Exploration and Production (E&P) Software Market

Market Overview

The Total Addressable Market (TAM) for exploration and production software was valued at USD 7.6 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 24.13 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 13.7% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Exploration & production entails the process of searching for and extracting oil and natural gases underwater or underground. Software solutions designed especially for upstream processes in the oil and gas industry are referred to as E&P software. E&P software programs help oil and gas companies better analyze geographical data for more accurate modeling and production planning.

The demand for exploration and production (E&P) software has been rising with the growth of the oil and gas industry. Technological advancement in the oil & gas industry and increasing use of oilfield equipment drive demand for E&P software. Recently, there has been a shift from conventional gas to unconventional resources. This emerging trend of unconventional resources necessitates using advanced technology and software to extract gases, which has been driving the demand for exploration and production software. Advanced E&P software technology helps the oil and gas industry reduce its carbon footprint.

On the flip side, political vulnerabilities and fluctuating oil and gas prices hamper the growth of the oil and gas market and, subsequently, the exploration and production (E&P) software market.

Market Dynamics

What are the factors driving the exploration and production software market growth?

Technological Developments

Digitalization in the oil & gas industry is driving the expansion of the exploration and production software market. The oil and gas industry is undergoing a transformation by adopting data-driven solutions to improve performance, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. Using artificial lift technologies, digitalization, and the connectivity of smart devices present an opportunity for oil and gas companies to increase productivity for safer operation, asset integrity, and sustainable resource treatment. To optimize core operational activities such as production, safety, maintenance, and asset management, oil and gas firms are investing in technologies such as automation, IoT, and big data analytics. It is about delving deeper into IT-enabled capabilities to discover new value and using it to automate difficult and repetitive tasks and store, visualize, and analyze data to make smarter decisions. This increasing digitalization in the oil and gas industry is driving the expansion of the exploration and production software market.

What are the factors restraining the exploration and production software market growth?

E&P software market growth is anticipated to be hindered by a lack of skills in the workforce, as workers find it difficult to adopt newly introduced technologies. Consequently, companies will need to train their existing workforce on the new software. In addition, a lack of security and the possibility of sensitive data leaking from data-driven cloud-based software is anticipated to impede the adoption of new technologies, which is anticipated to impede market growth over the forecast period. Nevertheless, with increasing investments in technologies such as IoT, Big data, and automation, the market is anticipated to expand and counteract restraining factors over the forecast period.

What are the future opportunities for the exploration and production software market?

Seismic Processing and Imaging Solution

The seismic processing and imaging solution integrates the different processes, providing an absolute subsurface study and monitoring data in a single location to save money and time, thereby creating significant market expansion opportunities over the forecast period. In addition, the advanced seismic processing and imaging solution offers a highly efficient parallel framework and infrastructure for cluster optimization, which is anticipated to boost market growth over the forecast period and provide lucrative opportunities for the industry.

Segmental Analysis

The global exploration and production software market can be segmented on the basis of deployment type and software type.

On the basis of deployment, the market can be segmented into on-premise software and cloud-based software.

The on-premise segment dominates the market; however, the cloud-based software segment has been gaining traction in the exploration and production software market as the software is cost-effective when compared with the on-premise platform.

On the basis of software type, the market can be segmented into risk management mapping, reservoir characterization, seismic amplitude analysis, portfolio aggregation, performance tracking, drilling, and others.

The reservoir characterization software segment holds the largest market share. The development of new technologies such as hydraulic fracturing and bidirectional or horizontal drilling and the use of unconventional resources is another factor that drives the growth of the reservoir characterization software segment.

Regional Analysis

On the basis of region, the global exploration and production software market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and LAMEA.

North America is projected to dominate the E&P software market throughout the forecast period due to new oil and gas exploration activities and technological advancements. Large-scale offshore drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico, which is one of the major users of E&P software, is a key factor contributing to market growth in the region. For instance, Jaguar, a Mexico City-based independent oil and gas company, utilizes Emerson's software and services for exploration and production (E&P) to maximize the value of its onshore assets and projects. Jaguar utilizes E&P software solutions for seismic and well data analysis, multi-survey seismic and geologic interpretation, petrophysical analysis, and subsurface modeling to improve performance, increase operational certainty, and facilitate efficient asset management. In addition, rising demand for cost-efficient & safe E&P techniques is another key factor driving market growth in North America.

The Latin America, Middle East & Africa region is pegged to be the fastest growing market for exploration and production software. New zones have emerged, and significant oil and gas discoveries have been made in countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, and Libya. In light of this, various junior players backed by powerful investment funds are entering the market. Oil production in Latin America is dominated by Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela. These countries account for the majority of the region's total output and are also international powerhouses, ranking among the world's leading oil producers. In the Middle East, offshore exploration expenditures and investments are anticipated to increase significantly in the coming months and years. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar have been major players for some time, and their investments and upcoming projects are expected to maintain this status for many years to come.

The Asia Pacific E&P software market is witnessing sound growth with regulatory improvements and developments. For instance, governments of developing economies have decided to increase the prices of natural gas from undeveloped discoveries in hard-to-access areas such as undeveloped deep water, ultra-deep water, and high-temperature-high-pressure areas. These factors spur exploration and development activities in the region, which in turn drives E&P software market growth. The substantial economic expansion of the Asia-Pacific region and the electricity demand has fueled the growth of offshore oil and gas exploration and production. China, Malaysia, and India were the three countries with the largest proven oil reserves in the region. There is a need for reliable geological data, and there are always concerns regarding changing legal and regulatory systems, corporate governance standards at the country's state oil companies, and the experience of government officials with such projects.

The Europe E&P software market is experiencing healthy growth, backed by government initiatives that aim to support the region’s oil & gas industry. Several European nations, including Austria, Finland, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary, import 50 and 100 percent of their oil and gas from Russia. Europe's reliance on Russian oil and gas poses a potentially existential threat in light of Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine. While the European Commission has outlined three primary strategies for reducing Russia's energy reliance - energy efficiency, renewables, and diversification - many nations have opted for reviving fossil fuel projects. Romania is the largest producer of crude oil among EU members and has proven offshore gas reserves. These reserves were locked until April. The governing party, however, agreed to alter the offshore law and allowed investors to exploit the reserves. Norway has been the second most important gas supplier for the EU. After the invasion of Ukraine, Norway pledged to assist the European Union in reducing its reliance on Russian gas. To replace gas from Russia, the Norwegian government authorized a production increase.

Recent Developments

• March 2022- Halliburton Company and Landmark Graphics Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Halliburton, announced that they had completed the acquisition of PGS Data Management. The addition of PGSDM's PetroBank solutions expands Landmark Graphics' technology management solutions and services portfolio. PetroBank solutions are the market leader for efficient internet-enabled storage, browsing, and retrieval of vast quantities of quality-controlled exploration and production (E&P) data and information.
• October 2021- Schlumberger and AVEVA have announced an agreement to integrate edge, AI, and cloud solutions to assist oil and gas producers to optimize production. The companies will collaborate to streamline how energy operators acquire, process, and act upon field data for improved website performance. The initial emphasis of the collaboration includes linking edge systems to applications in the DELFI cognitive E&P environment in order to optimize equipment management.

Exploration and Production (E&P) Software Market Segmentation

By Deployment Type

• On-Premise Software
• Cloud-Based Software

By Software Type

• Risk Management Mapping
• Reservoir Characterization
• Seismic Amplitude Analysis
• Portfolio Aggregation
• Performance Tracking
• Drilling
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• LAMEA