Petroval

What Petroval does

Petroval SA is a France-headquartered industrial services and proprietary technology company founded in 1990, specializing in catalyst and reactor management for the oil and gas refining and petrochemical industry. The company designs, owns, and operates a portfolio of proprietary technologies covering dense catalyst loading (DENSICAT®, DENSICAT® New Generation with DNG Radar System®, CATAPAC®, S-LOAD®, OSCILLOCAT™, UNIDENSE™, DUST FREE), catalyst unloading (CATFLOW™, CARBODUMP®), tube insert technologies for shell-and-tube heat exchangers (SPIRELF®, FIXOTAL®, TURBOTAL®), and infrared thermography inspection services for furnace casings and tubes. Several of these are patented in-house, while CARBODUMP® and CATAPAC® are held under exclusive global licenses from Eurecat and IFP/Axens respectively. Petroval maintains a directly employed workforce of 30 trained and certified operator-level specialists with 15+ years of refining and petrochemical experience, supported by four wholly-owned regional offices in France (HQ), Houston (since 2003), Singapore (since 2011), and Manama, Bahrain (since 2024), with a partner network extending service reach to 70+ countries.

The company runs a pure B2B enterprise services and equipment model. Catalyst loading, unloading, and infrared thermography engagements are professional services contracts scoped and quoted per project, typically tied to refinery or petrochemical plant turnaround events, while tube inserts are sold as hardware products with installation supervision and multi-year contract cadences. Pricing is custom and quote-based, with no publicly disclosed standard rates. Customers are global refiners and petrochemical operators, with documented engagements including Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura Refinery and YASREF, SARAS Sarlux Refinery, a Gulf Coast refinery that achieved a 36 MT/h loading record, and a major South African refinery turnaround. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the TotalEnergies and Eurecat groups, with TotalEnergies itself being a major client (a dedicated Area Sales Manager covers TotalEnergies alongside Benelux, France, and Scandinavia), creating a captive parent-affiliate revenue channel in addition to third-party refinery work.

With 35 years of operating history, Petroval has dense loaded 1,500+ reactors and installed 600,000+ tube inserts globally, loading more than 40,000 tons of catalyst per year. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales through regional area sales managers, supported by participation in industry conferences (AIChE, ERTC, AFPM, GRPC, HTRI Heat Exchanger Fouling Conference), customer co-presentations (e.g., SARAS Sarlux at IDW 2021), and a LIVEREPORTING digital tool that enables remote real-time monitoring of catalyst change-out operations. Petroval does not sell through indirect channel partners or resellers, maintaining full control of service quality and safety through its directly employed field workforce.

Name

Petroval

Legal name

PETROVAL SA

Website

https://petroval.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Petroval SA is a 1990-founded French industrial services and technology company that provides proprietary catalyst loading, unloading, tube insert, and infrared thermography solutions to oil refineries and petrochemical plants in 70+ countries. A subsidiary of TotalEnergies and Eurecat, it is the world reference in dense catalyst loading.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refinery and Petrochemical Catalyst Services

NAICS

Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Petrochemical & Polymerization Catalysts (IMAEAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chemicals & Petrochemicals (Non-Hazmat Specialized Handling) (TLAIALAJ), Steam Cracking & Feedstock Flexibility Services (Cracker optimization, feed switching, co-product recovery) (EUALAHAJ)

Keywords

• Catalyst loading services
• Catalyst unloading services
• Reactor management services
• Tube insert technologies
• Infrared thermography services

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-romain-de-colbosc

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Catalyst Loading Services: Dense loading and sock loading of catalysts into fixed bed reactors using proprietary machines (DENSICAT®, DENSICAT® New Generation, OSCILLOCAT™, UNIDENSE™) delivered on-site at refinery and petrochemical plants by Petroval's own trained technicians.
2. Catalyst Unloading Services: Catalyst unloading using proprietary technologies including CATFLOW™ (horizontal dump nozzle unloading) and CARBODUMP® (CO2 deagglomeration), delivered on-site with technical assistance.
3. Technical Assistance & Supervision: On-site specialized operator supervision, troubleshooting, screening supervision, optimization planning, and live reporting during catalyst change-out operations. Includes consulting services for catalyst change-out best practices and infrared thermography training.
4. Tube Insert Technologies: Sale and installation supervision of proprietary tube insert products (SPIRELF®, FIXOTAL®, TURBOTAL®) for shell-and-tube heat exchangers to improve energy efficiency and reduce fouling in refineries and petrochemical plants.
5. Infrared Thermography Services: Furnace and heat exchanger inspection services using infrared thermography for tube skin temperature measurement, casing integrity inspection, and process optimization, conducted by certified Level 2 and Level 3 thermographers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Petroval delivers on-site catalyst loading, catalyst unloading, technical assistance, energy efficiency (tube inserts) and infrared thermography services to oil refineries and petrochemical plants. The company owns a proprietary portfolio of dense loading machines (DENSICAT®), unloading systems (CATFLOW™, CARBODUMP®), tube insert products (SPIRELF®, FIXOTAL®, TURBOTAL®) and the Livereporting digital tool, and operates through 30 trained certified technicians mobilized worldwide within 48 hours.

