Directional drilling target steering apparatus and method

摘要

An apparatus and method are used in conjunction with a system for performing horizontal directional drilling, the system including a drill string extending from a drill rig to a boring tool such that the boring tool is steerable based on a roll orientation. The system also includes an arrangement for generating steering commands for guiding the boring tool to a target position. Responsive at least in part to the steering commands, a display is configured to selectively indicate each of a rotate command, a push command and a spin command. A steering indicator is described which indicates a current roll orientation of the boring tool. A 3-D grid can be animated and centered on either a steering or target indicator. Rounding of a steering command ratio can limit the display of target roll orientations to only those that a given boring tool transmitter is capable of sensing and indicating.

主权项

1. In a system for performing horizontal directional drilling including a drill string extending from a drill rig to a boring tool such that the boring tool is steerable based on a roll orientation thereof, said system including an arrangement for generating steering commands for guiding the boring tool to a target position, an apparatus comprising:
a display configured to selectively indicate, responsive at least in part to the steering commands, rig actuation commands including each of a rotate command, a push command and a spin command such that at any given time during a drilling operation one of the rotate command, the push command and the spin command is issued to an operator of the system wherein execution of the rig actuation commands guides the boring tool to the target position.