Internal Olefins Market Report 2026

The internal olefins market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $1.97 billion in 2025 to $2.08 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to petrochemical industry growth, surfactant demand expansion, lubricant formulation needs, industrial chemical applications, hydrocarbon processing capacity.

The internal olefins market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $2.58 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to specialty surfactant demand, synthetic lubricant growth, oilfield chemical usage, advanced cracking technologies, sustainable chemical intermediates. Major trends in the forecast period include rising use in surfactant manufacturing, growing demand from lubricant applications, expansion of specialty chemical production, increased adoption in oil and gas drilling, focus on high purity internal olefin grades.

The growing oil and gas industry is expected to drive the expansion of the internal olefins market in the coming years. The oil and gas sector encompasses the exploration, production, processing, and transportation of petroleum and natural gas resources. This industry is experiencing growth due to expanding infrastructure in emerging economies, where countries are investing in pipelines, refineries, and storage facilities to support economic progress, address rising energy needs, and attract international investment. Internal olefins play a vital role in the oil and gas sector as essential intermediates used in the formulation of drilling fluids, lubricants, and surfactants, which help boost operational efficiency and enhance environmental performance. For instance, in June 2023, the International Energy Agency (IEA), a France-based intergovernmental organization, reported that global oil demand is projected to grow by 6% between 2022 and 2028, reaching 105.7 million barrels per day. Additionally, global upstream investments in oil and gas exploration, extraction, and production are expected to increase by 11% year-on-year, hitting a record USD 528 billion in 2023. Therefore, the expansion of the oil and gas industry is fueling the growth of the internal olefins market.

Major companies operating in the internal olefins market are increasingly engaging in strategic partnerships to develop innovative bio-based surfactant intermediates derived from internal olefins. Strategic collaborations within the internal olefins market are facilitating the development of sustainable, high-performance alternatives to traditional petrochemical-based products, allowing companies to broaden their product portfolios while advancing environmentally responsible solutions. For instance, in January 2025, Pilot Chemical Company, a US-based specialty chemical manufacturer, entered into a partnership with Kao Corporation, a Japan-based chemical and consumer products company, to introduce Bio-IOS surfactant technology to the North American market. Under this collaboration, the objective is to manufacture biodegradable, high-foaming surfactants from internally positioned olefins suitable for personal care, household, and industrial applications. The technology focuses on the use of renewable feedstocks, high purity, and an environmentally friendly profile, supporting sustainability initiatives while improving product performance and addressing the rising demand for green chemistry solutions.

In May 2025, Pilot Chemical Company, a US-based chemical manufacturer, partnered with Novvi LLC to promote sustainable chemical solutions through collaborative innovation. This partnership integrates Novvi’s renewable feedstock platform with Pilot’s sulfonation technology to deliver high-performance, sulfate-alternative surfactants that support sustainability in various applications. Novvi LLC is a US-based company specializing in renewable, high-performance linear alpha olefins.

Major companies operating in the internal olefins market are Shell plc, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), LyondellBasell Industries N.V., INEOS Group Limited, Sasol Limited, Dow Inc., Braskem S.A., Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO), NOVA Chemicals Corporation, Westlake Corporation, Formosa Plastics Corporation, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., Evonik Industries AG, Clariant AG, Chevron Corporation, TotalEnergies SE, ENI S.p.A., BASF SE.

North America was the largest region in the internal olefins market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the internal olefins market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the internal olefins market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The internal olefins market consists of sales of cyclic olefins, iso-olefins and vinylidene olefins. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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