Ulterra

Ulterra designs and manufactures polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) drill bits and downhole drilling tools for oil and gas, geothermal and drill-and-blast mining applications. E&P operators have worked with the company since 2005, and it states that operators in North America have made it the number one PDC drill bit partner in the industry for the past seven years. Ulterra operates worldwide and keeps a Midland/Odessa base in Odessa, Texas alongside other North American and international offices.

Each bit platform targets a specific drilling dysfunction rather than serving as a general-purpose design, supported by an Omega Cutters rapid cutter development program, a DesignLab bit design tool and a set of online engineering calculators.

PDC bit platforms

• CounterForce: patented cutter layout that redirects lateral vibration back into rate of penetration, described as field-proven across more than 20 basins globally and drilling roughly 50 million feet of hole a year
• Split Blade: offset primary blades and rotated outer shoulders create double-barrel hydraulic channels for cuttings evacuation, introduced in 2018 and credited by the company with over 5,000 runs and 30 million feet drilled in its first year
• RipSaw: Active Torque Technology cutting structure that adapts depth of cut to reactive torque through interbedded formations and formation transitions
• WaveCut: dual-phase waved blade shape that staggers rock engagement blade by blade, launched in early 2022 as the company's fifth patented cutting structure with more than 1,500 runs reported
• FastBack: tall, thin sculpted blades built on high-tensile treated steel, tungsten carbide and diamond for high weight-on-bit drilling
• AirRaid: PDC bit engineered for air drilling and air-to-mud transitions so a vertical, tangent and curve section can be finished without tripping out
• XP: over-engineered bit body with application-specific premium cutters for hard rock, transition zones and highly interbedded lithologies
• Hog: listed among the oil and gas PDC platforms

CounterForce is offered in matrix and steel bodies from 4 in to 28 in, in 3-1/2, 4-1/2, 6-7/8 and 7-7/8 REG connections plus NC35, NC38, NC40 and NC50, and is available for all grades of deep leached cutters. XP covers 5 in to 27 in.

Downhole tools

Downhole Tools is a division focused on protecting bottom-hole assembly components rather than on the bit itself. The MitiGator tool isolates high-frequency torsional oscillation (HFTO) in the BHA and suppresses vibrational forces, with the stated aim of extending component life and reducing repair and maintenance costs.

Mining and geothermal

Beyond oil and gas, Ulterra supplies PDC bits for drill and blast mining in Australia and the United States, along with SoftDrive performance drilling tools intended to extend bit life in those applications. Scorch is the platform listed for geothermal drilling.

Recognition

Kimberlite Oilfield Research ranked Ulterra first in customer loyalty and service for five consecutive years, and its 2022 annual research described the company as the US market leader in PDC bits with the highest customer loyalty.

Locations

The company places experienced support personnel on site so that operators deal with staff who know local formations and requirements. US locations are listed in:

• Odessa, Texas (Midland/Odessa)
• Dallas, Houston, Marion and Tyler, Texas
• Hobbs, New Mexico
• Denver, Colorado
• Williston, North Dakota
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania

International offices are listed in Abu Dhabi, Brisbane, Calgary and Colombia.