Abstract: An oil containment boom comprising a plurality of sections of a lighter than water, pliable, closed-cell foam material with each of the sections having a weight positioned along one side so that when the section is placed in the water the section floats with the weighted side beneath the water and the other side of the section above the water and a plurality of couplers for flexibly joining the ends of the sections to encloses an oil containment zone.

Abstract: A wellbore fluid sampling apparatus includes an elongated barrel member having a chamber formed by a through flow passage opening from the bottom of the barrel member to a port in the barrel member. Spaced apart ball type valve closure members are connected to an actuating linkage comprising a rack and pinion mechanism connected to respective ones of the closure members. A cocking and retaining mechanism includes an actuating rod and a collet sleeve connected to the rack member and biased by a coil spring to move the rack member to simultaneously close both valves upon release of the collet sleeve from gripping engagement with the wall of the bore in a body member of the apparatus. In an alternate embodiment, the actuating member includes a part gripped by a stationary collet which may release the part upon movement of a sliding sleeve which is actuatable at will. The actuating member is connected to elongated cable traces which are operable to move the valves between open and closed positions.