System for directional drilling and related method of use

An automatic directional drilling system for use in drilling operations that utilizes downhole data collection and transmission means and drill bit rotation means connected adjacent a drill bit on a lower end of the drillstring, and with drillstring rotation means connected adjacent an upper end of the drillstring, the system comprises:

• means associated with a programmable digital computer for storing permitted limits of variance from a selected drillstring azimuthal direction and comparing received value of the downhole drillstring azimuthal direction;
• means associated with the programmable digital computer for calculating any required quantity and direction of rotation of the drillstring required to bring the received value within the desired limits;
• and
• means associated with the programmable digital computer for controlling the drillstring rotation means to effectuate the calculated quantity and direction of rotation of the drillstring.

An automatic directional drilling system for use in drilling operations utilizing a downhole data collection and transmission means and drill bit rotation means connected adjacent a drill bit on a lower end of a drillstring, and with hydraulic drillstring rotation means connected adjacent the upper end of the drillstring, the system comprises:

• means associated with a programmable digital computer for storing permitted limits of variance from a selected drillstring azimuthal direction and comparing received values of the downhole drillstring azimuthal direction;
• means associated with the programmable digital computer for calculating any required direction and degrees of rotation of the drillstring required to bring the received values within the permitted limits;
• and
• means associated with the programmable digital computer for controlling hydraulic servocontrol valve means associated with the drillstring rotation means to effectuate the calculated direction and incremental degrees of rotation of the drillstring.

A directional drilling system for use in drilling a wellbore having a desired inclination and azimuthal direction and utilizing a drillstring suspended within a wellbore with downhole data collection and transmission means and drill bit rotation means connected adjacent a drill bit on the lower end of the drillstring, and with hydraulic drillstring rotation means connected adjacent an upper end of the drillstring, the system comprises:

• means associated with a programmable digital computer for storing a desired inclination and final azimuthal direction of the wellbore, physical characteristics of the drillstring, and transmitted values of drilling associated parameters;
• means associated with the programmable digital computer for calculating desired changes to weight-on-bit (WOB), RPM and/or drillstring azimuthal orientation necessary for the wellbore to achieve the desired inclination and final azimuthal direction;
• and
• means associated with the programmable digital computer for controlling hydraulic servocontrol valve means associated with the drillstring rotation means for incrementally adjusting the drillstring azimuthal orientation and/or drill bit rotation means to effectuate the calculated drilling changes.