Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-03-17)

CLAIMS:
AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS

This listing of claims will replace all prior versions of claims in the application:

Claims:

1\. (Currently Amended) A well system, comprising:
a wellhead arranged at a well surface and having a wellbore extending therefrom, the wellhead including a production tubing head housing;
production casing extending from the wellhead and into the wellbore;
production tubing extending from the production tubing head housing and into the production casing and thereby defining a tubing-casing annulus between the production tubing and the production casing;
a packer set within the tubing\-casing against the production casing and the production tubing;
a corrosion inhibiting completion fluid within the tubing\-casing annulus uphole from the packer;
one or more side outlets extending outwardly from the production tubing head housing at an acute angle and in fluid communication with the tubing-casing annulus;
and a downhole assembly conveyable into the tubing-casing annulus via the one or more side outlets and configured to obtain direct measurements of the tubing- casing annulus.

2\. (Original) The well system of claim 1, wherein each side outlet includes an outlet conduit extending from the production tubing head housing, and a gate valve arranged within the outlet conduit and operable to facilitate introduction of the downhole assembly into the production tubing head housing to access the tubing- casing annulus.

3\. (Original) The well system of claim 1, wherein the downhole assembly is selected from the group consisting of a logging tool, including but not limited to a corrosion logging tool, a gamma ray tool, a noise logging tool, a directional gyro tool,

and similar, as well as a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow meter, and any combination thereof.

4\. (Original) The well system of claim 1, wherein the acute angle ranges between about 100 and about 750.

5\. (Original) The well system of claim 4, wherein the acute angle is 450.

6\. (Original) The well system of claim 1, further comprising a conveyance that introduces the downhole assembly into the tubing casing annulus via the one or more side outlets.

7\. (Original) The well system of claim 6, wherein the conveyance is selected from the group consisting of slickline, digital slickline, wireline, coiled tubing, and any combination thereof.

8\. (Currently Amended) The well system of claim 1,
  wherein the completion fluid comprises a corrosion inhibiting diesel pumped into the tubing-casing annulus, and wherein the downhole assembly obtains the direct measurements of the tubing-casing annulus while immersed in the corrosion inhibiting diesel.

9\. (Original) The well system of claim 1, wherein the production tubing head housing provides a bowl that defines a tubing hanger, and wherein the production tubing is suspended on the tubing hanger, which provides a sealed interface.

10\. (Original) The well system of claim 1, further comprising a casing head housing forming part of the wellhead, wherein the production casing extends from the casing head housing and into the wellbore.

11\. (Original) The well system of claim 1, further comprising a production tree operatively coupled to and in fluid communication with the wellhead via a master valve.

12\. (Currently Amended) A method of obtaining downhole measurements, comprising:
settingi a packer agiainst production casingi and production tubingi in a tubingi- casing annulus of a wellbore extending from a wellhead and including a production tubingi head housingi, the production casingi extendingi from the wellhead and into the wellbore, and the production tubing extending from the production tubing head housingi and into the production casingi and thereby definingi the tubingi\-casingi annulus between the production tubing and the production casing;
pumpingi a corrosion inhibitingi completion fluid into the tubingi\-casingi annulus uphole from the packer;
opening a valve in a side outlet of \[\[a\]\] the production tubing head housing
introducing a downhole assembly into the side outlet, wherein the side outlet extends outwardly from the production tubing head housing at an acute angle and is in fluid communication with the tubing-casing annulus;
conveying the downhole assembly into the tubing-casing annulus via the side outlet; and
obtaining direct measurements of the tubing-casing annulus with the downhole assembly while present within the tubing-casing annulus.

13\. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 12, wherein

pumping the corrosion inhibiting completion fluid includes pumping corrosion inhibiting diesel into the tubing-casing annulus\[\[;\]\]. and wherein the method further comprises obtaining the direct measurements of the tubing-casing annulus while the downhole assembly is immersed in the corrosion inhibiting diesel.

14\. (Original) The method of claim 12, further comprising removing the downhole assembly from the tubing-casing annulus by retracting the conveyance out of the side outlet.

