The oil & gas industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the need to improve operational efficiencies, safety, and reduce costs, and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and Internet of Things (IoT). In the last three years alone, there have been over 327,000 patents filed and granted in the oil & gas industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in oil & gas: gas pipeline network monitoring. Buy the report here.
Smarter leaders trust GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
65+ innovations will shape the oil & gas industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the oil & gas industry using innovation intensity models built on over 201,000 patents, there are 65+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, gas pipeline network monitoring, high-pressure gas vessels, and boil-off gas treatment are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Hydrocarbon lubricants, CO2 electroreduction and oil well surveillance are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are syngas production and gas scrubbing, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the oil & gas industry
Gas pipeline network monitoring is a key innovation area in oil & gas
Gas pipeline network monitoring refers to the process of monitoring and managing the various components of a gas pipeline network to ensure safe and efficient operation. This includes monitoring gas storage tanks, pipelines, and equipment, as well as tracking gas consumption and implementing appropriate safety measures.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 140 companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of gas pipeline network monitoring.
Key players in gas pipeline network monitoring – a disruptive innovation in the oil & gas industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Air Products and Chemicals is one of the leading patent filers in gas pipeline network monitoring. Some other key patent filers in the space include Air Liquide and Toyota Motor. Some of the patents filed in this space are meant to help developing technologies such as acoustic-based leak detection systems to monitor leaks within a gas pipeline network, monitor equipment performance, and detect other operational issues in real-time.
In terms of application diversity, Air Liquide leads the pack, while Air Products and Chemicals and Kobe Steel stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographical reach, Kobe Steel held the top position, followed by SiGNa Chemistry and Hexagon Composites.
The innovations in gas pipeline network monitoring are expected to play a significant role in ensuring monitoring and control of leaks in the gas pipeline infrastructure in real-time. They will also help to enhance safety and reduce operational costs.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the oil & gas industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Oil & Gas.
Data Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.
GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
