Drilling & Geosteering AI Patent Landscape 2026
The Drilling/Geosteering AI patent field is dominated by a single corporate family — Schlumberger and its affiliated entities — which holds the commanding majority of activity, leaving Halliburton and Baker Hughes as distant challengers. The field is in a Growth stage with a 30% expansion over the recent window, concentrated overwhelmingly in the United States as the primary filing jurisdiction.
Schlumberger entities command the field; Halliburton is the closest challenger
Schlumberger Technology Corp leads all applicants, followed by Halliburton Energy Services and a cluster of affiliated Schlumberger entities — Services Petroliers Schlumberger, GeoQuest Systems, and Schlumberger Canada — that collectively reinforce the group’s dominance across the ranking.
The top five filers account for 81% of the combined patent records held by the hundred largest filers, signaling an exceptionally concentrated competitive structure. The gap between the Schlumberger cluster and the next independent competitor (Halliburton) is wide, and between Halliburton and Baker Hughes it widens further, suggesting a three-tier hierarchy.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schlumberger Technology Corp | 56 | |
| 2 | Halliburton Energy Services Inc | 26 | |
| 3 | Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | 25 | |
| 4 | GeoQuest Systems BV | 23 | |
| 5 | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 17 | |
| 6 | Landmark Graphics Corp | 10 | |
| 7 | Baker Hughes Co | 7 | |
| 8 | Schlumberger Technology BV | 5 | |
| 9 | Vermeer Manufacturing Co | 2 | |
| 10 | Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations LLC | 1 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | PRAD RES & DEV LTD | 1 | |
| 12 | TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY | 1 | |
| 13 | Cyentech Consulting LLC | 1 | |
| 14 | Sinopec North China Petroleum Engineering Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 15 | University of Houston System | 1 | |
| 16 | Sichuan Zhihui Xingkong Technology Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 17 | Schlumberger Holdings Ltd | 1 | |
| 18 | Beijing Silitong Control Technology Co Ltd | 1 | |
| 19 | Sinopec Oilfield Service Corporation | 1 | |
| 20 | Reliance Minerals Ltd | 1 |
Such concentration means that the Schlumberger network effectively sets the technological vocabulary of the field. Entrants and challengers must navigate a dense Schlumberger portfolio particularly in core E21B drilling-trajectory and measurement sub-classes before reaching defensible whitespace.
Filing counts for approximately the most recent 18–24 months are understated due to publication lag; the apparent plateau in 2025–2026 data does not reflect actual filing pace. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sustained growth from 2019 onward; E21B drilling methods dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that ignited around 2019 and has maintained elevated activity, with AI computing (G06N) and geophysics (G01V) as meaningful but still secondary branches alongside a dominant E21B core.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible before 2018, then jumped sharply in 2019 and have held at an elevated plateau through 2024. The 2025–2026 bars are understated by publication lag and should not be read as a slowdown; the lifecycle evidence confirms the field is still in a Growth stage.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
E21B (Earth and rock drilling — wells) is overwhelmingly the primary class, reflecting that AI applications are being patented as integrated drilling-system inventions rather than as standalone AI methods. G06N (AI computing models) and G01V (geophysics and gravity surveying) appear as secondary branches, indicating that foundational machine-learning and subsurface-sensing framing is present but not yet dominant.
↗ 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.
Predicting downhole tool behaviour using a trained…
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Determining Drilling State for Trajectory Control | 77 |
| 2 | Drilling system | 44 |
| 3 | Drilling system | 33 |
| 4 | Model-based parameter estimation for directional d… | 29 |
| 5 | Approaches to directional drilling | 22 |
| 6 | Determining drilling state for trajectory control | 22 |
| 7 | Hybrid physics-based and machine learning reservoi… | 17 |
| 8 | Inferring wellsite operations from power consumpti… | 16 |
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 competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of high concentration, active growth, and strong intra-Schlumberger co-filing defines specific strategic risks and entry considerations for any new participant in this space.
