Automated directional drilling apparatus and methods

A method for calculating a path during drilling of a bottom hole assembly (BHA) between a first survey point that has been passed and a second directly sequential survey point that has not been reached, which comprises:

• calculating, by a surface steerable system, an amount of first incremental progress made by the BHA since the first survey point;
• calculating, by the surface steerable system, a first estimate of a first current location based at least on the first survey point and the amount of first incremental progress;
• causing, by the surface steerable system, at least one drilling parameter to be modified in order to alter a drilling direction of the BHA based on the first estimate if the surface steerable system determines that the first estimate indicates the drilling direction needs to be altered;
• calculating, by the surface steerable system, an amount of second incremental progress made by the BHA since the first incremental progress was calculated;
• calculating, by the surface steerable system, a second estimate of a second current location based at least on the amount of second incremental progress occurring since the first estimate and an aggregation of data received from the BHA, wherein the data received from the BHA comprises data associated with the first survey point;
• and
• causing, by the surface steerable system, at least one drilling parameter to be modified in order to alter the drilling direction of the BHA based on the second estimate if the surface steerable system determines that the second estimate indicates the drilling direction needs to be altered.

A surface steerable system for use with a drilling rig which comprises:

• a network interface;
• a processor coupled to the network interface;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a plurality of instructions for execution by the processor, the plurality of instructions including:
• instructions for calculating, by the surface steerable system, an amount of first incremental progress made by a bottom hole assembly (BHA) that is coupled to the surface steerable system since a first survey point;
• instructions for calculating, by the surface steerable system, a first estimate of a first current location based at least on the first survey point and the amount of first incremental progress;
• instructions for causing, by the surface steerable system, at least one drilling parameter to be modified in order to alter a drilling direction of the BHA based on the first estimate if the surface steerable system determines that the first estimate indicates the drilling direction needs to be altered;
• instructions for calculating, by the surface steerable system, an amount of second incremental progress made by the BHA since the first incremental progress was calculated;
• instructions for calculating, by the surface steerable system, a second estimate of a second current location, based at least on the amount of second incremental progress occurring since the first estimate and an aggregation of data received from the BHA, wherein the data received from the BHA comprises data associated with the first survey point;
• and
• instructions for causing, by the surface steerable system, at least one drilling parameter to be modified in order to alter the drilling direction of the BHA based on the second estimate if the surface steerable system determines that the second estimate indicates the drilling direction needs to be altered.