Global Pipeline Pigging Services Market Outlook to 2028

The growing number of aging pipelines coupled with the stringent repair and maintenance regulation in the region like the United States and Europe is the primary driver for the pigging market. According to the American Gas Association, there are more than 2.5 million miles of pressurized gas pipelines across the United States in 2019 and half of these gas pipelines in the country were installed before 1970.
 

A growing global LNG market is attracting large projects for the transmission of gas pipeline across regions, which passes offshore and onshore both. The marine environment is a challenging one for pipelines, and maintaining their integrity requires regular cleaning and inspection. Recent development in the subsea pigging has made the subsea pigging more flexible and cost effective. The commercial launch of subsea automated pig launcher (SAPL) by National Oilwell Varco (NOV) in November 2018. The SAPL is designed to simplify pre-commissioning and commissioning operations as well as wax- and slug-control operations. The SAPL can also be used to launch intelligent inspection pigs. Also, future development will enable deployment in high-pressure areas without stopping production. 
 

The shift towards clean fuel is triggering the demand for natural gas all around the world. With the need for a natural gas increased in the liquefaction facilities and the gas carrying pipelines are seen in the future. The growing international trade for natural gas owing to the rise in production in the last two decade has stimulated a large number of natural gas transmission pipeline projects are seen around the world. According to Global Fossil Infrastructure Tracker, January 2019, a more significant number of gas transmission pipeline projects are under development than oil transmission pipelines as shown in the figure. Hence, the gas pipeline pegging is accounting for the fastest-growing segment in the forecast period.

The global pipeline Pigging Service market is segmented on type and end-use. The market is segmented by service type into Metal Loss / Corrosion Detection, Crack & Leakage Detection, and Geometry Measurement & Bend Detection. By End-use, it is segmented into oil and gas. Further, the market for pipeline Pigging Service is segmented by geography into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middle-East & Africa. North America has the highest oil and gas transmission pipeline length in the world of 834,152.5 km (with start years up to 2023). Of which, crude oil pipelines constitute 154,200.9 km, petroleum products pipelines constitute 103,106.3 km, natural gas pipelines constitute 495,555.3 km, and NGL pipelines constitute 81,290.0 km. The United States and Canada hold the significant share of transmission pipeline length in North America making them the largest market for pigging services for the following years. 
 

Some of the prominent players in the Pipeline Pigging Service market are Applus+, Baker Hughes, Dacon Inspection Technologies, Rosen Group, TD Williamson, NDT Global, IKM Gruppen, Bonatti International, and Gate Energy.
 

In December 2019, Global recruitment and workforce solutions provider Fircroft and international engineering and commissioning services provider GATE Energy, have joined forces to create a Kazakhstan-focused joint venture. The joint venture takes the form of a limited liability partnership named Fircroft /GATE LLP. The joint venture comes into immediate effect and will be offering engineering, commissioning, maintenance and recruitment services across Kazakhstan and the other CIS member states.
 

In June 2019, Aker BP and IKM Testing signs a long-term frame agreement of six years. IKM Testing will have overall/EPC responsibility for nitrogen services, technical cleaning, maintenance and repair of mechanical connections during maintenance shut downs. In addition, the agreement extends to operational support services and Ad-Hoc work between the maintenance shut downs.