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 .
The response of September 08, 2026 is acknowledged and has been entered. Independent claims 1 and 7 have been amended. Claims 12-13 have been cancelled. New claims 17-22 have been added. Claims 1-11 and 14-22 are currently pending in the application. New grounds of rejection are provided. The remarks have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 9,181,786 B1 (Portman).
As concerns claim 7, Portman discloses a method for interconnecting producing and injecting wells in pairs to an aggregating component, comprising: interconnecting a producing well 59 with a production aggregating component 43 (figure 1, figure 3), wherein the producing well is an oil, gas, or oil and gas producing well; interconnecting an injecting well 61 with an injection aggregating component 35, wherein the injecting well is configured to inject water, gas, or water and gas into a permeable reservoir; and interconnecting the injecting well with the producing well by a service line 65/67 to form a closed circuit, wherein the producing well and the injecting well are subsea wells (see at least the Abstract, 5:05-14).
As concerns claim 8, Portman 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 (3:40-52).
Claim(s) 7, 9 and 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2020/0190952 A1 (Rodrigues et al.).
As concerns claim 7, Rodrigues 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 5, wherein the producing well is an oil, gas, or oil and gas producing well (as both wells are used for production and injection, the designation is arbitrary); interconnecting an injecting well 4’ with an injection aggregating component 5, wherein the injecting well is configured to inject water, gas, or water and gas into a permeable reservoir; and interconnecting the injecting well with the producing well by a service line 3 to form a closed circuit, (figure 1) wherein the producing well and the injecting well are subsea wells (figure 1).
As concerns claim 9, Rodrigues 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 in a service line the circuit (see, 0046, blocking valves in the circuit are actuated).
As concerns claim 20, Rodrigues et al. discloses the method of claim 7, further comprising carrying out PIG inspection or cleaning without stopping simultaneous injection and production (0023, as illustrated there would be no need to stop injection or production as they can be injected alternately, see at least the abstract).
As concerns claim 21, Rodrigues et al. discloses the method of claim 7, wherein the circuit forms a PIG passage (Id.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-6, 10-11, 14-19 and 22 are considered to be ready for allowance at this time, as the subsea system including the first and second production and injection wells, first and second service lines that form first and second circuits as described in the claim is not disclosed, taught or suggested by the prior art.
Claims 2-6, 10-11, 14-19 and 22 are allowable at least because of their dependence on claim 1.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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
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