15 Essential CLM Use Cases for Oil & Gas
A Field-Ready Checklist to Evaluate CLM Readiness Across O&G Operations
Evaluating CLMs for oil & gas? Start with the use cases that matter most. This checklist highlights 15 critical scenarios – from exploration and joint ventures to refining and trading – that your CLM must support across upstream, midstream, and downstream.
A Closer Look at the Use Cases That Should Guide Your CLM Decision
Upstream
Midstream
Downstream
Upstream
Critical CLM Use Cases to Look For
How to Measure Success
- Manage contract approvals for exploration and drilling projects
- Avg. time to draft/approve, template usage rate
- Track JV cost recovery and obligations
- % obligations met, audit readiness score
- Monitor performance of equipment and service suppliers
- SLA adherence, issue resolution time
- Govern lease renewals and royalty payment terms
- On-time renewal %, royalty calculation accuracy
- Ensure safety/environmental clause compliance
- % of contracts compliant with regulations, deviation alerts
Midstream
Critical CLM Use Cases to Look For
How to Measure Success
- Support creation and approval of pipeline transport and service agreements
- Avg. time to draft/approve, template usage rate
- Track maintenance and service obligations in pipeline agreements
- % of obligations met on time, maintenance SLA adherence
- Manage terminal lease timelines and storage obligations
- Contract milestone compliance %
- Monitor performance across freight and logistics vendors
- On-time delivery %, SLA compliance rate
- Comply with safety and transport regulations
- Compliance audit scores, % of compliant contracts
Downstream
Critical CLM Use Cases to Look For
How to Measure Success
- Draft and manage pricing terms for refining and distribution deals
- Avg. time to draft/approve, template usage rate
- Ensure compliance with retail regulations and standards
- Compliance rates, audit scores
- Track cost control cost and budgeting in retail and distribution agreements
- Budget variance %, cost recovery value
- Reconcile trade confirmations with master agreements
- Reconciliation rate, exceptions caught pre-signature
- Monitor execution of performance-based commercial contracts.
- SLA compliance rate, % obligations met
Additional Resources
Platform Brochures
The 2025 CLM Buyers’ Checklist
Looking to see these use cases
in action?
