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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 8-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 1/14/26.
Applicant's election with traverse of invention I in the reply filed on 1/14/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the common technical feature including the “at least one section of torque transference pipe” is not taught by Gupta. Applicant asserts that “Gupta is a conventional solution and drills with conventional drill pipe”. This is not found persuasive because the examiner respectfully notes for applicant the breadth of the claim. As elaborated in the rejection below, the uppermost tubular portion 30 is considered the “at least one section of torque transference pipe” with the corresponding recited couplings. Nothing in the claim has precluded this broad but reasonable interpretation. The examiner notes that while structural features may be disclosed to differentiate from the interpretation of Gupta, those features are not present in the claim. In other words, while those features may be “detailed in the as-filed disclosure”, they are not present in the claim. Gupta teaches the limitations in question, as elaborated in the rejection below, and so the examiner maintains there is not unity of invention because as the common inventive features fail to make a contribution over the prior art.
The examiner notes for applicant that rejoinder will be considered if appropriate to rejoin the unelected and withdrawn method claims.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Figures 1-10 have poor line quality such that they would result in unsatisfactory reproduction characteristics. See 37 CFR 1.84(L). The figures use impermissible grayscale and shading and lacks the black durable lines required.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, and 6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites, “said drilling mast to form a drill string”. However “a drill string” has already been introduced. Appropriate antecedent terminology should be used.
Claim 1 recites, “wherein the drilling arrangement is configured to drill a well”. However “a well” has already been introduced. Appropriate antecedent terminology should be used.
Claim 2 recites, “a component, i.e. rotary table stage, drilling mast, drill pipe gripper and/or drill pipe loading assembly.” This is grammatically awkward. The examiner recommends applicant consider alternate phrasing.
Claim 6 recites “a drill pipe section or a torque transference pipe section”. It appears that there were already introduced in claim 1 using different phrasing e.g. “at least one section of torque transference pipe” and “sections of drill pipe”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 3-4 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 3 recites “a task as described”. It appears that applicant is attempting to refer to previously recited “task” by virtue of use of the phrase “as described”, but it is unclear what “task” is being referred to. The examiner notes the term “task” has not been previously used.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the truck". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. As depending from claim 1, no truck has been explicitly recited. “A truck” is recited in claim 2.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "said pipe section". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear whether this intends to refer to the “a drill pipe section or a torque transference pipe section”. Please note the objection to claim 6 above as well as amendments are considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gupta (US 20200123861 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Gupta teaches a drilling arrangement comprising:
a truck-mounted rotary table stage (Fig 9, stage 101/rig floor on which rotary equipment is mounted; truck/vehicle mounted as seen/suggested in Fig 7; Para 0050 , “trucks 109”) for placement over a blowout preventor (BOP) operatively installed in a pilot hole where a well is to be drilled (Fig 9, capable of use over a BOP/pilot hole as seen; note these are not understood as being required in the drilling arrangement);
a truck-mounted drilling mast (Fig 7, mast 119, truck mounted as discussed in preceding limitation) comprising a rotary head drive (Fig 7, 135) displaceable along said mast to effect drilling (Fig 7, Para 0057, “top drive 135 may move vertically relative to mast 119”), said drilling mast engageable with the rotary table stage (Fig 8, mast 119 is engaged with stage 101 by virtue of its placement on the stage 101);
a truck-mounted drill pipe gripper (Fig 8, gripper 145, truck mounted as discussed in preceding limitation) configured to engage with the rotary table stage (Fig 8, gripper 145 is engaged with stage 101 by virtue of its placement on the stage 101) and selectively to grip and hold a drill string (Para 0060, “to grip onto a tubular member when automated roughneck 145 is used to make-up or break-out a threaded connection”);
a truck-mounted drill pipe loading assembly (Fig 8, pipe loader 123, truck mounted as discussed in preceding limitation) configured automatically to load sections of drill pipe to said drilling mast to form a drill string (Fig 8, Para 0075-0076, see also movement in Fig 15); and
