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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Whiteman et al (U.S Patent 11,613,972) (“Whiteman”) in view of Turk et al (U.S Patent 11,753,913) (“Turk”).
Regarding Claim 1, Whiteman discloses a method for gas lifting #100 fluid in a well (Abstract; Col 6, lines 40-53; Col 7, lines 9-13; Col 13, lines 41-46 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses utilizing a gas lift to unload fluids from the well), comprising:
creating an opening at a first depth in a production tubing #105 nested within a casing or liner in the well #110 (Abstract; Col 3, lines 65-67; Col 4, lines 35-40);
deploying a gas lift valve #185 proximate the opening (Abstract; Col 5, lines 38-41; Col 9, lines 51-56 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman further discloses a valve #185 that is positioned in the gas lift gas line));
deploying a pump in the production tubing #105 (Col 2, lines 5-10 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses the use of an electric submersible pump (ESP));
pumping gas into an annular space #125 between the production tubing #105 and the casing or liner so as to enter the production tubing through the gas lift valve #185 (Figures 1 and 2; Col 10, lines 21-35 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses utilizing gas lift operations to pump liquids and fluids out from the well);
operating the pump to lift fluid within the production tubing (Abstract; Col 6, lines 40-53; Col 7, lines 9-13 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses utilizing a gas lift to unload fluids from the well); and
stopping the pump and removing the pump from the production tubing when gas lifting of fluid in the well is detected (Abstract; Col 11, lines 63-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses wherein a conventional pump is removed during the retrofit of a gas lift system operation).
Whiteman, however, fails to expressly disclose wherein a pump is deploying in the production tubing at a second depth shallower than the first depth.
Turk teaches the methods above of deploying a pump in the production tubing at a second depth that is shallower than the first depth (Abstract; Col 2, lines 48-58; Col 4, lines 37-41; Col 14, lines 21-35; Col 28, lines 8-15 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Turk teaches wherein the gas valves are positioned at progressive depths throughout the wellbore downhole) for the purpose of utilizing downhole pumps and valves for controlling flow of gas through the gas lift systems for producing liquids from an oil and gas well downhole (Abstract; Col 6, lines 33-45).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Whiteman to incorporate deploying a pump in a production tubing at a second depth, as taught by Turk, because doing so would help to utilize the downhole pumps and valves in order to control the flow of gas through the gas lift systems for producing liquids from an oil and gas well downhole.
Regarding Claim 2, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 1, wherein detecting gas lifting comprises measuring a property of fluid in the production tubing proximate the pump (Col 4, lines 15-20 and lines 41-50 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses adjusting properties of fluids such as velocity, pressure and flow meter).
Regarding Claim 3, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the property comprises density, acoustic attenuation and/or acoustic velocity (Col 4, lines 15-20 and lines 41-50 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses adjusting properties of fluids such as velocity, pressure and flow meter).
Regarding Claim 4, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the deploying a gas lift valve comprises moving a gas lift valve straddle proximate the opening (Abstract; Col 5, lines 38-41; Col 9, lines 51-56 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman further discloses a valve #185 that is positioned in the gas lift gas line), the gas lift straddle comprising a mandrel and at least two axially spaced apart annular seals disposed on the mandrel (#600 packer with seals on the annulus #125 allowing gas to be injected at various points in the tubing #105).
Regarding Claim 5, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the pump comprises an electric submersible pump (Col 2, lines 5-10 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses the use of an electric submersible pump (ESP).
Regarding Claim 6, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the deploying the pump comprises attaching the pump to an end of an electrical cable and extending the pump and electrical cable into the well (Col 5, lines 1-10 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses flowline used to pump fluids downhole) from within the production tubing (Col 2, lines 5-10 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses the use of an electric submersible pump (ESP).
Regarding Claim 7, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 1, wherein an annular seal is disposed between the production tubing and the liner or casing at a depth in the well above perforations in the casing or liner (#600 packer with seals on the annulus #125 allowing gas to be injected at various points in the tubing #105), the perforations making hydraulic connection between a fluid producing formation and an interior of the casing or liner #105, and wherein the opening at the first depth is above the annular seal (Abstract; Col 3, lines 65-67; Col 4, lines 35-40).
Regarding Claim 8, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether flow in the production tubing continues after switching off the pump before removing the pump from the well (Abstract; Col 11, lines 63-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses wherein a conventional pump is removed during the retrofit of a gas lift system operation).
Regarding Claim 9, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 8, wherein the determining whether flow continues comprises making measurements with at least one sensor associated with the pump (Col 5, lines 30-38; Col 7, lines 25-30).
Regarding Claim 10, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 9, wherein the at least one sensors comprises a flow meter (Col 4, lines 15-20 and lines 41-50; Col 5, lines 30-38 and Col 7, lines 25-30 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses adjusting properties of fluids such as velocity, pressure and flow meter).
Regarding Claim 11, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 10, wherein the flow meter comprises one or more of a spinner flow meter, a hot wire anemometer or a Coriolis effect flow meter (Col 4, lines 15-20 and lines 41-50; Col 5, lines 30-38 and Col 7, lines 25-30 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses a variety of flow meters).
Regarding Claim 12, Whiteman discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the detecting gas comprises making measurements of rotational speed and/or electric current draw of the pump (Col 4, lines 15-20 and lines 41-50; Col 5, lines 30-38 and Col 7, lines 25-30 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Whiteman discloses adjusting properties of fluids such as velocity, pressure and flow meter).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Shaw (U.S Patent 11,702,913) – discloses annulus safety valve assembly for controlling gas flow in a wellbore annulus including a passage, a check valve and an actuator (Abstract; Figure 1; Col 2, lines 36-48).
Wells (U.S Patent 4,826,406) – discloses pressure extraction pump systems for recovering liquid hydrocarbons from contaminated ground water collected in a well downhole (Abstract; Col 3, lines 15-41).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASHISH K VARMA whose telephone number is (571)272-9565. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30-5:30pm, Telework Mondays and Fridays.
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/ASHISH K VARMA/Examiner, Art Unit 3674
/WILLIAM D HUTTON JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3674