Product overview

Petroval offers a comprehensive suite of catalyst and reactor management services and energy efficiency technologies for the refining and petrochemical industry. The portfolio includes: Loading Technologies (DENSICAT®, DENSICAT® NEW GENERATION, CATAPAC®, S-LOAD®, OSCILLOCAT™, UNIDENSE™, DUST FREE) for dense and specialized catalyst loading; Unloading Technologies (CATFLOW™, CARBODUMP®) for catalyst removal; Technical Assistance services (PROBACAT®, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TROUBLE-SHOOTING, LIVEREPORTING, ON SITE SCREENING SUPERVISION, OPTIMIZATION PLAN) for process optimization; Energy Technologies (SPIRELF®, FIXOTAL®, TURBOTAL® tube inserts and infrared thermography services) for heat transfer improvement and equipment inspection; and Consulting Services (catalyst change-out training and infrared thermography training). The company operates globally with over 1,500 reactors dense loaded and more than 500,000 tube inserts installed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DENSICAT®: World-leading dense loading machine for catalyst loading in refineries and petrochemical industry
• DENSICAT® NEW GENERATION
• CATAPAC®
• S-LOAD®
• OSCILLOCAT™
• UNIDENSE™
• DUST FREE
• CATFLOW™
• CARBODUMP®
• PROBACAT®
• LIVEREPORTING
• SPIRELF®
• FIXOTAL®
• TURBOTAL®

Products and services

• DENSICAT® Proprietary dense loading machine for catalyst in fixed-bed reactors, providing instantaneous 100% reactor surface coverage and homogeneous catalyst beds; sold and operated as an on-site service for refineries and petrochemical plants.
• DENSICAT® NEW GENERATION (DNG) Next-generation dense loading machine for large reactors, with remote control, radar-based bed flatness monitoring, continuous dust extraction and loading rates up to 40 t/h.
• CATAPAC® Dense loading process specifically licensed for loading Axens catalysts, held under exclusive license from IFP/Axens.
• S-LOAD® Patented technology for loading inert support balls into reactor bottoms quickly, safely, dust-free and without breakage; compact equipment for easy transport and installation.
• OSCILLOCAT™ Dense loading technology developed for reactors with narrow or off-centered top openings, off-centered thermocouples or other specific constraints.
• UNIDENSE™ Catalyst loading method for primary reformer tubes using a funnel and loading rope with flexible brushes to reduce particle speed and prevent breakage, eliminating sock loading.
• DUST FREE Sealed system for dense loading hazardous catalysts that prevents dust emission and personnel exposure while ensuring optimal reactor performance.
• CATFLOW™ Patented technology for unloading reactor catalyst beds via horizontal dump nozzles using an extraction tube and a fluidized region, eliminating the need for inert entry of personnel.
• CARBODUMP® Technology using CO2 cartridges to deagglomerate catalyst particles joined by coke or sticky matter through rapid gas expansion, exclusive licensee from Eurecat.
• PROBACAT® In-situ catalyst sampling technology that enables sampling without reactor unloading, for determining catalyst poisoning profiles or chemical properties.
• Technical Support Specialized operator services acting as an independent third party, supervising each step of catalyst loading with a quality and safety focus.
• Trouble-Shooting Diagnostic service identifying root causes of process and operational issues such as poorly installed internals, improper catalyst loading or poor catalyst performance.
• LIVEREPORTING Digital tool available on laptop, tablet and smartphone enabling real-time monitoring of catalyst change-out operations, remote refiner monitoring, live messaging, planning evolution and quality checklist validation.
• On-Site Screening Supervision Catalyst screening supervision controlling and optimizing unloading rates, catalyst handling, and fine rate calculations to minimize breakage and maximize recovery.
• Optimization Plan Detailed efficiency report analyzing all loading steps based on on-site audit data collected during turnarounds, including equipment selection and time-saving estimates.
• SPIRELF® Vibrating tube insert device that converts fluid flow energy into vibration for continuous online mechanical cleaning of heat exchanger tubes, reducing fouling and doubling run duration.
• FIXOTAL® Fixed tube insert device that converts fluid flow energy into turbulence, increasing the tube-side heat transfer coefficient by 50–100% in turbulent flow and mitigating fouling.
• TURBOTAL® Rotating tube insert device hooked on the fixed head that converts fluid flow energy into rotation for continuous online cleaning, increasing heat transfer coefficient by 50–100%, reducing fouling rates by up to 80%, and doubling run duration.
• Infrared Thermography of Casings Thermographic inspection of furnace casings, storage tanks and spheres to detect heat losses, air ingress, refractory defects and support structure overheating.
• Infrared Thermography of Tubes Non-destructive infrared survey of refinery and petrochemical furnace tubes to detect hot spots, tube damage, heat flux distribution and to validate thermocouple measurements.
• Catalyst Change-Out Best Practices Training 2–3 day training program on catalyst change-out coordination and management, drawing on 30 years of operational experience.
• Infrared Thermography Training 3–4 day tailor-made training program on infrared thermography, drawing on 20 years of experience and including post-training technical assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heat transfer coefficient increase of 80% compared to bare tubes with Turbotal, and 50-100% increase with FIXOTAL/SPIRELF/TURBOTAL
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature14 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Al-Bilad CatalystcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Al-Bilad Catalyst is Petroval's partner in Saudi Arabia for catalyst unloading services. Petroval and Al-Bilad Catalyst co-presented to Aramco's Global Manufacturing Excellence Department at Ras Tanura Refinery, showcasing CatFlow and Carbodump technologies for optimal Catalyst Unloading & Regeneration processes.
• SARAS Sarlux RefineryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2021SARAS Sarlux Refinery partnered with Petroval for tube insert technology applications, resulting in a joint co-presentation at IDW 2021 and subsequent IDW Downstream events. The case study demonstrated Turbotal technology achieving significant energy savings and CO2 emission reductions, validating the ROI of Petroval's tube insert solutions.
• Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company (YASREF) LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2020YASREF hosted Petroval's first S-Load application in the Middle East for ceramic balls loading. This reference project demonstrated S-Load technology's ability to load ceramic balls without breakage in a dust-free environment.
• EurecatcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerEurecat is the owner of CARBODUMP® technology. Petroval holds the exclusive global licensee rights for CARBODUMP®, using it as part of its catalyst unloading service offerings. This exclusive licensing agreement gives Petroval a unique competitive capability for CO2-based catalyst deagglomeration.
• IFP / AxenscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerIFP (now Axens) is the owner of CATAPAC® dense loading process. Petroval possesses the exclusive licensee from IFP for all Catapac dense loading operations for Axens catalysts. This gives Petroval exclusive rights to dense load Axens catalysts using the CATAPAC process.
• HTRI (Heat Transfer Research, Inc.)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHTRI organized the Heat Exchanger Fouling and Cleaning Conference 2024 in Lisbon, at which Petroval presented tube insert technologies and CO2 emissions reduction case studies.
• TotalEnergies and Eurecat GroupsflagshipOthersPetroval is a subsidiary of the TotalEnergies and Eurecat groups, providing innovative technologies and specialized services to the refining and petrochemical industry. This parent company relationship provides corporate backing and industry ecosystem access.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Axens: Major petrochemical and refining catalyst and process licensor. Axens licenses the CATAPAC® dense loading process exclusively to Petroval, making it both a partner and adjacent competitor in delivering catalyst-related services to Axens catalyst customers.
• Mersen: Industrial materials specialist serving process industries with heat exchangers, graphite and silicon carbide equipment, and corrosion-resistant solutions. Mersen's heat transfer products intersect with Petroval's tube insert and refinery heat management services at common customers.
• Teledyne FLIR: Leading manufacturer of infrared thermal imaging cameras and thermography solutions. FLIR's hardware and thermography training offerings are adjacent to Petroval's infrared thermography inspection services for refinery furnaces and heat exchangers.

