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Oil & Gas > Midstream Pipelines & Storage Practice

Midstream Pipelines & Storage Practice

Umbrex connects companies in midstream pipelines & storage to independent consultants with deep experience in the industry.

Over 90% of our Midstream Pipelines & Storage Practice consultants are alums of McKinsey, Bain, or BCG.

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Client Segments Umbrex Serves

  • Natural Gas Transmission & Storage Operators: Interstate/intrastate pipelines and underground storage optimizing capacity products, tariffs, integrity, compressor efficiency, methane abatement, connectivity; excluding LNG liquefaction/regas.
  • Crude Oil Gathering & Long-Haul Pipeline Operators: Gathering systems and trunklines improving tariffs, quality banks, DRA/power costs, leak detection, shipper contracts; excluding E&P or refining/marketing.
  • NGL Gathering, Fractionation & Purity Logistics: Y‑grade pipelines, fractionators, purity pipelines, caverns, export docks scaling aggregation, recoveries, hub optionality, and petrochemical/offtaker contracts; excluding LNG.
  • Refined Products Pipeline & Distribution Operators: Gasoline/diesel/jet pipelines and racks optimizing batching, blending, inventory integrity, scheduling, tariffs, cyber resilience; excluding retail networks or refinery operations.
  • Independent Liquid Storage & Marine Terminalling: Third‑party tank farms, salt caverns, marine terminals maximizing utilization, blending, transfers, HSE; excluding gas storage, upstream, LNG, or retail.

Selected Capabilities of our Midstream Pipelines & Storage Practice

Operations

  • Control Room Operations Excellence: Strengthen control room management with tiered huddles, shift handovers, abnormal situation management, and alarm management; cut unplanned shutdowns, pressure excursions, and product quality incidents.
  • Hydraulic And Throughput Optimization: Optimize pump and compressor setpoints, sequencing, drag reducing agent dosing, and line packing using hydraulic models; increase throughput and reduce energy per barrel‑mile.
  • Batch Management And Interface Control: Improve batch creation, sequencing, cutpoint detection, and interface handling; minimize transmix, contamination, tank reprocessing, and downgrades across multi‑product pipelines.
  • Terminal And Tank Farm Operations Excellence: Standardize line‑up verification, movement control, gauging, and changeovers; boost truck and rail loading productivity; reduce misdirects, off‑specs, emissions events, and book‑to‑physical losses.
  • Measurement And Loss Control: Harden custody transfer procedures, meter proving, sampling, reconciliation, and inventory controls; cut apparent losses, shrinkage, and claims; strengthen revenue assurance and shipper trust.

Supply Chain

  • MRO Inventory Optimization And Critical Spares Strategy: Model failure risk and service levels; set min/max, reorder points, repairable loops; right-size Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) stocking; cut stockouts, expedited freight, and working capital.
  • Warehouse And Pipe Yard Operations Excellence: Standardize receiving, mill test report capture, binning, kitting, staging, and counts with barcoding; improve inventory accuracy, issuance lead time, and crew productivity across pipe yards.
  • Materials Traceability And PHMSA TVC Controls: Implement traceable, verifiable, complete material records; digitize heat numbers and mill test reports; support MAOP reconfirmation and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) readiness.
  • Field Logistics And Right Of Way Support: Plan access, matting, traffic control, and staging; dispatch hotshot and heavy haul; synchronize crews and materials for digs; cut delays, standby, and restoration costs.
  • Emergency Repair Stock And Contingency Logistics: Design strategic stockpiles for pipe, valves, sleeves, clamps; pre-stage kits and contracts; establish call-out logistics; reduce outage duration, spill exposure, and customer service impacts.

