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Patent Leaderboard
USPTO Patent Rankings Data through Dec 31, 2025
Home › Technologies › Earth drilling and mining

Earth drilling and mining Patent Leaders All Time

Primary CPC class E21 · Section E

Rankings count each patent once by its primary Cooperative Patent Classification. All-time pages aggregate the full database; year pages use patent grant year.

Recent years: 2016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Patents per Year

Patents granted per year, 1996 to 2025Bar chart with a peak of 3,238 patents in 2019.peak 3,2381996: 634 patents19961997: 557 patents1998: 796 patents1999: 838 patents19992000: 974 patents2001: 1,102 patents2002: 1,020 patents20022003: 1,014 patents2004: 1,046 patents2005: 877 patents20052006: 1,183 patents2007: 1,049 patents2008: 1,132 patents20082009: 1,088 patents2010: 1,656 patents2011: 1,495 patents20112012: 1,736 patents2013: 1,847 patents2014: 2,135 patents20142015: 2,318 patents2016: 2,454 patents2017: 2,612 patents20172018: 2,721 patents2019: 3,238 patents2020: 3,076 patents20202021: 2,876 patents2022: 2,754 patents2023: 2,767 patents20232024: 2,676 patents2025: 2,630 patents2025

Top Inventors

Rank ↑ Inventor ↕ Patents ↕ Primary Company ↕
1 Michael Linley Fripp 458 Halliburton Energy Services
2 David R. Hall 299 Hall Labs
3 Roger L. Schultz 288 Thru Tubing Solutions
#4 Harold J. Vinegar 238 Shell Oil Compny
#5 Stephen Michael Greci 175 Halliburton Energy Services
#6 Christopher Michael Jones 154 Halliburton Energy Services
#7 John C. Gano 143 Halliburton Energy Services
#8 Brock Watson 141 Thru Tubing Solutions
#9 Scott Lee Wellington 140 Shell Oil Compny
#10 Burkay Donderici 138 Halliburton Energy Services
#11 Lev Ring 137 Shell Oil Compny
#12 Philip D. Nguyen 136 Halliburton Energy Services
#13 Eric Pierre de Rouffignac 132 University Of Texas System
#14 Danny E. Scott 130 Baker Hughes Holdings
#15 Dinesh R. Patel 129 Schlumberger Technology
#16 Aaron W. Logan 127 Evolution Engineering
#17 David Joe Steele 124 Halliburton Energy Services
#18 Paul D. Ringgenberg 119 Halliburton Energy Services
#19 Jason D. Dykstra 112 Halliburton Energy Services
#20 Ronald E. Pringle 111 Camco International
#21 Thomas F. Bailey 111 Weatherford/Lamb
#22 Michael H. Johnson 110 Baker Hughes Holdings
#23 William Mark Richards 104 Halliburton Energy Services
#24 David Paul Brisco 103 Shell Oil Compny
#25 Rudolf Carl Pessier 103 Baker Hughes Holdings
#26 Dennis P. Nguyen 102 Cameron International
#27 James Dan Vick, Jr. 101 Halliburton Energy Services
#28 George Leo Stegemeier 99 Shell Oil Compny
#29 Jim B. Surjaatmadja 98 Halliburton Energy Services
#30 Robello Samuel 98 Landmark Graphics
#31 Scott Dahlgren 97 Schlumberger Technology
#32 Ilya Emil Berchenko 95 Shell Oil Compny
#33 Dale E. Jamison 94 Halliburton Energy Services
#34 Tony Yeung 94 Bj Energy Solutions
#35 Youhe Zhang 93 Smith International
#36 Michael T. Pelletier 92 Halliburton Energy Services
#37 John Michael Karanikas 91 Shell Oil Compny
#38 Henry E. Rogers 88 Halliburton Energy Services
#39 Ronald B. Crockett 88 Schlumberger Technology
#40 Jimmie R. Williamson, Jr. 87 Halliburton Energy Services
#41 John T. Hardesty 87 Geodynamics
#42 Robert Lance Cook 87 Shell Oil Compny
#43 David S. Wesson 86 Geodynamics
#44 Etuan Zhang 86 Shell Oil Compny
#45 John E. Mercer 86 Merlin Technology
#46 Neal G. Skinner 86 Halliburton Energy Services
#47 Justin C. Logan 85 Evolution Engineering
#48 Ronald Glen Dusterhoft 85 Halliburton Energy Services
#49 Robert Charles Ryan 85 Shell Oil Compny
#50 Joseph A. Zupanick 84 Cdx Gas
#51 Julian Pop 84 Schlumberger Technology
#52 Rocco DiFoggio 84 Baker Hughes Holdings
#53 Thomas David Fowler 84 Shell Oil Compny
#54 Albert W. Chau 83 Merlin Technology
#55 Christian Eitschberger 83 Dynaenergetics Europe Gmbh
#56 David M. Haugen 83 Weatherford/Lamb
#57 Steven R. Radford 83 Baker Hughes Holdings
#58 Richard L. Giroux 82 Weatherford/Lamb
#59 Ashley Bernard Johnson 81 Schlumberger Technology
#60 Ricardo Rodriguez-Ramon 80 Bj Energy Solutions
#61 Bennett M. Richard 79 Baker Hughes Holdings
#62 David A. Switzer 79 Evolution Engineering
#63 Gerald D. Lynde 79 Baker Hughes Holdings
#64 Joe Fox 78 Hall Labs
#65 Phillip Sollami 78 The Sollami
#66 Zhiyue Xu 78 —
#67 Gordon A. Tibbitts 77 Baker Hughes Holdings
#68 Robert Coon 77 Weatherford/Lamb
#69 Sameeh Issa Batarseh 76 Saudi Arabian Oil
#70 Thomas Jules Frosell 76 Halliburton Energy Services
#71 Jean-Marc Lopez 75 Halliburton Energy Services
#72 Lonnie Carl Helms 75 Halliburton Energy Services
#73 Luke William Holderman 75 Halliburton Energy Services
#74 Martin P. Coronado 75 Baker Hughes Holdings
#75 Chinthaka Pasan Gooneratne 73 Macquarie University
#76 L. Murray Dallas 73 Stinger Wellhead Protection
#77 Paul F. Rodney 73 Halliburton Energy Services
#78 YingQing Xu 73 —
#79 Eric C. Sullivan 72 Baker Hughes Holdings
#80 Jinjiang Xiao 72 Saudi Arabian Oil
#81 Andrew M. Ferguson 71 Thru Tubing Solutions
#82 Charles H. Dewey 71 Smith International
#83 Bob McGuire 70 Stinger Wellhead Protection
#84 Jørgen Hallundbæk 70 Welltec A/S
#85 Madapusi K. Keshavan 70 Smith International
#86 Richard Thomas Hay 70 Halliburton Energy Services
#87 James C. Doane 69 Baker Hughes Holdings
#88 John L. Baugh 69 Baker Hughes Holdings
#89 Mikko Jaaskelainen 69 Halliburton Energy Services
#90 Shilin Chen 69 Halliburton Energy Services
#91 Zachary William Walton 69 Halliburton Energy Services
#92 Kip M. Robichaux 68 Mako Rentals
#93 Craig H. Cooley 67 Us Synthetic
#94 Gregory L. Hern 67 Baker Hughes Holdings
#95 Joop Roodenburg 67 Itrec B.V.
#96 Terry P. Robichaux 67 Mako Rentals
#97 Yuelin Shen 67 Smith International
#98 Daniel Jon Themig 66 Packers Plus Energy Service
#99 John C. Stankus 66 Jennmar
#100 Kirk P. Guidry 66 Cameron International

