DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 4/28/2026 has been entered.
Status of the Claims
The status of the claims as filed in the reply dated 4/28/2026 are as follows:
Claims 1 and 3 are amended,
Claims 13-36 are withdrawn,
Claims 1-36 are currently pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muir et al. (US 2017/0211849, herein Muir, previously cited) in view of Hamid et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0252997, herein Hamid, previously cited).
In regards to claim 1, Muir discloses
A method comprising:
pumping, via an extraction well (120), heated water (paragraph 17) from an extraction depth of a hot sedimentary aquifer (HSA)(110), wherein the pumping the heat water comprises an extraction rate of the heated water based at least in part on a geothermal characteristic of the HAS (the energy withdrawn from the geothermally heated formation, see ¶0052);
extracting, via a power generation unit (140), heat from the heated water to generate power and transform the heated water into cooled water; and
injecting, via an injection well (100), the cooled water at an injection depth of the HSA,
wherein a convective heat transfer coefficient of the HSA satisfies a threshold convective heat transfer coefficient (paragraphs 3 and 45, the length of the interwell run 110 takes into account the heat transfer coefficient of the circulating fluid, so it is understood that the threshold is satisfied).
However, Muir does not explicitly disclose wherein the threshold convective heat transfer coefficient is measured in watts per meter-squared kelvin. However, it is old and well known in the art of heat transfer to measure convective heat transfer coefficients in watts per meter-squared kelvin. For example, Hamid teaches measuring convective heat transfer coefficients in watts per meter-squared kelvin (fig 2, ¶0011). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for Muir to measure the convective heat transfer coefficients in watts per meter-squared kelvin such as taught by Hamid in order to provide a known unit of measurement.
In regards to claim 2, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses stimulating a convective flow field within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth, wherein the convective flow field satisfies a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraphs 31, 33 and 35).
In regards to claim 3, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that controlling the extraction rate that stimulates a convective flow field, and wherein the injecting the cooled water comprises injecting, via the injection well, the cooled water at the injection depth at an injection rate that stimulates the convective flow field (paragraphs 27, 33, 35, 37, and 52).
In regards to claim 4, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a gravity-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a gravitational field within the HSA (Fig.1 and paragraph 33).
In regards to claim 5, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the extraction well comprises an extraction lateral disposed within a first region of the HSA (portion of interwell run 110 connected to the production well 120); the injection well comprises an injection lateral disposed within a second region of the HSA (portion of interwell run 110 connected to the injection well 100); and a depth difference between the extraction lateral and the injection lateral is equal to or greater than a threshold depth difference that satisfies, based on the gravity-driven convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraphs 31 and 35).
In regards to claim 6, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a pressure-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a natural pressure gradient within the HSA (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 7, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the natural pressure gradient is equal to or greater than a threshold natural pressure gradient that satisfies, based on the pressure-driven convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 8, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a dipolar pressure gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 9, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the dipolar pressure gradient is equal to or greater than a threshold dipolar pressure gradient that satisfies, based on the convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 10, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that a convective heat transfer within the HSA is indicative of a temperature-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a temperature gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 11, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the temperature gradient is equal to or greater than a threshold temperature gradient that satisfies, based on the temperature-driven convective flow of the water through the HSA, a threshold convective heat transfer rate that provides a convective thermal recharge of the extracted heat (paragraph 35).
In regards to claim 12, the combination of Muir and Hamid discloses all previous claim limitations. Muir discloses that the convective heat transfer comprises a multi-mode heat transfer within the HSA indicative of two or more of: a gravity-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a gravitational field within the HSA; a pressure-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a natural pressure gradient within the HSA: a convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a dipolar pressure gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth; and a temperature-driven convective flow of water through the HSA induced by a temperature gradient formed within the HSA based on the pumping the heated water from the extraction depth and the injecting the cooled water at the injection depth (paragraphs 31, 33 and 35).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/28/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues (page 11) that Muir does not teach wherein the pumping the heat water comprises an extraction rate of the heated water based at least in part on a geothermal characteristic of the HAS as now required by claim 1. The Examiner respectfully disagrees; Muir teaches, in paragraph [0052], the flow rate of the water may be varied based on the energy withdrawn from the geothermally heated formation, thus meeting this limitation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY E ARANT whose telephone number is (571)272-1105. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jianying Atkisson can be reached at (571)270-7740. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HARRY E ARANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Prosecution Insights