Fixed cutter drill bits with tailored gage pads for directional drilling

Abstract

A fixed cutter drill bit for drilling a borehole in an earthen formation includes a bit body having a central axis and a bit face. The bit body is configured to rotate about the central axis in a cutting direction of rotation. The bit face includes a concave cone region extending radially from the central axis, a convex shoulder region extending radially from the cone region, a nose at the intersection of the cone region and the shoulder region, and a gage region extending radially from the shoulder region to a full gage diameter of the drill bit. In addition, the drill bit includes a cutting structure disposed on the bit face. The cutting structure includes a primary blade extending radially from proximal the bit axis through the cone region and the shoulder region to the gage region. The blade has a leading side relative to the cutting direction of rotation, a trailing side relative to the cutting direction of rotation, and a cutter-supporting surface extending from the leading side to the trailing side. Further, the drill bit includes a plurality of cutter elements mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of the primary blade in the cone region, the shoulder region, and the gage region. Still further, the drill bit includes a gage pad disposed in the gage region and extending axially from the primary blade. The gage pad has a central axis, an uphole end distal the primary blade, a downhole end integral with the primary blade, a leading lateral side relative to the cutting direction of rotation, a trailing lateral side relative to the cutting direction of rotation, and a formation facing surface configured to slidingly engage a sidewall of the borehole during drilling. The formation facing surface of the gage pad extends axially from the uphole end to the downhole end of the gage pad, and wherein the formation facing surface extends laterally from the leading side of the gage pad to the trailing side of the gage pad. The gage pad includes a surface area reducing feature positioned along a middle portion of the gage pad that is axially positioned between and axially spaced from the uphole end of the gage pad and the downhole end of the gage pad. The surface area reducing feature comprises a first recess extending from the formation facing surface toward the bit body.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.