The oil and gas industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity driven by the drive for greater productivity, operational efficiency, enhanced safety and long-term sustainability, and growing importance of technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence and big data. In the last three years alone, there have been over 534,000 patents filed and granted in the oil and gas industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environment Sustainability in Oil & Gas: Methane capturing. Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 256,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the oil & gas industry, there are 40+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Methane capturing is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas generated either from natural or artificial processes. Methane produced from these processes can be captured and used as a source of energy.

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 100+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of methane capturing.

Key players in methane capturing – a disruptive innovation in the oil & gas industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to methane capturing

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Exxon Mobil 364 Unlock Company Profile
Linde 283 Unlock Company Profile
Air Liquide 260 Unlock Company Profile
Honeywell International 146 Unlock Company Profile
BASF 141 Unlock Company Profile
IFP Energies nouvelles 115 Unlock Company Profile
Air Products and Chemicals 113 Unlock Company Profile
Shell 91 Unlock Company Profile
Saudi Arabian Oil 79 Unlock Company Profile
Dow 71 Unlock Company Profile
Sumitomo Chemical 64 Unlock Company Profile
Fujifilm Holdings 57 Unlock Company Profile
ThyssenKrupp 50 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 50 Unlock Company Profile
Kuraray 41 Unlock Company Profile
Halliburton 40 Unlock Company Profile
Neste 39 Unlock Company Profile
Skyonic 33 Unlock Company Profile
Shin-Etsu Chemical 32 Unlock Company Profile
Showa Denko 31 Unlock Company Profile
Chevron U. S. A 31 Unlock Company Profile
Solvay 31 Unlock Company Profile
Calera 29 Unlock Company Profile
RAG-Stiftung 28 Unlock Company Profile
Osaka Gas 28 Unlock Company Profile
Casale Holding 25 Unlock Company Profile
IHI 25 Unlock Company Profile
Calix 25 Unlock Company Profile
General Electric 23 Unlock Company Profile
Huntsman 23 Unlock Company Profile
Saipem 22 Unlock Company Profile
FuelCell Energy 21 Unlock Company Profile
TotalEnergies 21 Unlock Company Profile
Sekisui Chemical 19 Unlock Company Profile
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 19 Unlock Company Profile
Sumitomo Seika Chemicals 19 Unlock Company Profile
Nippon Oil 19 Unlock Company Profile
Fluor 18 Unlock Company Profile
Boeing 18 Unlock Company Profile
Siemens 17 Unlock Company Profile
Nippon Steel 17 Unlock Company Profile
Panasonic 17 Unlock Company Profile
Arkema 16 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsubishi Gas Chemical 16 Unlock Company Profile
Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National 16 Unlock Company Profile
Asahi Kasei 15 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi Zosen 15 Unlock Company Profile
Mubadala Investment 15 Unlock Company Profile
3M 15 Unlock Company Profile
Climeworks 15 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Methane is the major contributor to global warming, and therefore, efficient methane capture technologies can dramatically help in climate control. Leading patent filers for methane capturing in oil and gas industry such as ExxonMobil, Linde, Air Liquide and Honeywell International have already invested in mitigation efforts. Capturing methane and marketing it to chemical makers and manufacturers helps in sustainable development and reducing carbon footprint.

Methane capturing will continue to gain prominence among oil & gas companies as they continue to seek to reduce emissions from their operations. Innovations in methane capturing will help the companies to cut dangerous methane emissions and mitigate climate change.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the oil & gas industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Top 20 Oil & Gas Themes 2022.

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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.