Systems and methods for steering a drill bit

1 . A rotary steering device comprising:

a body having a longitudinal axis,

one or more deployable steering pads radially movable relative to the body, wherein each of the one or more deployable steering pads has a retracted state defining a retracted radius from the longitudinal axis and a deployed state defining a deployed radius from the longitudinal axis;

a first kicker plate connected to the body longitudinally adjacent to the one or more deployable steering pads in a downhole longitudinal position offset downhole from the one or more deployable steering pads, wherein the first kicker plate has a first plurality of cutting elements that are mounted on the first kicker plate at downhole longitudinal positions offset completely downhole from all of the one or more deployable steering pads and arranged in a series or rows at a first plurality of different axial positions with increasing cutting radius in an uphole direction, wherein the first plurality of cutting elements define a first cutting radius between the retracted radius and the deployed radius; and

a second kicker plate connected to the body longitudinally adjacent to the one or more deployable steering pads in an uphole longitudinal position offset uphole from the one or more deployable steering pads, wherein the second kicker plate has a second plurality of cutting elements that are mounted on the second kicker plate at uphole longitudinal positions offset completely uphole from all of the one or more deployable steering pads opposite the first plurality of cutting elements and arranged in a series or rows at a second plurality of different axial positions with increasing cutting radius in the uphole direction, wherein the second plurality of cutting elements define a second cutting radius between the retracted radius and the deployed radius, wherein the first and second kicker plates are separate and axially offset from one another in the respective downhole and uphole longitudinal positions, wherein the rotary steering device excludes cutting elements over an axial distance including all of the one or more deployable steering pads.

2 . The rotary steering device of claim 1 , wherein the second cutting radius is greater than the first cutting radius.

3 . The rotary steering device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of cutting elements of the first kicker plate and the second plurality of cutting elements of the second kicker plate define a tapered gauge that extends relative to the longitudinal axis.

4 . The rotary steering device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more deployable steering pads is part of a plurality of deployable steering pads positioned angularly around the longitudinal axis, and each deployable steering pad of the plurality of deployable steering pads includes respective first and second kicker plates connected to the body longitudinally adjacent to the deployable steering pad of the plurality of deployable steering pads.

5 . The rotary steering device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of cutting elements is arranged in the first plurality of different axial positions in each of a first plurality of circumferentially spaced groups about the longitudinal axis, and the second plurality of cutting elements is arranged in the second plurality of different axial positions in each of a second plurality of circumferentially spaced groups about the longitudinal axis.

6 . The rotary steering device of claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of different axial positions comprise three different axial positions, the second plurality of different axial positions comprise three different axial positions, or both.

7 . The rotary steering device of claim 5 , wherein the first plurality of circumferentially spaced groups comprises at least three circumferentially spaced groups, the second plurality of circumferentially spaced groups comprises at least three circumferentially spaced groups, or both.

8 . The rotary steering device of claim 5 , wherein each of the first plurality of circumferentially spaced groups comprises a first curved series of the first plurality of cutting elements disposed at the first plurality of different axial positions along a first curved line, wherein each of the second plurality of circumferentially spaced groups comprises a second curved series of the second plurality of cutting elements disposed at the second plurality of different axial positions along a second curved line, wherein each of the first and second plurality of different axial positions comprise three different axial positions, wherein each of the first and second plurality of circumferentially spaced groups comprises at least four circumferentially spaced groups.

9 . A drilling system comprising:

a drill bit including:

a bit body having a plurality of blades, and

a plurality of bit cutting elements defining a bit cutting profile with a bit cutting radius; and

a rotary steering device (RSD) coupled to the drill bit, the RSD including:

an RSD body having a longitudinal axis,

a plurality of deployable steering pads radially movable relative to the RSD body, wherein each of the plurality of deployable steering pads has a retracted state defining a retracted radius from the longitudinal axis and a deployed state defining a deployed radius from the longitudinal axis,

