Industries / Drilling and geological exploration
Drilling and geological exploration
Engineered surfaces for demanding downhole service.
Protection of downhole and surface components against abrasion, impact, high loads, corrosion and erosion. Coating selection considers drilling fluids, solids and operating conditions.
Components and protection zones
Drill bit bodies and gauge surfaces
Wear protection for hard formations and abrasive conditions.
- Zones:
- Gauge pads, shirttails, outside diameters, nozzles and fluid ports; cutting structures where applicable.
- Coatings / bond coat:
- WC-CoCr (HVOF); NiCrAlY (bond coat, if required)
- Substrate:
- Steel bit bodies.
Stabiliser blades
Reduced abrasive wear and improved stabilising performance.
- Zones:
- Leading and trailing blades, wear pads and contact faces.
- Coatings / bond coat:
- Cr3C2-NiCr (HVOF); NiCrAlY (bond coat, if required)
- Substrate:
- Alloy steel.
Mud-motor rotors and stators
Wear and erosion protection of working surfaces.
- Zones:
- Rotor lobes and stator bores.
- Coatings / bond coat:
- WC-CoCr (HVOF); NiCrAlY (bond coat, if required)
- Substrate:
- Steel.
Reamer arms and bodies
Protection against abrasion and impact.
- Zones:
- Cutting edges, arm faces, outer bodies and gauge surfaces.
- Coatings / bond coat:
- Cr3C2-NiCr (HVOF); NiCrAlY (bond coat, if required)
- Substrate:
- Alloy steel.
Logging tool housings and sleeves
Protection of external housings and sensor sleeves.
- Zones:
- External surfaces, wear bands and centralisers.
- Coatings / bond coat:
- WC-CoCr (HVOF); NiCrAlY (bond coat, if required)
- Substrate:
- Stainless steels and alloys.
Tool joints
Reduced galling, fretting and thread wear.
- Zones:
- Pin and box threads, shoulders and sliding interfaces.
- Coatings / bond coat:
- Engineered system selected for the service environment
- Substrate:
- Alloy steel.
Materials and applications
| System | Materials | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Wear-resistant carbide | WC-CoCr, Cr3C2-NiCr (HVOF) | Drill bits, stabilisers, reamers, mud motors and wear bands. |
| Erosion-resistant metallic | NiCr, NiCrMo, CoNiCrAlY | Mud-motor rotors, stators, sleeves and nozzles. |
| Corrosion-resistant metallic / alloy | NiCrAlY, NiPt, 316L | Tool joints and housings in wet gas and H2S / CO2 environments; qualification required. |
| Low-friction solid lubricant | MoS2, WS2, DLC (a-C:H) | Tool joints, threads and sliding interfaces. |
Coating structure
- Functional layer
- Bond coat, if required
- Component material
Schematic, not to scale. Layer count and bonding mechanism depend on the selected material and process.
Coating processes
- HVOF
- Protective alloy cladding
- Low-friction coatings
Typical applications, not a component specification. Composition, thickness, surface preparation and acceptance criteria must be selected for the operating conditions and validated by testing.