NEWS RELEASE                                   MAY 2011

Unconventional Fuels Market for Filtration and Flow is $3.4 Billion

Sales of filtration and flow control equipment and consumables in the unconventional fuels sector are going to generate revenues of $3.4 billion this year. This is the latest forecast extracted from a number of McIlvaine market research reports.

The world is rapidly depleting the easy to reach fossil fuel sources. New finds are smaller and more expensive to extract. In addition, there is turmoil putting into question the reliability of these sources. The problem is exacerbated by the rapidly increasing needs in Asia and other developing regions. As a result, much of the current investment is being directed toward unconventional fuel sources. There are immediate short term opportunities in the following categories:

  • Gas Shale
  • Coal-Bed Methane
  • Heavy Oil
  • Gas-to-Liquids
  • Coal-to-Liquids
  • Biofuels
  • LNG

Valves represent the largest category, with revenues projected at $700 million.

Unconventional Fuels – Sector Filtration and Flow Revenue ($ Millions)

Liquids/Solids Filtration

$400

Sedimentation & Centrifugation

$500

Water Treatment Chemicals

$250

Air & Dust Filtration

$100

Air Treatment

$650

Pumps

$300

Valves

$700

Instrumentation

$500

Total

$3400

 

Liquid/solids separation combines the forecasts in three McIlvaine reports: (cross-flow membranes, liquid macrofiltration and cartridges).

Sedimentation and centrifugation includes a number of categories including various devices for liquid/liquid separation as well as liquid/solid separation.

Air treatment includes forecasts from three McIlvaine reports: Scrubbers, Adsorbers, Biofilters as well as Thermal/Catalytic Oxidation and NOx Control.

The markets are fairly evenly split among the three regions of the world.

 

The biggest potential for gas shale is in the U.S.   Coal-to-liquids activity is greatest in China.  The U.S. and Brazil are the leading biofuels investors.  The Middle East is the largest investor in gas-to-liquids projects.  Canada is the most active market for heavy oil.

The rising price of oil has increased the investment in unconventional fuels.  The market for filtration and flow control equipment and consumables in this sector will grow at close to double-digit rates in the coming years.