5 things you need to know about the future of Asian refining

As geopolitical tensions continue, Asian countries are being forced to focus on energy security and the need for supply diversification over pure economics, altering oil, refining and chemical market dynamics. In this environment, Asian downstream decisionmakers must increasingly navigate an energy landscape reshaped by ongoing supply disruption, shifting demand growth and changing margin pressures.  

Backed by Wood Mackenzie’s unique proprietary tools and intelligence, our oil and refining experts recently presented a future-focused oil, refining and chemical markets briefing at Asia’s premier oil conference, APPEC 2026. We’ve created a free insight from the event that answers five key questions about the future of refining in Asia: 

• How quickly will Asia Pacific oil demand return to growth? The Middle East conflict has shifted Asia’s oil demand trajectory, but how exactly, and when will it recover? 
• How quickly will crude oil supply to Asia recover? How are countries dealing with the disruption to supplies from the Gulf region, and are other oil exporters stepping up to fill the gap? 
• How is the Middle East conflict affecting refinery utilisation in Asia and beyond? What are the ongoing impacts of reduced oil supply on global crude runs? 
• What is the key differentiator for Asian refinery profitability? How can Asian downstream players ensure continuing profitability as the current margin windfall subsides?  
• How should Asian refiners be preparing for the future? What factors should downstream decisionmakers be focused on to ensure ongoing competitiveness as global oil demand peaks? 

Get the insight 

Now fill out the form at the top of the page to download the complementary article which draws on the APPEC briefing by our analysts to answer these questions.