Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

Report Code: CMR 0736 Report Format: PDF + Excel

Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market Overview

Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market size is forecast to reach $908.45 million by 2025, after growing at a CAGR of 5.40% during 2020-2025. Scale inhibitors are chemicals that cease or disrupt the nucleation of inorganic compounds, their precipitation, and later co-adherence to production conduit and facilities used in processing. Performance of a scale inhibitor is influenced by magnesium and calcium ion levels, pH, temperature, and prevalence of other corrosive chemicals in brine mixtures generated during the process of oil and gas well drilling.  Rise in need for scale inhibitors in the gas and oil industry as well as demand for scale inhibitors that are biodegradable are a few key factors expected to drive the oilfield scale inhibitors market during the forecast period.

Report Coverage

The report: “Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market – Forecast (2020-2025)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market Industry.

By Type: Phosphonates, Carboxylate/Acrylic, Sulfonates, and Others.
By Geography: North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and RoW

Key Takeaways

  • New product developments and increasing investments in research and development of oilfield scale inhibitor is expected to drive the growth of this market.
  • Among type of oilfield scale inhibitor, carboxylate/acrylic segment is projected to lead the Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market during the forecast period.
  • Asia Pacific dominated the Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market.

Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market Segment Analysis - By Product

Carboxylate/Acrylic segment held a significant share in Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market in 2019 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.49% during the forecast period. Carboxylate/acrylic-based scale inhibitors are commonly used to prevent the scales of calcium carbonate, zinc, and iron. The carboxylate/acrylate-based scale inhibitors meet the legislation requirement; abiding environmental norms due to the absence of phosphorus. This is a driving factor for this type’s market as strict environmental rules and regulations lead to the use of eco-friendly oilfield scale inhibitor. Sulfonate-based scale inhibitors are used in the oil industry in the form of copolymers. They are used to prevent the most common type of barium sulfate scales formed in oil and gas activities, and also in the desalination process. With new discoveries of oil and gas, the market for this type is expected to grow at the fastest rate. Oilfield scaling is the precipitation and accumulation of insoluble crystals (salts) from a mixture of incompatible aqueous phases in oil processing systems. In the case of adsorption squeeze, the chemical inhibitor is intended to adsorb onto the rock by a physicochemical process. Scale inhibitors can prevent scale deposits which cause flow assurance issues by damaging the formation or plugging production tubing.

Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market Segment Analysis - Geography

RoW dominated the Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market with a share of more than 36%, followed by Asia Pacific and North America.  The region has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Huge oil and gas activities, along with new oil & gas field discoveries, make this region a huge prospect for the market. The Middle-East, Africa, and South America have abundant proven oil and gas reserves, which will enable the rapid growth of the Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market in these regions. Among the regions in RoW, Africa's Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market has the highest prospect for growth. Africa has a huge amount of proven oil reserves and is one of the leading oils producing regions in the world. But political unrest coupled with lack of proper infrastructures may negatively affect oil and gas activities in this region.

The impact of COVID-19 and the oil prices war are proving to be a two-pronged crisis for oil, gas, and chemicals companies. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), agreed to cut 1.5 million barrels per day from production. The Covid-19 pandemic has shattered oil demand, sunk prices and is posing a significant risk for those involved in oil extraction and processing. 

Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market Drivers

Increase in usage of oilfield scale inhibitor in oil & gas industry

Oil and gas industry is one of the major end user of oilfield scale inhibitors. The water used in oil and gas industries is chemically treated with scale inhibitors such as phosphonates, to reduce or check the scale formation on machineries and equipment that are used during various production stages of oil and gas such as production wells, water and disposal wells, flowlines and surface equipment. Oilfield scale inhibitor is the process which is used to prevent scale formation from interfering or preventing the flow of fluids by pipelines, pumps, and valves used in oil production and refining.

Oilfield Scale Inhibitor Market Challenges

Health effects

Increasing environmental and handling effects and risk associated with the side effects of the oilfield scale inhibitors is expected to hamper the market growth in the mentioned forecast period. Political unrest along with scarcity of efficient building facilities is projected to hamper oil and gas sector-related activities, especially in Africa. Techniques involved in scale-inhibitor squeeze treatments can occasionally lead to undesirable side effects. Some of the side-effects are upsets in process, deferred oil, long clean-up period, and chances of eventual reduction in oil production along with increase in water production. Other major side-effects include loss in the function and quality mainly of the brine, the oil, and squeeze chemicals. Most of these problems can be avoided or at least minimized if possible, with the help of laboratory testing in advance. The side effects stated above may prove to be major restraints for the oilfield scale inhibitors market in the next few years.

Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the oilfield scale inhibitors market. In 2019, the market of oilfield scale inhibitors has been consolidated by the top five players accounting for xx% of the share. Major players in the oilfield scale inhibitors market are GE Power & Water Process Technologies, AkzoNobel Oilfield Chemicals, Ashland Inc., BASF SE, Clariant AG, Halliburton Company, Kemira OYJ, Innospec Inc., Schlumberger Limited, Solvay S.A., Evonik Industries AG, The DOW Chemical Company, and Baker Hughes Incorporated. among others.

Technological Launch

  • In September 2014, Kemira launched novel scale inhibition monitoring technology at the SPE International Oilfield Scale Conference. Kemira’s new scale inhibition technology utilizes a novel detection protocol for the analysis and measurement of polymeric scale inhibitors in oilfield produced waters.

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