Wellbores may be drilled into a surface location or seabed for a variety of exploratory or extraction purposes. For example, a wellbore may be drilled to access fluids, such as liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, stored in subterranean formations and to extract the fluids from the formations. Wellbores used to produce or extract fluids may be lined with casing around the walls of the wellbore. A variety of drilling methods may be utilized depending partly on the characteristics of the formation through which the wellbore is drilled.
The drilling system may drill a wellbore or other borehole through a variety of formations. The formation may include geologic formations ranging from unconsolidated material to rock formations such as granite, basalt, or metamorphic formations. The drilling system may include a drill bit with a plurality of cutting elements located on the bit to loosen material from the formation to create the wellbore. The cutting elements may include a cutting edge or surface on that is sufficiently durable to penetrate through the formation and maintain desirable uptime of the drilling system.
Harder formations (i.e., geologic formations including harder rocks or other materials) increase wear on a drill bit and the cutting elements mounted on the drill bit compared to softer formations. The increased wear in harder formations increases the risk of failure of a cutting element or the drill bit and, therefore, increases the risk of damage to the drilling system. The increased wear in harder formations reduces the operational lifetime of a cutting element and drill bit, which in-turn increases the time and cost involved in retrieving the drill bit from the wellbore, replacing or repairing the drill bit, and tripping the drill bit back into the wellbore.