Overall rank by patents
#503
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation
SHELL OIL COMPNY
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 890 granted patents across 163 technology areas, active 2015–2024. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: C10G (CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION ; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GAS).
890
Total patents granted
163
CPC technology areas
14.2
Avg claims per patent
-70%
5-year filing velocity
Portfolio overview
SHELL OIL COMPNY has been granted 890 US utility patents between 2015 and 2024, placing SHELL OIL COMPNY at rank #503 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 163 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 14.2 claims per patent with primary concentration in C10G (CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION ; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GAS). As a US Corporation, SHELL OIL COMPNY is one of the broader-portfolio assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 57.4/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.
Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 205 grants, compared with 685 in the 2015–2019 window — a -70% shift in five-year velocity. A cooling filing rate may reflect portfolio consolidation, shifting priorities, or reduced R&D throughput. The US Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.
Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. SHELL OIL COMPNY's 14.2 average claims per patent sits within the typical range for solid legal coverage without excessive prosecution cost, while a diversified footprint across 100+ CPC subclasses spreads risk across many technology fronts. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark SHELL OIL COMPNY against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does SHELL compare?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus the largest corporate holders — this company marked ◀
- Samsung
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
106,890 patents
- International Bus…
International Business Machines Corporation
72,926 patents
- Canon 34,378
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
34,378 patents
- LG 32,607
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
32,607 patents
- Taiwan Semiconduc… 31,041
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
31,041 patents
- Apple 30,560
Apple Inc.
30,560 patents
- Qualcomm Incorpor… 30,354
QUALCOMM Incorporated
30,354 patents
- Intel 27,498
Intel Corporation
27,498 patents
- Shell OIL Compny ◀ 890
SHELL OIL COMPNY
890 patents
What this shows SHELL holds 890 patents — placing it at rank #503 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2024
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 185 | 20.8% |
| 2016 | 163 | 18.3% |
| 2017 | 115 | 12.9% |
| 2018 | 107 | 12.0% |
| 2019 | 115 | 12.9% |
| 2020 | 118 | 13.3% |
| 2021 | 67 | 7.5% |
| 2022 | 18 | 2.0% |
| 2024 | 2 | 0.2% |
Which technologies does SHELL OIL COMPNY patent most?
Top 15 of 163 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Moderate
Tech Breadth Diversified
Claim Depth Standard
Velocity Declining
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does SHELL OIL COMPNY hold?
SHELL OIL COMPNY holds 890 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2024, spanning 163 technology areas.
What is SHELL OIL COMPNY's Innovation Score?
SHELL OIL COMPNY has an Innovation Score of 57.4 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does SHELL OIL COMPNY focus on?
SHELL OIL COMPNY's top technology area is C10G (CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION ; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES) with 280 patents. The company has filed patents in 163 CPC subclasses total.
Is SHELL OIL COMPNY's patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
SHELL OIL COMPNY's recent filing velocity is -70% compared to the prior five-year period. Filing activity has slowed relative to earlier years.
What does claim depth mean for SHELL OIL COMPNY's patents?
SHELL OIL COMPNY's patents average 14.2 claims each. This falls within the standard range, providing solid legal coverage.
How is the SHELL OIL COMPNY patent data sourced?
All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.
Learn More
Explore the patent dataset
C10G technology
SHELL OIL COMPNY's primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where SHELL OIL COMPNY ranks among the largest US patent assignees
All technology classes
Browse every CPC technology area by patent activity
How the score works
The four dimensions behind the Innovation Score
Related
Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bulk patent data. patentsview.org
- USPTO Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) — application status and file history. uspto.gov/patents/pair
- USPTO Bulk Data Storage System — comprehensive patent text + claims dataset. bulkdata.uspto.gov
- USPTO CPC Classification — Cooperative Patent Classification scheme for technology categorization. uspto.gov/cpc
- SEC EDGAR — public filings cross-reference for assignee corporate entity matching. sec.gov/edgar
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE — international patent context (related international filings). wipo.int/patentscope
