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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1/1/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1, 4-9, 11-13, 15, 16, 19-24, and 26-29 are pending. Claims 7-9 are withdrawn from consideration as being drawn to a non-elected group.
The previous rejection of claims 1, 4-6, 11-13, 15, 16, 19-24, and 26-29 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, is withdrawn in view of applicant’s amendment.
The previous rejection of claims 1, 11-13, 15-16, 19-24, 26-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mittiga et al. (US2019/0380337) in view of Young et al (US 20160326443) is maintained in view of applicant’s amendment.
The previous rejection of claims 4-6 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mittiga et al. (US2019/0380337) in view of Young et al (US 20160326443) and Cox, Jr. (US 9, 701,556) is maintained in view of applicant’s amendment.
The previous rejection of claims 4-6 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mittiga et al. (US2019/0380337) in view of Young et al (US 20160326443) and Cox, Jr. (US 9, 701,556) is withdrawn in view of applicant’s amendment.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 11-13, 15-16, 19-24, 26-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mittiga et al. (US2019/0380337) in view of Young et al (US 20160326443).
Regarding claims 1, 11-13, 19, 20, 21, and 27 and 29, Mittiga discloses a method of reducing microbial contamination in an aqueous fluid, wherein the aqueous fluid can be produced water (para 0006), the method comprising: contacting a produced water stream with a composition comprising a (i) a chelator (stabilizers, para 0029) including gluconic acid (aldonic acid, para 0029), wherein the concentration of the stabilizer can range from about 0.1% by weight to about 5% by weight (para 0030); (ii) an oxidizing agent (source of active oxygen including hydrogen peroxide, sodium peroxocarbonate, sodium peroxodicarbonate, potassium percarbonate, potassium peroxocarbonate, or potassium peroxodicarbonate (para 0017), wherein the concentration of the source of active oxygen can range from about 8% by weight to about 25% by weight (para 0018); and (iii) a surfactant (para 0021) under conditions suitable for the formation of a purified produced water. Mittiga also discloses the composition can include an organic acid, which can be diluted into water (para 0031 and 0049). Also See para 0004, 0021-0028, 0049 and 0051. Young teaches using alcohols such as glycols, glycol ethers, methanol, ethanol as a solvent for a produced water clarification composition (para 0055) in an amount from 0 to 70 weight percent (para 0016). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Mittiga with the teaching of Young, for the purpose of including a solvent such as ethanol for the composition used in the method, and thereby providing effective solubility for the composition as well as efficient cleaning properties, rinsing characteristics, wetting ability, and biodegradability (para 0023).
Mittiga discloses the method of reducing microbial contamination in the aqueous fluid, wherein the aqueous fluid can be a brine, an oilfield fluid (para 0006). Mittiga discloses the methods for treatment of microbially contaminated water and microbially contaminated surfaces, wherein the compositions useful for the treatment of water used in industrial applications, for example, for water that flows through pipes or other subterranean formations, such as in the energy industry, for example in oil- and gasfield operations as well as in paper or pulp industries. The compositions disclosed herein are also generally useful for cleaning and sanitizing surfaces or equipment, particularly equipment used in oil and gasfield operations (para 0015). Mittiga does not expressly disclose the method comprising separating/removing hydrocarbons contained in the produced water and the separating/removing hydrocarbons from the produced water comprises breaking an emulsion to allow the hydrocarbons to separate from the produced water. Young discloses oil and gas filed operations or “petroleum industry operations,” includes, but not is limited to, activities and processes for exploration, production, refining and chemical processing of hydrocarbons including, but not limited to, crude oil, gas and their derivatives. Production operations include, but are not limited to, pumping large quantities of water into the ground, as described above, which commensurately generates large quantities of “formation water,” an oil in water dispersion or emulsion. Breaking of such emulsions with additives to remove and recover oil from the produced water is a common and beneficial practice (para 0036). Persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize the many various operations performed in the gas and oil industry is reasonably applicable and is intended to include all such applications including breaking of such emulsions to remove and recover oil (hydrocarbons) from the produced water in the method of Mittiga is obvious in view of Mittiga and Young’s methods.
Regarding claims 15 and 16, Mittiga discloses the surfactant can be a non-ionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant or a cationic surfactant. In some embodiments, the surfactant can be a linear alcohol or derivative of a linear alcohol. The linear alcohol can be a C6-C12 linear alcohol. In some embodiments, the surfactant can be an alcohol ethoxylate, an alkoxylated linear alcohol, ethoxylated castor oil, an alkoxylated fatty acid, an alkoxylated coconut oil, an alcohol sulfate, a phosphated mono glyceride, a phosphated diglyceride, or a combination thereof, the surfactant can be a linear alcohol or a derivative of a linear alcohol, wherein the derivative of a linear alcohol can be an ester and the concentration of the surfactant can range from about 0.5% by weight to about 20% by weight (para 0004, 0021-0028).