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing

  • Line Pipe And Valves Category Strategy: Standardize specs, qualify mills and OEMs, use should-costs and long‑term agreements; optimize line pipe, valves, fittings sourcing; reduce delivered cost, lead time, and counterfeit risk.
  • Integrity And Construction Services Contracting Strategy: Design contracting models for integrity digs, hydrotests, tie-ins, horizontal directional drilling, civil works; unit-rate catalogs, capacity reservations, incentives; lower change orders, standby, and schedule risk.
  • Inspection, Pigging And ILI Services Sourcing: Source in-line inspection (ILI), cleaning pigs, caliper, magnetic flux leakage and ultrasonic services; set service levels and data rights; improve pricing, data quality, schedule certainty.
  • Chemicals And Corrosion Inhibitor Sourcing: Run competitive events for corrosion inhibitors, drag reducing agents, biocides; implement performance-based dosing and rebates; reduce $ per barrel-mile, corrosion rates, and energy consumption.
  • Procurement Operating Model And Source To Pay Excellence: Implement category management, e-sourcing, contract lifecycle, supplier onboarding, and three-way match controls; increase spend under management, compliance, cycle time, and negotiated savings realization.

Organization

  • Midstream Operating Model And Decision Rights: Define headquarters, control center, regional districts, and centers of excellence roles and interfaces; clarify decision rights with RACI; improve accountability, speed, and margin‑safe operations.
  • Spans And Layers Restructuring: Redesign organization structure and supervisory spans across field operations, maintenance, integrity, engineering, and terminals; remove layers and handoffs; lower SG&A, overtime, and rework.
  • Workforce Planning And Staffing Models: Build workforce plans for controllers, technicians, corrosion, measurement, and electricians; optimize shift patterns, districts, and on‑call; reduce overtime, fatigue risk, and contractor dependence.
  • Performance Management And Incentive Design: Align KPIs and incentives to throughput, reliability, leak‑free operations, plan adherence, and customer service; embed tiered reviews; accelerate improvement and sustain culture of operational discipline.
  • Technical Authority And Competency Management: Define technical authority levels and competency frameworks for controllers, integrity engineers, and technicians; implement certification, simulator training, and mentorship; strengthen compliance readiness and right‑first‑time execution.

Pricing

  • Tariff And Corridor Pricing Strategy: Design corridor-specific tariff structures, incentive tiers, and escalation indices within FERC/CER frameworks; optimize price-to-volume tradeoffs to maximize revenue and capacity utilization.
  • Shipper Contract Economics And Incentive Design: Structure take-or-pay, minimum volume commitments, deficiency payments, multi-year step-downs, and priority service options; stabilize cash flows, raise throughput, and improve creditworthy shipper retention.
  • Storage And Terminalling Rate Design: Set tank lease, injection, withdrawal, throughput, and access fees; apply seasonal pricing and capacity auctions; lift utilization, reduce churn, and increase fee realization.
  • Pricing Governance, Delegation And Controls: Establish pricing guardrails, discount authorities, approval workflows, and audit trails with analytics; accelerate decisions, improve price realization, and ensure contract and tariff compliance.
  • Competitor Benchmarking And Elasticity-Based Pricing: Build corridor benchmarks versus rail and trucking; model demand elasticity by shipper segment; set differentiated rates that protect volumes while expanding yield.

Finance

  • Driver-Based FP&A And Revenue Forecasting: Build driver-based P&L and cash models linking throughput, tariffs, minimum volume commitments, storage utilization, energy costs, and outages; improve forecast accuracy, liquidity, and covenant headroom.
  • Working Capital And Order-To-Cash Optimization: Redesign order-to-cash for transportation and storage—contract-to-bill, deficiency invoicing, disputes, collections; reduce Days Sales Outstanding, write‑offs, and cash leakage; shorten cash conversion cycle.
  • Capital Structure, Project Finance And Debt Advisory: Structure project and corporate debt for pipeline and storage builds; optimize leverage, covenants, tenor, interest hedging; secure funding, lower cost of capital, protect liquidity.
  • Profitability Analytics By Corridor, Asset And Shipper: Implement cost-to-serve and contribution margin dashboards by corridor, asset, service, and shipper; expose uneconomic contracts; guide repricing, renewals, and capital deployment to expand EBITDA.
  • Accounting Policy And Compliance For Midstream: Design accounting policies for ASC 606 take‑or‑pay, deficiency revenue, ASC 842 leases, AROs, and impairments; accelerate close, improve controls, and ensure audit‑ready compliance.

