Roxar AS
Roxar AS was a Norwegian oilfield technology company supplying reservoir-management software, multiphase measurement, subsea instrumentation, and production-optimisation services.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Roxar AS was a Norwegian oilfield technology company focused on helping upstream oil and gas operators understand reservoirs, plan and monitor wells, measure production, and improve field performance. Its activities combined specialist software with instrumentation and associated engineering and consulting services. The company was headquartered in Stavanger and operated internationally, with the reference material describing a presence in 19 countries and a workforce of approximately 900 people before its acquisition by Emerson. The company was created in 1999 through the merger of Multi-Fluid ASA and Smedvig Technologies AS. This combination brought together two complementary technology traditions. Multi-Fluid had developed water-cut and multiphase-flow measurement products, while Smedvig Technologies had assembled capabilities in reservoir modelling, stochastic simulation, permanent downhole monitoring, electronics, drilling support, and related petroleum technology. Roxar therefore entered the market with a portfolio spanning both digital interpretation and physical measurement of subsurface and production conditions. Its software activities included reservoir interpretation, geological and reservoir modelling, and simulation. A prominent product lineage was associated with IRAP RMS, a three-dimensional reservoir-modelling and interpretation environment developed through businesses that had become part of Smedvig Technologies. These tools were intended to reduce uncertainty in reservoir understanding and support decisions about development and production. Roxar also supplied permanent downhole monitoring systems and data-acquisition technologies for collecting information from wells over time. The instrumentation side of the business covered multiphase flow measurement, water-cut measurement, flare-gas measurement, sand monitoring, subsea sensing, and chemical or MEG/methanol injection. Roxar developed real-time systems for measuring multiphase flows and monitoring well and subsea conditions, areas that are technically important because oil, gas, and water often travel together and cannot be measured reliably by simple single-phase methods. Such systems supported production allocation, flow assurance, well surveillance, and optimisation of operating conditions. Roxar expanded through acquisitions and corporate combinations. It acquired Fluenta in 2001, adding expertise in multiphase meters, flare-gas meters, and sand monitoring. In 2003, major investors Lime Rock Partners and Smedvig took control and Roxar was delisted. The company subsequently established a Moscow branch and acquired full ownership of Onics in Russia. Arcapita completed an acquisition of Roxar in 2006, after which Roxar acquired EnergyScitech, a United Kingdom consultancy and software-development company. In 2007, CorrOcean acquired Roxar and the combined company traded as Roxar ASA on the Oslo Stock Exchange. CorrOcean also added subsea and chemical-injection capabilities through the acquisition of Mareco. Emerson acquired Roxar in April 2009, making Roxar part of Emerson's process-management and industrial-technology activities. After that transaction, Roxar no longer operated as an independent listed company. Its technologies and product lines became associated with Emerson's offerings for reservoir management, production optimisation, measurement, and subsea operations. The independent Roxar corporate entity is consequently treated as defunct, although the Roxar name and technology heritage continued within Emerson-related businesses.
