WorldOil

Breaking infrastructure constraints by accelerating project execution

The rising worldwide demand for oil and gas and resultant higher energy prices have intensified the search for new oil and gas reservoirs over the past few years. This has greatly boosted demand for infrastructure such as drilling rigs, production platforms, FPSOs, crane vessels, pipe layers and support vessels. Backlogs are at record levels, and delivery lead times keep getting longer. Oil industry revenues today are constrained not by poor demand or low prices, but by lack of infrastructure to capitalize on the increasing demand and high prices. Rig operators as well as builders are looking for solutions that will let them accelerate deliveries of newbuilds and other infrastructure items. However, adding design, fabrication, assembling and commissioning capacity itself can take months, if not years, and the required capital investments carry risk because of the volatile political environment. A better solution may lie in more effective execution of projects.