Company patents
SHELL OIL COMPANY
SHELL OIL COMPANY's patent strategy reveals a surprising shift away from its core "Petroleum / Hydrocarbon Refining" category, which constitutes 23.4% of its portfolio but saw a drastic -100.0% decline in 2025 and no patents so far in 2026, alongside a similar sharp decline in "Catalysts & Reactors" (-100.0% YoY in 2026). While most categories show a significant drop in patenting activity in recent years, the company still maintains a minor focus on "Material & Chemical Analysis" with 1 patent so far in 2026, and a new patent in "Polymer Additives" in 2026, suggesting a highly selective and reduced patenting effort across the board.
Patent Trend by Technology Area
Yearly patent publications since 2023
Product themes
Product-level themes inferred from filings since 2023, with category chips showing where each theme appears. Select a theme to filter the patents below.
64 US filings (since 2023) · 11 categories · 21 themes
Processes and reactor designs for breaking down heavier hydrocarbon feedstocks into lighter, more valuable products using catalysts, including methods for regenerating spent catalysts through coke burning or other means.
Catalytic processes and novel catalyst materials designed to efficiently produce hydrogen gas from various feedstocks, including hydrocarbons (e.g., methane, natural gas) and ammonia.
Novel or optimized methods and apparatus for efficiently separating desired products, recovering valuable components, or managing effluents from complex hydrocarbon mixtures and refining processes.
Methods and apparatus for the efficient and selective production of organic compounds, including amines, acids, and esters, often involving catalytic or continuous processes and purification steps.
Systems and methods for producing fuels, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), or hydrogen with a reduced carbon intensity, often leveraging alternative feedstocks, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, or integrated energy recovery.
Technologies focused on converting waste plastics, residual polymers, or aromatic waste streams into valuable hydrocarbon liquids, gases, or chemical feedstocks through thermal or catalytic pyrolysis, followed by upgrading and separation processes.
Chemical processes that utilize hydrogen to remove impurities like sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen from hydrocarbon feedstocks, or to saturate aromatic compounds, often employing specific catalysts and process conditions.
Technologies and materials for capturing carbon dioxide from gas streams and subsequently converting it into valuable chemical products or materials, rather than simply storing it.
Engineering approaches to improve the efficiency, control, and performance of chemical reactors, encompassing continuous processes, heat exchange integration, and specialized reactor configurations for various chemical transformations.
Technologies and systems for removing unwanted components or separating desired gases from a mixed gas stream, including adsorption, absorption, and membrane-based methods.
Additives that enhance a polymer's resistance to thermal degradation, high temperatures, or ignition, including flame retardants and heat stabilizers for improved safety and durability.
Materials added to polymers to modify their thermal transfer properties, typically increasing conductivity for heat dissipation in applications like electronics or battery packs.
Additives or compositions specifically formulated for surface application or modification to impart protective, decorative, or specialized functional properties to polymer products.
Methods for producing organic chemicals from biomass or through fermentation processes, often focusing on carbohydrates or fatty acid derivatives for food, health, or industrial applications.
Methods and compositions for identifying, quantifying, or characterizing specific biological molecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, antibodies) or microbial species, often for diagnostic, prognostic, or quality control applications.
Techniques and apparatus utilizing various spectroscopy methods (e.g., Raman, NIRS, photometric, interferometric) for identifying substances, measuring concentrations, or monitoring chemical and physical processes in industrial, environmental, or laboratory settings.
Synthesis and modification of polysiloxane polymers to introduce specific functional groups or structures, enhancing properties for applications like composites, coatings, biomedical uses, or powder treatment.
Development of materials with tailored porosity, surface chemistry, or structure, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolites, or superficially porous particles, for selective adsorption, ion exchange, or chromatographic separations.
Development and synthesis of catalysts with unique compositions or structures, such as medium entropy alloys, metal foam-supported catalysts, layered catalytic articles, or high-entropy oxides, to enhance activity, selectivity, or stability in chemical reactions.
Systems that employ imaging and image processing to automatically detect defects, verify states, or ensure quality control in manufactured goods, printed materials, or industrial processes.
Equipment and processes for separating solid particles from liquid or gas phases in industrial settings, encompassing mechanical screening, filtration of molten materials, and various filter media designs.
Patents
Showing 1-10 of 287