Cypress man receives patent for improvement to oil well technology

A Cypress man recently received a U.S. patent for an improvement he and several colleagues developed to a technology commonly used in oil and natural gas wells.

Well operators often desire to expand a section of a well after it has been drilled. The patent describes a new kind of "expandable packer" that accomplishes this. The inventors claim its device includes several features not seen in previous designs, such as an improved sealing mechanism.

The team credited by the patent consists of Jeffrey C. Williams of Cypress, Kevin O'Connor of Houston and Mark K. Adam of Houston. The patent's official number is 7,886,818. It was originally filed on Oct. 19, 2010, and approved on Feb. 15 -- exceptionally fast, given that the average wait time for a patent in the United States is around three years. The filers were represented by international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP. The firm's Houston offices are located at 1000 Louisiana St., Suite 1700.

The patent is owned by Baker Hughes, Inc. Baker Hughes specializes in technologies designed to help petroleum companies get the greatest value from their wells, as well as offering integrated operations and reservoir consulting. Its global headquarters are located in the River Oaks area at 2929 Allen Pkwy., Suite 2100. The company's U.S. division also has offices in the Aldine area at 17015 Aldine Westfield Road.