Drill bit having enhanced stabilization features and method of use thereof

A drill bit for drilling a borehole in earthen formations, the bit comprising:

• a bit body having a bit axis and a bit face;
• a plurality of primary blades, each primary blade extending radially along the bit face and including a cutter-supporting surface;
• a plurality of cutter elements mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of each of the primary blades, wherein each cutter element on each primary blade has a forward-facing cutting face with a cutting edge adapted to penetrate and shear the earthen formation;
• wherein the cutter-supporting surfaces of the plurality of blades define a continuously contoured composite blade profile in rotated profile view that extends from the bit axis to an outer radius of the bit body;
• wherein the composite blade profile includes a first convex region having a first blade profile nose and a second convex region having a second blade profile nose.

A method of drilling a borehole in an earthen formation comprising:

• engaging the formation with a drill bit comprising:
• a bit body having a bit axis and a bit face;
• a plurality of primary blades, each primary blade extending radially along the bit face and including a cutter-supporting surface;
• a plurality of cutter elements mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of each of the primary blades, wherein each cutter element on each primary blade has a forward-facing cutting face with a cutting edge adapted to penetrate and shear the earthen formation;
• wherein the cutter-supporting surfaces of the plurality of blades define a wave-shaped continuously contoured composite blade profile in rotated profile view extending between the bit axis and an outer radius of the bit body, wherein the composite blade profile includes a first concave region radially spaced from the bit axis;
• forming a ring-shaped bolus of uncut formation that extends axially into the first concave region.

A drill bit for drilling a borehole in earthen formations, the bit comprising:

• a bit body having a bit axis and a bit face;
• a plurality of primary blades, each primary blade extending radially along the bit face, each primary blade includes a cutter-supporting surface that defines a blade profile in rotated profile view extending from the bit axis to an outer radius of the bit body, wherein the cutter-supporting surfaces of the plurality of blades define a continuously contoured composite blade profile in rotated profile view that extends from the bit axis to the outer radius, the composite blade profile including a plurality of concave regions;
• and
• a plurality of cutter elements mounted to the cutter-supporting surface of each of the plurality of primary blades, wherein each cutter element on the primary blade has a forward-facing cutting face with a cutting edge adapted to penetrate and shear the earthen formation, wherein:
• the cutting faces of the plurality of cutter elements define a composite outermost cutting profile in rotated profile view that extends radially from a first end proximal the bit axis to a second end at the radially outermost gage region;
• the composite outermost cutting profile extends an axial distance beyond the composite blade profile;
• the composite outermost cutting profile includes a plurality of concave regions;
• and
• the cutting face of each cutter element defining the composite outermost cutting profile and that is disposed between the first end and the second end of the composite outermost cutting profile partially overlaps with the cutting faces of two adjacent cutter elements disposed between the first end and the second end of the composite outermost cutting profile in rotated profile view.