The oil & gas industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the need to reduce emissions and increase efficiencies, and environmental regulations, and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, digitization, and robotics. 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: pressure swing adsorption. Buy the report here.
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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
Pressure swing adsorption is a key innovation area in oil & gas
Pressure swing adsorption is a widely used gas separation technology that utilizes the ability of certain solid adsorbent materials to selectively adsorb or separate one or more gases from a gas mixture under pressure and then release them under reduced pressure.
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 325+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of pressure swing adsorption.
Key players in pressure swing adsorption – 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’.
Patent volumes related to pressure swing adsorption
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Linde is one of the leading patent filers in pressure swing adsorption. Linde offers HIPURE gas purification units using pressure swing adsorption technology. HIPURE units recover carbon dioxide from upstream low-pressure off-gas streams or high-pressure raw synthesis gas streams produced during gasification or steam methane reforming processes. HIPURE requires less investment and helps to reduce operational costs when compared to traditional washing systems. Some other key patent filers in the pressure swing adsorption include Exxon Mobil, Air Liquide, and Shell.
In terms of application diversity, Linde leads the pack, while Exxon Mobil and Air Liquide stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Huntsman held the top position, followed by Omya International and Ecoloop.
Pressure swing adsorption is gaining prominence globally due to the growing need for operational efficiencies, and environmental regulations globally.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the oil & gas industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Oil & Gas.
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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.
