Westech’s Fiber Optics May Be Used in Kuwait

The president of a Ventura firm that uses fiber optics to inspect damaged oil and gas wells will visit Ahmadi, Kuwait, in October to discuss a deal for the company, Westech Inc., to use its sensors and miniature cameras to help rebuild the Middle Eastern nation’s oil industry.

Westech President Philip K. Schultz said the contract, if received, would be the biggest in his company’s 15-year history.

“The Iraqis dynamited the wellheads of hundreds of wells before pulling out of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War,” Schultz said. “In addition, the fires they set caused many millions of dollars in damage to the wells and pipelines.”

Westech, a privately held firm with only $1 million in annual revenues, hopes to assist the government-owned Kuwait Oil Co. by sending crews that will assess the damage using Westech’s downhole camera system and a logging cable designed for use in deep, high-pressure wells.

Both systems were developed by Westech and are being used in oil fields near Odessa, Tex., and in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, Schultz said. He added that the devices, which can detect leaks, corrosion, tubular damage and other problems both on land and off shore, have been used by most major oil companies.

Westech uses fiber-optic cables less than a quarter-inch thick to lower its cameras and other equipment into wells. The relatively thin cable offers improved picture quality and greater resistance to underground pressure than cables formerly used, Schultz said.