Cypress men claim improved sealing system in patent

Two Cypress men recently received a U.S. patent for an invention they say reduces the chances of a certain kind of problem in oil and natural gas production.

The patent acknowledges the men's improvements to methods for sealing tubular components such as pipes within a well. The men claim that their system's backup measures make the seal less likely to extrude into the tube and cause problems.

The inventors named in the patent are Justin P. Vinson of Houston and Paul Madero of Cypress. The patent's official number is 7,891,433, and it was originally filed on Jan. 4, 2010. The patent was officially approved on Feb. 22 of this year -- relatively fast, given that the average waiting time on patents in the United States is more than three years. Legal representation in the process was provided by Cantor Coburn LLP of Connecticut. The patent is owned by Houston-based 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 is located in the River Oaks area at 2929 Allen Parkway, Suite 2100. The company's U.S. division also has offices in the Aldine area at 17015 Aldine Westfield Road.