Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market Report 2026-2036: Upstream Spending Cycles And The Hunt For New Barrels Are Reinvigorating Demand For High-Resolution Solutions

(MENAFN- GlobeNewsWire - Nasdaq) The Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market is poised for strong growth, spurred by renewed exploration focus. Key opportunities arise from evolving offshore exploration strategies, technological advances, and growing offshore wind and CCS segments. Challenges include cyclic E&P budgets and US trade tariffs affecting costs.

Dublin, Feb. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market Report 2026-2036" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets's offering.
In terms of value the market will surpass US$3.99 billion in 2026, the work calculates. The publisher predicts strong revenue growth through to 2036. The work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.
This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.
Upstream Spending Cycles and the Hunt for New Barrels Are Reinvigorating Demand for High-Resolution Marine Seismic Acquisition
The first and most fundamental growth engine for the marine seismic equipment & acquisition market is the renewed focus by oil and gas companies on exploration and reservoir delineation after several years of under-investment. Global seismic services revenue is estimated around USD 8.6 billion in 2024, with forecasts for ~6% annual growth through 2034, driven by evolving exploration strategies and improved subsurface imaging technology.

As operators pivot from 'easy oil' to more complex offshore plays, seismic remains the most cost-effective tool to de-risk offshore prospects before committing billions to drilling and development. This is already visible in company numbers: TGS reported a strong uplift in contract revenues in Q2 2025 (USD ~171 million vs USD 100 million a year earlier), reflecting more proprietary survey awards from E&Ps, while its produced revenues climbed to about USD 306 million for the quarter. PGS similarly reported improving contract and late-sales performance, pointing to tighter vessel supply and more tendering activity.
These trends show that as long as offshore exploration and production remain part of the global energy mix-particularly in deepwater Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean-marine seismic acquisition will see steady baseline demand, underpinning the equipment market for streamers, source systems, navigation, onboard processing and imaging technologies.
Cyclical Oil Prices, E&P Budget Volatility and Project Deferrals Continue to Cap Long-Term Fleet and Equipment Utilization
On the restraining side, the marine seismic industry remains fundamentally exposed to the cyclicality of upstream spending: when oil and gas prices fall or operators prioritize dividends and buybacks over exploration, seismic budgets are among the first to be cut, leading to idle vessels and delayed equipment upgrades. While macro forecasts for the marine seismic equipment & acquisition market point to steady single-digit CAGRs, several recent reports still put growth in the modest 3-6% range through 2031, much slower than the boom years of the 2000s.

Shearwater's Q2 2024 commentary explicitly noted that 'so far in 2024, the marine seismic acquisition market has been slower than anticipated,' even though EBITDA performance was improving, highlighting how sensitive short-term activity remains to operator spending decisions. (Shearwater Geo) This volatility makes it difficult for contractors to justify newbuild vessels or large-scale equipment overhauls and pushes them toward cautious capex strategies, potentially constraining the speed at which the industry can adopt the latest technologies or expand capacity for new segments like CCS and offshore wind.
What would be the Impact of US Trade Tariffs on the Global Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market?
The introduction of new U.S. tariffs on imported seismic equipment, electronic components, offshore vessels, and related geophysical technologies is reshaping the global Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market. These tariffs increase supply chain costs, particularly for American contractors and exploration companies relying on imported streamers, hydrophones, OBN systems, and navigation electronics.

Global players with manufacturing bases in Asia and Europe may face price pressures as procurement cycles become longer and more expensive. In response, leading seismic companies are diversifying suppliers, expanding local manufacturing, and negotiating long-term supply agreements to reduce risk. The overall market trajectory will depend on the severity, duration, and geopolitical context of the tariffs-leading to three possible recovery paths: V-shaped, U-shaped, and L-shaped.
Key Questions Answered

• How is the marine seismic equipment & acquisition market evolving?
• What is driving and restraining the marine seismic equipment & acquisition market?
• How will each marine seismic equipment & acquisition submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2036?
• How will the market shares for each marine seismic equipment & acquisition submarket develop from 2026 to 2036?
• What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2026 to 2036?
• Will leading marine seismic equipment & acquisition markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?
• How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2036 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2036?
• Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?
• What is the marine seismic equipment & acquisition projects for these leading companies?
• How will the industry evolve during the period between 2026 and 2036? What are the implications of marine seismic equipment & acquisition projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?
• Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the marine seismic equipment & acquisition market?
• Where is the marine seismic equipment & acquisition market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?
• What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?
• What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?

