US Patent 7178611 System and method for directional drilling utilizing clutch assembly

According to one embodiment of the invention, a system for directional drilling within a wellbore includes a drill string having an upper portion, a lower portion, a bent motor coupled to the lower portion, and a drill bit coupled to bent motor, and a clutch assembly disposed between the upper and lower portions. The clutch assembly is operable to disengage the upper and lower portions of the drill string and allow the upper portion to rotate while the lower portion does not rotate.