INNOVATIVE DRILL BIT TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF DRILLING OPERATIONS AT URANIUM DEPOSITS IN KAZAKHSTAN
Ratov B.T. Khomenko V.L. Kuttybayev A.E. Togizov K.S. Utepov Z.G.
2024National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan
News of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Series of Geology and Technical Sciences
2024#2024Issue 4224 - 236 pp.
The Republic of Kazakhstan is the world leader in proven uranium reserves. Most of the deposits are concentrated in the Shu-Sarysu uranium-ore geological province and are developed by underground borehole leaching. Therefore, drilling operations account for 60–70 % of the total cost of field development. A typical geological section from wells is represented by an upper unit of soft, soft rocks lying to a depth of 300–500 m and a lower unit of medium and hard rocks to a depth of 350–800 m. These units are separated by a layer of dense clays. Currently, the first geological unit of soft rocks is drilled with spud bits with carbide cutters, and the second with blade bits equipped with PDC cutters. The main disadvantage of this technology is the unproductive loss of time on tripping operations necessary to lift a spud bit with carbide cutters and replace it with a bladed PDC bit to continue drilling the well to the designed depth. The research was based on the idea of combining in one bit design the advantages of carbide and PDC bits, which have proven themselves well in the geological conditions under study. To solve the problems, a compre-hensive research method was used. It included a review and synthesis of literature sources, patent research, analysis of geological conditions, as well as the scope, advantages and lim-itations of existing designs of cutting drill bits. As a result of the work, a technical solution was proposed and patented that allows the most effective use of two types of cutters in a single design of a rock-cutting tool: cheap carbide cutters used in the upper part of the rock section, and more expensive PDC cutters with high productivity in the lower part of the rock section, represented by harder ones. The fullest use of cutter use is achieved when the edges of the carbide cutters rise below the edges of the PDC cutter blades, i.e. when the former are closer to the bottom of the well when drilling the upper interval of soft rocks, and the bit has a split ring pilot equipped with mixed cutters in its end part. Rock-cutting PDC cutters should be made from the new super-hard composite material 25Cdiamond-70.5WC-4.5Co with the addition of 10% zirconium dioxide micropowder (ZrO2). The developed innovative combined bit will be effective in the practice of drilling geotechnological wells in the conditions of the Shu-Sarysu uranium-ore geological province.
blade bit , combined bit , in-situ leaching , PDC cutter , well drilling
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Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K.I. Satbayev, Department of Geophysics and Seismology, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Dnipro University of Technology, Oil and Gas Engineering and Drilling Department, Dnipro, Ukraine
Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K.I. Satbayev, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh. Yesenov, Department of Ecology and Geology, Aktau, Kazakhstan
Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K.I. Satbayev
Dnipro University of Technology
Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K.I. Satbayev
Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh. Yesenov
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