a first kicker plate connected to the RSD body longitudinally adjacent to the plurality of deployable steering pads in a downhole longitudinal position offset downhole from the plurality of deployable steering pads, wherein the first kicker plate has a first plurality of RSD cutting elements that are mounted on the first kicker plate at downhole longitudinal positions offset completely downhole from all of the plurality of deployable steering pads and arranged in a series or rows at a first set of at least three different axial positions with increasing cutting radius in an uphole direction, wherein the first plurality of RSD cutting elements define a first RSD cutting radius between the retracted radius and the deployed radius that is greater than the bit cutting radius, and

a second kicker plate connected to the RSD body longitudinally adjacent to the plurality of deployable steering pads in an uphole longitudinal position offset uphole from the plurality of deployable steering pads, wherein the second kicker plate has a second plurality of RSD cutting elements that are mounted on the second kicker plate at uphole longitudinal positions offset completely uphole from all of the plurality of deployable steering pads opposite the first plurality of RSD cutting elements and arranged in a series or rows at a second set of at least three different axial positions with increasing cutting radius in the uphole direction, wherein the second plurality of RSD cutting elements define a second RSD cutting radius between the retracted radius and the deployed radius that is greater than the bit cutting radius, wherein the first and second kicker plates are separate and axially offset from one another in the respective downhole and uphole longitudinal positions, wherein the RSD excludes RSD cutting elements over an axial distance including all of the plurality of deployable steering pads.

10 . The drilling system of claim 9 , wherein the bit cutting profile lacks a gauge surface.

11 . The drilling system of claim 9 , wherein the bit cutting profile lacks a shoulder surface.

12 . The drilling system of claim 9 , wherein a longitudinal distance between a nearest bit cutting element an RSD cutting element is no more than 3 times the first RSD cutting radius and the second RSD cutting radius.

13 . The drilling system of claim 9 , wherein a longitudinal distance between a downhole-most bit cutting element and a downhole-most RSD cutting element is no more than 4 times the first RSD cutting radius and the second RSD cutting radius.

14 . A method of drilling a borehole, the method comprising:

rotating the drilling system of claim 9 in a downhole environment;

removing material from a formation in the downhole environment with the bit cutting elements of the drill bit; and

removing material from the formation in the downhole environment with the first plurality of RSD cutting elements mounted on the first kicker plate and with the second plurality of RSD cutting elements mounted on the second kicker plate.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the bit cutting elements cut a diameter of the borehole to a first borehole diameter, and the first plurality of RSD cutting elements and the second plurality of RSD cutting elements increase the diameter of the borehole to a second borehole diameter greater than the first borehole diameter.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first plurality of RSD cutting elements and the second plurality of RSD cutting elements remove material from the formation independently of a state of the plurality of deployable steering pads of the RSD.

17 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of RSD cutting elements comprises at least two RSD cutting elements circumferentially offset from one another about the longitudinal axis at each axial position of the first set of at least three different axial positions, and the second plurality of RSD cutting elements comprises at least two RSD cutting elements circumferentially offset from one another about the longitudinal axis at each axial position of the second set of at least three different axial positions.

18 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of RSD cutting elements comprises at least three RSD cutting elements circumferentially offset from one another about the longitudinal axis at each axial position of the first set of at least three different axial positions, and the second plurality of RSD cutting elements comprises at least three RSD cutting elements circumferentially offset from one another about the longitudinal axis at each axial position of the second set of at least three different axial positions.

19 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of RSD cutting elements comprises at least four RSD cutting elements circumferentially offset from one another about the longitudinal axis at each axial position of the first set of at least three different axial positions, and the second plurality of RSD cutting elements comprises at least four RSD cutting elements circumferentially offset from one another about the longitudinal axis at each axial position of the second set of at least three different axial positions.

20 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of RSD cutting elements is arranged in a first curved series of the first set of at least three different axial positions in each of a first plurality of circumferentially spaced groups about the longitudinal axis, wherein the second plurality of RSD cutting elements is arranged in a second curved series of the second set of at least three different axial positions in each of a second plurality of circumferentially spaced groups about the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first and second plurality of circumferentially spaced groups comprises at least three circumferentially spaced groups.