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 .
Response to Amendment
The response of 03 February 2026 is acknowledged and has been entered. The submission of drawing replacement sheets for figure 3 and figure 4 is acknowledged. New grounds of rejection follow. The remarks have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The claim recites a “node” of a blocking mechanism and a pigging valve, and this limitation is not supported by the written description and constitutes new matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-10 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2010/0307765 A1 (van Arkel et al.).
As concerns claim 1, van Arkel et al. discloses a subsea system for interconnecting producing and injecting wells in pairs to an aggregating component, comprising: at least one production line 28 that connects the aggregating component 24 to a producing well 4, wherein the producing well is an oil, gas, or oil and gas producing well (0025); at least one water, gas, or alternating water and gas injection line 22 that connects the aggregating component to an injecting well 3, wherein the injecting well is configured to inject water, gas, or water and gas (0025) into a permeable reservoir 1; and at least one service line 16 that connects the producing well and the injecting well (see, 0026, gas fraction 12 is injected into gas lift 16, see figure 1).
As concerns claim 2, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein each of the production line, the injection line, and the service line has a pressure class compatible with the pressure requirements of the production line and the injection line, and wherein each of the production line, the injection line, and the service line has a physical-chemical stability against fluids of the production line and the injection line (see 0043, discussing the corrosion minimizing for the lines, the examiner notes that, in as much as the conduits are being used for production and injection, they are implicitly suited for the disclosed purpose).
As concerns claim 3, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the aggregating component 24 is a production unit or a subsea manifold (0028).
As concerns claim 4, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the at least one service line interconnects the injecting well and the producing well by means of respective annular or service hubs 21,23.
As concerns claim 5, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the injecting well comprises a set of flow control valves for partitioning gas flow between the producing well and the injecting well (manifold 21 performs this function, see 0026).
As concerns claim 6, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein a service line circuit comprises a blocking mechanism (packer 19) to isolate the fluids inside the service line in relation to the producing well and the injecting well.
As concerns claim 7, van Arkel et al. discloses a method for interconnecting producing and injecting wells in pairs to an aggregating component, comprising: interconnecting a producing well 4 with a production aggregating component 28, wherein the producing well 4 is an oil, gas, or oil and gas producing well (0025): interconnecting an injecting well 3 with an injection aggregating component 24, wherein the injecting well is configured to inject water, gas, or water and gas (0025) into a permeable reservoir 1; and interconnecting the injecting well with the producing well (via the injection line 16).
As concerns claim 8, van Arkel et al. discloses the method of claim 7, further comprising partitioning a flow between the producing well and the injecting well by means of a set of flow control valves of the injecting well (manifold 21 performs this function, see 0026).
As concerns claim 9, van Arkel et al. discloses the method of claim 7, further comprising isolating fluids in a service line in relation to the producing well and the injecting well by means of actuating a blocking mechanism 19 in a service line circuit 16.
As concerns claim 10, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 1, further comprising an umbilical configured to inject gas into the producing well (the injection line 22 is equivalent here).
As concerns claim 14, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the permeable reservoir 1 interconnects the injecting well and the producing well (figure 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claim(s) 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over van Arkel et al. in view of US 2020/0190952 A1 (Rodrigues et al.).
As concerns claim 13, van Arkel et al. discloses the system of claim 6, wherein a node of the blocking mechanism 19 is coupled to the producing well (see figure 1 at 19), but lacks to expressly disclose a node of a pigging valve associated with the producing well, nevertheless Rodrigues et al. discloses a subsea system for pressurization of a subsea reservoir having interconnected wells 4, 4’ with service line 3 used for pigging operations.
One of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing, would have obviously incorporated the pig valve and apparatus of Rodrigues et al. into the system of van Arkel et al. with a reasonable expectation of success, as this provides the desirable result of facilitating cleaning and purging of the lines, in view of the disclosure of Rodrigues et al.
Claims 11 and 12 merely recite known types of umbilicals that are commonly used in subsea operations that would be selected by a person of ordinary skill in the art to suit a particular subsea application or operation. Please see US 2008/0264642 A1 (Horton), disclosing a subsea control system using service (chemical injection) and electro-hydraulic umbilical (0028, 0029).
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 JAMES G. SAYRE whose telephone number is (571)270-7045. The examiner can normally be reached from 9:30-6:00 Monday-Friday.
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JAMES G. SAYRE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3672
/JAMES G SAYRE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672