Distributed Acoustic Sensing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Fiber Type (Single-mode Fiber, Multimode Fiber), By Vertical (Oil & Gas, Power & Utility, Transportation, Security and Surveillance, Environmental and Infrastructure) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2024-2032

Market Overview

The global distributed acoustic sensing market size was valued at USD 603.43 million in 2023. It is expected to reach USD 1,617.72 million in 2032, growing at a CAGR of 11.58% over the forecast period (2024-32). Distributed acoustic sensing technology offers real-time monitoring and detection capabilities for pipelines, railways, and other critical infrastructure. With increasing concerns about pipeline safety, environmental protection, and security threats, there is a growing demand for DAS solutions to detect leaks, intrusions, and unauthorized activities along pipelines and transportation networks.

The sophisticated sensing technique known as distributed acoustic sensing measures the acoustic data constantly and in real-time over the entirety of the length of a fibre optic cable. This kind of sensing does not rely on fixed manufactured sensors as conventional sensing does, which instead measure at predetermined spots using discrete sensors, although it does make use of optical fibres. Traditional sensing relies on discrete sensors. This particular kind of sensing system makes use of optoelectronic instruments and detects audio signals despite the fact that they are sent through a fibre optic length. In addition, developments in distributed acoustic sensing, when combined with advanced platforms for interrogation of reflected photonics and the incorporation of artificial intelligence, are anticipated to contribute to the expansion of the distributed acoustic sensing market share during the period covered by the forecast. People hot-tapping pipes, leaks, perimeter invasions, moving vehicles, industrial processes, malfunctioning mechanical components, and other activities that cause vibrations with specific auditory characteristics are examples of some of the applications for distributed acoustic sensing. Because of this, it is anticipated that there will be a rise in demand for distributed acoustic sensing systems throughout the duration of the prediction.

Distributed acoustic sensing is a cutting-edge technology that is a part of the Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) system. This technology monitors the Rayleigh backscatter noise signature in the optical fibre line in real-time. It is designed to detect minor changes in the coherent Rayleigh noise structure for each pulse, and its development began with that goal in mind. It produces even the slightest physical vibration or acoustic signal at a location in the optical fibre and creates visible changes in the Interferometer, which is a device that employs the interference patterns created by acoustic waves as its primary source of data.

Market Dynamics

Global Distributed Acoustic Sensing Market Drivers

The usage of DAS is anticipated to expand due to rising global energy consumption

The International Energy Agency has shown that by the end of the year 2030, the demand for energy throughout the globe would have increased by a whopping 50%. The ever-increasing need for energy is driving the necessity of gaining access to more hydrocarbon resources. Production and transportation of energy are currently taking place in extremely challenging environments, such as ultra-deepwater operations, soil instabilities, increasing tectonic activity, human intrusion risks, ensuring there is no negative impact on fisheries and terrestrial fauna, the requirement for real-time complex LNG assets control, and the utilisation of high temperatures in steam enhanced heavy oil recovery methods. In addition, DAS has evolved as a technology that is both cost-effective and adaptable, making it ideal for monitoring the mechanical health of big buildings and performing effective damage assessments, both of which are required in order to maximise the production and transmission of energy. As a consequence of this, these elements are anticipated to contribute to the expansion of the market throughout the aforementioned time period.

The high ability of DAS sensors to tolerate harsh environmental conditions

Because distributed acoustic sensors are able to detect changes at a number of intervals over large distances, they are excellent for applications that include locations that are difficult to access or that take place in severe settings. In the petroleum sector and in oilfield applications, situations like this can be seen rather frequently. In addition, a growing number of organisations are turning to DAS sensors as a means of determining the flow characteristics and associated physical parameters within the pipe and close to the wellbore. This high adoption is due to a confluence of technology developments in the upstream business, which have boosted the endurance and dependability of downhole fibre optics systems. The upstream industry has been the driving force behind these technological advancements. In addition, technological advancements in the material science industry, such as developments in glass chemistry that result in strong fibre cables, as well as improvements in computer processing speed and improved algorithms that make data interpretation easier and more efficient, are anticipated to support the growth of the global distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) market soon.

Global Distributed Acoustic Sensing Market Restraints

Oil prices' ongoing decline will restrain the market growth

When it comes to measuring pressure and temperature, the oil and gas sector has been making extensive use of distributed optic fibre sensing for quite some time. The development of reliable optic fibre technology as a direct result of the increasing demand for sensing in hazardous situations has been of tremendous benefit to the oil and gas sector. In addition, these sensing systems offer a variety of benefits across the entirety of a well's lifecycle, beginning with exploration and continuing through drilling, completion, production, and management of the reservoir. However, there has been evidence of a detrimental influence of the widespread use of distributed optical fibre sensing technologies on oil prices in the recent past. This decrease in oil process is due to a growth in oil output, stagnant consumer demand, and overstock from top petroleum exporting countries. These factors have cooperated to bring about this reduction. For instance, the United States has increased its domestic oil production by a factor of two, oil companies based in Saudi Arabia are competing for business in Asian markets, oil exports from Canada and Iraq are also on the rise, and Russia is continuing to pump oil despite the fact that the country's economy is in a state of crisis.

