Marathon Petroleum was granted a patent for plastic-enhanced hydrocarbon processing.

{
  "signal_id": "6b51527a-4df0-59bf-bd73-76cf90cb649f",
  "signal_type": "patents-company",
  "signal_subtype": "patentGrant",
  "detected_at": "2026-09-30T17:00:27+00:00",
  "company": {
    "name": "Marathon Petroleum",
    "domain": "marathonpetroleum.com"
  },
  "data": {
    "cpc": [
      {
        "code": "C10G 47/36"
      },
      {
        "code": "C10G 47/32"
      },
      {
        "code": "C10G 2300/4081"
      },
      {
        "code": "C10G 2300/708"
      },
      {
        "code": "C10G 2300/807"
      }
    ],
    "tags": [
      "Intellectual Property",
      "Research & Development",
      "Oil & Gas",
      "Manufacturing Operations"
    ],
    "detail": "In September 2026 Marathon Petroleum patented a method for using fluidized plastic in refinery fluid catalytic cracking units to support catalyst regeneration and hydrocarbon processing.",
    "summary": "Marathon Petroleum was granted a patent for plastic-enhanced hydrocarbon processing.",
    "event_at": "2026-09-29",
    "inventors": [
      {
        "name": "Nikolas A. Larsen",
        "status": "resolved",
        "is_primary": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolas-larsen-435a9a6"
      },
      {
        "name": "Jeffrey A. Sexton",
        "status": "resolved",
        "is_primary": false,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-sexton-480803b"
      }
    ],
    "event_kind": "grant_date",
    "grant_date": "2026-09-29",
    "source_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12747401",
    "cpc_primary": {
      "code": "C10G 47/36"
    },
    "patent_title": "Methods and systems for enhancing processing of hydrocarbons in a fluid catalytic cracking unit using plastic",
    "patent_number": "US12747401",
    "uspto_assignee": "Marathon Petroleum Company LP",
    "patent_abstract": "Systems and methods are disclosed for enhancing the processing of hydrocarbons in a FCC unit by introduction of fluidized plastic at one or more locations of the FCC unit. In an embodiment, the method may include passing a coked FCC catalyst from a cyclone of the FCC unit to a regenerator. The method may include introducing at least oxygen and a fluidized plastic into the regenerator. The method may include combusting a combination of the fluidized plastic and a coke from the coked FCC catalyst in the regenerator, thereby to oxidize via the oxygen and produce a regenerated FCC catalyst and a flue gas. The method may include supplying the regenerated FCC catalyst from the regenerator to a riser of the FCC unit to crack the gas oil supplied to the riser of the FCC unit.",
    "precision_class": "structural",
    "invention_explanation": "A refinery process adds finely dispersed plastic and oxygen to a catalyst regenerator, where they burn with coke to restore the catalyst and recover energy.",
    "technologies_mentioned": [
      "fluid catalytic cracking",
      "hydrocarbon processing",
      "catalyst regeneration",
      "plastic conversion"
    ]
  }
}

curl https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/signals/6b51527a-4df0-59bf-bd73-76cf90cb649f \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY"

curl -X POST https://signals.autobound.ai/v1/companies/enrich \
  -H "X-API-KEY: $AUTOBOUND_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"domain":"marathonpetroleum.com","limit":20}'