at least one section of torque transference pipe (Fig 7, Fig 15, uppermost tubular section 30; please note the claims does not require any particular structure which differentiates it from other tubulars within a string) which comprises rotary head couplings defined proximate either end thereof (Fig 7, Fig 15, tubular couplings 30 e.g. the plurality of threads of the box end; see e.g. Para 0080. Please note the phrase “either end” is interpreted to permit the couplings to be a one or the other end, but does not require both end. Note, however, there would also be a pin coupling opposite the box end), the torque transference pipe engageable with the drill string (Para 0080, couple-able with other tubulars of drill string 40);
wherein the drilling arrangement is configured to drill a well by:
i. the pipe loading assembly interchanging drill pipe sections with the at least one section of torque transference pipe within the drill string (Para 0055-0056, “Pipe handling apparatus 123 […] used to transfer tubular members (such as tubular member 30 as shown in FIG. 7) from catwalk system 200 to an operable location within mast 119”, see also Para 0079);
ii. the rotary head drive applying drilling torque only when engaged with the rotary head couplings of the torque transference pipe (Para 0079, “top drive 135 may provide rotation and fluid circulation to tubular member 30 and a drill string to which tubular member 30 is coupled”); and
iii. the gripper gripping the drill string to facilitate the interchanging of drill pipe and torque transference pipe and the rotary head drive moving between rotary head couplings (Para 0060, the interchange is ‘facilitated’ by gripper which aids to make-up or break-up the connections, including 30 and the remainder of the string).
Regarding claim 2, Gupta teaches wherein a truck (Fig 6-7, truck 109) on which a component, i.e. rotary table stage, drilling mast, drill pipe gripper and/or drill pipe loading assembly, is mounted comprises an automated and/or autonomous platform (Title, abstract, Para 0047, “automated drilling rig system 10, once each such component is properly positioned within wellsite 15 and deployed, automated drilling rig system 10 may operate without any human interaction”).
Regarding claim 3, Gupta teaches wherein a truck-mounted component is mounted in a deployable manner where a component is deployable from a stowed position with a reduced footprint for transport purposes (Fig 6, stowed position of component e.g. strut 107. Footprint is reduced relative to the deployed position of Fig 7), and a deployed position to perform a task as described (Fig 7, deployed position seen).
Regarding claim 4, Gupta teaches wherein the drilling mast is pivotably arranged on the truck (Fig 6, mast 119 may be additionally construed as including 107, pivotable as seen between Fig 6 and Fig 7) so that the mast is deployable between a transport position, in which the mast lies along the truck (Fig 6, mast portion 107 lies along truck 109), and a drilling position, in which the mast is in a substantially upright position to effect drilling (Fig 7, mast portion 107 is upright as seen).
Regarding claim 5, Gupta teaches wherein a truck-mounted component includes stabilisers configured to stabilise said component on a surface in which the well is to be drilled (Fig 6, Fig 7, stabilizer 105, this functions to stabilize by at least lowering the center of gravity of the device and supporting the remaining structure of the system).
Regarding claim 6, Gupta teaches wherein the drill pipe loading assembly comprises a handling arm for handling a drill pipe section or a torque transference pipe section (Fig 8, handler arm 131, 127, and 129; handling tubular as seen), and a handler mechanism configured automatically to displace, orientate and/or rotate said pipe section for engagement with the drill string (Para 0055, “carriage 133 may, for example and without limitation, allow pipe handler 127 to move a tubular segment vertically”; vertical movement would result in the pipe section being displaced vertically when coupled to the arm).
Regarding claim 7, Gupta teaches which comprises a truck-mounted mud system which is configured to supply drilling mud to the drill string (Fig 3, Para 0085, mud pumps 301 on trucks/wheels 303/305).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hisey (US 3920087 A) teaches a rotary table drive for a blasthole drill has a pair of roller elements pivotally mounted in a table bushing and engageable with cooperative longitudinal flat sided recesses formed on the exterior of a heavy walled cylindrical drill pipe to form the rotary drive connection with the drill stem.
Feasey (US 20140202767 A1) teaches deploying a tubular string into a wellbore includes: injecting fluid through a top drive and flow sub into a top of the tubular string and lowering the tubular string into the wellbore.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THEODORE N YAO whose telephone number is (571)272-8745. The examiner can normally be reached typically 8am-4pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TARA SCHIMPF can be reached at (571) 270-7741. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THEODORE N YAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676