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Underbalanced Drilling Companies

Underbalanced Drilling Market Top prominent companies business landscapes are dynamic, and success depends on a company's ability to adapt to changing circumstances with respect to regions and countries. Companies that successfully integrate emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and the IoT into their operations often gain a competitive edge.

Underbalanced Drilling Key Company


*Disclaimer: List of key companies in no particular order


Top listed companies in the Underbalanced Drilling industry are:


Air Drilling Associates Inc. (US)


Ensign Energy Services (Canada)


Schlumberger Limited (US)


Halliburton Inc. (US)


Weatherford International (US)


National Oilwell Varco (US)


Beyond Energy (Canada)


STRATA Energy Services (Australia)


Kinley Exploration LLC (US)


Precision Air Drilling Services Inc. (US)


Drilling Downward: Analyzing the Competitive Landscape of the Underbalanced Drilling Market


Beneath the earth's surface, a silent battle for oil and gas unfolds, fought not with brute force but with delicate pressure control – the underbalanced drilling market. This multi-billion dollar space pulsates with competition, as established giants, ambitious innovators, and regional specialists vie for a share in the technology that unlocks resources with a lighter touch. Let's delve into the key strategies, market dynamics, and future trends shaping this crucial landscape.


Key Player Strategies:


Global Titans: Companies like Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes leverage their extensive experience, diverse pressure control equipment, and global reach to maintain their dominance. They cater to major oil and gas producers, offering advanced underbalanced drilling technologies like managed pressure drilling (MPD) and underbalanced well completions. Schlumberger's DrillWell MPD system exemplifies their focus on comprehensive pressure control solutions.


Technology Disruptors: Startups like Welltec and Core Laboratories are disrupting the market with innovative tools like real-time downhole sensors and data-driven process optimization. They cater to niche applications like tight reservoir development and horizontal drilling, offering solutions with enhanced precision and control capabilities. Welltec's Well Safe Barrier system showcases their focus on intelligent pressure management and real-time data analysis.


Cost-Effective Challengers: Chinese manufacturers like SinoEnergy Oilfield Service Co. Ltd. and Yantai Jingcheng Petroleum Machinery Co. Ltd. are making waves with competitively priced underbalanced drilling equipment, targeting budget-conscious projects in emerging markets. They focus on affordability and basic functionality, offering alternatives to premium brands. Yantai Jingcheng's MPD units demonstrate their focus on cost-effective pressure control solutions.


Niche Specialists: Companies like Expro International and Weatherford excel in specific segments like underbalanced coiled tubing drilling for complex wellbore geometries or wellbore cleanout and stimulation services. They leverage their deep understanding of specialized applications and offer tailored solutions with robust functionalities for challenging environments. Expro's coiled tubing units showcase their focus on underbalanced drilling in unconventional reservoirs.


Factors for Market Share Analysis:


Technology and Performance: Offering features like precise pressure control, efficient fluid circulation, and real-time downhole monitoring caters to diverse reservoir types and operating conditions, improving well productivity and minimizing risks. Companies with high-performance and adaptable underbalanced drilling technologies gain an edge.


Reliability and Safety: Ensuring consistent wellbore pressure control, minimizing operational downtime due to equipment failures, and prioritizing safety through rigorous training and certifications are crucial for successful underbalanced drilling operations. Companies with a track record of reliable and safe well control stand out.


Cost and Affordability: Balancing advanced features with competitive pricing is vital for mass adoption, particularly in cost-sensitive projects. Companies offering affordable solutions without compromising on basic pressure control functionality gain market share.


Regulatory Compliance and Regional Expertise: Adherence to strict environmental and safety regulations, tailoring solutions to specific regional wellbore characteristics, and providing localized training and support attract major oil and gas producers and regulatory bodies. Companies prioritizing compliance and regional expertise gain an edge.


New and Emerging Trends:


Focus on Data-Driven Optimization and Automation: Integrating real-time downhole data with advanced control algorithms, automating pressure control processes, and developing decision-support systems for underbalanced drilling operations enhance efficiency, optimize wellbore placement, and improve safety. Companies leading in data-driven solutions stand out.