Broad incumbents

• Sulzer: Global industrial engineering group with a large heat exchanger, mass transfer, and refinery services portfolio. Sulzer's separation and heat transfer technologies overlap with Petroval's tube insert and heat exchanger enhancement offerings across the same refining customers.
• Honeywell UOP: Leading licensor of refining and petrochemical process technologies and catalyst supplier. UOP catalysts and process units are loaded at refineries using services comparable to Petroval's, and UOP has its own field service and catalyst change-out offerings.
• Hamon: Engineering group focused on heat exchange, cooling, and air pollution control technologies for refineries and power plants. Hamon's heat transfer services and air-cooled condenser expertise overlap with Petroval's heat exchanger enhancement and refinery turnaround offerings.
• Bilfinger: European industrial services provider executing refinery and petrochemical maintenance, turnaround, and process services. Bilfinger competes with Petroval for on-site reactor and heat exchanger work at refineries, though with a much broader service portfolio.
• Babcock & Wilcox: Established industrial manufacturer of heat exchangers, boilers, and related process equipment serving power and petrochemical plants. B&W's heat exchanger products compete with the equipment-side offerings adjacent to Petroval's tube insert retrofit business.

Direct peers

• Eurecat: Catalyst regeneration, rejuvenation and on-site catalyst services provider, and parent/licensor to Petroval. Eurecat's CARBODUMP® technology is exclusively licensed to Petroval, and both firms compete for catalyst-related services at refineries and petrochemical plants worldwide.
• Cal Gavin: UK-based manufacturer of Hi-Turb and other twisted tape/insert devices for shell-and-tube heat exchangers, directly competing with Petroval's SPIRELF®, FIXOTAL®, and TURBOTAL® tube insert portfolio in refinery and petrochemical preheat trains.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/petroval
• Xx.com/Petroval_SA

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Petroval