Detailed Action
Status of Claims
This is the first office action on the merits. Claims 1-18 are currently pending and addressed below.
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 §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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 7, and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roycroft (US PUB NO 20160341195 A1).
Roycroft discloses in claim 1: A plunger lift lubricator comprising: a housing defining (Roycroft Fig 2; 102) a central receiving passage (Roycroft Fig 2; 202) and internal flow passages (Roycroft Fig 2; 204a & 204b) fluidically connected to the central receiving passage (Roycroft Fig 9); a receiving spring (Roycroft Fig 2; 216) at an uphole end of the lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2); and a plunger catcher (Roycroft [0033] plunger catch)
Roycroft discloses in claim 7: A method comprising: receiving a plunger (Roycroft Fig 1; 116) from a wellbore (Roycroft Fig 1 well bore) by a plunger lubricator (Roycroft Fig 1; 102); receiving fluid (Roycroft Fig 1; 120), by the plunger lubricator (Roycroft [0032] operation of a plunger lift system in wellbore fluid removal), from the wellbore; and directing fluid by internal flow passages (Roycroft Fig 9 ;204a-b) within the lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2 fluid flows from the wellbore out of channels 204a-b) .
Roycroft discloses in claim 9: The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the plunger comprises: receiving the plunger by an inlet of the plunger lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2; 206); receiving fluid (Roycroft Fig 2; 120), traveling ahead of the plunger (Roycroft Fig 2), by a first inlet and a second inlet (Roycroft Fig 9; 204a-b); and receiving fluid (Roycroft [0038] injection fluid), traveling behind the plunger, by the first inlet and by the second inlet (Roycroft [0038] injection fluid pumped down with the plunger).
Roycroft discloses in claim 10: The method of claim 7, further comprising: retaining the plunger by the plunger lubricator (Roycroft [0033] plunger catch).
Roycroft discloses in claim 11: A plunger lift system comprising: a production wellbore (Roycroft Fig 1, wellbore); a production tree (Roycroft Fig 2; 200) at an uphole end of the production wellbore (Roycroft Fig 2); a plunger lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2; 102) atop the production tree (Roycroft Fig 2), the plunger lubricator comprising: a housing (Roycroft Fig 2; 102) defining a central receiving passage (Roycroft Fig 2; 202) and internal flow passages (Roycroft Fig 2; 204a & 204b) fluidically connected to the central receiving passage (Roycroft Fig 9); a receiving spring (Roycroft Fig 2; 216) at an uphole end of the plunger lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2); a plunger catcher (Roycroft [0033] plunger catch); and a plunger (Roycroft Fig 2; 218) configured to traverse the wellbore and be received and retained by the plunger lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2; 218 travels the length of the wellbore).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious in view Roycroft (US PUB NO 20160341195 A1) in view of Boyd.
(102) Roycroft discloses in claim 8: The method of claim 7, further comprising: detecting a pressure drop; ceasing fluid flow within the wellbore in response to the detected pressure drop; and releasing the plunger by the plunger lubricator (Claim 8, under broadest reasonable interpretation, cover the operation of a plunger lift system. In particular, the plunger lift system of Roycroft meets the limitations of the claim in operation. Roycroft [0004] the plunger lift system of Roycroft meets the limitations of the claim in operation as follows; The plunger will not drop until a pressure drop occurs that allows it to drop down the wellbore, as no means of detecting it is claimed, merely the existence of the pressure reduction which allows the plunger to fall would be a detection event. Furthermore fluid flow would cease in the well bore as the plunger is dropped, as that is the purpose of the plunger, to build hydrostatic pressure downhole until a point the hydrostatic pressure is high enough to lift the plunger back up the wellbore. Furthermore, releasing the plunger is not claimed in any particular order, as the release is not claimed to be dependent on the detected pressure drop, a timed plunger release would meet the limitation of releasing the plunger at any point in the claim limitations).
(103) In the alternative, Roycroft discloses in claim 8: releasing the plunger by the plunger lubricator (Roycroft [0033] plunger catch and release). Roycroft does not explicitly disclose detecting a pressure drop or ceasing wellbore fluid flow.
