CO2 Injection & Geological Storage Patent Landscape
The CO2 injection and geological storage patent field is in a growth phase, with the three-year recent window substantially above the prior period, though annual filings eased from their 2023 peak. Saudi Arabian Oil Co and Air Products & Chemicals lead a moderately concentrated field dominated by subsurface drilling and well-engineering expertise, with Chinese institutions and US energy firms occupying the upper tier.
Saudi Arabian Oil Co leads a moderately concentrated field with two clear front-runners
Saudi Arabian Oil Co holds the leading position with 13 patent records, followed closely by Air Products & Chemicals Inc with 12 patent records — the two are separated by a single filing and together define a thin top tier.
The top five filers account for 23% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate concentration: no single player commands overwhelming dominance, and a credible second tier exists comprising. China University of Mining & Technology, the University of Texas System Board of Regents, Protostar Group Ltd, and PetroChina Co Ltd, each with six or seven patent records.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabian Oil Co | 13 | |
| 2 | AIR PROD & CHEM INC | 12 | |
| 3 | CHINA UNIV OF MINING & TECH | 7 | |
| 4 | Board of Regents, The University of Texas System | 7 | |
| 5 | Protostar Group Ltd | 6 | |
| 6 | PetroChina Co Ltd | 6 | |
| 7 | Halliburton Energy Services Inc | 6 | |
| 8 | IFP Energies Nouvelles | 5 | |
| 9 | Schlumberger (Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA) | 5 | |
| 10 | CHINA PETROLEUM & CHEMICAL CORP | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Southwest Petroleum University | 5 | |
| 12 | Daqing Oilfield Co Ltd | 4 | |
| 13 | GeoQuest Systems BV | 4 | |
| 14 | ConocoPhillips | 4 | |
| 15 | Schlumberger Technology Corp | 4 | |
| 16 | China University of Petroleum (Beijing) | 3 | |
| 17 | University of Kansas | 3 | |
| 18 | University of Houston System | 3 | |
| 19 | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 3 | |
| 20 | Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group | 3 |
The leaders’ positions imply that both national oil companies and industrial gas suppliers regard subsurface CO2 management as a core strategic asset, while Chinese academic and state-owned enterprises are building competitive portfolios in parallel — suggesting that any new entrant faces established players across at least three distinct institutional types.
Filing counts for 2024 and 2025 are understated due to the typical 18-to-24-month patent publication lag; apparent softness in those years should not be read as a genuine slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 285% multi-year growth surge driven by well-engineering patents, with adjacent digital and materials branches emerging
The filing trend and technology-composition charts together reveal a field that expanded sharply from 2022 onward before easing from its 2023 peak, with E21B earth-drilling and well-technology patents accounting for the dominant share of classified activity.
Annual filing trend
Filings held at low single digits from 2017 through 2020 before accelerating sharply in 2022 and peaking in 2023; the recent three-year window is 285% above the prior three-year window on a multi-year basis. The 2024 and 2025 bars are understated by publication lag and should not be read as a reversal.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
E21B (earth and rock drilling — wells) is overwhelmingly dominant, reflecting the field’s core focus on wellbore design, completion, and injection mechanics. Secondary clusters in B65G (conveying and material handling), G01V (geophysics and gravity surveying), and G06F (electric digital data processing) suggest emerging emphasis on surface logistics, subsurface characterisation, and computational modelling respectively.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Optimizing co2 geosequestration with responsive tr…
A method for sequestering carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) in a formation includes providing an injection well extending into the formation, injecting a tracer into the injection well to the formation, collecting the tracer at a surface of the formation, obtaining tracer data from the collected tracer, determining, by a computer system, a geological property… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carbon capture and storage | 143 |
| 2 | Utilizing salts for carbon capture and storage | 99 |
| 3 | Subterranean permeability modification by using mi… | 84 |
| 4 | Storing carbon dioxide and producing methane and g… | 55 |
| 5 | Storing Carbon Dioxide and Producing Methane and G… | 46 |
| 6 | 一种深部煤层气与干热岩型地热联合开采的方法 | 34 |
| 7 | Well bore recompletion | 28 |
| 8 | 一种不可采煤层强化煤层气开采及CO<sub>2</sub>封存的方法 | 19 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations — maturity stage, competitive concentration, collaborative ecosystems, and geographic spread — define the investment context for teams entering or expanding in CO2 geological storage.
Growth stage: rapid multi-year expansion easing from 2023 peak
The field is classified as Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits 285% above the prior three-year window, confirming sustained expansion on a multi-year basis. Annual volume eased from its 2023 peak, but this should be read alongside publication lag rather than as saturation. The technology base remains anchored in subsurface well engineering, suggesting that foundational IP positions are still being established.
Growth stageModerate concentration: two leaders, a credible second tier, and many singletons
The top five filers hold 23% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output — moderate rather than oligopolistic. Saudi Arabian Oil Co and Air Products & Chemicals Inc are closely matched at the top, and a second tier of four to five players each holds six or seven patent records. Below that, the ranking disperses rapidly, meaning portfolio differentiation is achievable for a well-resourced new entrant.
Moderate concentrationSchlumberger entities are the most active co-filers; Saudi Aramco pairs with its services arm
The most active co-filing relationships link Schlumberger entities internally: Schlumberger Co with GeoQuest Systems BV (4 joint records), with Schlumberger Canada Ltd (3), and with Schlumberger Technology Corp (3). Saudi Arabian Oil Co co-files with Aramco Services Co (2 records) and with Aramco Americas Co (1). PetroChina Co Ltd co-files with Daqing Oilfield Co Ltd (2). These clusters reflect corporate-family coordination rather than cross-industry alliances, indicating that true inter-institutional collaboration remains an underexplored differentiator.
