Drill Bits & Services
At Frontier International, we strive for technology & execution excellence and we value partnerships to strengthen it.
In 2012 Varel International Energy Services and NewTech Services, a sister company of Frontier International, opened a drill bit manufacturing plant in Kurgan, Russia, with the capacity of producing 1800 bits/year.
The new facility is at the heart of the Varel NTS joint venture, which aligns Varel's high technology engineering and manufacturing with the strength of NewTech Services (NTS) in drilling technology, infrastructure, market knowledge, and customer requirements.
Centrally located to facilitate rapid bit delivery across the CIS & East European markets, the Kurgan plant incorporates the most advanced global technologies and tools for manufacturing and servicing oil and gas drill bits for the local market and beyond. Staffed with key personnel who trained at the Varel manufacturing facilities in France, the Kurgan plant increases the drill bits reliability and services quality to the highest industry standards.
Varel NTS, LLC API Licenses & Certifications:
- Certification 7-1-1174
- Certification ISO-E0055
- Certification OHSAS-0041
- Certification Q1-2285
- Certification ISO-2384
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PDC Drill Bits
PDC HYDRA™ Series
HYDRA™ is an application enhancing program that combines hydraulic requirements along with cutting structure needs to design an application specific bit.
Unique features are apparent with webbed blades, curved nozzles, and engineered junk slot designs. Combining the two technologies CFD and the cutting structure design has led to breakthrough designs for the industry that are original. New records are being set every day with HYDRA bits.
Application:
- Vertical, Directional, Horizontal, and Tangent wells.
- For soft to hard formation applications.
- For all rotary, directional motor, and RSS applications.
Features /Benefits:
- Curved nozzles reduce the stream impact to the formation eliminating erosion and increasing bit stability in soft to medium formations.
- Webbed blades reduce cuttings recirculation to other junk slot areas, eliminating the regrinding of cuttings.
- Application-specific cutting structures and bit blade/junk slot designs to match formation requirements for cuttings removal and ROP.
- Better cleaning and cutter cooling leads to extended bit life by reducing plugged nozzles, core outs and bit balling.
- Unique junk slot geometry improves cleaning efficiency for higher cuttings volume.
VOYAGER Series
Voyager series PDC bits are specially designed for extended-reach wells with a high dog leg severity. The VOYAGER line of PDC bits delivers smooth torque, advanced directional control, excellent well bore quality, and dynamic stability to meet the challenge of any directional application.
RAIDER Series
A new series of Raider bits was developed to create a new, more balanced profile, with greater stability to overcome the ROP and durability challenges of drilling transition zones and abrasive formations. The Raider series enables drilling into densely interbedded soft to hard formations with transition zones without experiencing a significant vibration and changes in drilling parameters.
FUSION Series
Fusion and Fusion+ series of the matrix bits with Diamond Impregnated HIP segments drill faster and last longer through hard and abrasive formations. The design is particularly effective in less consolidated sandstones or when drilling from a softer formation into a harder and more abrasive formation. FUSION represents optimal drilling performance in very challenging formations.
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Software
Varel NTS and Frontier International are fully equipped with the software suite designed to enhance the engineers' ability to develop drill bits for specific applications.
GEOSCIENCE
When designing a new PDC bit, the first step is to evaluate the rock for its physical and mechanical properties.
The GeoScience software suite facilitates geological interpretation of geophysical logging data that translates into strength and abrasivity computations for the sections being drilled. After obtaining a quantitative estimate of the interval's strength, a technical expert will also compare the drilling parameters, analyze geological anomalies and assess the associated bit wear.
As a result, the engineering team will be able to identify intervals of varying formation properties and use this knowledge to make correct design decisions for future drill bit projects. GeoScience requires a log dataset in the .las format.
SPOT
SPOT is a drilling design software used to perform PDC bit structure simulations with the goal of matching the design to particular drilling conditions.