Global Distributed Acoustic Sensing Market Opportunity

Increasing adoption will create profitable commercial opportunities in the energy and electricity sectors

The power and energy industry is a potential application for DAS technology, which has the potential to give extra capabilities in terms of dependability and security. The electricity and energy industries are regarded to be assets of crucial national security, hence DAS is a vital piece of technology for such sectors. It is anticipated that cutting-edge characteristics of fibre optic-based acoustic sensing, such as intrinsic dependability and the passive nature of the technology, would provide a substantial platform for the use of this technology in a variety of contexts. These include efficient action as well as monitoring for potential intrusions. For instance, the most recent and cutting-edge DAS technologies may be installed using the same fibre optics infrastructure that is already in place, which makes them acceptable for retrofitting applications.

Constant offshore infrastructure development is anticipated to provide profitable commercial opportunities

It is anticipated that ongoing advances in offshore infrastructure would increase the demand for the oil and gas sector, which will, in turn, contribute to the expansion of renewable energy regeneration in offshore areas. For instance, in June of 2016, OptaSense and its partner Optilan were able to obtain a combined leak detection and security contract from ABB for the delivery of the control infrastructure for the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project. This contract was for the delivery of the control infrastructure. Natural gas is transported from Azerbaijan to Europe via the 1,850-kilometer-long TANAP pipeline, which passes via Georgia and Turkey. With the supply of security and leak detection from a single fibre system, the project is anticipated to signal a critical turning point in the adoption of fibre sensing technologies worldwide.

Regional Analysis

As a result of the dominance of the region's oil and gas production business, North America had more than a third of the market share in 2018. The region is distinguished by the presence of a significant number of oil and gas producing entities, as well as by the regional government's emphasis on the development of locally sourced optical fibre production. It is predicted that the exploration of shale gas in this region would contribute positively to the expansion of this business. As a result of the fact that vibration sensing has developed into an essential component of the oilfield sector, considerable shares in the oil and gas industry contribute to the expansion of the market for distributed acoustic sensing systems in this region.

It is anticipated that Asia Pacific will display the highest CAGR in the future, and this can be ascribed to the expanding use of fibre optics in the field of telecommunications. In addition to this, the rapidly expanding utilisation of this technology in the medical sector is propelling the expansion of the market. In addition, government laws regulating hazardous waste are prompting end-user companies to implement stringent pipeline management and other DAS-based applications.

Segmental Analysis

Single-mode fibre and multimode fibre are the two categories that are included in the single-mode fibre subsegment of the distributed acoustic sensing market. Due to the low amount of interference from the environment, it is anticipated that the single-mode fibre segment will hold a significant portion of the market. The use of a single input mode makes it possible to restrict the light dispersion, which cuts down on the amount of light that is wasted and speeds up the data transfer. Because of these advantages, businesses are starting to gravitate toward using single-mode fibre for vibration sensing.

In addition, single-mode fibre is more efficient for in-well monitoring applications since it is thinner than multimode fibre. This advantage is because of the fact that single-mode fibre is thinner. Additionally, because of its higher bandwidth capacity, it has found widespread use in applications that span great distances. However, the cost of the single-mode kind is higher than the cost of the multimode type. Single-mode optic fibre, on the other hand, has a better efficiency of intrusion detection and a more extended range of applications in the field of telecommunications, both of which contribute to its expansion in the market.

Oil and gas, electricity and utility, security and surveillance, environment and infrastructure, transportation, and other categories make up the vertical market sector. When looking at verticals, it is anticipated that the oil and gas market would have a considerable stake. In this sector of the economy, the technology of distributed acoustic sensing is utilised for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, asset management, flow monitoring, downhole good sensing, pipeline monitoring, and intrusion detection, among others. The introduction of this technology is being driven by the fact that oilfield operations need unobtainable levels of precision, dependability, and granularity in terms of monitoring vibration-related events.

The transmission of data over long distances is made possible by fibre optics. Because of recent developments in this technology, distributed acoustic sensing systems may now be utilised in the high-temperature and high-pressure settings that are characteristic of wellbores. In the not-too-distant future, it is anticipated that the potential of vibration sense will contribute to the expansion of the market in the oil and gas business. One of the most important uses of DAS systems, which is helping to drive the growth of the market, is pipeline monitoring.

Recent Developments

• January 2024 - A fiber optic technology business, Silixa Ltd., was purchased by Luna Innovations for a potential USD 38 million. Silixa's capabilities in distributed temperature sensing (DTS), distributed strain sensing (DSS), and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for applications in the energy, mining, natural environments, and defense sectors are added to Luna's fiber optic sensing portfolio through this acquisition, strengthening Luna's industry position.
• April 2024 - Caltech professor of geophysics Zhongwen Zhan shared his research on monitoring earthquakes via fiber optic cables. Zhan's group investigated a portion of the fiber-optic line using distributed acoustic sensing. Scientists were able to learn more about the motion of seismic waves by using laser emitters to shoot light beams through the cables. The cables include small faults every few meters that reflect some of the light back to the source.