IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Re:
`
`Patent No.:
`
`8,657,009
`
`Group Art Unit: 3672
`
`Docket 45023—231
`
`Issued:
`
`February 25, 2014
`
`Serial No.:
`
`13/455,291
`
`Filed:
`
`April 25, 2012
`
`Applicant:
`
`THEMIG, Daniel Jon et al.
`
`For:
`
`“METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WELLBORE FLUID TREATMENT”
`
`The Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
`
`Office of Data Management, Attn. Certificates of Correction Branch
`Alexandria, VA 22314
`USA
`
`Sir:
`
`REQUEST FOR
`CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
`
`UNDER 37 CFR 1.322
`
`ERROR ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE OFFICE
`
`Attached hereto is Form PTO/SB/44, requesting correction for an error in claim 1 of the
`
`Patent.
`
`It
`
`is apparent that the error is attributable to the office. Documentation is enclosed
`
`showing that:
`
`0 Applicants' submission of September 19, 2013, page 2 correctly amends claim 1
`
`to recite "through the" (see marked up copy); and
`
`. The issued patent claim 1 at column 11, line 44 incorrectly recites "throw h" (see
`
`marked up copy).
`
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`page 2
`sn. 13/455,291
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`Since the error is attributable to the office,
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`it is believed that no fee is due. However, if
`
`the Commissioner determines that a fee is due, the Commissioner is hereby authorized
`
`to charge any fees which may be required with this submission to our Deposit Account
`
`No. 02—2057.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`
`Roseann B. Caldwell,
`Reg. No. 37,077
`
`Date: rm [7 l5
`
`BENNETT JONES LLP
`
`4500 — 855 - 2nd Street SW.
`
`Calgary, Alberta CANADA
`T2P 4K7
`
`tel. (403) 298—3661
`fax (403) 265-7219
`
`WSLegal\045028\00231\12078980v1
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`

`PTO/SB/44 (0907)
`Approved for use through 08/31/2013. OMB 06510033
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; US. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of Information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.
`Also Form PTO~105O
`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
`
`PATENT NO.
`
`: 8,657,009 82
`
`APPLICATION NO.: 13/455,291
`
`ISSUE DATE
`
`1 02/25/2014
`
`In claim 1 at column 11, line 44, please delete "throw h" and insert therefor wthrough the——.
`
`INVENTORiSi
`
`‘ DANIEL JON THEMIG ET AL.
`
`It is certified that an error appears or errors appear in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent
`is hereby corrected as shown below:
`
`MAILING ADDRESS OF SENDER (Please do not use customer number below):
`Bennett Jones LLP
`
`4500 Bankers Hail East, 855 - 2nd Street SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 4K7, Canada
`
`This collection of information Is required by 37 CFR 1.322, 1.323, and 1.324. The information Is required to obtain or retain a benefit by the public which is to file
`(and by the USPTO to process) an application. Confidentiality is governed by 35 U.S.C. 122 and 37 CFR 1.14. This collection is estimated to take 1.0 hour to
`complete, including gathering, preparing. and submitting the completed application form to the USPTO. Time will yaw depending upon the individual case. Any
`comments on the amount of time you require to complete this form and/or suggestions for reducing this burden. should be sent to the Chief Information Officer,
`US, Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, PO. Box 1450, Alexandria, VA 22318-1450. DO NOT SEND FEES OR COMPLETED
`FORMS TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND TO: Attention Certificate of Corrections Branch, Commissloner for Patents, P.O. Box 1450, Alexandria,
`VA 22313-1450.
`
`If you need assistance In comp/et/ng the form, call 1-800—PTO—9199 and select option 2,
`
`
`
`

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`page 2
`sn. 13/455,291
`
`in the Claims:
`
`Please amend the claims such that the claim set reads as follows:
`
`1 to 21.
`
`(cancelled)
`
`22.
`
`23.
`
`(cancelled)
`
`(currently amended) An apparatus
`
`for
`
`
`fluid treatment of a borehole,
`the
`
`apparatus comprising:
`
`a tubing string having a long axis and a wall defining an inner bore and an outer surface of the
`
`tubing string; and
`
`aplurality of sleeve closures accessible in the inner bore of the tubingspipg, each of the plurality
`
`of sleeve closures being actuatable by a iirstpplpg moveable through the tttbingpsptpingppch of the
`
`plurality of sleeve closures beingactuatable from a covering position over a port through_th_e
`wall to an open position exposing the port, the covering position preventing fluid communication
`
`
`
`thrppgh the port between he inner bore and the outer surface and the open positipppermitting
`
`fluid, communication through the port between the inner bore and the outer surface, and each of
`
`the plurality of sleeve closures in the open position allowing the first plug to pass therethrough,
`
`Clihe~apparatus—ieiL—fluid—ta=eatmenteeiiowbereheleeiielaim—22 wherein the first plug comprises a
`
`ball.
`
`24,
`
`(currently amended) An apparatus
`
`for
`
`fluid treatment of a borehole,
`
`the
`
`apparatus comprising:
`
`a tubing string having a long axis and a wall defining an inner bore and an outer surface of the
`
`tubing string; and
`
`a plurality of sleeve closures accessible in the inner bore of the tubing string, each of the plurality
`
`of sleeve closures being actuatable by a first plug moveable through the tubing string, each of the
`
`plurality of sleeve closures being actuatable from a covering position over a_port through the
`
`wall to an open position exposing the port, the covering position preventing fluid communication
`
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`

