BREAKING: Nigerian alleges US firm, NUPRC conspiracy to steal patent on oil & gas invention

RIVERS state-born inventor, Ricky Owunari Brown has alleged a conspiracy by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and a chemical dealer to steal his intellectual property involving a technology he invented to enhance oil and gas operations.

Brown a Director in Port Harcourt-based oil and gas firm, Grand Check Limited, in a petition to the International Criminal Court of Justice at the Hague, claimed Paraffin Control System or De-waxer Flow Enhancer, a technology he invented to ease transportation of oil and gas products in wells and pipelines, has been hijacked.

Industry regulator, NUPRC, in a response to the allegation has asked the complainant to prove his claims in court, affirming that there is no record that it had approved the deployment of any such technology for use in the Nigerian operating space.

Brown highlighting his complaint in Port Harcourt, yesterday explained that “De-waxer Flow Enhanser is a patented product of Grand Check and it’s a sister company, Loving Brothers Limited and their American partner, Ener Tec Inc. USA.

“Our ordeal all began in the year 2000 while Grand Check and sister companies, Ricano Oil and Gas Company and Loving Brothers Company were trying to firm up the technology and in the process, invited an American company, Cal Dive International, to Nigeria to help out in deployment of the technology in Nigeria.

“But rather than keep to terms of the agreement, Cal Dive went behind to the regulatory body, collecting our jobs, so much that Ricano became bankrupt as all investors left the company, resulting in death of its Director, Larry Braide. It was because they killed Ricano that we brought our sister company, Loving Brothers.

“We reported to the US Embassy and they asked us to register with the Consulate, which we did to get in touch with Ener Tec, an American company that appointed us as the Sole Distributor of the Paraffin Control System. We had a deal with them to help us deploy our technology because at that time we didn’t have the deployment skills

“So, we invited Ener Tec. Inc. USA. They came to Nigeria and we gave them everything and they gave us a letter that they’re going to work with us. We will work with them as partners in terms of deployment, both offshore construction and others so that we can develop our people.

“To our greatest surprise, we now saw an American company which came up with the name ‘Paraffin Melting Tool, a technology similar to what we have. The idea is to export ours to America and then return it as a foreign technology and claim to have been in existence since 2016, forgetting that our technology has been under incubation since 2003.

“Paraffin Melting Tool had a similar technology to what I invented, and while the name of one is Paraffin Melting Tool, my own technology is Paraffin Control System. I got wind of the intellectual theft through a publication in a major Nigerian Newspaper on November 24, 2021 where the chemicals dealer claimed he has invented a new technology called Paraffin Melting Tool.

“The summary is that we have spent so much money in research, and the tool is ready but the regulatory body (NUPRC) is not supporting the tool to compare its efficacy and value to the oil and gas industry.”

Go to court -NUPRC

In a response through a letter signed by Manuel lbituroko for the Commission Chief Executive, NUPRC, stated, “The Commission has carefully reviewed your claims and complaints against Eunisell Limited and Sage Rider for a possible intellectual theft on your

patented De-waxer Flow Enhancer.

“Based on our records, Eunisell Limited has not applied nor been issued approval to deploy such a tool. However, Stelog Limited was issued approval to carry out a validation test on 13h July 2022 on Sage

Rider’s Paraffin Melting Tool.

“Sage Rider is an American registered company with its United States technology patent application of May 2014 and issued

in 2018 with patent No US 982514 B2. Considering these timelines, Sage Rider had its patent prior to your first technology approval from the Commission of 7th April 2021.

“The Commission is empowered by the PlA to qualify, validate, and approve new/novel technologies intended for deployment into the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry and ensure level playing ground and does not promote monopoly.

“Nonetheless, Sage Rider is a technical partner to a Nigerian Oil and Gas service company, as such you are advised to communicate to the companies you have any dispute with directly or take legal action if you believe your technology patent was copied without your permission.”