You need to discover how this will impact the marine seismic equipment & acquisition market today, and over the next 10 years:

• This 421-page report provides 125 tables and 200 charts/graphs exclusively to you.
• The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them - NOW.
• It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.
• It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.

Forecasts to 2036 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects

• In addition to revenue forecasting to 2036, the new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.
• You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.
• Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising marine seismic equipment & acquisition prices and recent developments.

Market Dynamics

Market Driving Factors

• Rising Offshore Oil & Gas Exploration Activity Driving the Market Growth
• Increasing Demand for 3D and 4D Time-Lapse Imaging
• Growth in Deepwater and Ultra-Deepwater Exploration Driving the Market Growth

Market Restraining Factors

• High Operational Costs and Capital-Intensive Equipment Restrain the Market Growth
• Environmental Concerns and Regulatory Constraints Restrain the Market Growth

Market Opportunities

• Increasing Investments in Offshore Exploration Opportunities for Market Growth
• Collaboration and Partnerships with Industry Stakeholders Opportunities for the Market
• Advances in Seismic Equipment Technology Opportunities for the Market

U.S. Tariffs: What's the Impact on Global Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market?

• Overview
• V-Shaped Recovery Scenario
• Why V-Shaped Recovery?
• Impact from Tariffs
• Market Dynamics and Demand Recovery
• Policy and Funding Support
• Timeframe for Recovery
• U Shaped Recovery Scenario
• Why U-Shaped Recovery?
• Impact from Tariffs
• Market Dynamics and Demand Recovery
• Policy and Funding Support
• Timeframe for Recovery
• L Shaped Recovery Scenario
• Why L-Shaped Recovery?
• Impact from Tariffs
• Market Dynamics and Demand Recovery
• Policy and Funding Support
• Timeframe for Recovery
• What Strategic Considerations Should Clients Factor into Their Near-term (2026-2031) and Long-term (2026-2036) Planning?
• Impact of U.S. and China Trade War on Marine Seismic Equipment & Acquisition Market
• How Might the Most Impacted Countries Experience Positive and Negative Effects Resulting from These Policy Changes?

Porter's Five Forces Analysis

PESTLE Analysis

Leading Companies Profiled in the Report

• China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)
• Dolphin Geophysical AS
• Fugro N.V.
• Geosoftware Limited
• Geospace Technologies Corporation
• Halliburton Corporation
• Hexagon AB
• MIND Technology
• Ocean Infinity
• PXGEO Seismic Services Limited
• SAExploration Holdings, Inc.
• Schlumberger Limited
• SeaBird Exploration PLC
• Seismic Equipment Solutions
• TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company.

Segments Covered in the Report

By Service Type

• Data Acquisition & Processing
• Equipment Leasing & Maintenance

By Technology Type

• 3D Seismic Survey
• 4D (Time-Lapse) Seismic Survey
• 2D Seismic Survey

By Acquisition Platform

• Streamer-Based Survey Vessels
• Ocean Bottom Seismic (OBS) Platforms
• Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)
• Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

By Application

• Oil & Gas Exploration
• Offshore Wind & Renewable Energy Mapping
• Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) Site Assessment
• Geological & Geophysical Research
• Marine Infrastructure & Dredging Projects

By Equipment Type

• Seismic Streamers
• Ocean Bottom Nodes (OBN)
• Air Guns & Source Arrays
• Ocean Bottom Cables (OBC)
• Sensors & Hydrophones
• Other Equipment Types

In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for five regional and 25 leading national markets:
North America

• U.S.
• Canada

Europe

• Norway
• UK
• France
• Netherlands
• Denmark
• Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

• Japan
• China
• India
• Australia
• South Korea
• Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

• Brazil
• Mexico
• Rest of Latin America

MEA

• GCC
• South Africa
• Rest of MEA

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