An apparatus for cutting into a subterranean formation includes a body and multiple cutting blades distributed around a circumference of the body. The cutting blades are configured to cut into the subterranean formation in response to being rotated. Each cutting blade includes a ball embedded in the respective cutting blade. At least a portion of the ball protrudes towards the subterranean formation from the respective cutting blade in which the ball is embedded. Each ball is configured to roll against the subterranean formation to reduce friction while the cutting blades are rotating.

An apparatus for cutting into a subterranean formation includes a body and multiple cutting blades distributed around a circumference of the body. The cutting blades are configured to cut into the subterranean formation in response to being rotated. Each cutting blade includes a ball embedded in the respective cutting blade. At least a portion of the ball protrudes towards the subterranean formation from the respective cutting blade in which the ball is embedded. Each ball is configured to roll against the subterranean formation to reduce friction while the cutting blades are rotating.

Cutting elements for earth-boring applications may include a substrate and a polycrystalline diamond material secured to the substrate. A first region of the polycrystalline diamond material may exhibit a first volume percentage of nanoparticles bonded to diamond grains within the first region. A second region of the polycrystalline diamond material adjacent to the first region may exhibit a second, different volume percentage of nanoparticles bonded to diamond grains within the second region. Methods of making cutting elements for earth-boring applications may involve positioning a first mixture of particles having a first volume percentage of nanoparticles and a second mixture of particles having a second, different volume percentage of nanoparticles within a container. The first and second mixtures of particles may be sintered in the presence of a catalyst material to form a polycrystalline diamond material including intergranular bonds among diamond grains and nanoparticles of the polycrystalline diamond material.

Cutting elements for earth-boring applications may include a substrate and a polycrystalline diamond material secured to the substrate. A first region of the polycrystalline diamond material may exhibit a first volume percentage of nanoparticles bonded to diamond grains within the first region. A second region of the polycrystalline diamond material adjacent to the first region may exhibit a second, different volume percentage of nanoparticles bonded to diamond grains within the second region. Methods of making cutting elements for earth-boring applications may involve positioning a first mixture of particles having a first volume percentage of nanoparticles and a second mixture of particles having a second, different volume percentage of nanoparticles within a container. The first and second mixtures of particles may be sintered in the presence of a catalyst material to form a polycrystalline diamond material including intergranular bonds among diamond grains and nanoparticles of the polycrystalline diamond material.

A drill bit for rock drilling tools includes a drill bit head having a front surface including a face surface defining a forward-most end of the drill bit head. The face surface has an outer edge, a gauge surrounding the face surface, the gauge having an inner edge, and a transition region that extends in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the drill bit between the outer edge of the face surface and the inner edge of the gauge. An entirety of the face surface from which the cutting surfaces extend is non-flat so that a center of the face surface is axially forward of the outer edge of the face surface. The gauge includes a first gauge surface defining a first angle with the longitudinal axis over a first portion of a circumference of the gauge and a second gauge surface defining a second angle with the longitudinal axis over a second portion of the circumference of the gauge.

Cutting elements for use with earth-boring tools include a cutting table having at least two sections where a boundary between the at least two sections is at least partially defined by a discontinuity formed in the cutting table. Earth-boring tools including a tool body and a plurality of cutting elements carried by the tool body. The cutting elements include a cutting table secured to a substrate. The cutting table includes a plurality of adjacent sections, each having a discrete cutting edge where at least one section is configured to be selectively detached from the substrate in order to substantially expose a cutting edge of an adjacent section. Methods for fabricating cutting elements for use with an earth-boring tool including forming a cutting table comprising a plurality of adjacent sections.

Cutting elements for use with earth-boring tools include a cutting table having at least two sections where a boundary between the at least two sections is at least partially defined by a discontinuity formed in the cutting table. Earth-boring tools including a tool body and a plurality of cutting elements carried by the tool body. The cutting elements include a cutting table secured to a substrate. The cutting table includes a plurality of adjacent sections, each having a discrete cutting edge where at least one section is configured to be selectively detached from the substrate in order to substantially expose a cutting edge of an adjacent section. Methods for fabricating cutting elements for use with an earth-boring tool including forming a cutting table comprising a plurality of adjacent sections.

A system having an instrumented cutter of a drill bit including an on-cutter sensor for monitoring drilling performance metrics while performing drilling operations based on offset well data and a computing device is disclosed. The computing device executes a model development system configured to use the drilling performance metrics, surface drilling parameters, and characteristics of the instrumented cutter to train a machine learning (ML) model. The trained ML model is used to optimize drilling parameters and predict drill bit performance in a current well.

Polycrystalline compacts include a polycrystalline material comprising a plurality of inter-bonded grains of hard material, and a metallic material disposed in interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded grains of hard material. At least a portion of the metallic material comprises a metal alloy that includes two or more elements. A first element of the two or more elements comprises at least one of cobalt, iron, and nickel. A second element of the two or more elements comprises at least one of dysprosium, yttrium, terbium, gadolinium, germanium, samarium, neodymium, and praseodymium. The metal alloys may comprise eutectic or near-eutectic compositions, and may have relatively low melting points. Cutting elements and earth-boring tools include such polycrystalline compacts. Methods include the formation of such polycrystalline compacts, cutting elements, and earth-boring tools.

Polycrystalline compacts include a polycrystalline material comprising a plurality of inter-bonded grains of hard material, and a metallic material disposed in interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded grains of hard material. At least a portion of the metallic material comprises a metal alloy that includes two or more elements. A first element of the two or more elements comprises at least one of cobalt, iron, and nickel. A second element of the two or more elements comprises at least one of dysprosium, yttrium, terbium, gadolinium, germanium, samarium, neodymium, and praseodymium. The metal alloys may comprise eutectic or near-eutectic compositions, and may have relatively low melting points. Cutting elements and earth-boring tools include such polycrystalline compacts. Methods include the formation of such polycrystalline compacts, cutting elements, and earth-boring tools.