We help clients navigate today’s high-paced and interconnected markets with deep industry experience, rigorous analytics, cutting-edge tools, and unwavering commitment to impact.
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
Tim Fitzgibbon
Senior ExpertHouston
Serves petroleum clients around the world, drawing on deep specialist expertise on topics related to refining strategy and petroleum...
Alan Martin
Senior ExpertLondon
Serves clients seeking to improve their refining operations and advises on downstream strategy topics—helping companies...
Mobility Retail insights
North American mobility retail balances old and new for future success
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With the growth of e-mobility and younger consumers seeking high-tech convenience, nimble North American mobility-retail players are combining old and new offerings to stay competitive.
What it will take to become a successful new mobility retailer
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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?
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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.
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