Smith Bits drill bit technologies and services

Smith Bits was one of the world’s leading drill bit technology providers, known for engineered PDC and roller cone bit design, cutter materials science, and formation-specific drilling solutions. In 2010 it became part of Schlumberger (now SLB) together with the Dyna-Drill downhole motor business. Smith Bits PDC bit, roller cone bit, cutter, and bit design capabilities continue to be delivered under the SLB brand, and Dyna-Drill downhole motor equipment continues under its own name as part of the well construction portfolio at SLB.

The company’s roots trace to 1902, when Herman C. Smith opened a blacksmith shop in Whittier, California. Early oil drillers in the area became his main customers, bringing him drill bits to sharpen and repair as California’s oil industry took hold.

The business incorporated in 1937 as Smith International, headquartered in Houston, Texas, and grew over the following decades into one of the industry’s most recognized drill bit and downhole tool providers. In 1965, Smith Tool introduced Dyna-Drill, one of the industry’s first commercially successful positive displacement downhole drilling motors, expanding the company’s capabilities from bit design into directional drilling tools.

In August 2010, Schlumberger (now SLB) completed the acquisition of Smith International in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately USD 11,300 million. Smith Bits and Dyna-Drill technologies were integrated into the well construction portfolio.

Unlike some SLB legacy brands, the Smith Bits and Dyna-Drill product lines were not divested or sold to a third party. When Schlumberger (now SLB) completed the acquisition of Smith International in August 2010, Smith Bits drill bit manufacturing, cutter technology, and bit design capabilities, along with the Dyna-Drill downhole motor business, were fully integrated into the well construction portfolio. Every Smith Bits and Dyna-Drill product line available before 2010 continues in production today.