Growth stage: activity expanding, not yet mature
The lifecycle evidence classifies this field as Growth, with annual filings still rising and the 30% recent-window increase not yet eroded by saturation. The 2019 inflection point aligns with broader industry adoption of machine-learning tools in wellbore navigation. Teams entering now face an expanding prior-art landscape but also find that many application niches remain thinly filed.
Growth · +30% recent windowExtreme concentration around one corporate family
The top five filers account for 81% of patent records among the hundred largest filers, and all five are either Schlumberger entities or their close affiliates. Halliburton, at 26 patent records, is the first genuinely independent competitor, followed by Baker Hughes at 7. Any freedom-to-operate analysis must begin with a systematic mapping of the Schlumberger portfolio across E21B sub-classes 44, 47, and 7.
81% top-5 shareCo-filing is intra-Schlumberger; external partnerships are rare
The most active co-filing pairs are Services Petroliers Schlumberger / GeoQuest Systems (20 joint records), Schlumberger Technology Corp / Schlumberger Canada (15), and Schlumberger Technology Corp / Services Petroliers Schlumberger (15). GeoQuest Systems and Schlumberger Canada also co-file actively (11 records). The only non-Schlumberger pairing observed is Schlumberger Technology Corp with PRAD Research and Development (1 record), indicating the ecosystem is almost entirely self-contained within the Schlumberger network.
Intra-Schlumberger ecosystemUS-centric filing with selective PCT and EPO coverage
The United States is the dominant jurisdiction by patent records, followed by WIPO PCT filings and then the European Patent Office. The United Kingdom, Canada, and China each carry a small number of records, and Norway and Saudi Arabia appear at the margin — the latter two reflecting strategic filing in key hydrocarbon-producing regions. Any commercial protection strategy should prioritize US prosecution and PCT entry before targeting regional offices.
US-led · PCT & EPO secondaryGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | GeoQuest Systems BV | 20 |
| Schlumberger Technology Corp | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 15 |
| Schlumberger Technology Corp | Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | 15 |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 15 |
| Schlumberger Technology Corp | GeoQuest Systems BV | 11 |
| GeoQuest Systems BV | Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 11 |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | Schlumberger Technology BV | 5 |
| Schlumberger Technology Corp | Schlumberger Technology BV | 4 |
| Schlumberger Canada Ltd | Schlumberger Technology BV | 4 |
| Schlumberger Technology Corp | PRAD Research & Development Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Schlumberger Technology Corp leads on volume and momentum; Halliburton is the primary independent challenger
The applicant ranking is structured as a dominant Schlumberger cluster at the top and a smaller but growing Halliburton position in second, with Baker Hughes a distant third. Momentum data indicate all leading entities have been filing more actively in the recent period.
Schlumberger Technology Corp
Schlumberger Technology Corp holds 56 patent records — more than twice the next individual ranked entity — and shows a trajectory of +190% in recent filings versus the prior period. Its technology emphasis is concentrated in E21B 44 (drilling parameter optimization), E21B 47 (wellbore measurement and logging), and E21B 7 (directional drilling methods), covering the full stack of AI-assisted trajectory control. Multiple affiliated entities reinforce this position across the ranking.
patent records: 56Halliburton Energy Services
Halliburton Energy Services holds 26 patent records and shows a +50% filing trend in the recent period, signaling accelerating investment. Its technology coverage mirrors Schlumberger’s in emphasis — E21B 44, E21B 7, and E21B 47 — suggesting a direct competitive strategy targeting the same trajectory-control and measurement problem space rather than differentiated niches. Landmark Graphics Corp, a Halliburton subsidiary, adds further records with a distinct G06N (AI models) and E21B 43 emphasis, indicating some investment in pure AI-model framing.
patent records: 26| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger Technology Corp | 29 | ▲ +190% |
| Halliburton Energy Services Inc | 15 | ▲ +50% |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | 13 | ▲ new entrant |
| GeoQuest Systems BV | 13 | ▲ new entrant |
| Schlumberger Canada Ltd | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| Landmark Graphics Corp | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Control systems and geophysical sensing are under-served relative to core drilling AI
Beyond the dominant E21B drilling class, several adjacent IPC branches carry sparse filings relative to their plausible technical relevance, representing areas where the incumbent portfolio is thinner and differentiated entry may be more accessible.
