Memorial man patents drill design for improved steering

A device to improve the ability to change direction while drilling a
borehole, such as those used in oil and gas wells, has won a U.S.
patent for a Memorial man.

Robert C. Southard, whose company Southard International is
headquartered in the Memorial area, received the patent last week. In
the document, he describes a drill that can be steered not only on a
single plane but in any direction. The orientation of the device's
drill bits also can be adjusted by altering the flow of the drilling
fluid or mud to the mud motor, he claims. Overall, the inventor says,
this makes for a greater ability to control the drill's direction than
was available with previous technology.

The patent's official number is 7,878,267 and it was originally filed
on Nov. 10, 2008. Southard Drilling Technologies is listed as the
owner of the patent.

Southard was represented by Houston intellectual property law group
The Matthews Firm, now called Matthews, Lawson & Johnson, located
at 2000 Bering Drive, #700.