Gas Hydrate Resource Production Patents: Who Leads, Where Gaps Are 2026
- 36 records total, with the ranked leader holding 7 and a long tail down to single-filing entrants across 20 ranked assignees.
- Filing peaked in 2017 at 6, and the tracked growth window shows a -100% swing from 2021 (2) to 2024 (0), the last complete filing year.
- E21B drilling claims cover 61.1% of the 36 records, while measurement and analysis classes like G01B, G01C and G01N sit at just 5.6% each — the thinnest-claimed corners of the field.
Filing growth compares 2021 (2 records) with 2024 (0) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field.
What this landscape covers
This dataset tracks patent activity at the intersection of hydrate dissociation, sand production control, thermal stimulation and wellbore depressurisation — the mechanical and chemical methods used to extract methane from gas hydrate-bearing sediment. It spans 36 published records filed between 2015 and the 2026 data cut-off, drawn from receiving offices led by the United States, with meaningful activity in India, the WIPO PCT track, Canada, China and Brazil. The scope is narrow by design: it isolates production-stage engineering claims rather than the broader hydrate geology or exploration literature.
Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the 2025-2026 figures in this dataset are still filling in and should not be read as a decline. The most recent year that can be treated as complete is 2024.
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 36-record dataset: filing activity by year, and the IPC subclasses those records carry. Because a single record can span several classes, the composition shares add up to more than 100% of the record total.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
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.
IPC subclass composition
E21B (earth and rock drilling) dominates at 61.1% of the 36 records, consistent with a field still centred on wellbore mechanics. C09K materials and C10L fuels claims sit near a fifth of records each, while measurement-oriented classes (G01B, G01C, G01N) each cover only 5.6%.
Shares are the percentage of the 36 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Gas Hydrate Resource Production with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about gas hydrate resource production and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaMost-cited records in this dataset
Device and method for gas-water-sand separation and measurement in experiment of natural gas hydrate exploitation
A device and a method for gas-water-sand separation and measurement during a simulated exploitation of natural gas hydrates are disclosed. The device includes a natural gas hydrate formation and dissociation system and a filtering unit. The natural gas hydrate formation and dissociation system includes a compressed air pump, a reactor, and a water-bath temperature regulating unit. The filtering unit includes a kettle body, wherein an inlet end is connected to the sand-control liner zone, an outlet end is connected to a water-collecting container, and a plurality of filtering layers are disposed inside the kettle body from inlet to outlet.Filed by Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2022-09-22).
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20100017136A1 | Estimating in situ mechanical properties of sediments containing gas hydrates | 25 |
| 2 | US7472022B2 | Method and system for managing a drilling operation in a multicomponent particulate system | 21 |
| 3 | CN113216902A | 一种深水气井天然气水合物堵塞解堵装置及使用方法 | 17 |
| 4 | US20080053213A1 | Method and system for managing a drilling operation in a multicomponent particulate system | 13 |
| 5 | US20220298892A1 | Device and method for gas-water-sand separation and measurement in experiment of natural gas hydrate exploita… | 9 |
| 6 | US20200318959A1 | Real-time monitoring apparatus for seafloor deformation during hydrate exploitation | 7 |
| 7 | US20200063542A1 | A method of water flow erosion for marine gas hydrate exploitation | 6 |
| 8 | WO2017125954A1 | A process for dissociation of hydrates in presence of additives or hydrate dissociation promoters | 6 |
| 9 | US8301383B2 | Estimating in situ mechanical properties of sediments containing gas hydrates | 6 |
| 10 | CN113189674A | 一种天然气水合物的饱和度估算方法及系统 | 4 |
Ranked by citation count within this searched corpus; older records accumulate citations simply by being available longer, so treat this as a signal of influence rather than current relevance.
Patent titles are shown in the language they were filed in, not translated, so that each record stays verifiable against the original filing — a translated title will not match in Eureka or in any national register. Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
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Three readings of the dataset that matter for a filing or freedom-to-operate decision.
A short leaderboard, then a long tail
The ranked leader holds 7 records, fifth place holds 4, and tenth place holds only 3 — across 20 ranked assignees total. That is a shallow drop-off rather than a single dominant player, meaning freedom-to-operate work needs to check several mid-tier holders, not just the top name.
Peak activity was 2017, not recent
Filing peaked in 2017 at 6 and the tracked 2021-to-2024 window shows a full drop to zero, the last complete filing year. Recent-year momentum tables for the leading assignees also show 0 filings in the latest year across the board, consistent with a field that has gone quiet rather than one still accelerating.
Drilling mechanics still dominate the claim space
E21B (earth and rock drilling) appears in 61.1% of the 36 records, far ahead of materials (C09K, 27.8%) and fuels (C10L, 19.4%). Measurement and sensing classes — G01B, G01C, G01N — sit at 5.6% each, suggesting the mechanical extraction problem is more heavily claimed than the measurement and monitoring side of production.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to gas hydrate resource production, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who is filing, and where the collaboration sits
Filing in this space is split between oilfield service majors and Chinese research institutes, with several co-assignee pairs pointing to institute-level collaboration rather than solo corporate filing.
Service majors hold the top position
The ranked leader and several related entities in this dataset trace back to the Schlumberger corporate family, spanning multiple registered entities across jurisdictions. Their filings concentrate in drilling operation management and multicomponent particulate handling, echoing the E21B skew across the dataset.
Institute pairs collaborate repeatedly
Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Nankai University and the Exploration Technology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences appear together across the strongest co-assignee pairs, each pairing recorded 4 times. This points to a coordinated research programme rather than isolated filings.
Lab-scale experimental apparatus is a distinct filing thread
Records like the representative filing on gas-water-sand separation and measurement show a separate filing thread focused on experimental simulation equipment rather than field deployment, filed by public research institutes rather than service companies.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger Canada Limited | 0 | — |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | 0 | — |
| Prad Research and Development Limited | 0 | — |
| Schlumberger Technology Corporation | 0 | — |
| Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey | 0 | — |
| Nankai University | 0 | — |
| Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 0 | — |
| Exploration Technology Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences | 0 | — |
Where to take this next
The dataset points to a field with occupied core claims and thinner coverage at the measurement and monitoring edges.
Check freedom-to-operate against the mid-tier holders
With the leaderboard dropping from 7 to 4 to 3 records across the ranked assignees, a freedom-to-operate review needs to cover more than the top name — several mid-tier holders carry claims worth checking before filing in E21B drilling mechanics.
Run an FTO screen in EurekaProbe the measurement and sensing gap
G01B, G01C and G01N classes each cover only 5.6% of the 36 records, well behind the 61.1% E21B share. That gap in saturation estimation and monitoring claims is worth a closer novelty search before assuming it is unclaimed.
Explore white space in EurekaFrequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
The clearest gaps sit in measurement and monitoring: G01B, G01C and G01N subclasses each cover only 5.6% of the 36 records, far behind the 61.1% held by E21B drilling claims. Sub-areas like hydrate saturation estimation sensors, inhibitor injection method control and gas-water-sand separation measurement look thinly claimed relative to the drilling mechanics core. That does not guarantee an easy filing path, but it does mean fewer blocking claims to search against before drafting.
US20220298892A1 is the most-cited related record's companion filing by Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, covering a device and method for gas-water-sand separation and measurement during simulated natural gas hydrate exploitation. Its claims centre on a specific apparatus arrangement — a formation and dissociation system paired with a multi-layer filtering kettle — rather than the underlying separation principle itself. A design that changes the filtering unit's structural arrangement or the temperature-regulation approach has room to avoid direct overlap, though a formal claim chart is needed before relying on that.
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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.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.