Engineers working on new bit designs will seek an optimal balance of speed, durability and controllability in view of the design goals and geological survey data processed in the GeoScience software. SPOT software accounts for multiple factors and design options by using the verified mathematical algorithms. The final design is validated by running a simulation of the drilling process. This step ensures that the configuration is tailored precisely to the drilling conditions.
CFD
The final stage of PDC bit design involves hydrodynamic simulation.
With CFD software, the nozzles can be modelled in an optimum pattern to ensure effective removal of cuttings from the bit and the bottom of the hole. In addition, with CFD the engineers analyze specific fluid flow modes to detect abrasion-prone spots or stagnant zones and then optimize and re-test the configuration until the desired results are achieved.
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Manufacturing
PDC drill bits have been manufactured using globally competitive technology since 2012 at the Varel NTS plant in Kurgan in partnership with Varel International.
Varel NTS, LLC API Licenses & Certifications:- Certification 7-1-1174
- Certification ISO-E0055
- Certification OHSAS-0041
- Certification Q1-2285
- Certification ISO-2384
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Roller Cone Bits
HIGH ENERGY Series
High Energy™ - TCI roller cone bits with sealed bearing. High Energy™ bits were refined and enhanced to add durability and drilling rate to withstand applications where the bit weight and rotary speed are at the high end of the spectrum delivering better performance in these critical operating parameter applications. Engineers developed a bearing system to support higher loads which resulted in a more robust and tighter tolerance journal bearing.
High Energy™ ranging from 190,5 mm (7 ½”) to 349,25mm (13 ¾”).
COMPASS Series
Compass® Engineered with application specific technology the Compass® bits provide excellent steerability and high rates of penetration even in limited WOB applications. The bearing provides reliable performance in deep hole, long reach sections where increased temperatures and motor RPM’s are commonly encountered.
Compass® ranging from 114,3 mm (4 ½”) to 171,5mm (6 ¾”).
DURATECH Series
DuraTech™ builds on the advancements of the High Energy product line and incorporates the changes in a steel tooth bit product line. With the ability to operate at the extremes of operating parameters, DuraTech™ delivers higher ROP, extended bit life, and increased footage drilled.
DuraTech™ ranging from 95,3mm (3 3/4'”) to 349,25mm (13 ¾”).
EVEREST Series
Varel raises the performance standard for large diameter drilling with the industry’s toughest, most innovative family of roller cone bits – Everest™ series.
New DC30 Hardfacing Technology specifications now allow for double the hardfacing application to the critical areas of a steel tooth bit's cutting structure. This produces a bit with a more durable, longer-lasting cutting structure. Strategic placement of patented tungsten carbide microshields on critical areas of the bit shirttail makes EdgeGuard protection the next-generation solution for high-performance wear mitigation. In abrasive formations, EdgeGuard provides a significant advantage over hardfacing and tungsten carbide inserts (TCI).
Everest bits ranging from 14-3/4" to 45" which is the largest range of sizes including an industry-leading 45" steel tooth bit.
TARGET Series
Target® HDD Technologies – new TCI roller cone product line for drilling directional and horizontal wells. All Target® bits are with FULL COVERAGE CUTTERS (FC) and equipped with patented tungsten carbide microshields EdgeGuard as a shirttail protection.
Target® ranging from 133.4 mm (5 ¼”) – 165,1mm (6 ½”), also available in 311,1mm (12 ¼”) and 444.5mm (17 ½”).
SLIP-STREAM Series
SlipStream RC Pro – Patent pending hybrid roller cone technology to drill frac plugs with both a steel tooth and TCI cutting structure utilized on the bit. The steel teeth attack the composite material usually found in the center of a frac plug and the tungsten carbide inserts on the gauge area of the bit are for the cast iron and ceramic slips found in frac plugs.
Reduced cone offset provides a chipping and crushing drilling action. Fully capped premium hardmetal teeth are short and closely spaced to generate small cuttings and provide a robust and highly durable cutting structure for drilling composite plug material and other downhole equipment.
SlipStream RC ranging 95.3 mm, 114.3 mm and 117.5 mm.