History
Roxar's history grew out of a group of Norwegian petroleum-technology businesses established during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1984, Smedvig International Petroleum Research Group was established to develop technical solutions for drilling and production. Its subsequent work included permanent downhole monitoring, reservoir software, electronics, drilling consultancy, and related engineering capabilities. In 1987, it formed a joint venture to develop Permanent Downhole Monitoring Systems, later taking sole ownership of that business. During the early 1990s, Smedvig IPR invested in or helped establish companies working on stochastic reservoir modelling and reservoir consulting, including IPAC, Petec, and Odin. The Smedvig technology organization expanded through consolidation and acquisition. Smedvig IPR merged with Smedvig IPR Services in 1993 and became Smedvig Technology. It later acquired IPAC, PTL Tønsberg, Petec, and Geomatic, the developer associated with the IRAP RMS three-dimensional reservoir-modelling software. It also acquired Odin and took a significant interest in Onics, a Moscow-based reservoir consultancy. By 1997, the business had been reorganized as Smedvig Technologies (Holding) AS. The other principal predecessor was Multi-Fluid. In 1992, Multi-Fluid introduced the MFI WaterCut Meter, addressing the need to measure the proportion of water in produced well fluids. Multi-Fluid later introduced an early subsea multiphase meter. In 1998, Multi-Fluid and Smedvig Technologies began cooperating on a downhole water-cut meter, linking their respective expertise in production measurement and well technology. In 1999, Smedvig Technologies (Holding) and Multi-Fluid ASA merged to form Roxar ASA. The new company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and focused on reservoir-modelling software, permanent downhole monitoring, and multiphase metering. This structure gave Roxar a broad upstream technology proposition: software for understanding and simulating reservoirs, monitoring systems for wells, and instruments for measuring fluids as they moved through production systems. Roxar continued to broaden its portfolio in the early 2000s. In 2001, it acquired Fluenta, adding multiphase meters, flare-gas meters, and sand-monitoring products. In 2003, Lime Rock Partners and Smedvig acquired control of the company, and Roxar was delisted. Roxar established a branch in Moscow in 2004 and acquired full ownership of Onics, strengthening its presence in the Russian market and its reservoir-consulting capabilities. Arcapita completed the acquisition of Roxar in 2006. During this ownership period, Roxar acquired EnergyScitech, a United Kingdom-based consultancy and software-development company. In 2007, CorrOcean acquired Roxar. The transaction was followed by the creation of a listed Roxar ASA, while CorrOcean's subsea capabilities were combined with Roxar's reservoir and production technologies. CorrOcean also acquired Mareco, adding products for chemical and MEG/methanol injection to the subsea portfolio. In April 2009, Emerson acquired Roxar. The deal ended Roxar's independent corporate and stock-market identity. Roxar's technology became part of Emerson's broader industrial and process-management activities, where its reservoir software, multiphase measurement, well-monitoring, and subsea technologies could be offered alongside automation and process-control systems. Roxar is therefore best understood today as an acquired Norwegian oilfield-technology brand and technology lineage rather than an independent operating company.
- 2009
Emerson acquires Roxar
[1]Emerson acquires Roxar in April, integrating its technology portfolio into Emerson.
- 2007
CorrOcean acquires Roxar
[1]Roxar joins CorrOcean and the combined company is listed as Roxar ASA.
- 2006
Arcapita completes Roxar acquisition
[1]Arcapita acquires Roxar, which subsequently expands through the purchase of EnergyScitech.
- 2004
Moscow operations and Onics ownership expand
[1]Roxar establishes a Moscow branch and acquires full ownership of Onics.
- 2001
Fluenta is acquired
[1]Roxar adds multiphase metering, flare-gas measurement, and sand-monitoring capabilities.
- 1999
Roxar ASA is formed
[1]Multi-Fluid ASA merges with Smedvig Technologies (Holding) AS, creating the listed Roxar ASA.
- 1995
Smedvig acquires reservoir-modelling and electronics businesses
[1]Smedvig Technology acquires Petec and Geomatic, connected with IRAP RMS three-dimensional reservoir modelling, as well as an electronics company.
- 1992
Multi-Fluid launches the MFI WaterCut Meter
[1]The predecessor company introduces a water-cut measurement product for produced well fluids.
- 1991
Smedvig expands into reservoir software and sensing
[1]Smedvig IPR acquires a stake in IPAC and a subsea sensor associated with the CorrOcean lineage is installed on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
- 1987
Permanent downhole monitoring joint venture begins
[1]Smedvig IPR establishes a 50/50 venture for permanent downhole monitoring systems and later becomes the sole owner of the business.
Products and positioning
A specialist upstream oil and gas technology provider combining reservoir software, subsurface consulting, real-time measurement, well monitoring, and subsea production instrumentation.
