`DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgements
In the reply filed April 30, 2026, the applicant amended claim 1.
Currently claims 1-7 are under examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 are 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 1 recites that the method adopts techniques and equipment without a drilling platform (line 9) while also requiring an undersea drilling rig (a drilling platform) described in detail (lines 14-28 roughly). It is unclear in what manner the applicant’s invention can simultaneously be required to have a drilling platform while also not having a drilling platform.
The term “greatly increases” in claim 1, line 11 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “greatly increases” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
The two instances of the term “reduces” in claim 1, line 11 are a relative terms which render the claim indefinite. The term “reduces” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, or to what baseline the reduction is to be compared, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention.
In claims 1, 4, and 5, the terms “drill string”, “pipe string” and “completion pipe string” appear to be used interchangeably. It is unclear if these are the same component or multiple different strings.
Claims 2-7 are rejected based on their dependency from claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 30, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. A new argument addressing the applicant’s amendments is presented above.
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 DOUGLAS S WOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-5954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole A Coy can be reached at (571) - 272 - 5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DOUGLAS S. WOOD
Examiner
Art Unit 3672
/DOUGLAS S WOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
/Nicole Coy/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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