Appeal 2005-2547
Application 10/134,817
the mixer. Pump 29, when needed, pressurizes the water stream in conduit
16 that feeds the Static Mixer. Pumps 10 and 21 pressurize conduits 13 and
24, respectively, to allow addition of the polymer and surfactant to the water
in conduit 16. Pump 29 is the main conveying force in the system.
As surfactants, Venema discloses that any water soluble surfactant can
be used (Venema, col. 9, ll. 3-5). Venema also discloses that other
surfactants including clays can be used (Venema, col. 9, ll. 28-32).
Landers is directed to a method and apparatus for horizontal well
drilling. Landers evinces the well known aspect of using a drilling fluid in
horizontal well drilling. Landers describes the fluid 56 as generally a
mixture of a surfactant and water (Landers, col. 4, ll. 11-12).
Appellant’s Specification further indicates that use of a drilling fluid
in horizontal drilling was conventional in the art (Specification 2:6-10). The
clay bentonite was commonly used as a drilling fluid additive as were
polymers (Specification 2:11-20)
Appellant argues claims 17, 19, and 21 as a group and claims 18, 20,
and 22 as a second group. We select claim 19 as representative for the first
group and 20 as representative for the second group.
1. Claim 19
Upon reviewing the arguments of Appellant, we find that many of the
arguments raise the question of what the claims encompass. For instance,
according to Appellant, the surfactant of Venema cannot be considered a
“drilling fluid additive medium” as claimed (Br. 42). Further according to
Appellant, Venema’s pump 29 does not pump pressurized drilling fluid
suspension to a horizontal drill head (Br. 43-44), nor pressurize the water
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