BHP has a total of 1867 patents globally, out of which 960 have been granted. Of these 1867 patents, more than 13% patents are active. United States of America is where BHP has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by Australia and Europe (EPO). Parallelly, Australia seems to be the main focused R&D centre and also is the origin country of BHP.
BHP was founded in the year 1851. The Company offers copper, iron ore, metallurgical coal, nickel, and potash metals for global economic growth infrastructure to energy transition used in household, steel products, food supply chain, and lithium batteries that power the electric vehicle revolutions.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of BHP which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find BHP patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over BHP patent portfolio.
Key Patent Contributing Subsidiaries of BHP
Subsidiaries considered for the analysis of BHP:
| Company | Patent Families |
| BHP Billiton Innovation Private Limited | 129 |
| BHP Billiton SSM Development | 82 |
| BHP Billiton | 42 |
| BHP Billiton Petroleum Private Limited | 19 |
| BHP Chile Inc | 19 |
| Wmc Resources Limited | 17 |
| BHP Minerals International | 16 |
| BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina | 13 |
| BHP Billiton Olympic Dam Corporation | 11 |
| BHP | 10 |
| Consolidated Nominees Proprietary Limited | 9 |
| BHP Billiton Aluminium Australia | 7 |
| BHP Petroleum | 7 |
| BHP Billiton Nickel West | 5 |
| BHP Coal | 4 |
| BHP Australia Coal | 2 |
| BHP Copper Inc | 2 |
| Oz Minerals Limited | 2 |
| BHP Billiton Iron Ore | 1 |
| BHP Canada Inc | 1 |
| BHP Direct Reduced Iron | 1 |
| Compania Minera Cerro Colorado | 1 |
| Magma Copper Inc | 1 |
| Zinifex Limited | 1 |
How many patents does BHP have?
BHP has a total of 1867 patents globally. These patents belong to 402 unique patent families. Out of 1867 patents, 251 patents are active.
How Many Patents did BHP File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | BHP Applications Filed | BHP Patents Granted |
| 2024 | – | 3 |
| 2023 | 4 | 12 |
| 2022 | 9 | 16 |
| 2021 | 11 | 14 |
| 2020 | 16 | 10 |
| 2019 | 8 | 16 |
| 2018 | 33 | 22 |
| 2017 | 25 | 34 |
| 2016 | 9 | 24 |
| 2015 | 22 | 41 |
| 2014 | 22 | 48 |
| 2013 | 37 | 68 |
How many BHP patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did BHP File in Different Countries?
Countries in which BHP Filed Patents
| Country | Patents |
| Australia | 192 |
| United States of America | 146 |
| Europe (EPO) | 127 |
| China | 125 |
| India | 83 |
| Brazil | 80 |
| South Africa | 78 |
| Canada | 76 |
| Germany | 73 |
| Austria | 66 |
| Japan | 66 |
| Indonesia | 64 |
| Spain | 52 |
| Chile | 49 |
| Africa | 44 |
| Eurasia | 40 |
| Korea (South) | 34 |
| Peru | 32 |
| Argentina | 29 |
| Russia | 25 |
| Colombia | 24 |
| United Kingdom | 23 |
| Malaysia | 22 |
| Norway | 22 |
| Singapore | 21 |
| Mexico | 18 |
| Poland | 9 |
| Taiwan | 8 |
| Ukraine | 7 |
| New Zealand | 7 |
| Hungary | 5 |
| Thailand | 5 |
| Ecuador | 5 |
| Cuba | 4 |
| Dominican Republic | 4 |
| Papua New Guinea | 3 |
| Philippines | 3 |
| Finland | 3 |
| France | 3 |
| Denmark | 2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 |
| Serbia | 2 |
| Kenya | 2 |
| Viet Nam | 1 |
| Portugal | 1 |
| Italy | 1 |
| Mongolia | 1 |
| Uzbekistan | 1 |
| Turkey | 1 |
| Kazakhstan | 1 |
| Hong Kong (S.A.R.) | 1 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
Where are Research Centres of BHP Patents Located?
What key Technologies are covered by BHP Patents?
