When Contractors Collide: Managing Interfaces to Keep Offshore Oil and Gas Projects on Schedule

An offshore project can appear to be progressing on schedule until one contractor is ready to move forward and the next cannot start. What appears to be a relatively minor contractual or technical issue can quickly develop into a much larger problem once offshore construction or installation activities are approaching.

For this article, Offshore Engineer interviewed Aghalar Gasimov, Technical Interface & Systems Completion Discipline Lead at QatarEnergy LNG in Doha, Qatar. A Chartered Engineer through the UK's Energy Institute, Gasimov has more than 15 years of experience in offshore EPC, brownfield construction, pipeline projects, megaproject interface management and systems completion. His current work on QatarEnergy LNG's North Field Production Sustainability program involves contractor coordination, interface governance, project risk management and systems completion.

The importance of managing these interfaces becomes particularly apparent when progress within one contractor's scope does not translate into readiness for the next stage of execution.

"A fabrication contractor can report good progress while the installation team is still waiting for an agreed handover date. A brownfield work pack can be complete while access to the operating facility remains unresolved. In offshore engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), these gaps can put a shutdown window, vessel campaign or first-production milestone at risk," Gasimov said.

This story was originally published by Offshore Engineer. Read the full story at Offshore Engineer →