Appeal No. 1996-3673
Application No. 08/139,893
a reaction between the hydrogen sulfide in the sour fluid and
a scavenger. Significantly, appellants’ process requires the
use of a particular scavenger which is a reaction product of
an alkylenepolyamine and formaldehyde wherein the
alkylenepolyamine is defined by the formula set forth in the
appealed claims.
As evidence of obviousness of the claimed process, the
examiner principally relies upon Moyer. The primary object of
Moyer’s invention is the provision of compositions comprising
formaldehyde and an organic compound containing “at least one
amino-reactive group” (column 2, lines 1 and 2) which are
employed to treat hydrogen sulfide containing oil-brine
mixtures to inhibit their corrosivity by the apparent
mechanism of developing a dense film which acts as a
protecting coating on the metallic oil well equipment
contacted by the oil-brine mixtures (column 6, line 70 to
column 7, line 16). Moyer’s statement at column 7, lines 18-
24 that the compositions “do not act merely to neutralize the
acidic sulfur components of the oil well brine” to which the
compositions are added implies, in our view, that at least
some “scavenging” of hydrogen sulfide is effected by Moyer’s
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