Top Companies

Rank ↑ Company ↕ Patents ↕
1 Halliburton Energy Services 7,015
2 Schlumberger Technology 4,814
3 Baker Hughes Holdings 4,287
#4 Saudi Arabian Oil 1,951
#5 Smith International 1,015
#6 ExxonMobil 990
#7 Shell Oil Compny 944
#8 Weatherford/Lamb 937
#9 Weatherford Technology Holdings 811
#10 Chevron 735
#11 Cameron International 604
#12 Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations 482
#13 Unknown 456
#14 National Oilwell Varco 414
#15 Phillips Petroleum 397
#16 Vetco Gray 347
#17 Otis Engineering 334
#18 Atlantic Richfield 308
#19 Fmc 283
#20 Dresser Industries 281
#21 Camco International 246
#22 Landmark Graphics 219
#23 Institut Francais Du Petrole 215
#24 GE 208
#25 Caterpillar 182
#26 Hughes Tool Company 175
#27 Us Synthetic 175
#28 Nabors Drilling Technologies Usa 171
#29 Thru Tubing Solutions 163
#30 The Charles Machine Works 158
#31 Abb Vetco Gray 155
#32 Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia Gmbh 148
#33 Kennametal 148
#34 Conoco 145
#35 Dril-Quip 143
#36 Geodynamics 135
#37 Vermeer Manufacturing 132
#38 Merlin Technology 129
#39 Sandvik Intellectual Property Ab 129
#40 Intel 129
#41 Hydril 128
#42 Onesubsea Ip Uk Limited 125
#43 Tescom 122
#44 Southwest Petroleum University 119
#45 Evolution Engineering 117
#46 Frank'S International 115
#47 Sandvik Mining And Construction Oy 114
#48 Welltec A/S 110
#49 M-I L.L.C. 107
#50 Bj Services 105
#51 Baker Oil Tools 104
#52 Longyear Tm 103
#53 Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.—Petrobras 103
#54 Amoco 102
#55 Baker International 100
#56 Sandvik Ab 100
#57 Dynaenergetics Europe Gmbh 97
#58 Marathon Oil 97
#59 Varco I/P 96
#60 Bj Energy Solutions 94
#61 Occidental Oil Shale 93
#62 China University Of Mining And Technology 91
#63 Bp Corporation North America 89
#64 Ingersoll-Rand 89
#65 Joy Mm Delaware 89
#66 Tracto-Technik Gmbh & Co., Kg 89
#67 Cameron Iron Works 87
#68 Harris 81
#69 Joy Global Underground Mining 79
#70 Enventure Global Technology 77
#71 Statoil Petroleum As 77
#72 The Sollami 77
#73 Hunting Titan 76
#74 Expro North Sea Limited 75
#75 Innovex Downhole Solutions 74
#76 Yantai Jereh Petroleum Equipment & Technologies Co. 74
#77 Hilti Aktiengesellschaft 72
#78 Itrec B.V. 71
#79 Forum Us 70
#80 Nl Industries 70
#81 Mako Rentals 68
#82 Union Oil Company Of California 68
#83 Scientific Drilling International 67
#84 Atlas Copco Rock Drills Ab 66
#85 Ncs Multistage 66
#86 Cdx Gas 65
#87 Jennmar 65
#88 Hydril Usa Manufacturing 64
#89 U.S. Well Services 64
#90 Frank'S Casing Crew And Rental Tools 63
#91 Welltec Oilfield Solutions Ag 62
#92 Western Atlas International 62
#93 Varel International Ind., L.L.C. 61
#94 Wirtgen Gmbh 61
#95 Standard Oil Company (Indiana) 60
#96 Vallourec Oil And Gas France 60
#97 Vertice Oil Tools 60
#98 China University Of Petroleum (East China) 59
#99 Coal Industry (Patents) Limited 59
#100 Pruitt Tool & Supply 58