In this dataset the two terms are treated as closely related dewatering outcomes rather than distinct legal categories, both defined by the underflow density and yield stress achieved at the thickener. Claims typically distinguish them by the degree of dewatering and the resulting rheology, with paste tailings sitting at a higher yield stress and lower water content than thickened tailings. Filings tend to claim the process and control method — flocculant dosage, rake torque, underflow density — rather than the tailings product itself, which is why search strings combining both terms alongside process variables return a coherent single field rather than two separate ones.

The assignee ranking covers 42 companies, with filing activity concentrated sharply at the top: the leading assignee holds 29 of the 184 records in scope, more than double the fifth-placed filer’s 13. The top five assignees combined account for 48.9% of all records, and the top ten account for 77.7%, meaning most of the remaining 32 companies in the ranking hold only a handful of filings each. Most of the leading filers are oil sands operators and specialty chemicals companies, reflecting the field’s roots in oil sands tailings management.

Filing peaked in 2019 at 11 records and has since flattened rather than continued growing: the count held at 2 filings in both 2021 and 2024, a 0% change over that three-year span. That is consistent with a mature filing base rather than an emerging one, though the very latest years (2025–2026) are understated because publication typically lags filing by roughly 18 months. Anyone assessing momentum should treat the last one to two years in any chart as provisional rather than a sign of decline.