Baker Hughes announced the commercial release of its line of Kymera™ XTreme (XT) hybrid drill bits, designed to help oil and gas operators lower their well construction costs through faster and more durable drilling performance. The bits—which combine the strengths of PDC and tricone bit technology—offer the smooth, consistent performance of previous generations of hybrid bits, while dramatically improving penetration rates and run life. Kymera XT drill bits are available in a variety of designs, each capable of addressing specific challenges in numerous applications, formation types and hole sizes.

The Kymera XT bits drill much faster than previous generation hybrid bits and offer a dynamic-balanced design that reduces torque fluctuations to minimize damage to the bit and, delivering efficient, effective performance in both vertical and curve sections. They also offer superior steerability and control in difficult environments, including carbonates and interbedded formations, in which conventional drill bits are often pushed to their limits.

The Kymera XT bits’ sharper, more durable cutting structures incorporate enhanced shapes and carbide grades for improved aggressiveness and accelerated penetration rates. These advanced designs provide added tool face control, enabling the drilling of longer distances at higher buildup rates than was previously possible, while maintaining a high-quality borehole throughout extended runs. Blade and roller cone designs can be optimized based on the operator’s application to deliver a variety of benefits that include long, section-to-section runs and enhanced durability during transitions between formations.

“Kymera XTreme hybrid bits combine the control and rock-crushing strength of a tricone bit with the speed and shearing action of a PDC bit and, in almost every case, are more durable than either of the alternatives,” said Scott Schmidt, Vice President, Drill Bits at Baker Hughes. “This combination delivers a bit capable of drilling longer vertical and curve sections at higher speeds and in a variety of challenging formations – an extremely valuable tool to help our customers effectively manage their well construction costs in this challenging business environment.”

In one recent Middle East application, a Kymera XT hybrid drill bit demonstrated superior durability by drilling 2,721 ft (829 m) of extremely hard and abrasive series of limestone, sandstone, and shale formations in one fast run—improving rate of penetration by 138 percent over the field average and reducing the operator’s cost-per-foot by 50 percent. As a result, the operator finished the section 2.3 days ahead of schedule, saving nearly USD 100,000.

The Kymera XTreme hybrid drill bit is the latest example of Baker Hughes’ strategy to improve well efficiency, optimize production and increase ultimate recovery.

About Baker Hughes

Baker Hughes is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. The company's 39,000 employees today work in more than 80 countries helping customers find, evaluate, drill, produce, transport and process hydrocarbon resources.