Back to How We Help Clients

Downstream

How we work

Our global team of downstream specialists includes more than 250 consultants with diverse profiles, ranging from technical experts and data analysts to seasoned external advisors. We invest deeply in developing tools and methodologies to decode and translate complex global markets into relevant insights for our clients.

Building lasting capabilities is also central to our mission. Our Energy Insights group provides proprietary analyses and forecasts, combining our global energy know-how, leading proprietary data, and cutting-edge modelling tools with a specialized team of topical and data analysts to deliver bespoke analysis, insights, and products to energy players.

Examples of our work

Since 2009, McKinsey has served 90 percent of the global top 20 oil and gas companies in more than 550 projects on downstream strategy and operations. Our experience across all segments and regions gives us critical insight into what it takes to achieve performance and operational excellence. Our recent work for downstream oil and gas companies include:

Improving Refining System Operations

Working with a US major to improve their refining system operations by identifying over $1 billion in cost and margin improvements to be captured in less than 24 months, and changing the operational practices and culture at their sites to make these changes permanent

Identifying Digital Solutions

Helping a European downstream client (refining, product wholesale, retail) identify digital solutions to improve refinery yield, energy efficiency, and equipment reliability, and improve sales and retail margins—including building a digital platform to manage integrated downstream value chain

Supporting a Major Transformation

Helping a Southeast Asian integrated refining and petrochemical company through a major transformation spread over a period of 2 years, resulting in a performance improvement of more than $240 million—which was 80 percent of the targeted milestone and within 75 percent of the stipulated implementation time

Increasing Refining Capacity

Working with a national oil company to increase its refining capacity—through multilot contracting strategy and global sourcing—to improve national fuel security and competitiveness, leading to $100 million in savings from procurement initiatives over a more than $300 million spending base and $60 million capex savings on a refinery facilities project

Sustainable Sales Improvement

Leading a diagnostics and pilot project for increasing nonfuel sales and customer retention for a client in the Arab Gulf, identifying opportunities to sustainably improve sales 7 percent above current levels without major capital investments

Achieving Operational Improvements

Benchmarking the efficiency of a European oil company’s supply chain to achieve significant operational improvements in downstream logistics and marketing business, resulting in more than $10 million of sustainable savings

Defining a Comprehensive Business Building Strategy

Working with a major refinery to define a comprehensive strategy for building a major lubricant business, covering production configuration, sales, and marketing strategies for motor and industrial lubricants

Featured capabilities

We invest heavily in developing proprietary tools, databases, and methods, including:

  • Refinery Reference Desk, a comprehensive resource that explains downstream industry terminology and concepts.
  • Global Energy Perspective, a granular, forward-looking demand model covering 21 regions, 34 fuel types, and 25 sectors that supports customized scenario creation and drivers-based analyses of global and regional fuels demand in the medium and long-term time frames.
  • Global Downstream Model, a country-level global flows model providing granular outlooks on regional downstream markets, including global and regional refining conditions; interregional crude, product, and intermediates flows; and regional product balances.
  • OilDesk, an equilibrium price calculator that generates crude and refined product-price forecasts for major product markets under multiple demand scenarios.

Featured experts

Khush Nariman
Expert Partner, Houston
Helps clients in the energy, chemicals, and manufacturing industries as they address operational and organizational challenges,...
Tim Fitzgibbon
Senior Expert, Houston
Serves petroleum clients around the world, drawing on deep specialist expertise on topics related to refining strategy and petroleum...
Alan Martin
Senior Expert, London
Serves clients seeking to improve their refining operations and advises on downstream strategy topics—helping companies...

Mobility Retail insights

What it will take to become a successful new mobility retailer
– Optimize the core mobility-retail business through digital, analytics, innovative convenience offerings, and capturing e-mobility opportunities.

What are the trends disrupting the fuel-retail industry?
– By 2030, the fuel value pool will only represent 59 percent of the total in developed markets, but it will still be more than 80 percent in most developing countries.

Why is the topic of new mobility retail important now?
– Mobility retail is an attractive business with a lot of adjacent value pools.

Related Insights

Article

Refining in the energy transition through 2040
– The size of the global refining industry varies dramatically across different energy transition scenarios by 2040. Assumptions... on electric-vehicle penetration, policy commitments, and rationalization behavior are key drivers of the difference in outcomes.
Article

Downstream oil and gas amid COVID-19: Succeeding in a changed market
– North American industry shapers will quickly develop strong market perspectives, adopt flexible staffing models, and deploy streamlined... labor pools aligned with decisive strategic and operational choices.
Blog Post

Natural-gas liquids on a roll
– The boom in US natural-gas liquids shows no sign of slowing. But producers and exporters should be aware of bottlenecks and price... disconnects in the logistics chain connecting supply and demand.

How we help clients

Back to practice overview

Connect with our Oil & Gas Practice

Contact