However, Boyd discloses a plunger lift system that: detecting a pressure drop (Boyd [0023] optimizing flow rates based on predetermined range of values, one of the values being tubing and or casing pressure or pressure differential); ceasing fluid flow within the wellbore in response to the detected pressure drop (Boyd [0012] as pressure drops and plunger sits at the bottom, plunger forms a seal stopping fluid flow from within the wellbore to rebuild pressure to lift the plunger again);
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the lubricator of Roycroft to include the plunger lift control and sensor system of Boyd to the lubricator of Roycroft since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination would result in the predictable result of optimizing production from the wellbore.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or
Non-obviousness.
Claims 2,4-6, 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roycroft (US PUB NO 20160341195 A1) in view of Boyd (US Pub No 20210071505 A1)
Roycroft discloses in claim 2: The plunger lubricator of claim 1, wherein the internal flow passages comprise: a first fluid passage (Roycroft Fig 9; 906a) defining an first inlet within the central passage (Roycroft [0046] connecting to the central passage), the first inlet configured to receive production fluid from the central passage (Roycroft [0037] production flow of fluid out); and a second fluid passage (Roycroft Fig 9; 906b) defining a second inlet uphole of the first inlet (Roycroft Fig 9), the second inlet configured to receive production fluid from the central passage (Roycroft [0046] connecting to the central passage),
Roycroft discloses the use of a plunger system, but does not elaborate further on the surface system.
However, Boyd discloses a plunger lift system where: the second fluid passage converging with the first fluid passage (Boyd Fig 2; 212a and 212b converge to 214).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Roycroft to include further surface connections converging the two passages as taught by Boyd for the purpose of directing fluid and gas flow to storage with a reasonable expectation of success.
Roycroft discloses in claim 4: The plunger lubricator of claim 2, wherein the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet are spaced apart a distance greater than a length of a plunger to be used with the lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2; 218 length is less than the length between 204b and 204a).
With respect to claim 5 Roycroft discloses the use of a plunger lift assembly system of claim 1, but does not disclose the use of a controller in combination with the plunger lift assembly.
However, Boyd discloses: further comprising a controller (Boyd Fig 4 206 controller) configured to: receive a first signal indicative of a pressure within a wellbore (Boyd [0023] tubing pressure monitored); determine that the pressure within the wellbore has fallen below a first specified threshold based on the first received signal (Boyd [0014] production flow rate monitored, influenced by [0021] well pressure increasing flow rate 80); send a second signal to an actuator, the second signal configured to actuate the actuator to release a plunger into the wellbore (Boyd [0018] Controller 206 releasing the plunger); send a third signal to a control valve (Boyd fig 4; 214), the third signal configured to actuate the control valve to cease flow within the wellbore (Boyd [0018] Controller opens and closes motor valve ceasing flow from the valve); after ceasing flow within the wellbore, determine that the pressure within the wellbore has risen above a second specified threshold based on the first received signal (Boyd [0019] pressure raises as the well is shut in until it reaches a point to lift the plunger); and send a fourth signal to the control valve, the fourth signal configured to actuate the control valve to re-start flow within the wellbore (Boyd [0019] pressure raises as the well is shut in until it reaches a point to lift the plunger and start the cycle again.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a controller and the associated logic system, valves and sensors as taught by Boyd in the plunger lift system of Roycroft, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination with a reasonable expectation of success in the predictable result of controlling the plunger lift of Roycroft utilizing the controller system and surface equipment of Boyd.
Roycroft and Boyd disclose in claim 6: The plunger lubricator of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive a fifth signal indicative of a plunger presence within the lubricator (Boyd fig 2; 208 [0013] arrival sensor); and determine the presence of the plunger within the lubricator based on the received fifth signal (Boyd fig 2; 208 [0013] arrival sensor).
Roycroft discloses in claim 12: The plunger lift system of claim 11, wherein the internal flow passages comprise: a first fluid passage (Roycroft Fig 9; 906a) defining an first inlet within the central passage (Roycroft [0046] connecting to the central passage), the first inlet configured to receive production fluid from the central passage (Roycroft [0037] production flow of fluid out); and a second fluid passage (Roycroft Fig 9; 906b) defining a second inlet uphole of the first inlet (Roycroft Fig 9), the second inlet configured to receive production fluid from the central passage (Roycroft [0046] connecting to the central passage).
Roycroft discloses the use of a plunger system, but does not elaborate further on the surface system.
However, Boyd discloses a plunger lift system where: the second fluid passage converging with the first fluid passage (Boyd Fig 2; 212a and 212b converge to 214).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Roycroft to include further surface connections converging the two passages as taught by Boyd for the purpose of directing fluid and gas flow to storage with a reasonable expectation of success.