15\. (Original) The method of claim 12, wherein the downhole assembly is selected from the group consisting of a logging tool, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow meter, and any combination thereof.

16\. (Original) The method of claim 11, wherein the acute angle of the side outlet of the production tubing head housing ranges between about 100 and about 750.

17\. (New) The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining direct measurements comprises directly contacting a leak path in the production casing with a temperature sensor of the downhole assembly.

18\. (New) The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining direct measurements comprises detecting a flow of formation fluids into the completion fluid with a flow meter of the downhole assembly.

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The independent claims have been amended to include a packer that is set against the casing and the production tubing, and a corrosion inhibiting fluid is in the annulus above said packer.  US 2696261, which was originally used to reject claims 1 and 12 in the office action mailed on 12/4/2024, does not teach such a packer arrangement. The examiner agrees with the applicant’s remarks that it would not be obvious to modify 2696261 to include a packer because it would defeat the ability of the production tubing to rotate, which is how the line 42 is wound/unwound.  After further search and consideration, the pending claims are deemed to be on condition for allowance.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKS
/
ARGUMENTS
.   General Remarks and Disposition of the Claims
Please consider the application in view of the following remarks. Applicant thanks the Examiner for careful consideration of this application.
At the time of the Office Action, claims 1-16 were pending in this application and claims 1-16 were rejected in the Office Action.
By this paper, claims 1, 8, 12 and 13 have been amended, claims 17 and 18 are newly presented, and no claims have been canceled. These amendments are supported by the specification as filed. All the amendments are made in a good faith effort to advance the prosecution on the merits of this case. It should not be assumed that the amendments made herein were made for reasons related to patentability. Applicant requests that the above amendments be entered and further requests reconsideration in light of the amendments and remarks contained herein. II.  Remarks Regarding Rejections under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102 and 103
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14 and 16 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 2,696,261 Ennis. Claims 3 and 15 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as unpatentable over Ennis in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2003/0010498 to Tolman et al., claims 5 and 7 stand rejected as unpatentable over Ennis in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2017/0204714 to Roesner, claim 11 is rejected as unpatentable over Ennis in view of U.S. Patent No. 4,972,904 to Godare, and claims 8 and 13 are rejected as unpatentable over Ennis in view of U.S. Patent Pub. 2021/0054697 to Dokhon et al.
Applicant respectfully submits that Ennis does not disclose, teach or suggest each and every limitation of independent claims 1 and 12, as amended herein, and moreover, that none of Tolman, Roesner, Godare and/or Dokhon may be properly combined with Ennis to arrive at independent claims 1 and 12. More particularly, Ennis does not describe a "packer set . . . against the production casing and the production tubing" as recited in amended claim 1, or the similar features recited in amended claim 12. Moreover, Applicant submits that any proposed modification of Ennis to arrive at amended claims 1 and 12 would render Ennis unsatisfactory for its intended purpose in opposition to MPEP § 2143.01(V).
According to example embodiments of Applicant's disclosure, a well system 100 includes a wellhead 104 with side outlets 136 as illustrated in FIG. 1, reproduced below. The side outlets 136 extend at an acute angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the wellhead 104 to facilitate conveying a downhole assembly 134 through the wellhead 104 into a tubing-casing annulus 128 as described in paragraphs [0028] and [0032] of Applicant's specification.
1 D4
A packer 146 is s
and production tubing 126 to prevent produced formation fluids from contacting and corroding an interior of the production casing 124 (paragraph [0034]). The packer 146 may also maintain a corrosion inhibiting diesel 148 within the tubing- casing annulus 128, which may facilitate detecting leaks with a temperature sensor