Internal co-filing dominantChina leads on filing volume; the US and PCT routes provide global reach
China accounts for the largest share of patent records among all jurisdictions, followed by the United States and WIPO PCT filings. Canada and the European Patent Office each add a smaller but meaningful presence. The UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia appear as secondary markets, consistent with active CO2-EOR programmes in those regions. A filing strategy centred on China, the US, and PCT will cover the preponderance of current activity.
China-US-PCT coreGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger | GeoQuest Systems BV | 4 |
| Schlumberger | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 3 |
| Schlumberger | Schlumberger Technology Corp | 3 |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co | Aramco Services Co | 2 |
| PetroChina Co Ltd | Daqing Oilfield Co Ltd | 2 |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co | ARAMCO AMERICAS CO | 1 |
| PetroChina Co Ltd | CNPC Safety & Environmental Technology Research Institute Co Ltd | 1 |
| PENG SIGAN | Peng Sigan | 1 |
| Schlumberger | Schlumberger Technology LLC | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Saudi Arabian Oil Co and Air Products & Chemicals lead on well-engineering routes
Both front-runners entered the recent measurement window as new entrants relative to the prior period, reflecting the field’s rapid growth phase rather than long-established dominance; their portfolios converge on E21B well-technology subclasses with distinct secondary emphases.
Saudi Arabian Oil Co
Saudi Arabian Oil Co holds 13 patent records, the highest in the ranked corpus, and is classified as a new entrant relative to the prior three-year window — meaning its recent filings drive the count. Its portfolio concentrates in E21B 41 (well abandonment and CO2 containment, 10 records) and E21B 43 (production and enhanced recovery methods, 10 records), with a secondary cluster in B01D 53 (gas separation processes, 3 records). This profile reflects an integrated approach spanning injection mechanics, reservoir management, and capture-side chemistry.
patent records: 13Air Products & Chemicals Inc
Air Products & Chemicals Inc holds 12 patent records, one behind the leader, and is also classified as a new entrant in the recent window. Its technology emphasis is narrower: E21B 41 accounts for 10 records and E21B 43 and E21B 47 each add 2 records, indicating a focus on well integrity and downhole measurement rather than the broader reservoir-management scope of the leader. This positions Air Products as a specialist in the injection-infrastructure segment of the value chain.
patent records: 12| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Air Products & Chemicals Inc | 12 | ▲ new entrant |
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co | 7 | ▲ new entrant |
| China University of Mining & Technology | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Halliburton Energy Services Inc | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| PetroChina Co Ltd | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Protostar Group Ltd | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Southwest Petroleum University | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Schlumberger | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring in CO2 storage R&D
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant E21B core show relatively low filing counts; two stand out for their plausible technical relevance and realistic entry paths for teams with subsurface or digital backgrounds.
G01V · Geophysics & gravity surveying
With 11 patent records across all filers, geophysical monitoring of CO2 plume migration is sparsely covered relative to the injection-mechanics core. Accurate subsurface characterisation is a regulatory requirement for long-term storage verification, and existing seismic and gravity methods are being adapted for CO2-specific anomaly detection. A team with reservoir geophysics capability could establish differentiated positions here with relatively low incumbency pressure.
Search this in Eureka →G06F · Electric digital data processing
Digital data processing appears in 10 patent records — modest given the industry’s accelerating adoption of reservoir simulation, digital-twin workflows, and data-driven injection optimisation. The companion branch G06N (AI-based computing) also registers only 5 records. For teams with simulation or machine-learning capabilities, this sparse zone offers an entry path into CO2 storage without competing directly in the heavily filed E21B well-engineering space.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across well-engineering and process-chemistry routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | E21B 43 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) | E21B 41 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) | E21B 47 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) | B65G 5 · Conveying & material handling | E21B 49 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co | Strong · 10 | Strong · 10 | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 2 |
| Halliburton Energy Services Inc | Strong · 4 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 4 |
| Air Products & Chemicals Inc | Absent | Strong · 10 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| China University of Mining & Technology | Strong · 7 | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| Aramco Services Co | Absent | Strong · 4 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Moderate · 2 |
| China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) | Strong · 5 | Absent | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| Schlumberger | Strong · 5 | Absent | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 119 patent families in scope. Applicant rankings within this analysis are reported at the patent-record level, which can exceed the family count because a single family may be filed across multiple jurisdictions.
Saudi Arabian Oil Co leads with 13 patent records, narrowly ahead of Air Products & Chemicals Inc with 12 patent records. Both are classified as new entrants relative to the prior three-year window, reflecting the field’s recent growth phase.
The field is in a Growth stage. The recent three-year filing window is 285% above the prior three-year window on a multi-year basis. Annual volume eased from a 2023 peak, but 2024 and 2025 data are further understated by the typical 18-to-24-month publication lag, so the apparent softness does not indicate a genuine decline.
China is the leading filing jurisdiction, followed by the United States and WIPO PCT routes. Canada and the European Patent Office each provide meaningful additional coverage. Secondary markets include the UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, India, and the United Kingdom.
E21B (earth and rock drilling — wells) is the overwhelmingly dominant branch. The sparsest adjacent branches with plausible technical relevance include G01V (geophysics and gravity surveying, 11 records), G06F (electric digital data processing, 10 records), C09K (materials for miscellaneous applications, 8 records), and E21F (mine safety and ventilation, 8 records).
The most active co-filing relationships are internal to corporate families: Schlumberger entities collectively account for the largest co-filing cluster, with Schlumberger Co pairing with GeoQuest Systems BV (4 joint records), Schlumberger Canada Ltd (3), and Schlumberger Technology Corp (3). Saudi Arabian Oil Co co-files with Aramco Services Co (2 records). Cross-institutional or cross-industry collaboration is sparse in the current evidence.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.