[en] The purpose of this paper is to propose models to estimate the change in the rock cutting processes with the increase of confining pressure based on single cutter tests performed in atmospheric conditions and on rock characterisation tests under confinement.Specific energy concept has been first studied and used on cutting tests. Various cutting models (phenomenological and drillng parameters based models) have been studied and validated for atmospheric cutting tests. Based on the evolution of the rock properties with confinement rock cutting models in atmospheric conditions are adapted and discussed to introduce the effect of confining pressure on the cutting mechanisms.
