Patent ID: 8327951

Claim:
A method for drilling a borehole having at least one downhole region with a diameter greater than the diameter of at least one preceding region, the method comprising the steps of: providing a drill bit comprising a first plurality of cutters and a second plurality of cutters vertically displaced from the first plurality of cutters, wherein the first plurality of cutters comprise cutting surfaces oriented to bore in a first direction, wherein the second plurality of cutters comprise cutting surfaces oriented to bore in at least one second direction, and wherein the first and second pluralities of cutters enable functional articulation of the drill bit within the borehole, such that the direction of drilling can be changed without withdrawing the drill bit from the borehole; drilling a first region of the borehole having a first diameter; and drilling a second region of the borehole while functionally articulating the drill bit to provide the second region of the borehole with a second diameter greater than the first diameter, wherein the second region of the borehole is located downwell from the first region of the borehole.