The oil & gas industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the need to reduce emissions, the energy transition, and a reduction in the dependence on fossil fuels, and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and machine learning. 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: biomass gasification. Buy the reports 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
Biomass gasification is a key innovation area in oil & gas
Biomass gasification is the process of converting biomass into a fuel gas, known as synthesis gas or syngas, which can be used to generate electricity, heat, and other products. In this process, biomass is heated in a low-oxygen environment to produce syngas that contains hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and other components that can be further processed into a variety of products.
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 205+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of biomass gasification.
Key players in biomass gasification – 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 biomass gasification
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
INEOS is one of the leading patent filers in biomass gasification. One of its subsidiaries, INEOS Bio has developed a new bioenergy technology to convert vegetative and wood waste into commercial quantities of bioethanol, and renewable electricity using its gasification and fermentation technology. It is a joint venture project between INEOS Bio and New Planet Energy and can produce eight million gallons of bioethanol and renewable power of six megawatts. Some other key patent filers in biomass gasification are ThyssenKrupp and Moody's.
In terms of application diversity, Mcalister Technologies leads the pack, while ThyssenKrupp and UPM-Kymmene stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Rv Lizenz held the top position, followed by LanzaTech Global and ZEG Power.
Biomass gasification can be one of the potential alternatives for fossil fuels and many companies are approaching it for clean energy. Efforts are continuously being made to develop biomass gasification into a more mature and competitive technology and an economically viable solution.
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.
