Roxar

Roxar
Name	Roxar
Industry	Oilfield technology
Founded	1998
Headquarters	Stavanger, Norway
Products	Reservoir monitoring, well testing, multiphase metering, downhole sensors, flow measurement
Parent	Emerson Electric Co.

Roxar Roxar is a company providing instrumentation and software for oilfield measurement, reservoir surveillance, and production optimization. It develops downhole sensors, multiphase flow meters, and reservoir modelling tools widely used across the petroleum sector. The company’s products and services have been integrated into projects operated by national oil companies and international oilfield service firms across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia.

History

Roxar was established in the late 20th century amid advances in subsea engineering and reservoir management, expanding through product development, acquisitions, and partnerships with companies such as Statoil and Shell. During its early growth it collaborated with technical institutes and universities including the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and SINTEF to commercialize multiphase metering and downhole sensor technology. The firm underwent ownership changes when acquired by industry purchasers, later becoming part of Emerson Electric Co. through Emerson’s strategic acquisition program that also included firms like Rosemount, Fisher Controls, and Micro Motion. Over time Roxar’s trajectory intersected with major energy events and trends including the shale revolution in the United States, offshore developments in the North Sea, and deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico.

Products and Technology

Roxar’s product range covers hardware and software for reservoir and production monitoring. Key offerings include downhole pressure and temperature sensors used in wells operated by TotalEnergies, BP, and ExxonMobil, subsea multiphase flow meters deployed on fields developed by Equinor and Petrobras, and surface test separators integrated with flow computers from vendors such as Schlumberger and Halliburton. The company develops reservoir modelling and surveillance software compatible with platforms from Schlumberger’s Petrel ecosystem and Halliburton’s Landmark suite. Roxar’s flow assurance instrumentation works alongside equipment from ABB and Siemens in complex production systems. Its metering technologies build on principles used in devices by KROHNE, Endress+Hauser, and Yokogawa while integrating telemetry protocols common to OPC Foundation standards and subsea control systems from suppliers like Aker Solutions.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Originally independent, Roxar later became part of a larger conglomerate following acquisition by Emerson Electric Co., aligning it with Emerson divisions such as Automation Solutions and Rosemount. Prior to Emerson’s ownership, the company experienced investment and partial ownership from private equity and strategic industrial partners similar to transactions involving Schlumberger and Baker Hughes. Its corporate headquarters are in Stavanger, with R&D and manufacturing facilities coordinated across Norway and international sites in regions hosting operations by Saudi Aramco, PetroChina, and Rosneft. Roxar’s organizational model includes business units for instrumentation, software, and services, interacting with global supply chains that include manufacturers like Siemens Energy and distributors such as Weatherford.

Operations and Projects

Roxar products are used in offshore and onshore projects worldwide, from deepwater developments in the Gulf of Mexico to mature fields in the North Sea and heavy oil projects in Canada. The company supplies monitoring systems to subsea tieback projects involving contractors such as TechnipFMC and Subsea 7, and provides multiphase metering for well test programs run by operators including Chevron and ConocoPhillips. Its solutions have been installed in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects coordinated with Schlumberger and Halliburton services, and in digital oilfield initiatives linked to Microsoft Azure and IBM Watson cloud platforms through industrial partnerships.

Research and Development

Roxar maintains R&D activities focused on sensor miniaturization, reliability under high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) conditions, and advanced signal processing. Research collaborations mirror academic-industry partnerships seen between Imperial College London and technologies used by BP for reservoir characterisation. Its engineering teams publish and present findings at conferences such as the Society of Petroleum Engineers and participate in standardization efforts with organizations like ISO and IEEE. Development projects often integrate machine learning methods similar to work by Google DeepMind and edge-computing architectures employed by NVIDIA for real-time data analytics.

Market Position and Competition

In the oilfield instrumentation and reservoir software market, Roxar competes with divisions of major suppliers including Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, and instrumentation specialists like Kongsberg Gruppen and ABB. Its multiphase metering business faces competition from vendors such as Hamilton and Coriolis meter manufacturers, while reservoir surveillance software contends with offerings from Schlumberger’s Petrel and Rockwell Automation’s information systems. Market dynamics are influenced by oil price cycles, investment decisions by operators like Pertamina and Sonangol, and technological shifts driven by companies such as Siemens and General Electric.

Safety and Environmental Impact

Roxar’s technologies aim to improve production efficiency and reduce environmental risk by enabling accurate flow allocation, leak detection, and reservoir management, contributing to emissions monitoring efforts undertaken by Shell and TotalEnergies. Its downhole and subsea sensors are designed for compliance with industry standards overseen by bodies such as Det Norske Veritas and Lloyd’s Register. Field deployments follow safety regimes practiced by operators like Equinor and Petrobras to mitigate hydrocarbon releases and seabed disturbance. Continuous improvement initiatives align with regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions such as Norway, United Kingdom, and United States to address waste, spill response, and lifecycle impacts.

Category:Oilfield services companies