Reservoir modelling and simulation software
IRAP RMS
IRAP RMS was a three-dimensional reservoir-modelling and interpretation software lineage associated with Geomatic and the Smedvig technology businesses that became part of Roxar. It supported geological and reservoir representation, interpretation, and simulation workflows used to evaluate subsurface uncertainty and inform field-development and production decisions.
Production measurement · 1992
MFI WaterCut Meter
Introduced by Multi-Fluid in 1992, the MFI WaterCut Meter measured the water fraction in produced well fluids. The product represents an early part of the measurement heritage later incorporated into Roxar's broader portfolio of production-monitoring and optimisation technologies.
Well monitoring and data acquisition
Permanent Downhole Monitoring Systems
Roxar supplied permanent downhole monitoring technologies designed to collect continuing information from wells. These systems supported surveillance of subsurface and production conditions and formed one of the core technology areas inherited from Smedvig's petroleum-research activities.
Flow measurement · 1998
Multiphase flow meters
Roxar developed real-time instrumentation for measuring mixtures of oil, gas, and water in production systems. Multiphase meters were used for production monitoring, allocation, flow assurance, and optimisation where separating fluids before measurement would be difficult or costly.
Subsea oilfield equipment
Subsea instrumentation
The subsea portfolio included sensors, multiphase measurement, production monitoring, and equipment for chemical, MEG, and methanol injection. These products addressed measurement and flow-assurance requirements in subsea production environments.
Brand decisions
2009
Emerson acquisitionM&ABackground
Roxar's reservoir-management, measurement, and production-optimisation technologies complemented Emerson's industrial automation and process-management activities.
Action taken
Emerson acquired Roxar in April 2009.
Aftermath
Roxar ceased to operate as an independent listed company and its technology became part of Emerson's broader industrial portfolio.
2007
Combination with CorrOceanM&ABackground
CorrOcean operated in complementary subsea and sensing markets and sought to combine its capabilities with Roxar's reservoir and production technologies.
Action taken
CorrOcean acquired Roxar, and the combined company was listed under the Roxar ASA name.
Aftermath
The combined portfolio included reservoir software, measurement systems, subsea products, and chemical-injection equipment.
2003
Control acquisition and delistingM&ABackground
Lime Rock Partners and Smedvig became the controlling investors in Roxar ASA.
Action taken
The investors acquired control and Roxar was delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
Roxar continued as a privately controlled technology company and expanded its international and Russian operations.
1999
Creation of Roxar through predecessor mergerM&ABackground
Multi-Fluid and Smedvig Technologies held complementary positions in production measurement, reservoir software, and well technology.
Action taken
The companies merged to form Roxar ASA, initially as a public company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
Roxar launched with an integrated portfolio spanning reservoir modelling, permanent downhole monitoring, and multiphase measurement.
Recent events
- 2009
Emerson acquires Roxar[1]
M&A
Emerson acquired Roxar in April 2009, ending Roxar's existence as an independent company and integrating its reservoir-management, measurement, and production-optimisation technologies into Emerson's industrial portfolio.
- 2007
CorrOcean acquires Roxar[1]
M&A · Leadership change
CorrOcean acquired Roxar and the merged business returned to the Oslo Stock Exchange under the Roxar ASA name.
- 2006
Arcapita completes acquisition of Roxar[1]
M&A
Private-equity firm Arcapita completed the acquisition of Roxar, preceding further expansion through the purchase of EnergyScitech.
- 2003
Roxar is taken private and delisted[1]
M&A · Other
Lime Rock Partners and Smedvig acquired control of Roxar ASA, after which the company was removed from the Oslo Stock Exchange.
- 2001
Roxar acquires Fluenta[1]
M&A
The acquisition expanded Roxar's portfolio with multiphase metering, flare-gas measurement, and sand-monitoring technologies.
- 1999
Roxar is formed through the merger of Multi-Fluid and Smedvig Technologies[1]
M&A · Other
The merger created Roxar ASA, combining reservoir software and monitoring capabilities from Smedvig Technologies with Multi-Fluid's flow-measurement activities.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/roxar-as · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled