Oil and gas equipment
Shipping oilfield equipment overseas
U.S. exports of parts for drilling and boring machinery reached $2.22 billion in 2024, led by Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Canada[1]; most oilfield cargo ships on flat racks and open tops or as breakbulk, and a machine that still holds fuel or a battery travels as a hazardous material[4].
How oilfield cargo usually ships
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rack | Skid-mounted pumps, drawworks, compressors and tanks wider or taller than a container door. | The skid rests on a short footprint and is heavier than the rack takes on that length. |
| Open top | Pipe, valves, wellhead parts and crated spares that are too tall for the door but within 7 ft 4 in (2.23 m) wide, loaded by crane through the roof. | The piece is wider than the roof opening. |
| Breakbulk | Rig substructures, masts and process modules beyond flat rack limits; ships in one heavy-lift fleet lift up to 2,205 US tons (2,000 t)[5]. | A flat rack or a roll trailer takes the piece. |
| Air charter | A replacement part is needed in days; the AN-124 carries up to 132 US tons (120 t)[6]. | An ocean sailing meets the date. |
Container, flat rack, RoRo or breakbulk?
We quote in this order because it is usually cheapest first. Most machines that look too big for a box fit once our crew takes off the bucket, boom, cab or wheels; larger ones are taken further apart across several containers, and pieces too big or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer go breakbulk.
01Container
- Work needed
- We partially disassemble when needed (bucket, boom, cab, wheels), or take larger machines further apart across several high-cubes and open-tops, then crate, block and lash every part.
- Destinations
- Widest: almost every port worldwide, plus inland delivery by rail.
- Typical cost
- Usually the lowest, with no out-of-gauge surcharges.
- Protection
- Sealed steel box; loose parts and attachments travel locked inside.
- Best for
- Most machines: compact ones as they are, others after partial disassembly, and large ones split across several containers.
02Flat rack
- Work needed
- Ships assembled, blocked and lashed. Surcharges apply when wider than 2.4 m or taller than about 1.95 m.
- Destinations
- Most container ports, on the same vessels as containers.
- Typical cost
- Moderate; rises with every centimetre out of gauge.
- Protection
- Open to the weather; we protect cabs, electronics and hydraulics.
- Best for
- Excavators, dozers and loaders too wide for a container door.
03RoRo
- Work needed
- Drives on assembled; non-runners go on a roll trailer.
- Destinations
- Fewer destinations: regular lanes to Europe, West Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and parts of Latin America.
- Typical cost
- Often competitive for large self-propelled machines where a lane exists.
- Protection
- Below deck, but loose items and attachments cannot ride inside the cab.
- Best for
- Running machines going to a port with regular RoRo sailings.
04Breakbulk
- Work needed
- Lifted aboard piece by piece by ship’s or shore cranes, on its own skids or cradle, then stowed and lashed in the hold or on deck.
- Destinations
- Ports with breakbulk berths and heavy-lift cranes; sailings are booked voyage by voyage.
- Typical cost
- Usually the highest for a single small machine; often the only option for the largest pieces.
- Protection
- In the hold or lashed on deck; we crate, wrap and protect exposed parts.
- Best for
- Pieces too large or heavy for a flat rack or roll trailer: transformers, process modules, mining trucks, crane sections.
Flat rack, open top and roll trailer limits
| Figure | 40' high cube flat rack[9] | 20' flat rack[11] | 40' open top container[12] | MAFI roll trailer[13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO size-type code | 45P3 | 22P3 | 42U1 | – |
| Inside length | 38 ft 3 in (11.65 m) | 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) | 39 ft 6 in (12.03 m) | – |
| Inside width (flat racks: floor) | 7 ft 8 in (2.35 m) | 7 ft 2 in (2.19 m) | 7 ft 9 in (2.35 m) | – |
| Inside height (flat racks: floor to top of end walls) | 7 ft 5 in (2.27 m) | 7 ft 4 in (2.23 m) | 7 ft 10 in (2.38 m) | – |
| Door opening, width × height | – | – | 7 ft 8 in / 2.34 m × 7 ft 6 in / 2.28 m | – |
| Roof opening, length × width | – | – | 37 ft 11 in / 11.55 m × 7 ft 4 in / 2.23 m | – |
| Deck, length × width | – | – | – | 39 ft 4 in / 12 m × 8 ft 2 in / 2.5 m |
| Floor height above ground | 2 ft 2 in (0.65 m) | 1 ft 3 in (0.37 m) | – | 2 ft 5 in (0.73 m) |
| Clear deck height | – | – | – | 1 ft 5 in (0.44 m) – 3 ft 7 in (1.1 m) |
| Trailer lengths in fleet | – | – | – | 19 ft 8 in (6 m) – 78 ft 9 in (24 m) |
| Maximum gross weight | 61 US tons (55,000 kg) | 99,200 lb (45,000 kg) | 71,700 lb (32,500 kg) | – |
| Tare weight | 13,000 lb (5,900 kg) | 6,390 lb (2,900 kg) | 8,930 lb (4,050 kg) | – |
| Maximum payload | 54 US tons (49,100 kg) | 92,800 lb (42,100 kg) | 62,700 lb (28,450 kg) | 110 US tons (100,000 kg) |
| Weight range | – | – | – | up to 154 US tons (140,000 kg) |
| Volume | – | – | 66.5 m³ | – |
| Rating per lashing point | 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) | 11,000 lb (5,000 kg) | 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) | – |
- 40' high cube flat rack: Series range from 97,100 lb to 60 US tons (44,050 to 54,200 kg) payload. The weight must reach the two main beams, directly or through cross timbers; on a 6 ft 7 in (2 m) resting length this rack takes 56,400 lb (25.6 t).[10]
- 20' flat rack: Strongest 20′ series; other series carry 68,900 lb to 81,700 lb (31,260 to 37,060 kg). The full payload applies only when the load rests on the whole length of the main beams: on 6 ft 7 in (2 m) it is 55,600 lb (25.2 t).[10]
- 40' open top container: Older 40′ open tops are rated 67,200 lb (30,480 kg) gross (58,700 lb / 26,630 kg payload).[12]
- MAFI roll trailer: Figures for a standard 40′ 100-tonne trailer (Transfennica). Wallenius Wilhelmsen runs trailers from 19 ft 8 in to 78 ft 9 in (6 to 24 m) long for cargo up to 154 US tons (140 t). The cargo stays on the trailer for the whole voyage.[14]
Export rules for oilfield equipment
Fuel, batteries and residue make a machine a hazardous material for the trip. Export classification decides whether a destination needs a license.
- Engines, vehicles and machinery as hazardous materials (49 CFR 173.220)PHMSA
A machine is regulated as a hazardous material when it carries fuel, a wet, sodium or lithium battery, or other hazardous materials. A tank of flammable liquid fuel such as gasoline is drained to 500 mL or less and closed; a self-propelled machine on diesel may keep its fuel if the tank has room for expansion and the cap is closed. Batteries stay installed and secured, wet batteries upright, with the terminals protected against short circuits.[4]
Applies to: Machines with fuel, batteries or other hazardous materials, by road, vessel or air
- Export classification under the EAR (ECCN or EAR99)BIS (U.S. Department of Commerce)
An item subject to the EAR is either listed on the Commerce Control List under an Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) or classified EAR99, the basket for items not listed. The ECCN’s reasons for control, read against the Commerce Country Chart, decide whether the destination needs a license. An EAR99 item rarely needs one, but no item, EAR99 included, may go to a person under a denial order or to a prohibited end use or end user without BIS authorization.[15][16][17]
Applies to: Every export of goods subject to the Export Administration Regulations
- Electronic Export Information (15 CFR 30)U.S. Census Bureau
Electronic Export Information is filed in AES for each Schedule B number worth more than $2,500 going to one consignee on one conveyance, and for every vehicle whatever its value. For vessel cargo it is due at least 24 hours before loading; the Internal Transaction Number (ITN) goes to the carrier with the booking.[18][8]
Applies to: Any Schedule B line over $2,500, and every vehicle
- ISPM 15 wood packagingIPPC, administered in the U.S. by USDA APHIS
Wood packaging and dunnage must be heat-treated to a core temperature of 56 °C for at least 30 minutes, or fumigated, and carry the IPPC mark with the US country code, the facility number and HT or MB. Marked wood can be reused; repaired or remanufactured wood must be treated and marked again.[7]
Applies to: Crates, skids, blocking and dunnage
- SOLAS verified gross mass (VGM)IMO
Since 1 July 2016 the shipper must give a signed verified gross mass for each packed container, found by weighing the packed unit or by adding the weighed cargo, lashing and dunnage to the container tare. The carrier needs it before the stowage plan is drawn up; without it the container is not loaded.[19]
Applies to: Every packed container, flat rack and open top
- Federal truck size and weight limits (23 CFR 658)FHWA
On the Interstate system a truck may gross 80,000 lb, with 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem; on the National Network the load may be 102 in wide. There is no federal height limit: states set 13.6 to 14.6 ft. A load over any of these needs an oversize or overweight permit from every state on the route.[20]
Applies to: Every road move to and from the port
Where U.S. drilling equipment goes
U.S. exports by HS subheading in 2024, as reported by the United States to UN Comtrade. The parts subheading covers parts of the boring and sinking machinery in the two subheadings below it.
