge and a trailing edge;
• at least one of the gage pads having an exterior portion defined in part by a first tapered surface and a second tapered surface;
• the first tapered surface disposed adjacent to a leading edge of the at least one gage pad;
• the second tapered surface disposed adjacent to a trailing edge of the at least one gage pad;
• the first tapered surface having a respective axial taper and the second tapered surface having a respective axial taper;
• and
• the respective axial taper of the first axially tapered surface not equal to the respective axial taper of the second axially tapered surface.

A method of forming at least one gage pad on at least one component of a rotary drill string used to form a wellbore comprising:

• forming the at least one gage pad with an exterior portion having an uphole edge with a leading edge and a trailing edge extending downhole therefrom;
• placing a plurality of compacts on the exterior portions of the at least one gage pad with each compact having a respective exterior surface disposed at a respective radial distance from an associated rotational axis;
• placing at least one of the respective compacts proximate the leading edge of the gage pad;
• placing at least one of the respective compacts proximate the trailing edge of the at least one gage pad;
• and
• arranging respective exterior surfaces of the compacts in a generally radially tapered configuration extending from proximate the leading edge of the gage pad to proximate the trailing edge of the gage pad as measured in a plane extending generally perpendicular to the bit rotational axis.

A method of forming at least one gage pad on at least one component of a rotary drill string used to form a wellbore comprising:

• forming the at least one gage pad with an exterior surface operable to contact adjacent portions of the wellbore;
• forming the exterior surface of the at least one gage pad with an uphole edge having a leading edge and a trailing edge extending downhole therefrom;
• forming the leading edge with a first radius extending from an associated rotational axis to the uphole edge;
• forming the trailing edge with a second radius extending from an associated rotational axis to the uphole edge;
• and
• forming the first radius and the second radius with respective values which are not equal as measured in a plane extending generally perpendicular to the bit rotational axis.