Last updated: July 17, 2026

Application No. 18/526,791

Natural Gas Dehydration

Non-Final OA

Filed

Dec 01, 2023

Priority

Mar 15, 2021 — divisional of 11/873,274

Examiner

HOPKINS, ROBERT A

Art Unit

Tech Center

Assignee

Saudi Arabian Oil Company

OA Round

1 (Non-Final)

Interview Optional

— +8.2% interview lift. Interview lift (+8.2%) is below the 15.0% threshold. A written response is recommended.

Based on 1604 resolved cases, 2023–2026

Examiner Intelligence

HOPKINS, ROBERT A View full profile →

Grants 85% — above average

Career Allowance Rate

1357 granted / 1604 resolved

+24.6% vs TC avg

Moderate +8% lift

Without

With

+8.2%

Interview Lift

resolved cases with interview

Typical timeline

2y 4m

Avg Prosecution

26 currently pending

Career history

1622

Total Applications

across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101

3.2%

-36.8% vs TC avg

§103

47.9%

+7.9% vs TC avg

§102

30.2%

-9.8% vs TC avg

§112

10.8%

-29.2% vs TC avg

Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1604 resolved cases

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 01, 2023

Application Filed

Jun 05, 2026

Non-Final Rejection mailed (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

18/394,223

Patent 12678732

MEMBRANE-DEHUMIDIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR ELECTRONIC COMPONENT PROTECTION

2y 6m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/512,578

Patent 12678743

POROUS MEDIUM WITH ADJUSTABLE FLUID PERMEABILITY AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

2y 8m to grant Granted Jul 14, 2026

18/467,881

Patent 12673285

AIR PURIFIER

2y 9m to grant Granted Jul 07, 2026

18/554,586

Patent 12667813

NOZZLE FOR MIXING GAS WITH LIQUID WITH COMPACT DESIGN

2y 8m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

18/579,969

Patent 12671100

FUEL CELL MEMBRANE HUMIDIFIER

2y 5m to grant Granted Jun 30, 2026

Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2

Expected OA Rounds

85%

Grant Probability

93%

With Interview (+8.2%)

2y 4m (~0m remaining)

Median Time to Grant

Low

PTA Risk

Based on 1604 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.