• 3 minutes e-car sales collapse
  • 6 minutes America Is Exceptional in Its Political Divide
  • 11 minutes Perovskites, a ‘dirt cheap’ alternative to silicon, just got a lot more efficient
  • 3 hours GREEN NEW DEAL = BLIZZARD OF LIES
  • 1 hour How Far Have We Really Gotten With Alternative Energy
  • 12 hours If hydrogen is the answer, you're asking the wrong question
  • 4 days Oil Stocks, Market Direction, Bitcoin, Minerals, Gold, Silver - Technical Trading <--- Chris Vermeulen & Gareth Soloway weigh in
  • 6 days The European Union is exceptional in its political divide. Examples are apparent in Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Netherlands, Belarus, Ireland, etc.
  • 1 day Biden's $2 trillion Plan for Insfrastructure and Jobs
  • 5 days "What’s In Store For Europe In 2023?" By the CIA (aka RFE/RL as a ruse to deceive readers)
The Hunt for White Hydrogen Has Begun

The Hunt for White Hydrogen Has Begun

Mined natural hydrogen (also called…

Is It Time To Give Tesla Another Chance?

Is It Time To Give Tesla Another Chance?

Tesla stock has plummeted in…

Tajikistan’s Controversial Roghun Dam 'Too Big to Fail'

Tajikistan’s Controversial Roghun Dam 'Too Big to Fail'

Tajikistan is pushing forward with…

Rystad Energy

Rystad Energy

Rystad Energy is an independent energy consulting services and business intelligence provider offering global databases, strategic advisory and research products for energy companies and suppliers,…

More Info

Premium Content

Oilfield Services Are Flexing Their Muscles

Offshore gas field

After several years in the doldrums, oilfield service companies are beginning to raise prices for their products and services, according to Rystad Energy.

“Oil and gas investments are on the rise, and so too is the pricing power of service companies. After losing pricing power in 2015 and 2016, oilfield service companies have since regained some of the lost ground, thanks first and foremost to industry consolidation among players that has concentrated the market over the past couple of years,” says Audun Martinsen, head of oilfield service research at Rystad Energy.

“Pricing power is likely to be further strengthened within the service industry, as orders are anticipated to rise across the supply chain, coupled with capacity adjustments intend to avoid oversupply in 2019 and 2020,” Martinsen added.

(Click to enlarge)

A recent Rystad Energy deep-dive on market concentration within the oil and gas industry can be used to understand key pricing power drivers affecting the beleaguered service industry. Many oil and gas companies cut back on investments in 2015 as oil prices plummeted. Some larger and financially stronger E&P companies bucked the trend. Many smaller players were forced to cut costs. As a result, service companies’ client universe shrank. 

“This trend continued in 2016, but in 2017 and 2018 more E&Ps could finally finance their ambitious operations growth through improved operational cash flow, leaving market concentration levels in 2018 on par with those seen back in 2014,” Martinsen remarked. Related: The Oil Company Investors Fear Most

Service companies became more fragmented in 2015 and 2016, an insight that becomes apparent when indexing various service company size-classes to examine their evolution since the first quarter of 2014.

This analysis shows that both the Big Four companies -- Schlumberger, Halliburton, BHGE, and TechnipFMC – and the next 10 largest service companies out-grew the other service companies until the fourth quarter of 2015, at which point they began to lose market share to smaller players. In 2017 and 2018, market concentration was lifted by several major M&A deals in the industry. Just as importantly, the Big Four service companies were able to win back market share from the top 5 to 15 service companies, which lost market share as a result.

“Even though the oilfield service market has become more concentrated at the same time as the buyer side has become more fragmented, there are also other factors which impact pricing power. Some segments, despite being more concentrated, are still heavily challenged by oversupply, forcing companies to adjust their capacity before prices improves,” Martinsen said.

ADVERTISEMENT

By Rystad Energy

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:


Download The Free Oilprice App Today

Back to homepage





Leave a comment
  • Mamdouh Salameh on June 20 2019 said:
    US sanctions are not only antagonising countries against the United States but are also costing the United States lucrative opportunities for LNG and other energy projects around the world. India is no exception.

    A brewing tariff spat with the United States might end up closing some doors for U.S. companies.

    India is the world’s third largest consumer of primary energy and also the third biggest oil consumer. There are energy projects worth US$1 trillion awaiting investments in India. These range from pipelines to power generation capacity to transmission lines to LNG.

    India may decide to retaliate against the United States by picking competitors from
    elsewhere for its infrastructure projects. Russia, Qatar and Australia would be happy to step in and replace US LNG for India.

    Russia is already delivering LNG to India and is discussing with India plans to extend the Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline to it via China.

    Dr Mamdouh G Salameh
    International Oil Economist
    Visiting Professor of Energy Economics at ESCP Europe Business School, London

Leave a comment




EXXON Mobil -0.35
Open57.81 Trading Vol.6.96M Previous Vol.241.7B
BUY 57.15
Sell 57.00
Oilprice - The No. 1 Source for Oil & Energy News