The oil & gas industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and biofuels, and growing importance of technologies such as electrolyzers, auto-thermal reforming and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). 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 Environmental sustainability in oil & gas: bioethanol production GMOs. 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.

Bioethanol production GMOs is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability

Bioethanol production using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) involves the use of genetically modified feedstock to efficiently and effectively produce bioethanol (or ethanol). Furthermore, the technology aims to optimize ethanol yield, while reducing the environmental footprint of biofuels production.

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 130+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established oil & gas companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of bioethanol production GMOs.

Key players in bioethanol production GMOs – 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’.  

Patent volumes related to bioethanol production GMOs

Company Total patents (2021 - 2023) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Gevo 217 Unlock Company Profile
Royal DSM 147 Unlock Company Profile
Cargill 81 Unlock Company Profile
Lesaffre Group 81 Unlock Company Profile
Corbion 53 Unlock Company Profile
Deinove 44 Unlock Company Profile
Viridos 43 Unlock Company Profile
DuPont de Nemours 39 Unlock Company Profile
Precigen 32 Unlock Company Profile
22nd Century Group 31 Unlock Company Profile
RAG-Stiftung 27 Unlock Company Profile
Biocleave 26 Unlock Company Profile
IFP Energies nouvelles 26 Unlock Company Profile
Archer Daniels Midland 24 Unlock Company Profile
Ginkgo Bioworks 22 Unlock Company Profile
Codexis 22 Unlock Company Profile
China National Chemical 18 Unlock Company Profile
Easel Biotechnologies 17 Unlock Company Profile
Algenol Biofuels 15 Unlock Company Profile
International Flavors & Fragrances 14 Unlock Company Profile
Lesaffre et Compagnie 14 Unlock Company Profile
Chevron 14 Unlock Company Profile
Alliance for Sustainable Energy 13 Unlock Company Profile
Corteva 13 Unlock Company Profile
Lumen Bioscience 11 Unlock Company Profile
Green Brothers Earth Works 10 Unlock Company Profile
Photanol BV 10 Unlock Company Profile
Centre National Research Scientific 10 Unlock Company Profile
LanzaTech Global 9 Unlock Company Profile
White Dog Labs 9 Unlock Company Profile
Firmenich International 9 Unlock Company Profile
Mascoma 9 Unlock Company Profile
iNtRON Biotechnology 8 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 8 Unlock Company Profile
BASF 8 Unlock Company Profile
PTT Global Chemical 7 Unlock Company Profile
Tabletop Energy 7 Unlock Company Profile
Synthezyme 7 Unlock Company Profile
Genomatica 6 Unlock Company Profile
Algenol Biotech 6 Unlock Company Profile
Kotobuki Realty 6 Unlock Company Profile
Bio Architecture Lab 5 Unlock Company Profile
KWS SAAT 5 Unlock Company Profile
Lallemand Hungary Liquidity Management 5 Unlock Company Profile
Glycos Biotechnologies 5 Unlock Company Profile
Kirin 5 Unlock Company Profile
Biocelere Agroindustrial 4 Unlock Company Profile
Angel Yeast 4 Unlock Company Profile
AECOM 4 Unlock Company Profile
Ngee Ann Polytechnic 4 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Gevo is one of the leading patent filers in the bioethanol production GMOs for the oil & gas industry. Its ethanol production process suits the requirement for low-carbon renewable ethanol. Through its research, Gevo is trying to produce fuel with reduced carbon intensity. Some other key patent filers in the space include DSM-Firmenich, Cargill, and Lesaffre.

Gevo, 22nd Century and Chevron are among the leaders in terms of application diversity. Chevron has diversified into the biofuels markets through strategic partnerships and investments. In June 2022, it acquired Renewable Energy Group (REG), a biodiesel production company. In September 2021, Chevron and Gevo collaborated to invest in building new facilities for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.

By means of geographic reach, Precigen held the top position, followed by 22nd Century and Corbion.

One use for bioethanol is to use it for blending with gasoline to meet RFG area requirements. It can also be blended with diesel to reduce the fuel’s carbon intensity.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the oil & gas industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) 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.