AI, Data & Analytics

  • Pipeline Leak And Rupture Detection Analytics: Develop models on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) pressure and flow to detect leaks and ruptures; cut detection time, false alarms, and spill volume.
  • Integrity Risk Prediction And Dig Prioritization: Fuse in-line inspection (ILI), corrosion growth, cathodic protection, soil and encroachment data to predict risk; prioritize digs; reduce failure probability, environmental impact, and repair spend.
  • Predictive Maintenance For Pumps And Compressors: Use historian, vibration, temperature and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) data to predict failures; schedule repairs just-in-time; cut unplanned downtime, overtime, and maintenance cost.
  • Encroachment And Third Party Damage Monitoring: Apply satellite, aerial imagery and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) with computer vision to detect encroachments; trigger alerts; lower third‑party damage risk and response time.
  • Midstream Data Platform And Governance: Build cloud data lake integrating SCADA, Geographic Information System (GIS), in-line inspection, EAM, measurement and billing; implement governance and lineage; accelerate analytics and regulatory reporting.

Transformation

  • Enterprise Value Creation Program For Midstream: Deliver EBITDA uplift across throughput, energy per barrel‑mile, loss control, and reliability; boost capacity utilization and raise Return on Capital Employed (ROCE).
  • Transformation Office And Benefits Realization: Stand up Transformation Office with governance, risk management, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO)‑verified benefits tracking; accelerate delivery, de‑risk execution, and sustain EBITDA and cash improvements.
  • Zero-Based Opex And SG&A Reset: Apply zero‑based budgeting to field operations, integrity support, control rooms, and shared services; redesign service levels; reduce structural cost while protecting compliance and leak‑free operations.
  • Digital Adoption At Scale In Midstream: Drive adoption of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) alarm rationalization, leak detection analytics, and predictive maintenance; convert pilots into uptime, efficiency, and loss reduction.
  • Underperforming Corridor Turnaround Program: Run 13‑week recovery sprints to lift throughput, remove derates, eliminate bad actors, reduce transmix and book‑to‑physical losses; restore service levels and cash generation.

Sustainability

  • Methane Emissions Reduction And LDAR Program Design: Design methane abatement roadmap and leak detection and repair program using aerial and continuous monitoring; achieve Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 alignment; cut fugitives.
  • Energy Decarbonization For Pumping And Compression: Develop Scope 1 and 2 decarbonization plan—variable speed drives, waste heat, electrification, renewable power purchase agreements; lower energy intensity per barrel‑mile and emissions.
  • Terminal Emissions And Vapor Recovery Optimization: Assess and upgrade vapor recovery, flare minimization, and loading controls; reduce volatile organic compounds, odors, and flaring; improve permit compliance and community acceptance.
  • Carbon Accounting And ESG Disclosure Enablement: Implement greenhouse gas inventory, intensity per barrel‑mile; align disclosures to Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and Task Force on Climate‑related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
  • Biodiversity, Land Stewardship And Community Strategy: Design right‑of‑way habitat, pollinator corridors, erosion control, and construction best practices; minimize impacts, accelerate permits, and enhance Indigenous and community relationships.

Compliance

  • Compliance Management System And API 1173 Alignment: Design a compliance management system aligned to API RP 1173 covering 49 CFR 192/195 programs; embed procedures, controls, metrics, assurance; reduce findings, enforcement risk.
  • PHMSA Inspection Readiness And Mock Audits: Run mock PHMSA audits for integrity, control room, OQ, construction; standardize evidence, tracer methods, and closeout plans; cut NOPVs, letters of concern, and repeat findings.
  • Corrective Action And Consent Decree Remediation Office: Stand up remediation office for Corrective Action Orders and consent decrees; prioritize actions, owners, evidence, and verification; achieve timely closure and sustainable compliance controls.
  • Control Room Management Rule Compliance Assurance: Assess 49 CFR 195.446 programs including alarm management, fatigue, shift handovers, training, change management; fix gaps and records; strengthen auditability, deviation handling, incident response compliance.
  • Records And Retention Compliance Digitization: Digitize compliance records across materials traceability, in-line inspection, operator qualification, construction, and control room management logs; standardize metadata, retention, retrieval; accelerate evidence cycles, PHMSA audits.

