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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vera (U.S Patent 11,193,368) (“Vera”) in view of Solovyeva et al (U.S Patent 11,846,179) (“Solovyeva”).
Regarding Claim 1, Vera discloses a method of manufacturing a tracer pill (Abstract; Fig 1 and 2; Col 2, lines 19-25), comprising:
filling at least a portion of a volume of a shell formed of a thermoresponsive material (Col 2, lines 19-25 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a shell surrounding a core, wherein the external surface of the shell comprises a polymer) with a tracer material (Abstract; Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 42-55 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a core containing a fluorescent cell and colorant or fluorophone (preferably fluorescent particles), wherein the fluorescent cell comprises a polynucleotide tracer material), the shell comprising at least one open end and at least one closed end (Figure 1; Col 5, lines 15-35 and lines 60-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses wherein the functionalization region on the outer surface of the polymeric shell comprises a molecular structure having functional groups with negative charges and positive charges); and
sealing the tracer material within the shell by closing the at least one open end to form a tracer pill (Abstract; Col 6, lines 20-40 and lines 59-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses encapsulating the polynucleotide of the silica matrix so that the molecules are protected due to the reduced permeability of the silicon dioxide matrix inside the tracer pill).
Vera, however, fails to expressly disclose wherein the tracer pill is specifically a drill cuttings tracer pill.
Solovyeva teaches the methods above of manufacturing specifically a drill cuttings tracer pill (Abstract; Col 1, lines 45-55; Col 2, lines 1-16 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Solovyeva teaches this limitation by manufacturing labeled drill cuttings, wherein the labeled drill cuttings comprise of a fluorescent COF tracer in the drill cuttings) for the purpose of utilizing the drill cuttings tracers that are labeled with a fluorescent covalent organic framework downhole in order to obtain information regarding the depth of drill cuttings in a formation downhole (Col 2, lines 17-35).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Vera to include manufacturing a drill cuttings tracer pill, as taught by Solovyeva, because doing so would help to utilize the drill cuttings tracers downhole in order to determine the depth of drill cuttings in formations downhole.
Regarding Claim 2, Vera discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the thermoresponsive material comprises a thermoplastic polymer (Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 10-35 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a shell surrounding a core, wherein the external surface of the shell comprises a polymer).
Regarding Claim 3, Vera discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyolefin, fluoropolymer, polyvinyl chloride, neoprene, silicone elastomer, and Viton (Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 10-35 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a shell surrounding a core, wherein the external surface of the shell comprises a polymer).
Regarding Claim 4, Vera discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the tracer material comprises a solid tracer material (Abstract; Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 42-55 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a core containing a fluorescent cell and colorant or fluorophone (preferably fluorescent particles), wherein the fluorescent cell comprises a polynucleotide tracer material).
Regarding Claim 5, Vera discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the tracer material is defined by a particular fluorescent color (Abstract; Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 42-55 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a core containing a fluorescent cell and colorant or fluorophone (preferably fluorescent particles), wherein the fluorescent cell comprises a polynucleotide tracer material).
Regarding Claim 6, Vera discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises a tube having one open end and one closed end (Figure 1; Col 5, lines 15-35 and lines 60-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses wherein the functionalization region on the outer surface of the polymeric shell comprises a molecular structure having functional groups with negative charges and positive charges), and the step of sealing the tracer material within the shell by closing the at least one open end to form the drill cuttings tracer pill comprises sealing the one open end of the tube to enclose the tracer material within the shell (Abstract; Col 6, lines 20-40 and lines 59-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses encapsulating the polynucleotide of the silica matrix so that the molecules are protected due to the reduced permeability of the silicon dioxide matrix inside the tracer pill).
Regarding Claim 7, Vera discloses the method of claim 6, wherein sealing the one open end of the tube comprises heat sealing the one open end of the tube (Abstract; Col 6, lines 20-40 and lines 59-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses encapsulating the polynucleotide of the silica matrix so that the molecules are protected due to the reduced permeability of the silicon dioxide matrix inside the tracer pill).
Regarding Claim 8, Vera in view of Solovyeva teach the method of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises two hemispheres, each hemisphere having an open end and a closed end, and the step of sealing the tracer material within the shell by closing the at least one open end to form the drill cuttings tracer pill comprises sealing the open ends of the two hemispheres together to enclose the tracer material within the shell (Figure 1; Col 5, lines 15-35 and lines 60-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses wherein the functionalization region on the outer surface of the polymeric shell comprises a molecular structure having functional groups with negative charges and positive charges).
Regarding Claim 9, Solovyeva teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the open ends of the two hemispheres together comprises heat sealing the open ends of the two hemispheres together to form a sealed seam of the shell (Figure 1; Col 5, lines 15-35 and lines 60-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses wherein the functionalization region on the outer surface of the polymeric shell comprises a molecular structure having functional groups with negative charges and positive charges).
