Alaska Patent of the Month – August 2022

MagTech Alaska LLC – also known as MagTec Alaska – was founded in 2008 and rapidly expanded, becoming one of the State’s largest providers of equipment rentals, equipment services, camps, and catering in the Oil & Gas industries. This expansion came about thanks to the expertise and innovation the company provided to the industry. The same tenacity and experience allowed them to transform and meet the needs of the industry in 2013, as the global Oil & Gas prices began to collapse, becoming Alaska’s complete oilfield support provider.

The company continues to innovate, always striving to meet the needs of their clients with custom and robust solutions. One of these innovations has recently been awarded a patent, backing the company’s design for a cold steel slurry box.

Drill cuttings are a common byproduct of drilling oil and gas wells. These cuttings are then carried to the surface in drilling fluid which is pulled up from the drill bit. The cuttings need to be separated so that the fluid can be reused. The cuttings are typically stored in a vacuum tank before being transported to a proper disposal facility. Alaskan oil rigs know how often their cold temperatures cause these vacuum tanks to freeze, making proper disposal difficult. 

MagTech’s solution is a self-contained, heated, portable vacuum slurry box made out of cold steel. Their design can also be stacked, allowing for lengthier storage times. The steel used to construct the tank is capable of maintaining its strength in cold temperatures, ensuring it won’t become brittle during transport. Specifically, they chose steels whose ductile brittle transition temperature is less than -50 degrees Celsius.

Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.

Who We Are:

Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.

Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.

Recent Posts