Knowledge Bank ~ Case Study – Semi-submersible Drilling Rigs

The upstream oil and gas sector is hugely capital intensive, operating with extremely large and complicated equipment. The running costs of such facilities are high, and therefore productivity and efficiency are fundamental to the success of these projects. This case study looks at how effective project planning and project management services have helped save millions.

Client Profile

Industry: Oil & Gas Drilling
Client size: Market Cap US$ 12 billion
Revenue: US$ 4 billion
Staff: 8,000

Project

Construction of 7 semi-submersible ultra-deepwater drilling rigs, forming part of a US$ multi-billion capital works programme by one of the world’s largest deep-sea drillers.

Challenge

Due to a spike in workload, the shipyard encountered serious difficulties accurately coordinating work and forecasting completion dates. The client attempted to solve this project planning need internally, however concluded that specialist project expertise was needed.

Solution

Asgard worked with our client and the shipyard to set common aggressive, yet achievable goals. We changed the existing progress monitoring procedures to improve accuracy and also ensure buy-in from all stakeholders. The use of critical path techniques to actively manage these projects provided a robust and reliable reporting system. This enabled accurate monitoring, and when necessary, helped the client focus the shipyard on critical elements of the project.

Benefits

• All the rigs were delivered on time, which had previously been a challenge.
• Project information from Asgard enabled the client to make informed choices about project changes.
• The client was able to make reliable commitments to the Oil Majors on rig delivery times.

Key Lessons

• Detailed, reliable plan needed from Day 1
• Importance of regular, accurate progress monitoring
• Working together with the shipyard not against them
• Reacting swiftly to problems when they arise

“ Asgard bridged a knowledge gap in our project management and scheduling, working with the shipyard to get construction of our semi-submersible drilling rigs back on track.” World leading offshore driller