Regarding Claim 10, Vera discloses a tracer pill (Abstract; Fig 1 and 2; Col 2, lines 19-25), comprising:
a shell or coating formed of a thermoresponsive material (Col 2, lines 19-25 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a shell surrounding a core, wherein the external surface of the shell comprises a polymer); and
a tracer material enclosed within the shell (Abstract; Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 42-55 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a core containing a fluorescent cell and colorant or fluorophone (preferably fluorescent particles), wherein the fluorescent cell comprises a polynucleotide tracer material).
Vera, however, fails to expressly disclose wherein the tracer pill is specifically a drill cuttings tracer pill.
Solovyeva teaches the methods above of manufacturing specifically a drill cuttings tracer pill (Abstract; Col 1, lines 45-55; Col 2, lines 1-16 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Solovyeva teaches this limitation by manufacturing labeled drill cuttings, wherein the labeled drill cuttings comprise of a fluorescent COF tracer in the drill cuttings) for the purpose of utilizing the drill cuttings tracers that are labeled with a fluorescent covalent organic framework downhole in order to obtain information regarding the depth of drill cuttings in a formation downhole (Col 2, lines 17-35).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified Vera to include manufacturing a drill cuttings tracer pill, as taught by Solovyeva, because doing so would help to utilize the drill cuttings tracers downhole in order to determine the depth of drill cuttings in formations downhole.
Regarding Claim 11, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 10, wherein the thermoresponsive material forms the shell (Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 10-35 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a shell surrounding a core, wherein the external surface of the shell comprises a polymer).
Regarding Claim 12, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 11, wherein the shell comprises at least one open end and at least one closed end (Figure 1; Col 5, lines 15-35 and lines 60-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses wherein the functionalization region on the outer surface of the polymeric shell comprises a molecular structure having functional groups with negative charges and positive charges).
Regarding Claim 13, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 12, wherein the tracer material is sealed within the shell by closing the at least one open end (Abstract; Col 6, lines 20-40 and lines 59-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses encapsulating the polynucleotide of the silica matrix so that the molecules are protected due to the reduced permeability of the silicon dioxide matrix inside the tracer pill).
Regarding Claim 14, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 13, wherein the seal comprises a heat seal of the at least one open end (Abstract; Col 6, lines 20-40 and lines 59-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses encapsulating the polynucleotide of the silica matrix so that the molecules are protected due to the reduced permeability of the silicon dioxide matrix inside the tracer pill).
Regarding Claim 15, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 10, wherein the thermoresponsive material comprises a thermoplastic polymer (Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 10-35 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a shell surrounding a core, wherein the external surface of the shell comprises a polymer).
Regarding Claim 16, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 16, wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyolefin, fluoropolymer, polyvinyl chloride, neoprene, silicone elastomer, and Viton (Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 10-35 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a shell surrounding a core, wherein the external surface of the shell comprises a polymer).
Regarding Claim 17, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 10, wherein the tracer material comprises a solid tracer material (Abstract; Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 42-55 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a core containing a fluorescent cell and colorant or fluorophone (preferably fluorescent particles), wherein the fluorescent cell comprises a polynucleotide tracer material).
Regarding Claim 18, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 10, wherein the tracer material is defined by a particular fluorescent color (Abstract; Col 2, lines 19-25; Col 5, lines 42-55 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses a nanotracer comprising a core containing a fluorescent cell and colorant or fluorophone (preferably fluorescent particles), wherein the fluorescent cell comprises a polynucleotide tracer material).
Regarding Claim 19, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 11, wherein the shell comprises two hemispheres, each hemisphere having an open end and a closed end, and the tracer material is sealed within the shell by sealing the open ends of the two hemispheres together to enclose the tracer material within the shell (Figure 1; Col 5, lines 15-35 and lines 60-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses wherein the functionalization region on the outer surface of the polymeric shell comprises a molecular structure having functional groups with negative charges and positive charges).
Regarding Claim 20, Vera discloses the drill cuttings tracer pill of claim 19, wherein the open ends of the two hemispheres together comprises heat sealing the open ends of the two hemispheres together to form a sealed seam of the shell (Figure 1; Col 5, lines 15-35 and lines 60-67 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Vera discloses wherein the functionalization region on the outer surface of the polymeric shell comprises a molecular structure having functional groups with negative charges and positive charges).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Poitzsch et al (U.S Patent 11,773,715) – discloses methods and system for injecting multiple tracer tag fluids into the wellbore including synthesized polymeric nanoparticles suspended in a solution (Abstract; Col 2, lines 18-33).
Contreras et al (U.S Patent 10,787,600) – discloses methods of encapsulating solid cement additives by applying a base film-forming monomer to the solid cement additive (Abstract; Col 5, lines 20-46).
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