Who are the leading innovators in pipeline inspection robots for the oil & gas industry?

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The oil & gas industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the need to improve safety and efficiency, and reduce environmental impacts, and the growing importance of technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and big data. In the last three years alone, there have been over 327,000 patents filed and granted in the oil & gas industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Robotics in oil & gas: pipeline inspection robots. Buy the report here.

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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 201,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the oil & gas industry, there are 65+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Pipeline inspection robots is a key innovation area in robotics

Pipeline inspection robots are robotic devices designed to inspect and provide visual information on the internal conditions of pipelines. They are equipped with cameras, sensors, and other tools to detect and evaluate problems such as corrosion, cracks, blockages, and leaks in pipelines without human intervention.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 110 companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of pipeline inspection robots.

Key players in pipeline inspection robots – a disruptive innovation in the oil & gas industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.  

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’. 

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Halliburton Co and China National Petroleum are the leading patent filers in pipeline inspection through robots. Some other key patent filers in pipeline inspection robotics include China National Offshore Oil, Saudi Arabian Oil Co, and China Petrochemical.

In terms of application diversity, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China leads the pack, while Hangzhou Hangyang and Baker Hughes stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Xu Jun held the top position, followed by Beijing Enterprises and Era.

Oil and gas companies are increasingly using robots for pipeline inspection to eliminate human intervention, increase accuracy, and improve the efficiency of operations.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the oil & gas industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Robotics in Oil and Gas.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.

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