CTNF 18/883,682 CTNF 89243 Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. This communication is in response to the application filed 9/12/2024. Claims 1-10 are pending. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salu (US 20180195010) in view of Schmidt (US 5,685,374) . With respect to claim 1 , Salu teaches a production stream of wild crude 10 in a flowline, a gas oil separator vessel 14, having an inlet receiving oil flowline 12, a first outlet discharging an aqueous stream (lower), a second outlet discharging oil to vessel 16, a vapor outlet discharging a vapor stream (Figure 1A; 0017). Salu teaches a second flowline for demulsifier connected to the first flowline for wild crude for providing demulsifier additives. Salu is silent regarding a steam stream and wherein a second flowline connected to the first flowline connected to the steam stream. Schmidt, directed to production well completion, teaches that the pipeline is connected to separators, and Additional separation techniques including mixing the produced fluid with viscosity reducing and solids particle coalescing substances may be used. The produced fluid and particulates mixture may require heating to reduce the fluid viscosity to enhance separation. Therefore, before the filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Salu by adding steam injection flowline connected to the crude oil flow line as taught in Schmidt because both are directed to production of crude oil, Salu teaches a flow line may be connected to the crude oil flowline for additives and Schmidt teaches for reducing the viscosity and to enhance separation. While the steam injection of Schmidt is on the produced fluid at the well head, anywhere along the flowline of the production steam from the well would meet the present limitation of the claim. With respect to claims 5-9 , Salu teaches a gas oil separator 14, degassing unit 16 connected to the oil line, dehydrator 24 connected to the degassing oil line, desalter 26, connected to the dehydrator oil line, and stabilizer column 34 connected to the oil from the desalter (Figure 1A and 0017). With respect to claims 2-4 , the current claim is directed to a system, however, the limitations presented in claims 2-4 merely directed to properties of the steam. It is well settled that the intended use of a claimed apparatus is not germane to the issue of the patentability of the claimed structure. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the claimed use then it meets the claim. In re Casey, 152 USPQ 235,238 (CCPA 1967); In re Otto, 136 USPQ 459 (CCPA 1963). Similarly with respect to claim 10 , the claimed limitations are directed to properties of a crude oil feed to be treated. It is the examiner's position that Salu meets the limitations of the instant claims. Prior Art Made of Record Lawson (20190154204) , teaches a process for injecting steam into crude oil for several benefits (abstract). The process includes contacting a crude oil (i.e. a production stream) with steam "not in the desalter system 10, but rather well away from the desalter system 10" (0068). Lawson teaches that "steam will heat the crude oil while also capturing salt, the heat value of the steam may be used to reduce the effective viscosity of the crude oil" (0068). Lawson teaches the water coalesces (0071). The steam heated and salt captured crude would result in coalescing and breaking the emulsion. Lawson teaches separating phases of the production stream to produce a vapor stream, an aqueous stream, and an oil stream. Soliman (US 20200255748) teaches (see figure 7) a system for processing crude oil comprising: a production stream 102 from a well formed in a subterranean formation (0068); a gas oil separation unit comprising a separator vessel 106 comprising: an inlet for receiving production fluid in flowline 105; a vapor outlet discharging vapor in flowline 108; a first set of liquid outlets discharging aqueous and oily water streams 112 114; a second liquid outlet discharging oil 110. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brandi Doyle whose telephone number is (571)270-1141. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM. 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, Prem Singh can be reached at (571)272-6381. 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. /BRANDI M DOYLE/ Examiner, Art Unit 1771 /PREM C SINGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/883,682 Page 2 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/883,682 Page 3 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/883,682 Page 4 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/883,682 Page 5 Art Unit: 1771 Application/Control Number: 18/883,682 Page 6 Art Unit: 1771
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