Friendswood man patents improvement to tools that help get well strings unstuck

A Friendswood man received a U.S. patent last week for an improvement
for tools that help get moving parts unstuck in oil and gas wells.

The latest kinds of very deep wells often do not follow a straight
vertical path to get to the reserves they are tapping underground.
Because of the increased number of twists and turns, there is a greater
risk that the string connecting the drill and other components to
the surface can be caught or tangled. Tools exist to help determine
where such problems have occurred and help fix them. These are
normally lowered into the well using lines that also power the
devices. The invention described in the patent is a system using
battery-powered tools that are controlled by remote. This reduces the
cost of the line used to lower the tool and presents other potential
advantages.

Kevin L. Gray of Friendswood is listed as the only inventor of the
device. The patent's official number is 7,878,242 and it was
originally filed on June 4, 2008. The Houston offices of
Weatherford/Lamb Inc. are listed as the owners of the patent.

Weatherford International is one of the world's largest oil and
natural gas services companies. Originally founded in Texas, it is
now based in Geneva. The company has offices throughout the Houston
area.