Horizontal Directional Drilling Tool

A horizontal directional drilling tool for creating a borehole and comprising:

• an apparatus for determining an azimuth of the drilling tool during drilling of the borehole, the apparatus comprising:
• a rate sensor configured to collect rate sensor data indicative of a component of a rate of rotation of the earth for determining the azimuth by gyrocompassing, and further configured for communication with a surface unit;
• and
• a drill pipe extension detector configured to detect a process associated with extension of a drill pipe connecting the drilling tool to the surface unit,
• wherein the rate sensor is configured to transmit collected rate sensor data to the surface unit based on the detected process associated with extension of the drill pipe.

A method for determining an azimuth of a drilling tool, the method comprising:

• communicating, by a rate sensor, with a surface unit;
• detecting, by a drill pipe extension detector, a process associated with extension of a drill pipe connecting the drilling tool to the surface unit;
• and
• transmitting, by the rate sensor, collected rate sensor data indicative of a component of a rate of rotation of the earth, for determining the azimuth by gyrocompassing, to the surface unit, based on the detected process associated with extension of the drill pipe.