Service and Supply Companies

Service and supply companies are an integral part of the oil and natural gas industry.   In the United States, there are more than 10,000 companies identified as providing oil and natural gas services and supplies to the industry.   Many of these are local companies that provide oil and gas services to operations in their area, while others are global manufacturers selling products for oil and gas operations around the world. They include:

Manufacturers of equipment used in all aspects of the oil and natural gas industry.  This includes some of the most technologically advanced equipment used in the search for oil and gas.  This equipment allows the industry to operate in an environmentally safe way.  These include manufacturers of equipment used in refineries as well as in oil and natural gas exploration and production.  

Drilling contractors, who supply both the drilling rigs and the crews that search for oil and natural gas both onshore and offshore.  Economists often measure the health of the industry based on the number of drilling rigs that are operating both on land and in the waters off the Outer Continental Shelf in the ocean.  These drilling rigs undertake the initial search for oil and gas, and when their work is completed, they move on to the next site.

Service companies that assist oil and gas producers in maintaining the facilities that keep oil and natural gas production flowing.

Engineering companies that design and support the sophisticated oil and natural gas operations, including those operations that improve the refining capacity of existing refineries or companies that design complex systems for oil and natural gas exploration and production.

Inspection companies that provide qualified inspectors in all areas of the industry, including aboveground storage tank inspectors and pipeline inspectors.