The Problem

As everyone knows, petroleum, ore and other valuable materials are found in the depths of the Earth. The problem has traditionally been that, because they are at such depths, they cannot be found by the naked eye and therefore require various types of systems and techniques to be discovered.

One of the most common methods for testing for what’s in the ground is drilling test holes at locations of particular interest and removing samples of the earth from various depths to determine what materials are in it. It’s not cost effective to core throughout the entire length of drill holes, however.

So another method of testing has been to measure topographical irregularities to determine whether there may be materials of interest, such as oil and gas, below the surface. The problem with this method is that it’s far more successful at ruling out areas that may be of interest than finding areas that are.

The Solution

In the early 2000s, John Jackson of Littleton developed a method for finding oil and gas by air, a method and apparatus for passive geophysical prospecting. The apparatus has an antenna that detects electromagnetic radiation that naturally emanates from the Earth’s surface. The antenna generates an electrical signal from the detected radiation while traveling by vehicle over land, water or airplane.

The electrical signal is filtered of frequencies and converted into a prospecting voltage signal. The voltage signal is then compared to a set voltage and an output signal is generated, recorded and analyzed, providing information as to whether the material of interest is in that ground location.

In 2003, when John’s Texas-based attorney unexpectedly died, John was left in the lurch and sought out Leyendecker & Lemire after finding them via an online search. He hired L&L to shepherd his pending application through the patent office. John has continued to work with the firm for more than a decade, having multiple United States and foreign patents issued with L&L’s assistance. He has also used the firm’s legal services to review and help finalize a fully paid up license of his patented technology that netted John a significant sum.