Gas Hydrate Resource Production Patents: Who Leads, Where Gaps Are 2026
Gas Hydrate Resource Production Patents: A Small, Concentrated Field Still Open at the Edges
36 records total, with the ranked leader holding 7 and a long tail down to single-filing entrants across 20 ranked assignees. Filings peaked at 6 in 2017. The tracked growth figure shows 2021 (2) falling to 2024 (0), a -100% span over the last complete three-year window; treat 2025 onward as understated, not declining.
- 1SCHLUMBERGER CANADA LTD7
- 2PRAD RES & DEV LTD6
- 3COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES5
- 4NANKAI UNIV4
- 5EXPLORATION TECH RES INST OF CHINESE ACADEMY OF GEOLOGICAL SCI4
See the full gas hydrate resource production analysis in Eureka
- The complete ranking, not just the top five
- Every IPC branch with its share of the corpus
- The most-cited records, and where claim space is still thin
Frequently asked questions
Who holds the most gas hydrate production patents?
The ranked leader in this 36-record dataset holds 7 records, with the count dropping to 4 by fifth place and 3 by tenth place across 20 ranked assignees. Several of the top entities trace back to the Schlumberger corporate family, reflecting service-company interest in drilling and multicomponent particulate management. The drop-off from top to fifth place is shallow, so a single-name check is not sufficient for competitive or freedom-to-operate purposes.
Is gas hydrate production patent filing growing or slowing?
Filing peaked in 2017 at 6 records and the tracked growth window shows a -100% change from 2021 (2) to 2024 (0), the last year that can be treated as complete. Because publication typically lags filing by about 18 months, the 2025 and 2026 figures in the dataset are still filling in and should not be read as confirmation of continued decline. Recent-year momentum tables also show 0 filings in the latest year for the leading assignees tracked.
What technology areas dominate gas hydrate resource production patents?
E21B, earth and rock drilling, appears in 61.1% of the 36 records in scope, making it by far the densest claim area. Materials claims under C09K cover 27.8% and fuels under C10L cover 19.4%, while geophysics (G01V) also sits at 19.4%. Measurement-focused classes — G01B, G01C and G01N — each cover only 5.6% of records, indicating comparatively thin coverage of saturation estimation and monitoring methods relative to the mechanical drilling core.
Disclaimer. This analysis is based on Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent records and is provided for general information and reference only. Patent data carries inherent limitations — recent filings are under-counted because of publication lag, counts may be on a record or family basis, classification and applicant-name data may contain errors or duplicates, and the underlying search query defines the scope shown — so the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing here is an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Verify independently and review with qualified patent and legal professionals before acting on it.
Method: Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Gas Hydrate Resource Production covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish. Every share divides by all records in scope. Data: Patsnap Eureka. See the full landscape report.