Automated directional drilling apparatus and methods

A system for drilling to a target location comprising:

• a receiving device adapted to receive an input comprising a planned drilling path to a target location;
• a sensory device adapted to determine a projected location of a bottom hole assembly of a drilling system;
• wherein to determine a projected location of a bottom hole assembly includes using a real-time survey projection as a directional trend;
• a logic device adapted to compare the projected location of the bottom hole assembly to the planned drilling path to determine a deviation amount;
• a second logic device adapted to create a modified drilling path to the target location as selected based on the amount of deviation from the planned drilling path, the second logic device adapted to create a modified drilling path that intersects the planned drilling path if the amount of deviation exceeds a first threshold amount of deviation;
• and
• a drilling rig control signal generator adapted to automatically and electronically generate one or more drilling rig control signals that steer the bottom hole assembly of the drilling system to the target location along the modified drilling path.

A method of directionally steering a bottom hole assembly during a drilling operation from a drilling rig to an underground target location, comprising:

• generating a drilling plan having a drilling path and an acceptable margin of error as a tolerance zone;
• receiving data indicative of one or more directional trends and a projection to bit depth;
• determining the actual location of the bottom hole assembly based on the one or more directional trends and the projection to bit depth;
• determining whether the bit is within the tolerance zone;
• comparing the actual location of the bottom hole assembly to the planned drilling path to identify an amount of deviation of the bottom hole assembly from the actual drilling path;
• automatically creating a modified drilling path based on the amount of deviation including:
• automatically creating a modified drilling path that intersects the planned drilling path if the amount of deviation exceeds a first threshold amount of deviation,
• automatically creating a modified drilling path to the target location that does not intersect the planned drilling path if the amount of deviation exceeds a second threshold amount of deviation, and
• determining a curve profile of the modified drilling path having the smallest rate of curvature to avoid drilling overshoot;
• determining a desired tool face orientation to steer the bottom hole assembly along the modified drilling path;
• automatically and electronically generating one or more drilling rig control signals at a directional steering controller;
• and
• outputting the one or more control signals to a drawworks and a top drive to steer the bottom hole assembly along the modified drilling path.

A method of real-time survey projection drilling which comprises:

• drilling a well including a drilling state and a non-drilling state;
• collecting drilling information that includes measured data comprising at least one of real-time toolface, hole depth, pipe rotation, hook load, or delta pressure, or a combination thereof;
• modeled drilling data;
• or both, during the drilling state;
• calculating a real-time survey projection ahead of a standard survey obtained during the non-drilling state;
• using the calculated real-time survey projection as a new standard survey as if it were obtained during the non-drilling state;
• comparing the real-time survey projection to a drilling plan at the corresponding hole depth during the drilling state to determine a deviation amount from the drilling plan, the drilling plan including a target location;
• and
• creating a modified drilling path to the target location as selected based on the amount of deviation from the planned drilling path.

A method of elongating a wellbore in a direction having a horizontal component comprising:

• detecting a current toolface orientation of a bottom hole assembly in real time with respect to vertical during drilling, the detected toolface orientation affecting a drilling direction of the bottom hole assembly;
• comparing the current toolface orientation to a desired toolface orientation to identify an amount of deviation of an actual drilling path from a planned drilling path;
• optimizing detected drilling operation parameters related to the current toolface orientation by creating a modified desired toolface orientation based on the amount of deviation from the planned drilling path;
• generating drilling rig control signals to oscillate a quill based on the optimized drilling operation parameters to change the current toolface orientation to the modified desired toolface orientation to intersect the planned drilling path;
• and
• rotating a tubular along a modified drilling path.