Sustainability and Environmental Focus: Developing closed-loop drilling systems that minimize fluid discharge and emissions, utilizing clean-burning fluids, and exploring environmentally friendly underbalanced drilling techniques cater to growing sustainability concerns and regulatory mandates. Companies demonstrating environmental commitment attract ethical investors and regulatory benefits.


Focus on Unconventional Reservoirs and Horizontal Drilling: Developing underbalanced drilling solutions optimized for tight gas formations, shale plays, and complex horizontal wellbores facilitates access to unconventional resources and improves reservoir recoveries. Companies leading in unconventional reservoir drilling stand out.


Regional Customization and Service Support: Adapting equipment and services to cater to specific regional geological formations, reservoir pressures, and regulatory frameworks, offering localized training and spare parts availability, and establishing strong regional service networks attract local oil and gas operators and drilling contractors. Companies with strong regional customization capabilities gain market share.


Overall Competitive Scenario:


The underbalanced drilling market is a dynamic and complex space with diverse players employing varied strategies. Established giants leverage their resources and global reach, while technology disruptors introduce innovative solutions and niche applications. Cost-effective challengers cater to budget-conscious buyers, and niche specialists excel in specific segments. Factors like technology, reliability, affordability, and compliance play a crucial role in market share analysis. New trends like data-driven optimization, sustainability, unconventional reservoirs, and regional customization offer exciting growth opportunities. To succeed in this evolving landscape, players must prioritize innovation, cater to diverse reservoir types and drilling objectives, embrace sustainable practices, and explore data-driven


Latest Company Updates:


Air Drilling Associates Inc. (US):



  • December 2023: Announced successful completion of a complex UBD project in the Permian Basin, achieving record production rates. (Source: Company press release)


Ensign Energy Services (Canada):



  • November 2023: Partnered with a major operator to develop and deploy a next-generation UBD fluid system for improved formation cleanup. (Source: Company presentation)


Halliburton Inc. (US):



  • September 2023: Introduced a new underbalanced coiled tubing system for improved wellbore access and control in tight formations. (Source: Company website)


Weatherford International (US):



  • December 2023: Secured a multi-million dollar contract to provide UBD services for a major shale development project in North America. (Source: Company announcement)

Underbalanced Drilling Market size is projected to grow at a 5.24% CAGR during the forecast period 2022-2030.


Underbalanced Drilling Market Scenario


Additionally, the global underbalanced drilling market is projected to grow at a high rate during the forecast period owing to an immediate need to increase productivity and reducing drilling damage. Oil and gas companies are significantly investing in advanced techniques including underbalanced drilling, which increases the productivity of the drilling process and provides cost savings in the digital transformation of oil & gas industry.


Due to increased oil and gas exploration, rising concerns about formation damage, significant potential for better penetration rates, and the capacity to reduce lost circulation in depleted reservoirs, the global underbalanced drilling market is predicted to rise rapidly throughout the projection period. Drilling oil and gas wells with underbalanced drilling is a sort of drilling technique. The good pressure is kept lower than the pressure of the formations being drilled in this procedure. It differs from traditional overbalanced drilling in that the bottom hole circulating pressure is lower than the formation pressure, allowing the well to flow while drilling takes place. This strategy is thought to be effective in reducing formation invasion issues.


The cost-effective use of underbalanced drilling is becoming more common as the majority of hydrocarbons are found in existing fields with declining pressures or in complex and low-quality reservoirs. Rotating control heads, chokes, and non-return valves are among the most important underbalanced drilling equipment. Furthermore, precision pressure control services are included in underbalanced drilling services, which aid in the delivery of high-performance drilling solutions.


