1
                                                                    EXHIBIT 5.1

                  [Weatherford International, Inc. Letterhead]

         May 10, 2001


         Weatherford International, Inc.
         515 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 600
         Houston, Texas  77027

         Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  I am Vice President - Law and Secretary of Weatherford
         International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and have
         acted as counsel for the Company in connection with the registration
         under the Securities Act of 1933 of up to 5,000,000 shares of the
         Company's common stock, $1.00 par value (the "Shares"), to be offered
         by certain selling stockholders of the Company (the "Selling
         Stockholders") upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth
         in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 covering the Shares
         (the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities and Exchange
         Commission.

                  In connection therewith, I have examined the Registration
         Statement, originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to my
         satisfaction of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation,
         as amended, of the Company, the amended by-laws of the Company, the
         corporate proceedings with respect to the offering of the Shares and
         such other documents and instruments as I have deemed necessary or
         appropriate for the expression of the opinions contained herein.

                  I have assumed the authenticity and completeness of all
         records, certificates and other instruments submitted to me as
         originals, the conformity to original documents of all records,
         certificates and other instruments submitted to me as copies, the
         authenticity and completeness of the originals of those records,
         certificates and other instruments submitted to me as copies and the
         correctness of all statements of fact contained in all records,
         certificates and other instruments that I have examined.

                  Based on the foregoing, and having regard for such legal
         considerations as I have deemed relevant, I am of the opinion that the
         Shares proposed to be offered by the Selling Stockholders have been
         duly and validly authorized for issuance and are, or will upon issuance
         be, duly and validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

                  The opinions expressed herein relate solely to, are based
         solely upon and are limited exclusively to the General Corporation Law
         of the State of Delaware and the federal laws of the United States of
         America, to the extent applicable, and I am expressing no opinion as to
         the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

                  I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit
         to the Registration Statement and to the use of my name under the
         caption "Legal Matters" in the Prospectus included as part of the
         Registration Statement.

                                             Very truly yours,

                                             /s/Burt M. Martin

                                             Burt M. Martin