DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 Objections
Claims 1, 10 and 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1 and 14: The second recitation of “a wellbore” should recite “the wellbore”.
Claim 10: the recitation of “the other component” should be “the another component”
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-19 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 1, 14 and 17, the claims recite the limitations (or substantially similar to) “an arrangement of insulated drill pipe in the drilling string based on a performance/temperature relationship of a component of the drilling string” and “a characteristic of a flow of fluid through the drilling string based on the performance/temperature relationship” which are indefinite. More specifically, the limitation “based on a performance/temperature relationship of a component” is very vague and unclear because the claim does not specify what type of “performance” is being relied upon and what this limitation requires structurally and/or functionally. Furthermore, it’s further unclear what “temperature relationship” requires as the claim fails to specify the nature, form or mathematical expression of the claimed relationship. It is unclear whether this refers to a ratio, gradient, or a threshold comparison. Furthermore, “a component” is extremely ambiguous as the claim lacks clarity regarding the scope of this term and its relationship to the rest of the claim. The claim further fails to specify which component’s performance/temperature relationship controls the claimed “arrangement”. As such, it’s unclear what specific components are required for the performance/temperature relationship. For the above reasons. the metes and bounds of the claims are indefinite.
Regarding claim 7, the claim recites “cooling the fluid based on the performance/temperature relationship of component using a surface cooler that cools the fluid without a refrigeration cycle” which is indefinite. More specifically, the limitation “ without a refrigeration cycle” causes confusion because it’s unclear what the structural and/or functionally boundaries of this limitation. It’s unclear whether this limitation encompasses heat exchangers, air blower or other thermal management components of a refrigeration cycle and a what point the cooling step crosses the line into “refrigeration cycle”.
Regarding claim 17, there is no antecedent basis for the limitation “the ranging tool”.
Regarding claim 17, the limitation “assembling insulated drill pipe into a drilling string comprising other drilling string” is indefinite. It’s unclear what this limitations is supposed to mean and what this limitation requires structurally and functionally.
Claims 2-13, 15, 16, 18 and 19 are also rejected under this statute as the claims depend from claim 1, 15 or 17.
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) 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Andreychuk (WO 2022155743 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Andreychuk teaches a method, comprising:
configuring, in a drilling string (10) comprising a drill bit (12), an arrangement of insulated drill pipe (pp[0026]) in the drilling string based on a performance/temperature relationship of a component of the drilling string (operating temperature (performance) and temperature relationship; pp[0012], [0107]-[0109], [0201]); and
controlling a characteristic of a flow of fluid through the drilling string (10) based on the performance/temperature relationship while the drilling string (10) is in a wellbore (pp[0119],[0136],[0139],[0141]) and the drilling string (10) being operated in drilling a wellbore (pp[0136]).
Regarding claim 2, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where configuring the arrangement of insulated drill pipe comprises configuring the arrangement of insulated drill pipe based on a specified maximum target operating temperature of the component that is lower than a maximum rated temperature of the component and that corelates to a selected performance of the component (pp[0012], [0015], [0107]-[0109], [0158]).
Regarding claim 3. Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where configuring the arrangement of insulated drill pipe comprises: selecting the insulated drill pipe based on its thermal resistance to heat transfer through the drill pipe, selecting the quantity of the insulated drill pipe relative to other drill pipe in the drilling string, and selecting the location of the insulated drill pipe in the drilling string relative to other drill pipe in the drilling string (pp[0021], [0108], [0113], [0120], [0127], [0128]).
Regarding claim 4, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 3, where configuring the arrangement of insulated drill pipe comprises configuring the arrangement of insulated drill pipe to increase in thermal resistance further from the drill bit (implicit because an uphole portion of the outer tubing string comprises upper tubing string sections having a greater thickness than that of outer tubing string sections downhole; pp[0025]).
Regarding claim 5, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where controlling a characteristic of the flow of fluid comprises selecting the fluid based on the performance/temperature relationship of the component (pp[0126], [0139]).
Regarding claim 6, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where controlling a characteristic of the flow of fluid comprises controlling a fluid diverter in the drilling string based on the performance/temperature relationship of the component to selectively allow at least a portion of the fluid in the drilling string to flow out of the drilling string uphole of a mud motor in the drilling string and into an annulus between the drilling string and the wellbore (pp[0125], Fig. 5B).