Regarding claim 22, Mittiga does not disclose the purified produced water has a dissolved organic carbon content that is reduced by from about 1 mg/l to about 10,000 mg/l when compared to a dissolved organic carbon content of the produced water. However, composition disclosed by Mittiga is considered to be similar to that of the claimed composition and therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would expect such a composition to be capable of reducing a dissolved organic carbon content from about 1 mg/ to about 10,000 mg/ when compared to a dissolved organic carbon content of the produced water.
Regarding claim 23, Mittiga does not disclose the purified produced water has a multivalent ion content that is reduced by from about 1 mg/l to about 10,000 mg/l when compared to a multivalent ion content of the produced water. However, composition disclosed by Mittiga is considered to be similar to that of the claimed composition and therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would expect such a composition to be capable of reducing a multivalent ion content from about 1 mg/l to about 10,000 mg/l when compared to a multivalent ion content of the produced water.
Regarding claim 24, Mittiga does not disclose the purified produced water has an oil content that is reduced by from about 1 mg/l to about 10,000 mg/l when compared to an oil content of the produced water. However, composition disclosed by Mittiga is considered to be similar to that of the claimed composition and therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would expect such expect such a composition to be capable of reducing an oil content from about 1 mg/l to about 10,000 mg/l when compared to an oil content of the produced water.
Regarding claim 26, Mittiga and Young do not specific disclose the solvent is included in an amount sufficient to provide a composition having suitable rheological properties. However, since the composition disclosed by Mittiga and Young is to be used for the same purpose, i.e. treatment of contaminated water, there is a reasonable basis for one skilled in the art to reasonably expect that the composition of Mittiga and Young would have suitable rheological properties to carry out said treatment.
Regarding claim 28, Mittiga discloses the surfactant is present in the composition in an amount of from about 0.5 to 20% by weight (para 0028).
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mittiga et al. (US2019/0380337) in view of Young et al (US 20160326443) as applied above, further in view of Cox, Jr. (US 9, 701,556).
Regarding claims 4-6, Mittiga in view of Young discloses a method of reducing microbial contamination in an aqueous fluid described above and is incorporated herein by reference. Mittiga disclose the composition comprises gluconic acid (aldonic acid), which meet the claimed biochelant. Cox discloses that it is known in the art to utilize a chelant such as gluconic acid (aldonic acid) and/or sodium gluconate, which is the sodium salt of gluconic acid (col 5, In 14-24), and hydrogen peroxide, for reducing contaminants in wastewater (example 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the invention to modify Mittiga reference with the teaching of Cox, for the purpose of including sodium gluconate in the composition, and thereby reducing desired contaminants in the produced water (abstract, col 1, In 25-32, col 3, In 29- 45, col 4, In 3-11).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 1/1/2026 have been considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant asserted that the Office suggests that step of separating hydrocarbons from produced water stream to form a purified produced water would have been inherent and would necessarily have resulted in the performance of Mittiga’s method. The Examiner respectfully disagrees with applicant’s statement. The law held that one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Applicant's argument does not address the reasons presented by the Examiner for combining the teachings of the prior art. That is, the examiner did not suggest that Mittiga’s method inherently includes separating hydrocarbons from produced water by breaking an emulsion contained in the produced water to allow the hydrocarbons to separate from produced water. The present claims were rejected on a combination of Mittiga and Young. Mittiga discloses the method of purifying a produced water (reducing microbial contamination in the aqueous fluid), wherein the produced water (aqueous fluid) can be an oilfield fluid (para 0006). Mittiga discloses the treatment of water is used in oil and gasfield operations (para 0015). Young discloses oil and gas filed operations or “petroleum industry operations,” includes, but not is limited to, activities and processes for exploration, production, refining and chemical processing of hydrocarbons including, but not limited to, crude oil, gas and their derivatives. Production operations include, but are not limited to, pumping large quantities of water into the ground, as described above, which commensurately generates large quantities of “formation water,” an oil in water dispersion or emulsion. Breaking of such emulsions with additives to remove and recover oil from the produced water is a common and beneficial practice (para 0036). Based on the teachings of Young, persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that breaking of such emulsions to remove and recover oil (hydrocarbons) from the produced water is known in the art, and is reasonably applicable and obvious to apply in Mittiga’s method. There is a reasonable basis for one skilled in the art to expect that operations performed in the gas and oil industry including breaking of such emulsions to remove and recover oil (hydrocarbons) from the produced water would success in view of Mittiga and Young’s method. "For obviousness under § 103, all that is required is a reasonable expectation of success." In re O'Farrell, 853 F.2d 894, 904 (Fed. Cir. 1988) . “Obviousness does not require absolute predictability of success.” Id. at 903, 7 USPQ2d at 1681.
Claims 1, 4-6, 11-13, 15, 16, 19-24, and 26-29 remain unpatentable for the reasons of record.
Conclusion
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/HAIDUNG D NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1761
1/24/2026