What Does
Weight On Bit Mean?
Weight on bit (WOB) is the amount of downward force exerted by a drill bit during drilling operations. Weight on bit is generally measured in thousands of pounds and is provided by the thick-walled drilled collars. A significant amount of weight on the drill bit is crucial to allow the drill bit to effectively cut or break through hard material, such as rock.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Weight On Bit
Weight on bit measurements are an essential parameter for drilling optimization and are necessary for moving the drill bit forward. The WOB needs to be at an optimum value to ensure maximum efficiency of the drilling operations.
If the WOB is higher than the optimum value, the drill string will experience excessive downward force, which can result in buckling of the string as well as increased wear of the drill bit. On the other hand, if the WOB is less than the optimum value, the drill bit may not have enough downward force to effectively cut through tough strata or drill operation may be significantly slowed down.
There is no standard range for WOB; however, depending on the size and type of the rock being drilled, and the properties of bit used, the value may range anywhere between 1,000 lb. to 100,000 lb.