Ending Oil Gushers – BOP
The ingenuity of a skilled machinist and a Texas wildcatter created a device to stop gushers.
Petroleum drilling and production technologies, among the most advanced of any industry, evolved as exploratory wells drilled deeper into highly pressurized geologic formations. One idea began with a sketch on the sawdust floor of a Texas machine shop.
On January 12, 1926, James S. Abercrombie (1891-1975) and Harry S. Cameron (1872-1928) received their first patent for a hydraulic ram-type blowout preventer (BOP). Their invention would become a vital technology for ending dangerous oil and natural gas gushers — and saving lives. (more…)