Program & Portfolio Management

  • Investment Portfolio Prioritization And Capital Allocation: Prioritize expansions, debottlenecking, integrity, automation, and terminals by risk‑adjusted NPV, regulatory drivers, shipper commitments; set funding envelopes, stage‑gates, kill criteria to maximize ROCE.
  • Integrity And Outage Portfolio Governance: Govern multi‑year digs, in‑line inspection (ILI) runs, hydrotests, Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP) reconfirmations, and tie‑ins; resource‑level crews and materials; minimize curtailments and compliance exposure.
  • Integrated Master Schedule Across Corridors And Terminals: Build integrated schedules linking outages, construction windows, shipper nominations, tank turns, and modal interfaces; manage dependencies; reduce service disruptions, demurrage, and revenue leakage.
  • Stage-Gate Value Assurance And Independent Reviews: Run Front‑End Loading (FEL) stage‑gates with independent assurance on scope, permitting, constructability, cost, and operability; validate economics and readiness; de‑risk execution and protect payback.
  • Portfolio Performance Reporting And Benefits Realization: Implement standardized KPIs, earned value, and CFO‑verified benefits tracking; improve forecast accuracy, accelerate decisions, and sustain EBITDA, cash, and capacity utilization gains.

Information Technology

  • OT Cybersecurity And TSA Pipeline Directive Compliance: Design OT cybersecurity aligned to TSA Pipeline Security Directives, API 1164, NIST; deploy segmentation, MFA, monitoring, and incident playbooks to cut breach risk and downtime.
  • SCADA And Historian Architecture Modernization: Modernize SCADA and historian architecture with high availability, failover, time-synchronization, and lifecycle roadmaps; improve reliability, latency, and data quality for control rooms and compliance.
  • ERP And EAM Modernization For Midstream: Plan and govern SAP S/4HANA and EAM upgrades (Maximo/Infor), templates, and integrations; streamline work management, procurement, and asset accounting; reduce customizations, cycle time, and defects.
  • Network And Field Connectivity Modernization: Design resilient field communications using private LTE/5G, microwave, fiber, and satellite failover with edge architectures; increase SCADA uptime, bandwidth, and cybersecurity for stations and terminals.
  • Integration And API Management For Midstream Platforms: Implement enterprise integration and API management connecting SCADA, GIS, EAM, measurement, nominations, and billing; enable event-driven workflows; reduce interface failures, manual rekeying, and reconciliation effort.

Capital Projects

  • Project Development And FEED Management: Lead Front-End Loading (FEL) 1–3—route selection, hydraulics, station sizing, tankage; deliver Class 3 estimate, schedule, Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) and Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) approval.
  • Permitting And Right Of Way Strategy: Orchestrate federal, state and local permits; design right‑of‑way acquisition, survey access, and landowner engagement; accelerate approvals, minimize reroutes, and de‑risk construction windows.
  • Contracting And Delivery Model Design: Select EPC, EPCM, or alliance models; define scopes, incentives, unit rates, and risk allocation; improve bid competitiveness, change‑order control, and contractor performance.
  • Cost And Schedule Risk Quantification: Develop Class 4–2 estimates, schedule networks, and Monte Carlo risk analysis; set contingencies and escalation; improve AFE accuracy, P50/P80 confidence, and capital efficiency.
  • Constructability, Commissioning And Startup Readiness: Optimize constructability, tie‑in windows, winterization, access; plan commissioning and startup with procedures, punchlist, and simultaneous operations controls; reduce schedule slippage and startup issues.