Regarding claim 7, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where controlling a characteristic of the flow of fluid comprises cooling the fluid based on the performance/temperature relationship of component using a surface cooler that cools the fluid without a refrigeration cycle (100; pp[0146], Fig. 4A).
Regarding claim 8, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, comprising configuring the arrangement of insulated drill pipe based on a relationship between thermal strain and tensile strength of rock in a target subterranean zone; and controlling the flow fluid through the drilling string based on the relationship between thermal strain and tensile strength of rock in the target subterranean zone concurrently with operating the drilling string to drill an end wall of the wellbore in the target subterranean zone (pp[0201]).
Regarding claim 9, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where controlling the flow of fluid through the drilling string based on the performance/temperature relationship of the component comprises controlling the flow of fluid through the drilling string additionally based on a specified target operating temperature of another component in the drilling string (pp[0012], [0107]-[0109]).
Regarding claim 10, Andreychuk teaches he method of claim 1, comprising: configuring the arrangement of insulated drill pipe among other drill pipe in the drilling string based additionally on a specified target operating temperature of another component in the drilling string (pp[0012], [0107]-[0109]); and controlling a flow rate of fluid through the drilling string based on the specified target operating temperature of the other component (pp[0141]).
Regarding claim 11, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where the component comprises at least one of a logging while drilling tool, a measurement while drilling tool, a mud motor, or a tool comprising a battery(pp[0012], [0107]-[0109]).
Regarding claim 12, Andreychuk teaches (Currently Amended) The method of claim 1, comprising drilling a geothermal well with the drilling string and wherein the wellbore comprises a wellbore of the geothermal well (pp[0105], [0106], [01061]).
Regarding claim 13, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 1, where configuring an arrangement of insulated drill pipe in the drilling string comprises configuring an arrangement of insulated drill pipe among other, uninsulated drill pipe in the drilling string (pp[0021]).
Regarding claim 14, Andreychuk teaches a system, comprising:
a drilling string (10) comprising a component and an arrangement of insulated drill pipe (pp[021], [0107]-[0109]), the arrangement of insulated drill pipe (10) configured based on a performance/temperature relationship of the component (operating temperature (performance) and temperature relationship; pp[0012], [0107]-[0109], [0201]); and
a fluid flow through the drilling string (10), the fluid controlled based on the performance/temperature relationship of the component while the drilling string (10) is in a wellbore (pp[0119],[0136],[0139],[0141]) and the drilling string is being operated drill a wellbore (pp[0136]).
Regarding claim 15, Andreychuk teaches the system of claim 14, where the drilling string comprises a drill bit and the drilling string has an increasing thermal resistance to heat transfer through the drill pipe as the distance from the drill bit increases (implicit because an uphole portion of the outer tubing string comprises upper tubing string sections having a greater thickness than that of outer tubing string sections downhole; pp[0025]).
Regarding claim 16, Andreychuk teaches the system of claim 14, where the drilling string comprises a fluid diverter configured to selectively flow at least a portion of the fluid from the drilling string into an annulus around the drilling string (pp[0125], Fig. 5B).
Regarding claim 17, Andreychuk teaches a method, comprising:
assembling insulated drill pipe into a drilling string (10; pp[0021],[0113]) comprising other drilling string based on a performance/temperature relationship of a component in the drilling string (pp[0107]-[0109]); and
flowing fluid downhole through the drilling string (10) based on the performance/temperature relationship of the ranging tool (pp[0012], [0106]-[0108]) while operating the drilling string to drill a wellbore (pp[0012], [0106]-[0108],[0136]).
Regarding claim 18, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 17, where assembling insulated drill pipe into the drilling string based on a performance/temperature relationship of the component comprises assembling insulated drill pipe into the drilling string based on a specified maximum target operating temperature of the component that is lower than a maximum rated temperature of the component (pp[0012], [0015], [0107]-[0109], [0158]).
Regarding claim 19, Andreychuk teaches the method of claim 18, where assembling insulated drill pipe into the drilling string based on the performance/temperature relationship of the component, comprises assembling insulated drill pipe into the drilling string to increase in thermal resistance to heat transfer through the drilling string based on the performance/temperature relationship of the component (implicit because an uphole portion of the outer tubing string comprises upper tubing string sections having a greater thickness than that of outer tubing string sections downhole; pp[0025]).
Conclusion
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/LAMIA QUAIM/Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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