21 Patents and Counting

Submitted by Peggy Woodward

Jerry Walker Jerry Walker (BS 67) grew up on a farm four miles southwest of Rogers, NM. After graduating from Dora High School in 1962, he enrolled at ENMU with no idea what career to pursue.

After taking a couple of courses in the Technology Department, which was then headed by Dr. Al Bettina, Jerry knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. While pursuing his degree in Industrial Technology with a minor in Industrial Management, he worked various part-time jobs and farmed to help pay for his education.

Jerry quickly realized how valuable his degree was to become in a rapidly advancing world of technology. He accepted a position with Shell Oil Company and worked there for a summer before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. After returning from active duty, Jerry accepted a position with Texas Instruments in Dallas, TX where he spent the next several years designing automated equipment for production lines and working in their new consumer products division. Before he left Texas Instruments in the mid 1970s, he had the opportunity to work on the first eight-digit calculator Texas Instruments ever produced.

He then worked for Teccor Electronics, Crown Molding, and Kay Industries as a mechanical engineer and an engineering manager. In 1980, Jerry returned to the petroleum industry, accepting a position as engineering manager for Jet Research Center, a subsidiary and later a division of Halliburton Oil, in Arlington, TX. At Jet Research Center Jerry was able to utilize some of the explosives training he received in the Marine Corps. With his success as a research and development engineer at Jet Research Jerry received 21 US patents and several European patents on various inventions mostly relating to explosive perforating technology and equipment designed for use in deep water. One perforating system designed for use in horizontal wells in the North Sea area won runner up for the Innovation Award at the SPE/ ICoTA European Well Intervention Round Table in 2007.

Jerry spent many years as a member of the American Petroleum Institute’s committee on perforating where he represented Halliburton and helped to develop standardized testing methods for the industry. His 33 year career at Halliburton afforded him the opportunity to travel to many countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. He still enjoys the challenge of his job but looks forward to retiring and spending more time traveling with his wife and enjoying their children and grandchildren.

List of US Patents Jerry Walker has been issued (condensed).

Teccor Electronics

4,090,167 Push Switch and Potentiometer Assembly

Halliburton

4,609,057 Shaped Charge Carrier

4,621,396 Manufacturing of Shaped Charge Carrier

4,739,839 Capsule Charge Perforating System

4,817,531 Capsule Charge Retaining Device

5,070,943 Apparatus and Method for Perforating a Well

5,117,911 Shock Attenuating Apparatus and Method

5,590,723 Perforating Charge Carrier Assembly H1,675 Hybrid Capsule Charge

5,701,964 Perforating Charge Carrier Assembly and Method

6,371,219 Oil well Perforator Having Metal Loaded Polymer Matrix Liner & Case

6,497,285 Low Debris Shaped Charge Perforating Apparatus and Method for Use

6,748,843 Unique Phasing and Firing Sequences for Perforating Guns

6,758,124 Unique Phasing and Firing Sequences for Perforating Guns

7,360,587 Debris Reduction Perforating Apparatus

7,360,599 Debris Reduction Perforating Apparatus and Method for Use

7,430,965 Debris Retention Perforating Apparatus and Method for Use

7,621,342 Method For Retaining Debris in a Perforating Apparatus

7,828,051 Perforating Gun