From Eureka Moment to Global Innovation: Richard Barr, Proserv

Our host, Stuart Broadley, is joined by Richard Barr, Technical Assurance and Business Development Manager for Sampling Solutions at Proserv, to explore the story behind the Phase Catcher — an innovative sampling technology developed to solve a complex challenge in multiphase oil and gas sampling. Drawing on his background as a chemist and three decades of experience across the energy industry, Richard explains how a simple eureka moment evolved into a fully developed product through prototyping, testing, engineering and collaboration.

The discussion explores how the Phase Catcher uses guided wave radar to measure and separate oil, gas and water samples, while making the process safer and reducing hydrocarbon and hydrogen sulphide emissions. Richard also shares how the technology has evolved into a mobile sampling solution, its applications across markets including Brazil, the Middle East and West Africa, and the potential for Proserv to develop a new service and revenue stream around it.

At the heart of the conversation is innovation: the challenges of turning an idea into a commercial product, the importance of communication and collaboration, and how solving one customer problem can uncover entirely new opportunities. Richard also reflects on his family's history of engineering and invention, and what it means to build a legacy of innovation of his own.