BHP is a prominent company in iron ore extraction, focusing on innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. As the demand for high-quality iron ore grows, the company continues to develop advanced technologies in metal extraction & refining, leaching, and coating. With a commitment to progress, BHP strives to enhance productivity while ensuring environmentally responsible mining practices
.The patent US11732325B2 describes a leaching technology to improve copper recovery in a high-chloride heap leach process. It involves agglomeration with acid, a curing phase for partial copper leaching, followed by an irrigated leach. This process ensures effective copper extraction through solvent extraction and electrowinning while maintaining controlled acid balance for better recovery
The patent US9689056B2 discusses Metal Extraction & Refining technology for extracting uranium from an acidic solution containing uranium, chloride, iron, and sulfate. The process involves contacting the solution with a phosphorus-based organic compound oxide-based organic phase to extract uranium, followed by scrubbing to remove impurities. The uranium is then stripped using an acidic sulfate solution, and finally, a uranium product is precipitated.
The patent US7254091B1 explains a method to improve petroleum reservoir models by using seismic data and reducing uncertainty. It transforms this data into a useful format for predicting oil and gas flow. The method ensures accuracy by maintaining geological relationships and matching well measurements and other geological facts, helping in better decision-making for oil exploration.
Well, that’s not all—BHP also explores intriguing innovations in areas like Hoses & Tubing, Gas & Liquid Processing and Energy & Power Generation all uncovered through its expansive patent portfolio.
The table below presents a comprehensive breakdown of BHP’s patent portfolio by technological area:
| Technology Area | Patent Families |
| Metal Extraction & Refining | 150 |
| Leaching | 115 |
| Hoses & Tubing | 19 |
| Data Processing | 18 |
| Electrolytic & Chemical Processing | 13 |
| Gas & Liquid Processing | 12 |
| Transportation and Logistics Systems | 10 |
| Coating | 8 |
| Energy & Power Generation | 8 |
| Drilling and Borehole Equipment | 7 |
| Recycling & Waste Management | 7 |
| Biological & Biochemical Processing | 5 |
| Geophysical Instruments | 4 |
| Design | 4 |
| Thermal management | 4 |
| Container | 3 |
| Seismic Tomography | 2 |
| Communication System | 2 |
| Other | 2 |
| Cobalt Extraction & Refining | 2 |
| Blasting Monitoring & Safety System | 1 |
| Monitoring System | 1 |
| Cable Locking & Release Mechanism | 1 |
| Anode Support System | 1 |
| Vertical Sliding Curtain | 1 |
| Safety system | 1 |
| Bird Deterrent Safety System | 1 |
The chart below distributes patents filed by BHP in different countries on the basis of the technology protected in patents. It also represents the markets where BHP thinks it’s important to protect particular technology inventions.
R&D Focus: How BHP Research Focus Changed Over the Years?
10 Best BHP Patents
US7254091B1 is the most popular patent in the BHP portfolio. It has received 141 citations so far from companies like Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company, Conocophillips Company and Ion Geophysical Corporation.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of BHP:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US7254091B1 | 141 |
| US20090301099A1 | 104 |
| US20080047280A1 | 99 |
| WO2003076690A1 | 97 |
| US20090164186A1 | 64 |
| WO2004079248A1 | 57 |
| WO2003002785A1 | 51 |
| WO2004044472A1 | 49 |
| US20070277115A1 | 47 |
| JP2009520661A | 46 |
What Percentage of BHP US Patent Applications were Granted?
BHP (Excluding its subsidiaries) has filed 126 patent applications at USPTO so far (Excluding Design and PCT applications). Out of these 79 have been granted leading to a grant rate of 65.29%.
Below are the key stats of BHP patent prosecution at the USPTO.
Which Law Firms are managing US Patents for BHP?
| Law Firm | Total Applications | Success Rate |
| Crowell & Moring | 89 | 80.25% |
| Miles & Stockbridge Pc | 10 | 60.00% |
| Morgan Lewis & Bockius Llp | 9 | 77.78% |
| Dla Piper Llp | 3 | 100.00% |
| Koppel Patrick Heybl & Philpott | 2 | 0.00% |
| Blank Rome Llp | 1 | 0.00% |
| Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione | 1 | 100.00% |
| Eugene J Kalil Esq | 1 | 100.00% |
| G Peter Nichols | 1 | 100.00% |
| Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich Llp | 1 | 100.00% |
One more thing, We have converted this entire analysis in PDF form that you can download and save for later reading (or sharing with your friends). You can download it using the form below:
