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Run your analysis now →https://www.patsnap.com/resources/blog/rd-blog/syngas-production-and-reforming-patent-landscape/ · Patsnap · data cut-off 2026-07-31 · downloaded from the live page
Patent Landscape · Syngas & ReformingSyngas production and reforming patents: who holds the reforming claims and where filing has gone flat
- Concentrated at the top. The five leading assignees hold 42.5% of all 858 records in scope, and the top ten hold 56.8% — a field where a handful of incumbents already occupy the core claim space.
- Filing has cooled since 2021. Activity peaked at 86 records in 2021 and has declined since, with the 2022 midpoint at 48 — a pattern of flat-to-declining interest rather than a technology still accelerating.
- Catalysis and separation are the open edges. While 94.6% of records sit in the core inorganic-compounds class, adjacent branches like electrolytic production (6.6%) and gasification of fuels (7.1%) carry far fewer filings.
858
Published Records
43%
Top-5 Share of All Records
-52%
3-Yr Growth (lag-adjusted)
US
Leading Jurisdiction
Published byPatsnap Research··7 min readSourced from Patsnap Eureka
Overview
What this landscape covers
This landscape tracks 858 patent records filed against steam methane reforming, autothermal reforming and syngas production, spanning claims on catalyst tube life, carbon formation control, H2/CO ratio tuning, heat recovery and dry reforming. The scope pulls from IPC classes C01B3, B01J23 and C10J3, covering both the core hydrogen/syngas chemistry and the catalytic processes that make it commercially workable.
Coverage runs from 2015 through the July 2026 data cut-off. Because publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, the most recent one to two years in any trend chart understate actual filing activity and should be read as provisional rather than final.
Records in scope by filing year
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee ranking and totals. Derived from a Patsnap search on Syngas Production and Reforming covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
The Data
Filing trend and technology composition
Two views of the same 858 records: how filing activity has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses carry the claim density.
Filing activity, 2017–2026
Filings rose from 13 in 2017 to a peak of 86 in 2021, then eased back toward the 2022 midpoint of 48 and continued falling through 2026 (3, partial year). The shape reads as a field that had its filing surge already and has since cooled rather than one still building momentum.
Technology composition by IPC subclass
C01B dominates at 94.6% of the 858 records, unsurprising given the scope's focus on hydrogen and syngas chemistry. B01J (catalysis) sits at 43.1%, confirming that catalyst-side claims are a major secondary axis. Downstream and adjacent branches — C10G refining (13.3%), C10K gas purification (10.0%), C10J gasification (7.1%) and C25B electrolytic production (6.6%) — carry meaningfully less density, which is where the white space sits.
Shares are the percentage of the 858 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Filing trend and technology composition. Derived from a Patsnap search on Syngas Production and Reforming covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.
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The most-cited records in this space
Representative Filing
Supported catalyst for steam methane reforming and autothermal reforming reactions
SULZER METCO (CANADA) INC.
The invention relates to supported catalysts and a process for producing them, intended for reforming reactions including steam methane reforming (SMR) and autothermal reforming (ATR). The supported catalyst comprises a transition metal oxide, optionally a rare-earth metal oxide, and a transition metal aluminate.Filed by Sulzer Metco (Canada) Inc., published 2007-08-16 as US20070191221A1.
Most-cited records in scope
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20090117024A1 | Process for the Production of Hydrogen with Co-Production and Capture of Carbon Dioxide | 220 |
| 2 | US7037485B1 | Steam methane reforming method | 145 |
| 3 | US5496859A | Gasification process combined with steam methane reforming to produce syngas suitable for methanol production | 120 |
| 4 | US7985399B2 | Hydrogen production method and facility | 108 |
| 5 | US20050188615A1 | Integrated fuel processor subsystem with quasi-autothermal reforming | 108 |
| 6 | WO2006097703A1 | A process for the production of hydrogen with co-production and capture of carbon dioxide | 94 |
| 7 | US20020155061A1 | Syngas production method utilizing an oxygen transport membrane | 94 |
| 8 | WO2019110268A1 | A plant and process for producing synthesis gas | 90 |
| 9 | US8349214B1 | Synthesis gas method and apparatus | 87 |
| 10 | US20110303875A1 | Integrated oxidation, reduction and gasification method for chemical looping syngas and energy production | 87 |
Citation counts are drawn from within this searched corpus and skew toward older filings that have had more time to accumulate citations — read them as a signal of influence on the field, not of current commercial relevance.
Each row carries its publication number; clicking a row searches Eureka by that number.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Citation counts and representative records. Derived from a Patsnap search on Syngas Production and Reforming covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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What the numbers mean for a filing decision
Three findings that shape where new claims can realistically land in this space.
Concentration
42.5% of 858
held by top 5 assignees
The core reforming chemistry is already claimed
With the five leading assignees holding 42.5% of all 858 records and the top ten holding 56.8%, the central steam-methane and autothermal reforming chemistry sits under dense prior art from a small set of incumbents. New entrants filing directly against core H2/CO ratio control or catalyst composition claims should expect crowded art.
Ranked assignee data, 858 records in scope
Momentum
86 in 2021
peak filing year
Filing activity has already peaked
The trend climbed from 13 records in 2017 to a peak of 86 in 2021, then declined toward 48 at the 2022 midpoint and down to 3 by 2026 (partial year). Recent-year momentum by assignee shows several leading filers at zero or negative year-on-year change, reinforcing that the surge phase has passed rather than being an artefact of publication lag alone.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Technology mix
6.6% C25B
electrolytic production share
Adjacent branches are thinner than the core
Electrolytic production of compounds (C25B, 6.6% of records) and gasification of fuels (C10J, 7.1%) sit well below the 94.6% concentration in the core C01B class. These lower-density branches are where syngas routes intersect with electrolysis and gasification pathways, and where claim space is comparatively less occupied.
IPC composition, 858 records in scope
Eureka AI Agent
Looking for what nobody has claimed yet?
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to syngas production and reforming, with the prior art for and against each one.
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Co-assignee relationships and derived observations. Derived from a Patsnap search on Syngas Production and Reforming covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
Players
Who is filing, and where the field is still open
The assignee ranking covers 100 companies, counted in records — not a top-50 or top-100 cut, but the full set the data endpoint returns for this scope.
Leader
191 records
leading assignee
One assignee well ahead of the pack
The leading assignee holds 191 records, far above the fifth-place figure of 33 and tenth-place figure of 20. That gap between first and fifth signals a single incumbent with a structural filing advantage in reforming catalysis, built up over years of continuous filing.
Assignee ranking, 858 records in scope
Mid-field
33 at fifth
records at rank 5
A steep drop after the leader, then a longer plateau
Filings fall from 191 at the top to 33 by fifth place and 20 by tenth — a steep initial drop followed by a flatter tail. That shape is typical of a mature process technology: one or two dominant incumbents, then a broader group of oil-and-gas majors, catalyst specialists and industrial gas companies each holding a modest but active portfolio.
Assignee ranking, positions 5 and 10
Collaboration
10 pairs
co-assignee pairs identified
Collaboration exists but stays limited
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear across the dataset, with the strongest pairing linking a national oil company and a university research group. Most filing in this space happens under a single assignee rather than through joint ventures, which matters for freedom-to-operate checks — cross-licensing arrangements are the exception, not the norm.
Co-assignee pairs, 858 records
Recent-year filing momentum by assignee
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) | 1 | — |
| Johnson Matthey Davy Technologies Ltd | 1 | — |
| Haldor Topsoe A/S | 0 | -100% |
| Praxair Technology Inc | 0 | — |
| Johnson Matthey PLC | 0 | — |
| Air Products and Chemicals Inc | 0 | — |
| Conoco Inc | 0 | — |
| BOC Group Inc | 0 | — |
Source: Patsnap Eureka. Assignee-level momentum. Derived from a Patsnap search on Syngas Production and Reforming covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
What's Next
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to a field with an entrenched top tier and a cooling filing rate. These are the practical next steps for teams deciding where to file or partner.
Check freedom-to-operate against the top ranked assignees
With 56.8% of records held by the top ten, any new filing in core reforming chemistry should be checked against those portfolios first, not just the most-cited records.
Run an assignee-level FTO scanScope claims toward the under-claimed branches
Electrolytic production and gasification-adjacent routes carry lower filing density than the core C01B class, which may leave more room for a defensible first claim.
Explore white space in EurekaTreat the 2025-2026 trend figures as provisional
Publication lag means the last one to two years of filings will keep rising as more records publish; re-check the trend chart on a rolling basis rather than treating 2026 as final.
Set up a filing-trend alertSource: Patsnap Eureka. Forward-looking reading of the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Syngas Production and Reforming covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
FAQ
Common questions about syngas and reforming patents
The assignee ranking in this dataset covers 100 companies, and it is led by a single assignee with 191 records, well ahead of the fifth-place figure of 33. The top five assignees together hold 42.5% of all 858 records in scope, and the top ten hold 56.8%. This concentration means the core steam methane reforming and autothermal reforming chemistry has been claimed by a relatively small group of long-established industrial gas, catalyst and oil-and-gas companies rather than a broad field of newer entrants.
No — filing activity peaked at 86 records in 2021 and has declined since, with the 2022 midpoint at 48 and only 3 records by 2026, though 2026 is a partial year. Recent-year momentum data shows several of the leading assignees filing zero new records in the latest year, some down 100% year-on-year from prior activity. Combined with the historical pattern, this points to a technology area where the core chemistry has largely been staked out rather than one in an active filing surge.
The technology composition data shows the core C01B class (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds) covers 94.6% of the 858 records in scope, while adjacent branches carry far less density — C25B electrolytic production sits at 6.6% and C10J gasification of fuels at 7.1%. These lower-density branches, along with specific sub-areas like dry reforming carbon-formation control and catalyst tube life extension, represent areas where claim space is comparatively less occupied. That does not mean they are unclaimed, but the filing density is lower relative to the core reforming chemistry.
US20070191221A1, filed by Sulzer Metco (Canada) Inc. and published in 2007, covers supported catalysts comprising a transition metal oxide, optionally a rare-earth metal oxide, and a transition metal aluminate, intended for steam methane reforming and autothermal reforming reactions. Its claims sit specifically on that supported-catalyst composition and its production process, not on reforming reactions generally. A new filing on a materially different catalyst support chemistry, or one targeting a different reaction step such as heat recovery or H2/CO ratio control, would not necessarily be blocked by this filing, but any supported transition-metal-oxide catalyst for SMR or ATR should be checked against it directly.
Receiving office data shows the United States leading with 247 filings, followed by Europe (EPO) at 130 and WIPO/PCT filings at 113. Canada (87), Australia (75) and India (63) also carry meaningful filing volume. This spread reflects where the major industrial gas, engineering and oil-and-gas companies active in this space choose to seek protection, and it is a reasonable guide to where competitive filings are most likely to be enforced.
Answers are grounded in the same dataset. Derived from a Patsnap search on Syngas Production and Reforming covering 2015–2026, data cut-off 2026-07-31. Counts reflect published records only and shift as new filings publish.Run this in Eureka MCP
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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.