Pipeline Integrity Management

  • Integrity Management Program Design And API 1160 Alignment: Design liquids and gas integrity programs per 49 CFR 192/195 and API 1160; define threats, high consequence areas, assessment intervals; reduce incidents and enforcement findings.
  • In Line Inspection Program And Data Integration: Plan in‑line inspection (ILI) runs, selection, crack detection, magnetic flux leakage, ultrasonic; integrate datasets and growth models; prioritize digs; reduce failure probability and repair cost.
  • Risk Modeling And MAOP MOP Reconfirmation Strategy: Build quantitative risk models combining ILI, consequence, and geohazards; execute MAOP/MOP reconfirmation under Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Mega Rule; lower risk, compliance exposure.
  • Corrosion Control And Cathodic Protection Optimization: Optimize cathodic protection (CP), coatings, alternating current interference mitigation, close interval surveys and direct assessment; cut corrosion rates, leak repairs, and integrity dig backlog.
  • Geohazard And Strain Management Program: Establish geohazard surveillance using Light Detection and Ranging imagery and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar; perform strain‑based assessments and mitigations; prevent ruptures, outages, and environmental impact.

HSE & Process Safety

  • Process Hazard Analysis And Layers Of Protection: Execute Hazard and Operability studies and Layers of Protection Analysis for stations and terminals; close gaps and safeguards; cut process safety risk, overfills, and releases.
  • Control Of Work And Permit To Work Modernization: Standardize permits, energy isolation, confined space, hot work, SIMOPS; enable digital permits and gas testing; reduce deviations, exposures, and serious injuries.
  • Management Of Change And Pre Startup Safety Review: Design risk-based Management of Change workflow and Pre-Startup Safety Review standards; strengthen hazard identification, approvals, and documentation; prevent bypassed safeguards and start-up incidents.
  • Emergency Preparedness And Spill Response Readiness: Build Incident Command System training, drills, notifications, equipment staging and mutual aid; improve response time, containment effectiveness, regulatory performance, and community confidence.
  • Contractor Safety Management And Field Leadership: Set prequalification, onboarding, life saving rules, stop work authority, and verification; coach field leaders; reduce recordables, hand injuries, and excavation and lifting incidents.

Scheduling & Nominations

  • Nomination To Allocation Process Redesign: Standardize monthly nominations, confirmations, cuts, and allocations per tariff; automate validations and cycle gates; shorten cycle times, reduce disputes, and improve shipper satisfaction.
  • Capacity Apportionment And Prorationing Rules Design: Model prorationing methods (pro rata, historic, firm priority) within FERC/CER guidance; simulate outcomes; implement governance; increase fairness, compliance, and capacity utilization.
  • Batch Scheduling And Interface Minimization: Optimize batch sequencing, cycle plans, linefill, and cutpoint detection; integrate with SCADA; reduce transmix, downgrades, and pump station constraints; lift throughput.
  • Terminal And Dock Slot Scheduling Optimization: Implement appointment systems and slotting across tanks, docks, truck and rail racks; align with batch arrivals; cut dwell, demurrage, and overtime; raise tank turns.
  • Shipper Services And Electronic Bulletin Board Enablement: Design shipper services operating model and Electronic Bulletin Board capabilities with EDI/NAESB standards; enable self-service nominations and OBAs; reduce errors and manual rework.

Regulatory Affairs & Tariffs

  • Tariff Filing Strategy And Docket Analytics: Develop FERC/CER tariff strategies—index, cost‑of‑service, committed rates; model revenue impacts; prepare workpapers for counsel; improve approval odds and tariff effectiveness.
  • Cost-Of-Service And Rate Case Development: Build fully allocated cost‑of‑service models, Page 700, ROE and depreciation studies; support settlements; maximize allowed revenue while ensuring defensible tolls.
  • Market-Based Rate Authority Support: Perform competitive alternatives and market power screens; assemble evidentiary analyses for market‑based rate applications; expand pricing flexibility within regulatory guardrails.
  • Open Season And Capacity Allocation Policy Design: Design open season protocols, capacity allocation and prorationing policy; draft tariff language and exhibits for counsel; ensure non‑discrimination, defensibility, and shipper acceptance.
  • Tariff Administration And EBB Compliance Enablement: Stand up tariff administration and Electronic Bulletin Board processes per FERC Part 341/CER; standardize postings, notices, and rule updates; reduce violations, disputes, and audit findings.

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Umbrex rapidly connects you with independent professionals who combine top‑tier consulting experience at firms such as McKinsey, Bain, Boston Consulting Group with hands‑on roles.

Find a consultant in our Midstream Pipelines & Storage Practice

Prefer email? Write to [email protected]

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