15 September 2005
Further re Patent Decision
Following the announcement on 22 July, Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping ('OHM' or 'the Company') is providing an update on matters relating to the Patent Office decision.
It was announced on 22 July that the UK Patent Office had awarded one of the patents held by the University of Southampton, and licensed to OHM under the Company's general technology licence from the university, to Statoil. The patent covered aspects of controlled source electromagnetic ('CSEM') data acquisition and analysis for the detection of offshore hydrocarbon reservoirs.
The University of Southampton subsequently lodged an appeal against the Patent Office decision. A hearing in the High Court in London is scheduled to take place in May 2006.
At a hearing on 8 September, the Patent Office stayed the order resulting from its 22nd of July decision pending the outcome of the appeal.
Following submissions from the parties to the patent dispute, the Patent Office issued further decisions on costs and international applications stemming from the UK patent.
The Patent Office awarded costs to Statoil, in the sum of £120,000. The Patent Office, on the same basis as the award of the UK patent, also assigned international applications, covering the territories of USA, Canada, Brazil and Norway to Statoil, but immediately stayed that order, to be effective only if the original decision is upheld in Statoil's favour on appeal.
Dave Pratt CEO of OHM said: 'The University of Southampton remains strongly of the belief that the Patent Office decision is wrong and are preparing a robust appeal, which we support fully. We continue to consult with our advisers and have not yet been advised of any immediate impact on OHM's ongoing business.'
Contact
OHM:
Dave Pratt Chief Executive Officer 0870 429 6581
Aquila Financial Limited:
Peter Reilly 020 7849 3319 peterreilly@aquila-financial.com
www.ohmsurveys.com
Notes to Editors
OHM's survey method transmits an electromagnetic field into the earth, which is modified by the presence of subsurface resistive layers. These changes in the field are measured and the resulting data is processed to provide information on the resistive structure of the subsurface. Because hydrocarbon accumulations are generally very resistive, this method can indicate the presence of oil and gas in deep water situations, and can detect and map the edges of such accumulations. This reduces the risk of drilling non-commercial exploration wells and can reduce the need for appraisal drilling, thereby creating considerable value for oil explorers.
The Patent Office ruling surrounds a patent application which was filed in December 2001 and subsequently granted to University of Southampton in the UK in March 2004.
Statoil disputed this patent award and lodged an entitlement claim against the University of Southampton in the UK Patent Office in February 2004, the decision of which was announced on 22 July 2005 in favour of Statoil.
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