G05B · Control & Regulating Systems
G05B accounts for only 5 patent records (3% share among the whitespace candidates), despite automated closed-loop control being a natural extension of AI-driven geosteering. As real-time drilling decisions move toward autonomous execution, control-systems framing — covering feedback loops, real-time adaptive algorithms, and safety interlocks — represents an under-served adjacent branch. Entrants with expertise in industrial control or robotics could stake claims here without colliding immediately with the core Schlumberger E21B portfolio.
Search this in Eureka →G01V · Geophysics & Gravity Surveying
G01V carries 13 patent records (8% share), the largest of the whitespace candidates but still sparse relative to the dominant E21B cluster. AI-enhanced subsurface imaging, formation evaluation from seismic data, and real-time petrophysical inference are all active research directions that map naturally to G01V but are thinly represented in this corpus. The most-cited patent on hybrid physics-based and machine-learning reservoir modeling suggests the technical appetite exists; the filing volume does not yet reflect it, pointing to a plausible entry path for geoscience-focused AI developers.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across E21B sub-classes and AI branches
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | E21B 44 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) | E21B 7 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) | E21B 47 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) | E21B 49 · Earth & rock drilling (wells) | G06N 20 · Computing based on AI models |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger Technology Corp | Strong · 52 | Strong · 36 | Strong · 38 | Moderate · 21 | Emerging · 5 |
| Halliburton Energy Services Inc | Strong · 24 | Strong · 18 | Strong · 13 | Emerging · 3 | Moderate · 7 |
| Services Petroliers Schlumberger SA | Strong · 24 | Moderate · 12 | Strong · 15 | Emerging · 4 | Emerging · 4 |
| GeoQuest Systems BV | Strong · 22 | Strong · 13 | Strong · 13 | Absent | Emerging · 4 |
| Schlumberger Canada Ltd | Strong · 15 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 10 | Moderate · 4 | Emerging · 2 |
| Baker Hughes Co | Strong · 5 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Schlumberger Technology BV | Strong · 5 | Absent | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The analysis covers 120 patent families in scope. The applicant ranking is built from patent records, which can exceed the family count when a family is filed across multiple offices.
Schlumberger Technology Corp leads with 56 patent records, more than double the next individual entity (Halliburton Energy Services at 26). Several additional Schlumberger-affiliated entities — Services Petroliers Schlumberger, GeoQuest Systems, and Schlumberger Canada — further extend the group’s overall position.
The lifecycle evidence classifies the field as Growth, with annual filings still rising and a 30% increase over the recent window. Filing activity was negligible before 2018 and accelerated sharply from 2019 onward. The most recent 18–24 months of data are understated by publication lag.
The United States is the leading jurisdiction by patent records, followed by WIPO PCT filings and the European Patent Office. The United Kingdom, Canada, China, Saudi Arabia, and Norway each have smaller but non-trivial coverage, reflecting strategic protection in key oil-and-gas markets.
E21B (Earth and rock drilling — wells) dominates the technology composition. G06N (AI computing models) and G01V (geophysics and gravity surveying) are the largest secondary classes but remain far smaller. G05B (control and regulating systems), G06F (digital data processing), G08B (signalling and alarms), and G01H (measuring vibrations and sound) are sparsely represented adjacent branches.
Co-filing evidence shows that virtually all active co-applicant relationships are between Schlumberger-affiliated entities: the top pairs include Services Petroliers Schlumberger / GeoQuest Systems (20 records), and Schlumberger Technology Corp with both Schlumberger Canada and Services Petroliers Schlumberger (15 records each). External partnerships outside the Schlumberger ecosystem are minimal in the evidence available.
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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.