Matvei Alkunovich Kapelyushnikov (; 13 September 1886 – 5 July 1959) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...

and inventor. Matvei Kapelyushnikov was born in Abastumani. He began his career in the

oil industry The petroleum industry, also known as the oil industry, includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transportation (often by oil tankers and pipelines), and marketing of petroleum products. The largest volume products ...

as a technical designer at an oil company called ''Baku Society of the Russian Oil'' in 1914. In 1915-1918, Matvei Kapelyushnikov was employed as a

drilling rig A drilling rig is an integrated system that Drilling, drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to ...

designer and mechanical engineer at the ''Bykhovsky Refinery'' and then at a factory belonging to the ''Caspian Partnership'' oil company. In 1920-1924, he worked in the '' Azneft'' refineries administration in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

. In 1920-1924, Matvei Kapelyushnikov was employed as a deputy head of the Azneft Technical Bureau. In 1933-1936, he held the director's post at the Azerbaijan Research Institute named after Valerian Kuybyshev. In 1937-1959, Kapelyushnikov headed the

petroleum reservoir A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the prese ...

physics lab at the Oil Institute of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. He had been a drilling department professor at the Moscow Oil Institute named after Ivan Gubkin since 1945. Matvei Kapelyushnikov's scientific work was dedicated to the extracting and refining technologies of oil and gas due to the intensified development of the petroleum industry during the years of the establishment of Soviet authority and especially post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

years. Kapelyushnikov's most famous invention was the revolutionary

turbodrill A turbodrill is a tool used mostly by petrochemical companies to dig wells for crude oil and natural gas reserves. History of turbodrilling *Among the technical breakthroughs in the world oil industry in the 1920s, a special place is held by th ...

- a hydraulic bottom-hole drill for drilling wells. It was patented in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(11 March 1925) and then in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

(31 August 1925).

Awards and honours

* Two

Orders of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

(1931, ...) * Three Orders of the Red Banner of Labour (1926, 1930) *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War () is a Soviet Union, Soviet military Order (decoration), decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to Partisan (military), partisans for heroic deeds in the Easte ...

, 1st class *

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour () was an Title of honor, honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievem ...

(1926) * Doctor of Technical Sciences * Professor * Corresponding Member of the

Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union The Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was the highest scientific institution of the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1991. It united the country's leading scientists and was subordinated directly to the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (un ...

(1939) * Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the RSFSR (1947)

Citations

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kapelyushnikov, Matvei 1886 births 1959 deaths Inventors from the Russian Empire Soviet scientists Tomsk Polytechnic University alumni Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour Soviet inventors Soviet mechanical engineers Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery