Clear-Lake-area resident part of team patenting new fluid-sampling tool

A tool that makes it easier to sample oil and other fluids beneath the
earth's surface earned a U.S. patent last week for an inventor from the
Clear Lake area.

Operators of oil wells often want to obtain a sample of the fluid in a
formation they are interested in investigating. An array of tools
exist to do this, but according to the patent, they are primarily
designed to sample low-viscosity oil, which flows more
easily. As reserves of such oil are depleted, companies are
interested in going after high-viscosity fluid and need appropriate
tools to sample it. The patent describes one such tool, which works by
drilling at a perpendicular or oblique angle to the borehole wall and
using components like a heating element or solvent to encourage
movement of the sample.

The team credited with inventing the device consists of Anthony R. H.
Goodwin of Sugar Land, Peter S. Hegeman of Stafford, Julian J. Pop of
the Memorial area of Houston, Ashley C. Kishino of the Clear Lake area
of Houston, Raymond V. Nold III of Beasley, Kai Hsu of Sugar
Land, Christopher S. Del Campo of Houston, Richardo Vasques of Sugar
Land, and Gary J. Tustin of Cambridge, Great Britain. The patent's
official number is 7,878,243 and it was originally filed on June 14,
2007. The Sugar Land offices of the Schlumberger Technology
Corp. are listed as the owners of the patent.

Schlumberger is an oilfield services company with operations in
approximately 80 countries. Though incorporated in the Dutch Antilles,
its principal offices are located in Houston, Paris and The Hague in
the Netherlands.