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 .
This application is in response an Election/Restriction filed on 01/27/2026.
Claims 1-15 are pending. Applicant has elected without traverse Group I, claims 1-10, and claims 11-15 are withdrawn as non-elected group claims. Claims 1-10 are under examination.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 01/27/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Groups II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 01/27/2026.
Specification
The present abstract is in two paragraphs. However, the abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet preferably within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. See MPEP 608.01(b).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Goswami et al (WO 2021250083A1) in view of Surguchev et al (WO2019/224326) and in further view of Murat Cinar (NPL: “CREATING ENHANCED GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS IN DEPLETED OIL RESERVOIR VIA IN SITU COMBUSTION, Feb.11-13,2013, Thirty-Eighth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, IDS cited reference by applicant).
Regarding claims 1-5 and 8-10, Goswami discloses a process for producing hydrogen comprising: introducing oxidizing gas (i.e., oxygen) and hydrocarbons (reads on claims 1,10) into partial oxidation (POX) reactor where at temperature between 1000 to 1500°C (i.e., combustion) and pressure of 40 bar or higher a hot synthesis gas is produced. The hot synthesis gas is then cooled to temperature below 200°C to obtain a cooled synthesis gas which is then fed together with steam to a shift reactor where most of the carbon monoxide in the synthesis gas is converted with provided steam and to produce a gas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide (reads on generating gas mixture comprising hydrogen and carbon dioxide of claims 1, 2). This gas mixture is then treated in carbon dioxide removal unit to obtain a first hydrogen-rich product stream (reads on separation of hydrogen from gas mixture to produce hydrogen rich gas mixture of claim 1). In addition, a first carbon dioxide rich stream at pressure of at least 13 bar and a second carbon dioxide rich stream at pressure of at least 0.7 bar are obtained (reads on claim 2 producing carbon dioxide rich gas mixture). The first and second carbon dioxide rich stream is sent to compression unit (reads on secondary gas mixture of claim 2) to obtain third carbon dioxide gas stream which allows for further use of carbon dioxide in other chemical process or storing in a geological reservoir (reads on claim 3 where carbon dioxide is introduced into subterranean storage formation). Further Goswami discloses that water splitter can be used to produce at least part of hydrogen-rich gas stream and oxygen gas rich stream where oxygen rich gas stream is provided back to the POX reactor (reads on oxygen comprising gas mixture of claim 4) and hydrogen rich gas stream may further added to the hydrogen rich stream obtained from carbon dioxide removal unit and wherein water splitter utilizing electrical energy (see claims 1, 5, 14, see pages 5, 6, 16-17, 19-20-figs.1-2).
Goswami does not explicitly disclose or suggest utilizing depleted reservoir, inducing fire flood in the depleted reservoir, recovering energy from gas mixture and introducing hydrogen-rich gas mixture into subterranean storage formation.
However, Surguchev discloses process of hydrogen generation from hydrocarbon containing solid, liquid or gas, preferably gas or gas mixture with a subterranean geological formation where process may be carried onshore, offshore, oil field, oil with gas cap or gas condensate field, light-oil gas field or coal field in order to generate hydrogen, separate and sequestrate CO2 in the same sub-terrain field. The hydrogen produced may be used for energy production (abstract). Surguchev further discloses injecting oxygen and initiation of hydrocarbon combustion within reservoir (reads on injecting O2 and hydrocarbon in depleted reservoir of claim 1 and claim 10) whereas combustion may be initiated by electrical ignition down-hole or self-ignition at high temperature and light oil reservoir whereas preferably air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, steam or combination of any of these is injected into the reservoir (reads on depleted reservoir of claim 1) during the HGHS process, separating hydrogen from other gas mixture comprising of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, CH4, NOx in hydrogen containing mixture such that produce by catalyzed conversion of hydrocarbons to hydrogen (reads on separation of hydrogen from gas mixture to create depleted gas mixture and hydrogen gas mixture, reads on claims 1, 5), high thermal energy is generated (reads on recovering energy from the gas mixture of claim 1) and whereas hydrogen gas produced stored into subterranean storage formation (reads on transporting hydrogen-rich gas into subterranean storage formation of claim 1, see pages 1-3, 6-8, 11-12). In addition Surguchev discloses hydrogen may be separated from other gas components in situ and produced from the reservoir, secondly resultant carbon dioxide and black carbon are separated and sequestered and thirdly hydrocarbon reservoirs, e.g. gas reservoirs such as natural gas reservoirs, which are low productivity or depleted as noncommercial deposits which may have their natural gas reserves converted to hydrogen in situ and commercially produced (reads on claim 8, see page 2).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filing date of applicant invention to modify Goswami with Surguchev to injecting O2 and hydrocarbon into reservoir (i.e., depleted), include recovering energy from gas mixture and further introducing hydrogen-rich gas mixture into subterranean storage formation which provides gravity segregation and reduce costs associated with long distance for pure hydrogen transportation as taught by Surguchev (See pages 1 and 11).
Surguchev does not explicitly disclose or suggest inducing fire flood in the depleted reservoir of claim 1 and energy is recovered from one or more additional components from combustion of claim 9.
However, Cinar discloses creating enhanced geothermal systems in depleted oil reservoirs via situ combustion which utilizes fire-flood technique where injecting air/oxygen into a reservoir to generate heat and pressure producing gas mixture (reads on claim 1 – inducing a fire flood, see pages 2-3-In situ combustion, abstract). Cinar further discloses energy is generated within the reservoir with the combustion of hydrocarbons leading to the name in situ combustion (reads on claim 9-see page 2-In situ Combustion).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filing date of applicant invention to modify Goswami and Surguchev process for producing hydrogen with Cinar to include inducing fireflood in depleted reservoir and energy is recovered from hydrocarbon form combustion which would improve oil recovery as well oil viscosity is reduced as taught by Cinar (see page 2-In situ combustion).
Regarding claim 6, Surguchev discloses conversion of hydrocarbon to hydrogen via water gas shift reaction in the reservoir (see page 4).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Goswami et al (WO 2021250083A1) in view of Surguchev (WO2019/224326) in view of Murat Cinar (NPL: “CREATING ENHANCED GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS IN DEPLETED OIL RESERVOIR VIA IN SITU COMBUSTION, Feb.11-13,2013, Thirty-Eighth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering, Stanford University, IDS cited reference by applicant) and in further view of Wolf (US PGPUB No.: 20090322090).
Regarding claim 7, Goswami in view of Surguchev in view of Cinar discloses a process for generating and recovering hydrogen from depleted reservoir and discloses energy recovered from gas mixture as discussed above but does not explicitly disclose or suggest energy is recovered through use of a gas turbine connected to a generator.
However, Wolf discloses method for storing and supplying energy comprising a powder plant, a hydrogen gas storage connected powder plant and wherein power plant comprises a turbine and generator (see claims 18, 20). Wolf further discloses preheater and a first control valve and hydrogen expander or a turbine with a generator producing electrical energy (see claim 25, paragraphs 0021, 0031, 0045-0046, reads on claim 7 of turbine connected to a generator).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filing date of applicant invention to modify Goswami, Surguchev and Cinar process for producing hydrogen with Wolf to include turbine connected generator for energy recovery which provides reconversion of chemical energy, for example hydrogen, to electrical energy as taught by Wolf (see paragraph 0023).
Conclusion
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/SMITA S PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1732 03/19/2026