Patent ID: 8567527

Claim:
A method for directional drilling through an Earth formation, comprising: drilling a borehole through the Earth formation with a rotary drill bit, the rotary drill bit comprising a plurality of mechanical cutters configured to cut into the Earth formation; changing the direction of drilling by applying a non-cutting directed energy from a non-cutting directed energy source to a region of the formation proximate to a selected side of the drill bit, wherein the region of the formation is off-center from a center line of the drill bit and the selected side of the drill bit coincides with a desired drilling direction, and wherein non-cutting directed energy is repeatedly applied to the region to steer the rotary drill bit in the desired direction; determining a direction of drilling of the drill bit; and controlling an application of the non-cutting directed energy to the region of the formation to provide for directing the drill bit in a desired drilling direction, wherein controlling the application of the non-cutting directed energy comprises applying the non-cutting directed energy to the region to increase turn of the drill bit in the direction of the region and interrupting application of the non-cutting directed energy to the region to reduce turn in of the drill bit in the direction of the region.