Apparatus and methods for guiding toolface orientation

1. An apparatus for guiding a drilling operation comprising:

a drilling apparatus comprising a bit with a steerable motor having a toolface and a rotary drive adapted to steer the bit during the drilling operation;

a receiving apparatus adapted to receive electronic data on a recurring basis, wherein the electronic data comprises quill position data, at least one of actual gravity-based toolface orientation data and actual magnetic-based toolface orientation data, and recommended toolface orientation data; and

a display apparatus adapted to display the electronic data on a user-viewable display in a historical format depicting data resulting from a recent measurement and a plurality of immediately prior measurements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic data further comprises actual azimuth toolface orientation data or actual inclination toolface orientation data, or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect a drilling operation parameter indicative of a difference between the actual toolface orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a recorder to record the difference between the actual toolface orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display apparatus is further adapted to display the recommended toolface orientation data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotary drive includes a top drive or a kelly drive.

7. An apparatus for monitoring and guiding a drilling operation, comprising:

a drilling apparatus comprising a bit with a steerable motor having a toolface and a rotary drive adapted to steer the bit during the drilling operation;

a receiving apparatus adapted to receive electronic data on a recurring basis, wherein the electronic data comprises quill position data, at least one of actual gravity-based toolface orientation data and actual magnetic-based toolface orientation data, and recommended toolface orientation data;

a display apparatus adapted to display the electronic data on a user-viewable display in a historical format depicting data resulting from a recent measurement and a plurality of immediately prior measurements;

a sensor configured to detect a drilling operation parameter indicative of a difference between the actual toolface orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the recommended toolface orientation independently comprises gravity-based toolface orientation data, magnetic-based toolface orientation data, azimuth toolface orientation data, or a combination thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a recorder to record the difference between the actual tool face orientation and the recommended toolface orientation.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the drilling apparatus comprises a bottom hole assembly and a rotary drive apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the quill position relates the actual orientation of a portion of the rotary drive apparatus to the toolface.

12. A method of directing a drilling operation in a wellbore comprising:

operating a drilling apparatus;

receiving and displaying electronic data, wherein the electronic data includes quill position data, actual toolface orientation data, and recommended toolface orientation data; and

adjusting the drilling apparatus to move the toolface toward the recommended toolface orientation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the receiving and displaying electronic data is on a recurring basis.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising monitoring the difference between the actual toolface orientation and recommended toolface orientation.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising recording the difference between the actual toolface orientation and recommended toolface orientation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the recording occurs at regularly occurring length or depth intervals in the wellbore.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising scoring the difference between the actual toolface orientation and recommended toolface orientation.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising providing the difference to an evaluator.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the drilling apparatus comprises adjusting the quill.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the actual toolface orientation data and recommended toolface orientation data each independently comprises gravity-based toolface orientation data, magnetic-based toolface orientation data, azimuth toolface orientation data, inclination toolface orientation data, or a combination thereof.