or flow sensor of the downhole assembly 134 as described in paragraph [0032] of Applicant's specification.
In contrast, Ennis describes a well system as illustrated in FIG. 1, reproduced below. The well system includes a rotating head member 15 with a guide sleeve 50 for introducing an instrument 41 into an annulus defined between a casing 10 and tubing 30 (see col. 3, lines 42-56). Any twists or wraps around the tubing 30 that develop in a line 42 carrying the instrument 41 may be unwound by rotating the rotary head member 15 while withdrawing the instrument (col. 3, lines 57-68). The tubing 30 rotates along with the rotary head member 15 (col. 3, lines 23-33) to allow for the line 42 to be unwound from the tubing 30 without lifting the flow tubing or disturbing the well equipment (col. 3, lines 75-79).
o
From Ennis
The Office Action acknowledges that Ennis does not describe deploying a packer into an annulus defined between the casing 10 and the tubing 30 and relies on Dokhon for this feature (page 7 of the Office Action). Applicant respectfully submits that even if Dokhon does describe a packer, that the combination of Dokhon with Ennis would be improper.
MPEP § 2143.01(V) states "[i]f a proposed modification would render the prior art invention being modified unsatisfactory for its intended purpose, then there is no suggestion or motivation to make the proposed modification. In re Gordon, 733 F.2d 900, 221 USPQ 1125 (Fed. Cir. 1984)." Additionally, [i]f the proposed modification or combination of the prior art would change the principle of operation of the prior art invention being modified, then the teachings of the references are not sufficient to render the claims prima facie obvious. In re Ratti, 270 F.2d 810, 123 USPQ 349 (CCPA 1959)."
In the present case, setting a packer against the casing 10 and tubing 30 of Ennis to maintain a corrosion inhibiting diesel within a tubing-casing annulus in the manner recited in claims 1 and 12 would not permit the tubing 30 to rotate along with the rotary head member 15. Those skilled in the art recognize that packers are generally expanded radially outward in a wellbore with hydraulic pressure or other means to create a tight seal against the wellbore tubulars. Maintaining a tight seal would frustrate the rotation of the tubing 30 for the stated purpose of unwinding the line 42 from the tubing.
As such, Applicant respectfully submits that a person of ordinary skill in the art would not have a reason to combine these features and that further, the combination thereof would frustrate the principle of operation of Ennis.
Therefore, Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of the rejections of independent claims 1 and 12 as anticipated by Ennis under 35 U.S.C. § 102, and/or the rejections of claims 2-11 and 13-16, which depend from claims 1 or 12, as either anticipated by Ennis and/or being unpatentable over Ennis in view of Tolman, Roesner, Godare and/or Dokhon under 35 U.S.C. § 103.
III. Remarks Regarding Newly Presented Claims 17 and 18
Claims 17 and 18 are generally directed detecting a leak path in the casing 124 by submerging a temperature sensor or flow sensor into the completion fluid (diesel 148) in direct contact with the leak path as described at least in paragraph [0030] of Applicant's specification.  Applicant submits that the Applicant's specification as originally filed fully supports new claims 17 and 18. Also, Applicant submits that claims 17 and 18 are allowable for at least the reasons independent claim 12, from which claims 17 and 18 depend, is allowable as described above. Accordingly, Applicant requests entry and allowance of newly presented claims 17 and 18.
SUMMARY
In light of the above, Applicant respectfully requests reconsideration and withdrawal of the outstanding rejections. Applicant further submits that the application is now in condition for allowance. Should the Examiner have any questions, comments or suggestions, the Examiner is invited to contact the attorney of record by telephone, facsimile, or electronic mail.
Applicant believes that no fees are due with this response. Should the Commissioner deem that any fees are due, including any fees for extensions of time, Applicant requests that the Commissioner accept this as a Petition Therefore, and direct that any additional fees be charged to Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP Account No. 220585, Order Number 074940-000209.
Respectfully submitted,


CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US2696261: Claims:
1. In combination in a well head structure: a mounting member adapted to be mounted on the top of a well casing and having an opening to align with the bore of said casing for the passage of tubing and instruments through said opening into said casing; a rotary tubing headmounted in` oifset relation to the casing opening in said mounting member and having a tubing-receiving passage smaller than said casing opening; and bearing means rotatably mounting said tubing head on said? mounting member with said tubing-receiving passage opposing a portion of said casing opening, and eccentric to said casing opening, whereby tubing supported in said tubingreceiving passage depends eccentricallyy into said casing, said tubing head having a second passage spaced from said tubing-receiving passage and within said bearing means for passage of an instrument` and a, line` therethrough into said casing, said' second passage being rotatable in a path around said tubing-receiving passage as said head is rotated on saidv bearing means.
2. A combination asin claim. l. wherein said tubingreceiving passage is disposed adjacent the center of said head with its axis slightly eccentric to the center of rotation of said head whereby rotationL of said head shifts the position ofsaid tubing iny said. caisng.
3. A combination asy in claimi l wherein. said tubingreceiving passage presents the center line of said' tubing in coincidence` with the center of rotation of said head and whereby rotation of said head to rotate said second passage leaves said tubing in its initialposition with rethe position of saidtubing in said casing.
4. A combination as in claim lI includingv means for supporting said tubing on said rotary head.
5. A combination as in claim 1 including. a. fitting mounted in said second passage for passage therethrough of said instrument and line.
6. A combination as in claim l including a lubricator tting on said. head at saidsecond passage for introduction of said instrument and line. without substantial pressure loss.
7. A combination comprising.: a Well casing; mounting means mounted uponsaid well casing` in sealed relation tolv the top thereof, said mounting means having an opening therethrough aligned with the casing bore; a rotary tubing head mounted on said mounting means with its axis eccentric tothe axis of said easing, said head having a` tubing opening and an instrument and line opening therethrough, said tubing opening being smalfer than said casing bore and being disposed eccentrically to said casing bore and overlying a portion thereof, and said instrument and line opening being spaced fromv said tubing opening and positioned for passage of said instrument and line into said casing; tubing supported on said head at said tubing opening and depending into said casing; and bearing means rotatably mounting said head on said mounting means, whereby said instrument line opening may be rotated about said tubing and its opening.
8. A combination as in claim 7 wherein the axis of said tubing coincides With the center of rotation of said bearing means.
9. A combination as in claim 7 wherein the axis of said tubing is offset with respect to the: axis of rotation of said head, whereby rotation of said head shifts the position of said tubing in said casing.
10. A combination as in claimA 7 wherein said tubing opening is located approximately centrally of said head.
11. A combination as in claim 7 including a fitting carried by said head in communication with said instrument and line opening to pass said instrument and line therethrough. l2. A combination as in claim 7 including a closure fitting mounted on said head in sealing relation with said instrument and line opening and adapted to pass said instrument and line with minimum loss of pressure from said Well casing.
13. A rotary tubing head for oil wells comprising in combination: a mounting member having an opening adapted for registration with the bore of a well casing; a rotary head member rotatable on said mounting member; and bearing means rotatably mounting said rotary head member on said mounting member, said head member having a rst aperture therein of smaller diameter than said Casing and opening to receive and suspend therefrom a ow tubing hanging in said casing, said head member also having a second aperture therein spaced from said rst aperture for passage of an instrument and its supporting line into said opening and casing in the annulus between said tubing and casing.
14. A combination as in claim 13 wherein said first aperture is eccentric to said opening and casing.
15. A combination as in claim 13 wherein the center of rotation of said bearing means is eccentric to said casing and opening.
16. In combination in a well head structure: a mounting member adapted to be mounted on the top of a well casing and having an opening to align With the bore of said casing for the passage of` tubing and instruments through said opening into said casing; a rotary tubing head mounting in off-set relation to the casing opening in said mounting member and having a tubing-receiving passage smaller than said casing opening; and bearing means rotatably mounting said tubing head on said mounting member with said tubing-receiving passage opposing a portion of said casing opening and eccentric to said casing opening, whereby tubing supported in said tubingreceiving passage depends eccentrically into said casing, means for supporting said tubing on said rotary head, said tubing head having a second passage spaced from said tubing-receiving passage and Within said bearing means for passage of an instrument and a line therethrough into said casing, said second passage being rotatable in a path around said tubing-receiving passage as said head is rotated on said bearing means.