The natural gas industry presents complex challenges, from assessing the robustness of unconventional gas strategies in North America to evaluating the impact of liquefied natural gas (LNG) pricing on demand in Asia.
We help clients capture maximum value from the sourcing, wholesale marketing, retailing, transmission, distribution, and storage of natural gas and liquefied natural gas.
To navigate an unpredictable market, companies need a global perspective on the dynamics of the business, analytical rigor in weighing strategic options, and the flexibility to respond swiftly to shifts in supply, demand, regulatory context, and competitive behavior.
Examples of our work
We serve top oil and gas companies, power generators, pipeline operators, wholesale and distribution utilities, traders, and industrial buyers. We help clients develop insights into opportunities and risks, tailor their strategy to market outlook, evaluate asset and contract portfolios, define their regulatory stance, adopt powerful digital and analytic technologies, build capabilities, manage talent, and achieve operational excellence.
Energy Company Seeking International Gas Opportunities
Working with an energy company seeking international natural gas opportunities to analyze markets, model scenarios, create an integrated business plan, and develop a strategy to enter markets and capture €300 million in value creation
Taking Positions in LNG Marketing and Terminal Ownership
Helping a gas utility to take positions in LNG marketing and terminal ownership to diversify its gas sourcing by 20 percent and improve its negotiating position with suppliers
Developing a Risk-Scoring Method
Supporting a gas distribution utility in developing a risk-scoring method for allocating capital across a portfolio of more than 500 projects, 15 to 20 percent of which were reprioritized in line with their safety risk probability
Featured capabilities
We invest in a program of research and testing to develop our own tools for a variety of industry-specific functions, including:
- Gas Portfolio @ Risk. This model for scenario generation and analysis helps clients uncover value-creation opportunities in their assets and contracts.
- Market modeling. Our Global Energy Perspective provides an integrated view of the natural gas, power, oil, and coal markets with scenarios up to 2050; our Global Gas Model and North American Gas Model enable scenario testing for price, demand, and trade.
- Benchmarking. We have separate tools for Basin Production & Economics, the LNG Cost Curve, and the Global Shale Gas Cost Curve.
- Cost curves. Our International Natural Gas Distribution Benchmarking Survey includes operating and capital expenses data from more than 40 companies in more than ten European and Latin American countries; our Commercial Performance Survey for Energy Trading provides gas and power benchmarks for trading, risk, and back-office operations.
Featured experts

Alessandro Agosta
Senior PartnerMilan
Advises and develops natural-gas and liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) companies across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

Giorgio Bresciani
Senior PartnerLondon
Leads McKinsey’s Oil & Gas Practice globally, serving clients to improve their performance.

Fransje van der Marel
Senior PartnerAmsterdam
Drives sustainable resilient growth at energy, chemicals and industrial companies

Amy Wagner
Senior ExpertBay Area
Brings deep expertise in energy-market dynamics, design, and regulation, as well as in decarbonization pathways, clean technology,...
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