US PATENT SUBCLASS 507 / 100
EARTH BORING

Current as of: June, 1999
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507 /   HD   EARTH BORING, WELL TREATING, AND OIL FIELD CHEMISTRY

100EARTH BORING {4}
101  DF  .~> Contains enzyme or living microorganism
102  DF  .~> Contains intended gaseous phase at entry into wellbore
103  DF  .~> Contains organic component {14}
140  DF  .~> Contains inorganic component other than water or clay {5}

DEFINITION

Classification: 507/100

EARTH BORING:

(under the class definition) Earth boring composition which is (a) a liquid, gas, or fluid solid composition or compositional additive therefor which is specialized and designed for use in earth boring while drilling is in progress, e.g., a well drilling mud; (b) process of preparing said composition; or (c) mere method of use of said composition or a compound for the purpose of (a) above.

(1) Note. An earth boring additive consisting of a single compound is classified in one of the compound classes (e.g., Classes 260, 423, etc.).

(2) Note. Examples of compositional additives included in this and the indented subclasses: filter/water loss reducing agents, lost circulation controlling agents, packer fluids, corrosion inhibitors, gas hydrate inhibitors, lubricant additives for prevention of stuck pipe, other agents disclosed as useful in the physical or chemical control of the well fluid or borehole environment while drilling.

(3) Note. Methods of use included in this and the indented subclasses are those whose operative steps are limited to: (a) preparative steps of the fluid or additive prior to or concurrent with injection into the wellbore, (b) mere circulation or injection of a compound or composition while drilling, or (c) mere mixing of a compound or composition with a circulating fluid.

The mere circulation of a drilling fluid encompasses the pumping of said fluid into and out of the wellbore and returning said fluid back into the well. The recitation of a universal practice, such as the mere removal of cuttings from the fluid, does not take a method claim out of this subclass.

Required characteristics of the borehole environment will not take a method claim out of this subclass, e.g., temperature, presence of specific materials, or conditions of the earthen formation. (4) Note. Where a component is generically presented in inconsistent or functional terms (e.g., surfactant, fluid loss control agent, etc.) in some of the claims, any material(s) later specified as encompassed within the scope

of said terms will limit said terms for classification purposes. For example, if claim 1 calls for a surfactant and claim 2 specifies the surfactant as being a PEG ether, and there are no other claims specifying the surfactant differently, then the original claim is classified in subclass 136 and the general rules of cross-referencing still follow.

(5) Note. The following rule applies to subclasses 101-139. Traditional rules of classification require no mandatory cross-references beyond the lowest controlling claim covered by this schedule. It is strongly recommended that documents be cross-referenced according to all appropriate subclasses, mandatory or not, based on all discrete organic components of the claimed composition. For example, a composition comprising hydroxyethylcellulose, a higher fatty acid, and lignite is classified in subclass 107 as the original and additional cross-references in subclasses 114 and 138 are highly recommended.

(6) Note. When both ions of a salt are organic, each ion is classifiable as a separate component. This is based on the fact that when in solution the two ions of a salt separate into two distinct components, each one having a distinct function. For example in this schedule, fatty acid salts of imidazoline are classified first on the nitrogen-containing imidazoline cation and second on the fatty acid anion. However, if a salt is presented that contains an organic ion with an organic counterion alternatively with an inorganic counterion and the organic counterion is not controlling for classification purposes, then only the former organic ion will be classified.

(7) Note. Lost circulation agents are included herein which may or may not be used while drilling is in progress. There is sufficient confusion over the difference between lost circulation and fluid loss to warrant the above exception.

(8) Note. Patents are classified in this and the indented subclasses based on the materials introduced into the wellbore.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

166, Wells,

244.1+, for well processes involving more manipulative detail than in (3) Note, above.

175, Boring or Penetrating the Earth, for processes involving a positive recitation of boring or cutting the earth and the (3) Note, above;

42, for processes of testing, measuring, etc., by release of an indicating agent in the drilling fluid; subclass 53 for processes of enlarging an existing borehole; subclass 54 for processes of fluid circulation entirely below ground;

subclasses 58+ for processes comprising earth sampling steps; subclasses 61+ for directional drilling processes; subclass 64 for processes comprising a chemical reaction in situ; subclasses 65+ for processes of boring with fluid involving more than the conventional use of fluid; subclass 66 for processes of treating spent or used fluid which has been returned to the earth surface from the borehole; subclass 67 for processes involving fluid erosion; subclass 68 for processes of treating a gaseous drilling fluid to prevent agglomerating or werting by liquid naturally on the borehole; subclass 69 for processes comprising the use of liquid and gaseous materials; subclass 70 for processes comprising drilling with two or more liquids which remain separated in the borehole; subclass 71 for processes of drilling with a gaseous fluid; subclass 72 for processes to prevent circulation losses. 260, Chemistry, Carbon Compounds, for preparative methods of organic carbon compounds devoid of a method of use step in earth boring.

423, Chemistry, Inorganic, for preparative methods of inorganic compounds devoid of a method of use step in earth boring.

508, Solid Antifriction Devices, Materials Therefor, Lubricant and Separant Compositions for Moving Solid Surfaces, and Miscellaneous Mineral Oil Compositions, particularly

110+, for lubricants in general.

516, Colloid Systems and Wetting Agents; Subcombinations Thereof; Processes of Making, Stabilizing, Breaking, or Inhibiting, appropriate subclasses for subject matter relating to: colloid systems (such as sols*, emulsions, dispersions, foams, aerosols, smokes, gels, or pastes) or wetting agents (such as leveling, penetrating, or spreading); subcombination compositions of colloid systems containing at least an agent specialized and designed for or peculiar to use in making or stabilizing colloid systems; compositions and subcombination compositions specialized and designed for or peculiar to use in breaking (resolving) or inhibiting colloid systems; processes of making the compositions or systems of the class; processes of breaking (resolving) or inhibiting colloid systems; in each instance, when generically claimed or when there is no hierarchically superior provision in the USPC for the specifically claimed art.