Patent ID: 9689249
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: E21B,G05B

Claim:
1. A method, comprising: advancing a bottom hole assembly (BHA) within a subterranean formation and thereby forming a wellbore along an actual wellbore path, the BHA including a controller module, one or more sensors, and a steering assembly; taking survey measurements with the one or more sensors at two or more survey stations along the actual wellbore path; comparing the survey measurements with data corresponding to a planned wellbore path with the controller module; determining with the controller module a return path based on minimum energy of the actual wellbore path when the actual wellbore path has deviated from the planned wellbore path, wherein determining the return path comprises determining an inclination change rate between each survey station, an azimuth change rate between each survey station, and a course length between each survey station and thereby minimizing a curvature and a torsion of the actual wellbore path as returning to the planned wellbore path; and conveying a corrective command signal to the steering assembly with the controller module to reorient a trajectory of the actual wellbore path toward the planned wellbore path.