`US 8,657,009 B2
`
`11
`approach is used between packers 42019 and 4200; and in stage
`4, shown in FIG. 7d, a focused frac is conducted between
`packers 420a and 420i).
`Sections of the well that use a “sprinkler approach”, inter—
`vals 3161), 316d, will be treated as follows: When desired, a
`ball or plug is pumped down the well, and will seat in one of
`the cutter sleeves 3221), 322d. The force of the moving fluid
`will push the cutter sleeve down the tubing string and as it
`moves down, it will remove the pressure holding caps from
`the segment of the well through which it passes. Once the
`cutter reaches a desired depth, it will be stopped by a no-go
`shoulder and the ball will remain in the sleeve effectively
`shutting off the lower segment of the well. Stimulation fluids
`are then pumped as required.
`Segments of the well
`that use a “focused stimulation
`approach”, intervals 160, 16c, will be treated as follows:
`Another ball orplug is launched and will seat in and shift open
`a pressure shifted sliding sleeve 220, 22c, and block off the
`lower segment(s) of the well. Stimulation fluids are directed
`out the ports 417 exposed for fluid flow by moving the sliding
`sleeve.
`Fluid passing through each interval is contained by the
`packers 420a to 420d on either side of that interval to allow
`for treating only that section of the well.
`The stimulation process canbe continued using “sprinkler"
`and/or “focused” placement of fluids, depending on the seg-
`ment which is opened along the tubing string.
`It will be apparent that changes may be made to the illus-
`trative embodiments, while falling within the scope of the
`invention and it is intended that all such changes be covered
`by the claims appended hereto.
`The invention claimed is:
`1. An apparatus for fluid treatment ofa borehole, the appa-
`ratus comprising:
`a tubing string having a long axis and a wall defining an
`inner bore and an outer surface of the tubing string; and
`a plurality of sleeve closures accessible in the inner bore of
`the tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable by a first plug moveable through the
`tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable from a covering position over a port
`tlnough the wall to an open position exposing the port,
`.
`reventing fluid communication
`
`throw 11 port between t1 e innerlame and the outer surface
`
`through the port between thenmer bo1e and the outer
`surface, and each of the plurality of sleeve closures in the
`open position allowing the first plug to pass there
`through, wherein the first plug comprises a ball.
`2. An apparatus for fluid treatment of a borehole, the appa-
`ratus comprising:
`a tubing string having a long axis and a wall defining an
`inner bore and an outer surface of the tubing string; and
`a plurality of sleeve closures accessible in the inner bore of
`the tubing string, each of the plurality ofsleeve closures
`being actuatable by a first plug moveable through the
`tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable from a covering position over a port
`through the wall to an open position exposing the port,
`the covering position preventing fluid communication
`through the port between the inner bore and the outer
`surface and the open position permitting fluid commu-
`nication through the port between the inner bore and the
`outer surface, and each ofthe plurality of sleeve closures
`in the open position allowing the first plug to pass there—
`through, wherein each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`include a sleeve in the inner bore and a profile on the
`
`5
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`3O
`
`35
`
`4o
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`12
`sleeve that the first plug engages to move the sleeve from
`the covering position to the open position.
`3. An apparatus for fluid treatment of a borehole, the appa-
`ratus comprising:
`a tubing string having a long axis and a wall defining an
`inner bore and an outer surface of the tubing string;
`a plurality of sleeve closures accessible in the inner bore of
`the tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable by a first plug moveable through the
`tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable from a covering position over a port
`through the wall to an open position exposing the port,
`the covering position preventing fluid communication
`through the port between the inner bore and the outer
`surface and the open position permitting fluid commu-
`nication through the port between the inner bore and the
`outer surface and each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`in the open position allowing the first plug to pass there-
`through; and
`a stop for stopping movement of the first plug through the
`tubing string and wherein the first plug stopped at the
`stop shuts offfluid conununication to a lower segment of
`the tubing string inner bore below the stop and diverts
`fluid to the ports opened by the first plug.
`4. An apparatus for fluid treatment of a borehole, the appa—
`ratus comprising:
`a tubing string having a long axis and a wall defining an
`inner bore and an outer surface of the tubing string; and
`a plurality of sleeve closures accessible in the inner bore of
`the tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable by a first plug moveable through the
`tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable from a covering position over a port
`through the wall to an Open position exposing the port,
`the covering position preventing fluid connnunication
`through the port between the inner bore and the outer
`surface and the open position permitting fluid commu«
`nication through the port between the inner bore and the
`outer surface, and each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`in the open position allowing the first plug to pass there-
`through, wherein the ports opened by the first plug are
`size restricted to create a pressure drop thereacross.
`5. An apparatus for fluid treatment of a borehole, the appa~
`ratus comprising.
`a tubing string having a long axis and a wall defining an
`inner bore and an outer surface of the tubing string;
`a plurality of sleeve closures accessible in the imler bore of
`the tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable by a first plug moveable through the
`tubing string, each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`being actuatable from a covering position over a port
`through the wall to an open position exposing the port,
`the covering position preventing fluid connnunication
`through the port between the inner bore and the outer
`surface and the open position permitting fluid commu~
`nication through the port between the inner bore and the
`outer surface, and each of the plurality of sleeve closures
`in the open position allowing the first plug to pass there—
`through; and
`a second plurality of sleeve closures accessible in the inner
`bore of the tubing string, each of the second plurality of
`sleeve closures being actuable by a second plug move—
`able through the tubing string, each of the second plu—
`rality of sleeve closures being actuatable from a cover-
`ing position over a fluid port through the wall to an open
`position exposing the fluid port, the covering position
`preventing fluid communication through the fluid port
`
`
`
`