US PATENT SUBCLASS 507 / 200
WELL TREATING

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

200WELL TREATING {4}
201  DF  .~> Contains enzyme or living micro-organism
202  DF  .~> Contains intended gaseous phase at entry into wellbore
203  DF  .~> Contains organic component {17}
269  DF  .~> Contains inorganic component other than water or clay {8}

DEFINITION

Classification: 507/200

WELL TREATING:

(under the class definition) Well treating compositions which are (a) liquid, gas, or fluid solid (e.g., powder, etc.) compositions or compositional additives therefor and which are specialized and designed for use in well treating; (b) processes of preparing such compositions; or (c) mere methods of use of said compositions or of a compound for the purpose of (a) above.

(1) Note. This subclass and those indented hereunder also include those processes of treating wells which are distinguished primarily by the compositions employed and do not include any significant manipulative step. The inclusion of the broad steps of introducing the composition into a

well, producing the well, or the broad removal of the spent material from the well in a conventional manner will not take a patent out of this or the indented subclasses. See the SEARCH CLASS reference to Class 507 which is found in Class 166, subclass 244.1, for further discussion of significant manipulative steps.

(2) Note. Compositions employed for consolidating a formation in a well or for cementing a well are in Class 106, Compositions: Coating or Plastic; Class 523, Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers; and Class 524, Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers.

(3) Note. Compositions which are designed to be used to enhance the permeability of producing formations by producing flow channels (e.g., fracturing, removal or prevention of deposits, acidizing, water flooding, treatment with surfactant, anticorrosion, etc.) are classified in this and the indented subclasses.

(4) Note. A well treating additive consisting of a single compound is classified in one of the compound classes (e.g., Classes 260, 423, etc.).

(5) Note. Required characteristics of the borehole environment will not take a method claim out of this or the indented subclasses (e.g., temperature, presence of specific materials, or conditions of the earthen formation).

(6) 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 subclasses 261+. (7) Note. The following rule applies to subclasses 203 through 268. 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 206 as the original and additional cross-references in subclasses 216 and 265 are highly recommended.

(8) 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 imidazolinium 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 classification will be based only on the former organic ion.

(9) Note. Chelated, complexed, and coordinated organic moieties with metal are considered to have some nonionic character in the bond between the metal and the organic moiety (i.e., there is usually some amount of electron sharing or donating). As such, these chelated, complexed, and coordinated metals are classified as if the metal is part of the compound.

(10) Note. It is very strongly recommended that all compositions having an intended utility which is specified in the cross-reference art collection (i.e., 901 through 907 and 920 through 940) be cross-referenced into these subclasses.

(11) Note. If the only disclosed utility of the composition claimed is to a process classifiable in Class 166, a cross-reference to Class 166 is strongly recommended.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

100+, for earth boring compositions and processes which involve no more than the mere use of such compositions. Included in these compositions are lost circulation compositions.

901, and 902-907, and 920-940, for Art Collections pertaining to subclasses 200-277.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

106, Compositions: Coating or Plastic,

638+, for a coating or plastic composition containing an inorganic settable ingredient which is not a synthetic resin or natural rubber. 166, Wells,

244.1+, for significantly claimed steps of well treating or operating.

260, Chemistry of Carbon Compounds, for organic compounds, per se, and for preparative methods of organic compounds devoid of a method-of-use step pertaining to well treating.

423, Chemistry of Inorganic Compounds, for preparative methods of inorganic compounds devoid of a method-of-use step pertaining to well treating.

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.

523, Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers,

130+, for a composition having utility in consolidating a formation in a well or in cementing a well or to processes of preparing said composition.

524, Synthetic Resins or Natural Rubbers,

2+, for a water settable inorganic composition containing a synthetic resin or natural rubber.