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 .
Specification
The incorporation of essential material in the specification by reference to an unpublished U.S. application, foreign application or patent, or to a publication is improper. Applicant is required to amend the disclosure to include the material incorporated by reference, if the material is relied upon to overcome any objection, rejection, or other requirement imposed by the Office. The amendment must be accompanied by a statement executed by the applicant, or a practitioner representing the applicant, stating that the material being inserted is the material previously incorporated by reference and that the amendment contains no new matter. 37 CFR 1.57(g).
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 13 and 20 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.
Claims 13 and 20 recite a “packer fluid” and the metes and bounds of what a packer fluid encompasses are unclear. For examination purposes this will be interpreted as a fluid different from the drilling fluid in the well.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 10-14 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2014/0008085 A1 (Tinnen).
As concerns claim 1, Tinnen discloses a subsea completion system comprising: a lower completion assembly (LCA) (illustrated generally at figure 1a-1c at 103 and comprises a production liner, see 0056) comprising a receptacle disposed at a top end of the LCA, wherein the LCA comprises a LCA wall that forms a LCA cavity (the upper completion has a seal stinger 107 which stabs into the LCA, thus reasonably interpreted as a receptacle with a wall and a cavity, see figures 1a-1c); a first barrier 114 disposed within the LCA cavity, wherein the first barrier forms a first fluidic seal with the LCA wall, and wherein the first barrier is configured to open the first fluidic seal when a first differential force applied to the first barrier within the LCA cavity reaches a first threshold value (see the embodiment of figure 13 and figure 14, showing upper barrier 114 and lower barrier 601); an upper completion assembly (UCA) comprising a tubing string disposed toward a bottom end of the UCA, wherein the tubing string comprises a tubing string wall that forms a tubing string cavity (see 0057, the upper completion is the production tubing 106); and a second barrier disposed within the tubing string cavity, wherein the second barrier forms a second fluidic seal with the tubing string wall, and wherein the second barrier is configured to open the second fluidic seal when a second differential force applied to the second barrier within the tubing string cavity reaches a second threshold value (see the embodiment of figure 14 and discussion at 0101, the activation mechanisms for the upper and lower barriers can be the same or different).
As concerns claim 2, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 1, wherein the receptacle comprises a polished bore receptacle (a polished bore receptacle is discussed at 0014).
As concerns claim 3, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 1, wherein the LCA wall has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the tubing string wall (in as much as the UCA (tubing string 106) is stabbed into the LCA).
As concerns claim 4, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 1, wherein the second barrier comprises a glass disc (0011).
As concerns claim 5, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 4, wherein the glass disc is part of a sub integrated with the tubing string (figures 6 through 8 illustrate the barriers integrated with tubing string 106).
As concerns claim 6, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 5, wherein the sub further comprises a shear pin that is configured to shear when the second differential force applied to the second barrier within the tubing string reaches the second threshold value (see figure 12, figure 13 and figure 14, showing shear pins 1203, note 0101, the capacities for the shear pins may be the same or different).
As concerns claim 7, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 6, wherein the sub further comprises a piercing device that is configured to break the glass disc of the second barrier when the glass disc is forced upon the piercing device after the shear pin shears (disclosed at 0011).
As concerns claim 11, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 1, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value (see, 0101, the capacities may be the same or different).
As concerns claim 12, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 1, wherein the UCA and the LCA are disposed within a casing string 102.
As concerns claim 13, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 12, wherein the first barrier prevents a packer fluid disposed between the LCA and the casing string from entering the LCA cavity when the first barrier forms the first fluidic seal with the LCA wall, and wherein the second barrier prevents the packer fluid disposed between the UCA and the casing string from entering the tubing string cavity when the second barrier forms the second fluidic seal with the tubing string wall (0080).
As concerns claim 14, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 12, wherein the first barrier seals a working fluid within the LCA cavity below the first barrier when the first barrier forms the first fluidic seal with the LCA wall, and wherein the second barrier seals the working fluid within the tubing string cavity above the second barrier when the second barrier forms the second fluidic seal with the tubing string wall (0025-0035, as the fluid in the well is different from the fluid between the barriers).
As concerns claim 16, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 1, further comprising: a driving system that is configured to move the UCA within the casing string, wherein the driving system is further configured to lower the bottom end of the tubing string of the UCA into the top end of the receptacle of the LCA (a “driving system” is implicit here, in as much as the upper completion is stabbed into the lower completion, see 0057).
As concerns claim 17, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 16, wherein the driving system is further configured to lower the LCA into place within the casing string prior to lowering the UCA toward the LCA within the casing string (this is also implicit here, as the drawing figures illustrate the LCA in place below the UCA, which is subsequently “stabbed” into the LCA).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tinnen, alone.
As concerns claim 10, Tinnen discloses the subsea completion system of Claim 1, but lacks to explicitly disclose wherein the first barrier comprises a ball valve.
Tinnen does however disclose (at 0007) that ball valves, flapper valves, sliding sleeves or similar were used to provide a barrier system that can be operated to open without the need for physical intervention into the well. Therefore, a ball valve would be an obvious alternative that would be selected by a person of ordinary skill in the art to provide a barrier system that can be utilized without the necessity of a wireline or a completion rig.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 19 is considered ready for allowance at this time, as the claimed method steps, including subsequently inserting the LCA into a casing string after a first differential force is applied to the first barrier, and inserting the UCA is inserted into the casing string after the steps of inserting the LCA into the casing are not disclosed, taught or suggested by the prior art.
The method of claim 20 may be allowable if the claim is amended to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b), as at least the claimed steps of filling the lower completion with working fluid after a first differential force is applied to the first barrier, filling the casing string with packer fluid, subsequently inserting the UCA into the casing and activating a working fluid control system and installing a crown plug are not disclosed, taught or suggested by the prior art.
Claims 8, 9, 15 and 18 are objected to as depending from a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claim, as the features claimed are not disclosed, taught or suggested by the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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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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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JAMES G. SAYRE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3679
/JAMES G SAYRE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679