DIBRUGARH, April 9 - The European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a patent to Oil India Limited (OIL) for an invention titled �A method for preventing wax deposition in oil wells with packers�.
This is OIL�s first-ever patent, and it signifies a major milestone for the company�s R&D (research and development) unit, which actively develops innovative solutions to oilfield exploration and production problems.
The R&D unit had also filed few other patent applications in recent years, said OIL spokesman Jayanta Bormudoi.
The grant of the patent amounts to recognition of the uniqueness of the solution provided by OIL to the problem of heavy wax deposition in flowing oil wells completed with packers. Scientists at OIL have studied the problem and attributed it to a phenomenon related to severe well-bore cooling caused by evaporation and condensation of liquid in the annulus, also known as �well-bore refluxing�.
The solution described in the patent application consists of removing the liquid from the well annulus using a venturi/ ejector device. Such a solution is simple, involves one-time operation and does not interfere with the well�s production.
The patent application for the invention was first filed in the Indian Patent Office in February 2014, based on which an international application was filed as per provisions of the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). Subsequently, national phase applications were filed in EPO, USA, Russia and China.
The patent grant has much significance for in-house R&D units of public sector undertakings such as OIL. Apart from showcasing the quality of publicly-funded R&D endeavours, patents offer opportunities for multiple revenue sources through sale or licensing of patented technologies.
