Oil & Gas Processing Seals Market

Market Overview

The global oil & gas processing seals market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period, 2023–2031.

Oil & gas processing seals are used to prevent leakage in the systems in the oil and gas processing industry or petroleum industry. The effectiveness of these seals depends on various factors, such as compression in the case of gaskets and adhesion in the case of sealants. These seals are used in various systems in the oil & gas processing industry, such as hydraulic systems, pipe connections, pistons, and pumps. Oil seals are used to protect bearings and shafts from foreign matter, dirt, and egress of grease or oil. These seals are largely used in industrial applications and equipment as they can withstand extreme temperatures and are effective in protecting expensive fuel and petroleum products.

Market Dynamics

Oil & Gas Seals to Witness Significant Rise in the Middle East and North America

Oil & gas processing seals have the inherent property of enduring high temperatures, which helps in preventing leakage of oil and gaseous material in the pipelines and storage tanks that are exposed to the high-temperature conditions. This property of oil & gas processing seals makes them superior over the other conventional seals. The oil & gas industries have various pipelines, pumps, tanks, and other systems in which seals are required to prevent leakage of such fluids. Thus, the demand for oil and gas processing seals projected to witness a significant rise in the Middle East and North America, owing to the presence of oil wells and reserves.

Increasing Oil Exploration and Production to Proliferate Market Growth

The production of petroleum products is growing at a fast pace across the globe, mainly in the Asia-Pacific and North American regions. The burgeoning oil and gas, chemical, and petrochemical sectors in Asia-Pacific are expected to boost the demand for oil and gas processing seals in the near future. Emerging countries, such as India and China, are actively working to adopt the latest technologies and manufacturing processes in the petroleum industry, which is further expected to drive the market growth.

Globally, more than four billion metric tons of oil are produced per annum. Almost one-third of this amount is produced in the Middle East alone. In addition, oil and gas companies are the biggest corporations in the world. Six in the top ten companies by revenue in the world are oil and gas manufacturing companies. Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil are among the top five companies in generating the most revenue in a year. 

Regional Analysis

Government Initiatives to Drive North America’s Market Growth

North America holds the largest share in the oil & gas processing seals market, owing to the burgeoning oil and gas industry in the region. The petroleum reserves are consistently being explored in the region. For instance, in 2017,Donald Trump signed an executive order to expand offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and other areas. In 2018, the Trump Administration’s order for exploring oil and gas started on the west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. Moreover, the downstream sector in the petroleum industry has a huge presence in the U.S., which has further surged the demand for seals for the pipelines, pumps, and other systems.

The Middle East’s Market to Be Backed by Massive Oil Reserves in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait

The Middle East dominates the oil & gas processing seals market as the region is known for its massive petroleum and oil & gas industries. As per Statista, the Middle East held approximately 48% share in the global oil reserves in 2019. The presence of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Middle East is the prime factor for market growth. Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait are the leading nations with the most oil reserves in the region. Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producer in the Middle East and ranks top in the global oil producers list. The exploration of oil &gas and drilling through the rigs is still on the boom in the region. Several multinational companies such as Saudi Aramco, National Iranian Oil Company, Qatar Petroleum, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) are operating in the Middle East, further driving the market growth.

Segmental Analysis

Surging Demand for Elastomers from the Oil and Gas Processing Industry to Drive the Segment Growth

The elastomers segment holds the largest market share as itis extensively used in several end-use industries. Elastomers include various rubber-based seals that are made of natural rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber, and Thiokol rubber, among others. Natural rubber seals are suitable for storing spirits, wines, seawater, water, and hydrochloric acid. The demand for elastomers is increasing in the oil and gas processing seals due to their elasticity, good resistance to oil, fuel, and ozone, high performance, heat resistance greater than 200 degrees Celcius, and good chemical resistance.

Due to the rising demand for elastomers from the oil and gas processing industry, the manufacturers are focusing on increasing their production. According to Statista, the market value of elastomers in 2019 was around USD 82.7 billion, which is expected to reach approximately USD 100 billion by 2024. 

Introduction of Specially Engineered Sealing Solutions by Key Players for Midstream and Downstream Processes Drives the Market Growth

The midstream and downstream segment holds the highest share in the market. The downstream of the oil and gas processing include the manufacturing of crude oil and raw natural gas, such as petrol, diesel, gasoline, and LPG, among others. The oil and gas processing seals are highly used in the downstream process to store and transport them in various containers. Also, the distillation chamber, extraction chambers, and reactors need various types of seals to prevent leakage.

The downstream process includes refining and market distribution of the final oil and gas products. This process involves the use of highly aggressive chemistry, which requires specially engineered sealing solutions. Various companies are offering sealing solutions for downstream processes. For instance, Precision Polymer Engineering is offering elastomer sealing, such as  EnDura®, Perlast ICE®, and Perlast®. These elastomer sealings are made using high-performance materials, such as FKMs. Similarly, M.Barnwell Services Limited. is offering seals for downstream applications. The seals are made up of FKM and FFKM.

Recent Developments

• In 2015 Flowserve Corporationlaunched an extensive range of mechanical seals in ACHEMA 2015 held in Frankfurt, Germany, to reach untapped markets. The mechanical seal range includes Gaspac dry gas seals, M Series mixer seals, and ISC2 Series cartridge seals.
• John Crane introduced 48VBF, a single cartridge, stationery head O-ring pusher seal for high-temperature pumps.