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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities:
(line 1) “The well system as recited in Claim 14” should be changed to “The well system as recited in Claim 11”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claims 14-16 recite the subject matter of the claim amendment in claim 11. Therefore, the claims fail to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which they depend. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements. It appears that claims 14-16 should be canceled and/or deleted.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 7-13, 17-22 and 24 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record does not appear to anticipate and/or render obvious:
a) a multilateral mainbore completion for using in a wellbore, comprising: a tubular having a first uphole end and a second downhole end; first and second packers located on a radial exterior surface of the tubular, the first and second packers configured to move from a radially retracted state to a radially extended state to engage with a wellbore tubular and separate the wellbore tubular into first and second production zones; a first interval control valve located in the tubular in the first production zone and a second interval control valve located in the tubular in the second production zone; and an expandable metal anchor positioned on the radial exterior surface of the tubular, the expandable metal anchor including a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis to axially and rotationally fix the tubular with respect to the wellbore tubular; and a control line coupler located on the tubular between the first packer and the expandable metal anchor, wherein the control line coupler is an inductive coupler or a wet mate coupler.
b) a well system, comprising: a main wellbore located within a subterranean formation; and a multilateral mainbore completion located in the main wellbore, the multilateral mainbore completion including: a tubular having a first end and a second end; first and second packers located on a radial exterior surface of the tubular, the first and second packers configured to move from a radially retracted state to a radially extended state to engage with a wellbore tubular and separate the wellbore tubular into first and second production zones; a first interval control valve located in the tubular in the first production zone and a second interval control valve located in the tubular in the second production zone; and an expandable metal anchor positioned on the radial exterior surface of the tubular, the expandable metal anchor including a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis to axially and rotationally fix the tubular with respect to the wellbore tubular; and a control line coupler located on the tubular between the first packer and the expandable metal anchor, wherein the control line coupler is an inductive coupler or a wet mate coupler.
c) a method for forming a well system, comprising: positioning a multilateral mainbore completion in a main wellbore formed within a subterranean formation, the multilateral mainbore completion including: a tubular having a first end and a second end; first and second packers located on a radial exterior surface of the tubular, the first and second packers configured to move from a radially retracted state to a radially extended state to engage with a wellbore tubular and separate the wellbore tubular into first and second production zones; a first interval control valve located in the tubular in the first production zone and a second interval control valve located in the tubular in the second production zone; and an expandable metal anchor positioned on the radial exterior surface of the tubular, the expandable metal anchor including a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis to axially and rotationally fix the tubular with respect to the wellbore tubular; and subjecting the expandable metal anchor to reactive fluid, the reactive fluid causing the metal of the expandable metal anchor to expand in response to hydrolysis to form an expanded metal anchor fixing the multilateral mainbore completion in the main wellbore.
d) a multilateral mainbore completion for using in a wellbore, comprising: a tubular having a first uphole end and a second downhole end; first and second packers located on a radial exterior surface of the tubular, the first and second packers configured to move from a radially retracted state to a radially extended state to engage with a wellbore tubular and separate the wellbore tubular into first and second production zones; a first interval control valve located in the tubular in the first production zone and a second interval control valve located in the tubular in the second production zone; and an expandable metal anchor positioned on the radial exterior surface of the tubular, the expandable metal anchor including a metal configured to expand in response to hydrolysis to axially and rotationally fix the tubular with respect to the wellbore tubular, wherein the expandable metal anchor is configured to go from metal to micron-scale particles that are larger and lock together.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 09/29/2025, with respect to the previous rejection have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW R BUCK whose telephone number is (571)270-3653. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:30-5.
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/MATTHEW R BUCK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672