The Borgarting Court of Appeal in Norway has sided with Welltec and ruled that Altus Intervention has infringed and misused a patent covering well intervention technologies that belongs to Welltec. The patent was registered in 2015 and outlines innovation concerning downhole milling services used in well interventions.
The Court of Appeal has ordered Altus Intervention to pay remuneration and court costs above $1 million.
The Court ruled that the patent violation resulted in Welltec losing contracts that it would most likely have won had Altus Intervention not infringed the patent in developing its own same solutions. All of the features of Welltec's technology that are covered under the patent are also present in Altus Interventions' solution.
"We are naturally pleased with the outcome. The court, in this case, rules that a competitor has unjustly exploited a patented invention that we have spent an enormous amount of time, efforts, and money developing,” said Tommy Eikeland, Chief Commercial Officer for Welltec. “The technology in question that we developed is highly effective in removing obstructions in wellbore tubing, and it addressed issues that no one else had solved before."
After beginning with pioneering wireline interventions in horizontal wells, Welltec has expanded its range of custom-made solutions and turned complex interventions into standard operations. This includes the tractor-based conveyance solutions and subsequent robotic downhole innovations.
“This victory recognizes the value of what we do and underscores the importance of respecting the nearly 200 other patent families that we hold as a result of continuous technology development,” added Eikeland. The verdict is a significant win for Welltec, reinforcing the value of its technological contributions and the importance of respecting intellectual property rights in the industry.