Downstream and Refining Consulting

Energy's Oil Markets, Midstream and Downstream offerings provide insight across the value chain. In particular, our expertise can be broken into four key capabilities. Below you will find typical consulting engagements by capability.

Crude Oil Markets

Strategy & Planning Support

• Industry expertise & analytical tools to assist in developing/validating strategic & tactical plans
• Fully integrated long-term scenarios with detailed supply, demand & pricing projections
• Scenarios can be tailored to your specifications or consistent with the Global Scenarios Framework

Oil and Gas Producers

• Advice on crude oil sales optimization, refining buyer screening, route-to-market and commercialization strategies
• Experience in marketing of Canadian oil sands & unconventionals and challenging crude oils.
• Develop new crude oil marketing material
• Design & administer crude oil quality banks

Training and Seminars

• Information-intensive, customer-focused training sessions and bespoke presentations
• Scope includes industry practices, market analysis methods, technical operations & commercial basics

Midstream Oil & NGL

NGL/LPG Industry

• Analyze markets for the key NGL products and their derivative markets
• Assist in gas transportation & processing project evaluation and development
• Provide feedstock supply and cost assessments for petrochemical projects

Liquid Terminal Market Analysis

• Draws on knowledge & research regarding crude, NGL & refined products supply/demand & trade
• Routinely analyze the markets for storage facilities worldwide – the USGC, Singapore, ARA, Fujairah & others
• Target clients are evaluating storage transactions & strategies

Replacement Cost for Insurance Coverage

• Provide estimates of facility replacement costs for either asset owners or insurance companies, using a common body of models & methodologies
• Target clients are risk-management groups in operating companies as well as property insurers

Refining & Marketing

Refiners, Marketers & Retailers

• Market and refinery configuration studies to support upgrading/grassroots projects
• Linear Programming analysis using client or S&P Global models on Aspen PIMS™ platform
• Competitive benchmarking, market entry, network optimization 
• Market analysis of commodities & specialties

Third Parties / Service Sector

• Independent business & plant valuation support to facility operators and insurance companies
• Litigation support services, including expert testimony
• Market sizing, service and competitor evaluations and opex/capex spend projections

Base Oil Market and Pricing Outlook

• Forecasts for lubricating base oil capacity, supply, demand, trade, prices, & manufacturing margins, consistent with Global Lubricants coverage
• Target clients are companies involved in producing (refiners) or buying base oils (lube blenders/marketers)

Company Strategies & Performance

Due Diligence & Asset Valuation Support

• Assist buyers/sellers of refining, distribution and retail assets 
• Evaluate strengths and risks of assets and competitive positioning in future environment
• Assess value of the assets to sellers
• Develop strategic options to enhance value of the assets to the potential buyer

Strategy Review & Development

• Facilitate strategy development using fundamental market & technical foundation
• Assess current strategies, operations and performance against established goals
• Evaluate competitiveness and performance of each business segment

Refining Feasibility & Optimization Study

• Assist in optimizing capacity and configuration of refineries for grassroots and expansion projects
• Assess market and competitive environment to identify crude slate and product yields for the refinery
• Develop recommended technologies and configurations that maximize profitability