The present overview includes a brief analysis of key applicants based on the selection of the latest patent applications in the field of unconventional oil production for 2019.
In total, 1643 documents from 30 patent offices around the world were selected for examination. These applications were developed with the participation of 424 applicants from 25 countries.
The most productive applicant in 2019 in the field under consideration was Baker Hughes Incorporated from the US, who registered 267 patent applications. The top three also included company China Petroleum & Chemical Company and Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. In addition to the representatives of the US and China, the list of top 10 applicants also included companies and organizations from Saudi Arabian and Germany.
The top 10 applicants registered 799 patent applications, which is almost 49% of the total number.
The table below represents data on the top 10 patent applicants.
Top 10 applicants by the number of patent applications filed in 2019
| Status | Country | Name | Average rating | Total 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | US | Baker Hughes Incorporated | 11.7 | 267 |
| Company | CN | China Petroleum & Chemical Company | 10.1 | 97 |
| Company | US | Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. | 11.8 | 96 |
| Company | SA | Saudi Arabian Oil Company | 13.9 | 70 |
| Company | US | Ecolab | 11.2 | 69 |
| Company | DE | BASF, SE | 12.3 | 52 |
| Company | US | Locus Oil Ip Company LLC | 11.5 | 51 |
| Company | CN | PetroChina Company Limited | 12.8 | 37 |
| Company | US | Chevron USA, Inc. | 11.3 | 30 |
| Company | US | Dow Global Technologies, LLC | 11.2 | 30 |
Source: Advanced Energy Technologies
All companies that appear in the top 10 list, except for China Petroleum & Chemical Company, in addition to the patent office of their registration country also filed their inventions in the patent offices of other countries.
Several companies, including Baker Hughes Incorporated, BASF, SE, Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., Dow Global Technologies LLC and Ecolab, Inc. filed their applications with 10 offices in the world. Seven companies used the WIPO patent office to register their documents.
Distribution of patent applications by patent offices around the world among the top 10 applicants
Source: Advanced Energy Technologies
CIPO (CA) - Canadian Intellectual Property Office; CNIPA (CN) - National Intellectual Property Administration; EAPO - Eurasian Patent Organization; EPO - European Patent Organization; ILPO (IL) - Israel Patent Office; IMPI (MX) - Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; INAPI (CL) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Chile); INPI (AR) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Argentina); INPI (BR) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Brazil); INPI (FR) - National Institute of Industrial Property (France); IP Australia (AU) - IP Australia; IPO (GB) - Intellectual Property Office (United Kingdom); IPONZ (NZ) - Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand; IPOS (SG) - Intellectual Property Office of Singapore; JPO (JP) - Industrial Property Office (Japan); KIPO (KR) - Korean Intellectual Property Office; MyIPO (MY) - Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia; NIPO (NO) - Norwegian Industrial Property Office; Rospatent (RU) - Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Russia); SIC (CO) - Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio, Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo (Colombia); USPTO (US) - United States Patent and Trademark Office; WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization
When considering the list of technology processes of unconventional oil production each of the applicants had their own preferences in their inventions. BASF, China Petroleum & Chemical Company and Locus Oil Ip Company LLC were to a substantial degree focused on Chemical stimulation. Dow Global Technologies, LLC, Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. and Petro China Company Limited prevailed in the field of Steam injection. Saudi Arabian Oil Company was more focused on Drilling and well elements.
Technological interests of the top 10 applicants
Source: Advanced Energy Technologies
CS - Chemical stimulation; D - Drilling and well elements; DDH - Directional drilling or hydraulic fracturing; GWF - Gas injection or water flooding; ISC - In-situ combustion; ME - Mechanical extraction; OU - Other unclassified; RPIE - Reservoir permeability improvement and extraction; SEI - Surface exploration and infrastructure; STI - Steam injection; SUM - Surface or underground mining; TR - Treatment and refinement; UAM - Undefined activation method; URE - Underground reservoir exploration; UTR - Uncommon thermal recovery; WP - Waste processing
The inventors of the applications mentioned above aim to resolve a broad spectrum of technological and ecological problems in their patent applications, which makes it difficult to identify their principal interests. All companies emphasized the "High capital costs of component production" problem in nearly 30% of its applications. Baker Hughes Incorporated, Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. and Ecolab turned to the "High running costs of repair and replacement" most of all. Chevron USA, Inc. above all were concerned with the solution of problems related to "Exploration problems".
According to our calculations, the highest bibliography rating was gained by, among others, the following patent applications:
- Enhanced techniques for dewatering thick fine tailings / A: AU2019271925A1 / IPC: C10G1/04 / REVINGTON Adrian, SANCHEZ Ana, BUGG Trevor, OMOTOSO Oladipo / Suncor Energy Inc. / Appl. date: 26.11.2019; Publ. date: 19.12.2019. Technology categories: OSN / Technology elements: WP / Problems: EGWC, LESP / Technical solution types: C, D, M / Claims: 156 / Rate: 17
- PRE-TREATMENT OF OIL SANDS FINE TAILINGS BY DEBRIS REMOVAL / A: CA3043713A1 / IPC: B07B1/00, B03B9/02 / BUGG TREVOR, KOMO KERRY, SRINIVASA SUNDEEP, ADAMS BRYAN, PRATHAP NAVEEN, BARAJAS HORACIO, NADEMLEJNSKY PETR, SMITH MICHEL, BELLAND NOEL / SUNCOR ENERGY INC. / Appl. date: 17.05.2018; Publ. date: 17.11.2019. Technology categories: OSN / Technology elements: SUM, WP / Problems: EBP / Technical solution types: D, M / Claims: 137 / Rate: 17
In the group of patent documents that were not included in the previously formed patent families (single applications) and having at the same time a sufficiently high bibliographic rating prevailed:
- METHODS OF RECOVERING A HYDROCARBON MATERIAL / A: US20190010382A1 / IPC: C09K8/584, C09K8/594, E21B43/16, E21B43/20, E21B43/24 / Kuznetsov Oleksandr V, Agrawal Devesh K, Suresh Radhika, Mazyar Oleg A, Khabashesku Valery N, Darugar Qusai / Baker Hughes, a GE company, LLC / Appl. date: 30.08.2018; Publ. date: 10.01.2019. Technology categories: UGT / Technology elements: CS, GWF, STI / Problems: HRCM, LEPP / Technical solution types: C, M / Claims: 20, Rate: 16
More detailed information on the methodology as well as on the results of patent researches in the most important fields of contemporary energy industry can be found at Advanced Energy Technologies