According to IEA, the demand for oil is estimated to grow by 6.9 million barrels a day by 2023. Thus, governments around the world have developed attractive investment plans to increase their refinery capacity that would further drive the growth of the global market. For instance, in 2018, Indian Oil Corporation announced its plans to invest around USD 24.83 billion to increase its refinery and drilling capacity, improve its petrochemical production, expand gas business, and extend its drilling process. Similarly, in May 2018, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company invested USD 45 billion to expand its facility into one of the world’s largest refining and petrochemical plants, which would boost its refining capacity by 65% to 1.5 billion barrels per day by 2025. These investments would in turn drive the need for efficient drilling techniques in a refinery, thereby boosting the market for underbalanced drilling.


Underbalanced Drilling Market Key Players



  • Air Drilling Associates Inc. (US)

  • Ensign Energy Services (Canada)

  • Schlumberger Limited (US)

  • Halliburton Inc. (US)

  • Weatherford International (US)

  • National Oilwell Varco (US)

  • Beyond Energy (Canada)

  • STRATA Energy Services (Australia)

  • Kinley Exploration LLC (US)

  • Precision Air Drilling Services Inc. (US)


Industry News



  • Precision Drilling Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary Northland Energy Corporation signed a deal with PEMEX in April 2019 to provide integrated multi-well contracts for underbalanced drilling and separation services in Mexico's southern area. This would also highlight the importance of good underbalanced drilling, which is an important aspect of exploration and drilling.

  • Indian Oil Corporation stated intentions to invest roughly USD 24.83 billion in 2018 to grow its refinery and drilling capacity, boost petrochemical production, expand its gas business, and extend its drilling process. Similarly, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company invested USD 45 billion in May 2018 to expand its facility into one of the world's largest refining and petrochemical plants, bringing its refining capacity to 1.5 billion barrels per day by the end of the forecast period.


The major factors driving the growth of the global underbalanced drilling market include rising demand for crude oil owing to rapid urbanization, increasing exploration and drilling activities, and discovery of new oil and gas deposits. Moreover, there are various oil and gas operators investing in the oil and gas industry due to improving crude oil prices. Moreover, the projected high growth of underbalanced drilling is due to the potential for higher penetration rates, increasing concern about formation damage, and the ability to reduce lost circulation in depleted reservoirs. Additionally, the current trend in drilling and completion activities also present a growth opportunity for the global underbalanced drilling market.


Underbalanced Drilling Market Segmentation


The global underbalanced drilling market has been segmented based on technique and application. On the basis of technique, the global market lightweight drilling fluids, gas injection, and foam injection. The foam injection segment is expected to dominate the global market as it provides efficiency during the well hole cleaning process. Due to this, it is considered as the most preferred underbalanced drilling technique. On the basis of application, the global market is divided into onshore and offshore segments. The offshore segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to increasing exploration activities in deep and ultra-deep-sea regions.


 Underbalanced Drilling Market_Image


The global underbalanced drilling market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period owing to the increase in oil and gas exploration, rising concern about formation damage, substantial potential for higher penetration rates, and ability to reduce lost circulation in depleted reservoirs.


Underbalanced Drilling Market Regional Analysis


On the basis of region, the global underbalanced drilling market is segmented into Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America holds the largest share in the underbalanced drilling market due to the discovery of shale gas reserves in the US and presence of significant number of private oil companies.


Underbalanced drilling is a type of drilling method that is used to drill oil and gas wells. In this method, pressure of the well in kept lower than the pressure of the formations that are being drilled. It differs from conventional overbalanced drilling as a fact that the bottom hole circulating pressure is lower than the formation pressure, thereby permitting the well to flow while the drilling proceeds. This method is considered suitable for minimizing formation invasion problems. Since the majority of hydrocarbons are found in existing fields with depleting pressures or in complex and low-quality reservoirs, the economical use of underbalanced drilling becomes more and more prevalent. The key underbalanced drilling equipment include rotating control heads, chokes, and non-return valves. Moreover, underbalanced drilling services include precise pressure control services, which help deliver high-performance drilling solutions.


Intended Audience



  • Oil & Gas Operators

  • Government and Research Organization

  • Consulting Companies in the Oil & Gas Industry

  • Underbalanced Drilling Industry

  • Investors and Shareholders

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