Roycroft and Boyd disclose in claim 13: The plunger lift system of claim 12, wherein the first fluid inlet and the second fluid inlet are spaced apart a distance greater than a length of a plunger to be used with the lubricator (Roycroft Fig 2; 218 length is less than the length between 204b and 204a).
With respect to claim 14, Roycroft and Boyd disclose the use of a plunger lift assembly system of claim 12, but does not disclose the use of a controller in combination with the plunger lift assembly.
However, Boyd discloses: further comprising a controller (Boyd Fig 4 206 controller) configured to: receive a first signal indicative of a pressure within a wellbore (Boyd [0023] tubing pressure monitored); determine that the pressure within the wellbore has fallen below a first specified threshold based on the first received signal (Boyd [0014] production flow rate monitored, influenced by [0021] well pressure increasing flow rate 80); send a second signal to an actuator, the second signal configured to actuate the actuator to release a plunger into the wellbore (Boyd [0018] Controller 206 releasing the plunger); send a third signal to a control valve (Boyd fig 4; 214), the third signal configured to actuate the control valve to cease flow within the wellbore (Boyd [0018] Controller opens and closes motor valve ceasing flow from the valve); after ceasing flow within the wellbore, determine that the pressure within the wellbore has risen above a second specified threshold based on the first received signal (Boyd [0019] pressure raises as the well is shut in until it reaches a point to lift the plunger); and send a fourth signal to the control valve, the fourth signal configured to actuate the control valve to re-start flow within the wellbore (Boyd [0019] pressure raises as the well is shut in until it reaches a point to lift the plunger and start the cycle again.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a controller and the associated logic system, valves and sensors as taught by Boyd in the plunger lift system of Roycroft, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination with a reasonable expectation of success in the predictable result of controlling the plunger lift of Roycroft utilizing the controller system and surface equipment of Boyd.
Roycroft and Boyd disclose in claim 15: The plunger lift system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive a fifth signal indicative of a plunger presence within the lubricator (Boyd fig 2; 208 [0013] arrival sensor); and determine the presence of the plunger within the lubricator based on the received fifth signal (Boyd fig 2; 208 [0013] arrival sensor).
Claims 3 & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roycroft (US PUB NO 20160341195 A1) in view of Boyd (US Pub No 20210071505 A1) in further view of Majek (US Pat No 5957200)
Roycroft and Boyd disclose in claim 3: The plunger lubricator of claim 2, wherein the housing further defines an outlet (Roycroft Fig 2; 204a & 204b) configured to direct well fluid from the first fluid passage and the second fluid passage.
Roycroft in view of Boyd does not disclose the use of a conditioning system on the surface.
However, Majek discloses a plunger lift system directed: to a conditioning system (Majek Fig 1; 42)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a conditioning system as taught by Majek in the system of Roycroft in view of Boyd, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination would result with a reasonable expectation of success in the predictable result of separating fluids, gasses and solids in a separator system of Majek.
Roycroft and Boyd disclose in claim 16: The plunger lift system of claim 14, the controller (Boyd Fig 4 206 controller)
Roycroft and Boyd do not disclose the power source for the controller.
However, Majek discloses a controller: comprising a solar panel (Majek Fig 4b; 217 solar voltage panel), coupled to the solar panel configured to provide power to the controller (Majek Fig 4b; 217 solar voltage panel col 4 line 40-42 connected to electronics).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a solar panel as taught by Majek in the system of Roycroft in view of Boyd, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination would result with a reasonable expectation of success in the predictable result of powering the controller in the combination of Roycroft and Boyd.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Roycroft (US PUB NO 20160341195 A1) in view of Majek (US Pat No 5957200)
Roycroft discloses in claim 17: The plunger lift system of claim 11 but does not disclose the use of conditioning system on the surface.
However, Majek discloses: further comprising a conditioning system configured to condition production fluids directed by the lubricator (Majek Fig 1; 77).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a conditioning system as taught by Majek in the system of Roycroft, since the claimed invention is merely a combination of old elements, and in the combination each element merely would have performed the same function as it did separately, and one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the combination would result with a reasonable expectation of success in the predictable result of separating fluids, gasses and solids in a separator system of Majek
Roycroft and Majek disclose in claim 18: The plunger lift system of claim 17, wherein the housing further defines an outlet configured to direct well fluid to a conditioning system (Majek Fig 1; 42).
Conclusion
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/NICHOLAS D WLODARSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
/Nicole Coy/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672