The command "opatch lsinventory" reports the error:
A previous "opatch apply" session failed and so a lock still exists on the local inventory
1. Take a backup of $ORACLE_HOME/.patch_storage
2. Remove $ORACLE_HOME/.patch_storage/patch_locked
3. Create $ORACLE_HOME/.patch_storage/patch_free
4. Verify that "opatch lsinventory" no longer reports the error
% opatch lsinventory -detail
Assuming "opatch lsinventory" no longer reports the error, if a previous "opatch apply" failed then you may want to try applying the patch again