| Product | U.S. exports, 2024 | Units | Largest markets, share of value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parts of boring and drilling machineryHS 843143 | $2.22 billion[1] | – | Mexico 15% · Saudi Arabia 13% · Canada 11% · Angola 5% · Brazil 4% |
| Self-propelled boring and drilling rigsHS 843041 | $636 million[2] | 5,879 | Canada 20% · Australia 17% · Netherlands 7% · Peru 7% · Brazil 6% |
| Other boring and drilling machineryHS 843049 | $139 million[3] | 4,096 | Canada 25% · Mexico 11% · Argentina 8% · Congo - Brazzaville 6% · Guyana 5% |
| Gas turbines over 5,000 kWHS 841182 | $1.81 billion[21] | 964 | Italy 14% · Canada 12% · China 7% · Australia 7% · Hungary 7% |
Classification and paperwork
The exporter is responsible for the classification: an Export Control Classification Number, or EAR99 for items not on the Commerce Control List. Manufacturers often publish it or supply it on request, and we put it on the Electronic Export Information with the Schedule B number before the cargo reaches the port[8].
Crates, skids and dunnage of solid wood must be heat-treated and stamped under ISPM 15, including the timber used to block cargo on a flat rack[7].
Questions about shipping oilfield equipment
Can a rig or pump unit ship with diesel in the tank?
A self-propelled machine on diesel may keep its fuel if the tank has room for expansion and the cap is closed. A tank of gasoline or another flammable liquid fuel is drained to 500 mL or less. Carriers can set stricter limits, so we confirm with the line at booking.
Does oilfield equipment need an export license?
It depends on the item’s classification and the destination. Most equipment is EAR99 or carries an ECCN that needs no license for most countries, but no item may go to a person under a denial order or to a prohibited end use without BIS authorization.
Which countries buy the most U.S. drilling equipment parts?
In 2024 Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Canada were the largest markets for U.S. exports of parts for boring and sinking machinery by value, followed by Angola, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.
Our Services for Oil & Gas
- IMO Dangerous Goods
Machines that carry fuel, batteries or residue
- Breakbulk Shipping
Rig substructures, masts and process modules
- Air Charter
Replacement parts needed in days
- Customs Brokerage
Export filings and import clearance
Equipment We Ship for Oil & Gas
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), U.S. exports of HS 843143, 2024, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), U.S. exports of HS 843041, 2024, checked October 18, 2026
- [3]World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), U.S. exports of HS 843049, 2024, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]eCFR, 49 CFR 173.220 Internal combustion engines, vehicles and machinery (hazardous materials), checked October 18, 2026
- [5]SAL Heavy Lift, Fleet list (April 2026), checked October 18, 2026
- [6]Antonov Airlines, AN-124 Ruslan charter (payload and cargo cabin), checked October 18, 2026
- [7]USDA APHIS, Export ISPM 15-compliant wood packaging material, checked October 18, 2026
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Regulations FAQs, checked October 18, 2026
- [9]Hapag-Lloyd, 40′ High Cube Flatrack, checked October 18, 2026
- [10]Hapag-Lloyd, Weight distribution in containers for safe transport (guideline), checked October 18, 2026
- [11]Hapag-Lloyd, 20′ Flatrack, checked October 18, 2026
- [12]Hapag-Lloyd, Container Specification (2024 update), checked October 18, 2026
- [13]Transfennica, Roll trailer and cassette dimensions (1/2024), checked October 18, 2026
- [14]Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Cargo handling equipment, checked October 18, 2026
- [15]eCFR, 15 CFR 734.3 Items subject to the EAR (EAR99), checked October 18, 2026
- [16]eCFR, 15 CFR 738.4 Determining whether a license is required, checked October 18, 2026
- [17]eCFR, 15 CFR 732.3 Steps regarding the ten general prohibitions, checked October 18, 2026
- [18]eCFR, 15 CFR 30.37 Miscellaneous exemptions (Foreign Trade Regulations), checked October 18, 2026
- [19]IMO, SOLAS verified gross mass requirement enters into force (1 July 2016), checked October 18, 2026
- [20]FHWA, Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Program (23 CFR 658), checked October 18, 2026
- [21]World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), U.S. exports of HS 841182, 2024, checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.