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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 3 , 6,7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 3 recites further separating a portion of the saturated liquid condensate stream prior to spearing the hydrocarbon stream into the saturated liquid condensate stream. It is unclear how a portion can be further separated prior to when the liquid condensate stream exists in the process. The liquid condensate stream does not exist until it is separated from the hydrocarbon stream. Claims 6,7 are rejected as being dependent upon a rejected claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2,4-5, 8-11,12-20 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Claims 3,6,7 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: None of the prior art for record teach nor disclose in combination A process for eliminating flaring in amine sweetening, as in claim 1 the process comprising: separating a hydrocarbon stream into a saturated liquid condensate stream and an acid gas stream; depressurizing the saturated liquid condensate stream to form a gas flaring stream and a liquid condensate stream; contacting the acid gas stream with a lean amine stream to form a sweet gas stream and a rich amine stream; sending the gas flaring stream to one or more sparge tubes in a flash drum; sparging the rich amine stream with the gas flaring stream in the flash drum to form a flashed rich amine stream and a flashed gas stream; and stripping the rich amine stream to form a stripped acid gas stream and the lean amine stream nor an apparatus system as in claim 12. The closest prior art of record to Freireich et al ( US 3770622) discloses separating hydrocarbon stream 101 into liquid condensate stream 26 and acid gas stream 108 in separator 25, depressurizing the condensates stream 26 into flare gas stream 34 and liquid streams 116 in 27 , contacting acid gas stream with sorbent to from a sweet gas stream and a rich stream in sorber 103, flashing the rich stream 108” to a gas stream 102 and semi -rich stream 111 and striping the rich stream 116 to form striped acid gas stream 28 and lean stream 29 in stripper 106. Freireich et al does not disclose sending the gas flaring stream to one or more sparge tubes in a flash drum; sparging the rich amine stream with the gas flaring stream in the flash drum to form a flashed rich amine stream and a flashed gas stream. None of the prior art of record teach this step or associated system structure for accomplishing this step. Thus claims 1 and 12 are deemed allowable over the prior art of record. Claims 2-11 and 13-20 are allowable for at least the reasons of record that claims 1 and 12 are allowed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Other prior art cited on PTO-892 is considered of interest disclosing similar processes and systems for natural gas sweetening.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Duane Smith whose telephone number is (571)272-1166. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5 Monday-Friday.
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.
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.
DUANE SMITH
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 1759
/DUANE SMITH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1759