Course Overview

Oil and gas projects involve significant technical, financial, and operational complexities, making effective estimating, planning, and scheduling essential for successful project delivery. Accurate forecasting and efficient resource management help organisations control costs, minimise risks, and achieve project objectives.

The Estimating, Planning & Scheduling of Projects for Oil & Gas Production programme by Transformentors Academy provides participants with a practical framework for managing project lifecycles from initial planning through execution and monitoring. The course covers estimating methods, scheduling techniques, resource planning, and performance measurement tools commonly used in the oil and gas industry.

Through practical applications and industry case studies, participants will develop the skills to integrate cost analysis, stakeholder management, and risk control into project planning, enabling timely delivery, improved cost performance, and operational excellence.

Agenda

Day — 1 Project Governance and Strategic Approval in Oil & Gas

• Understanding oil and gas project lifecycles and sanctioning processes
• Exploring strategic business cases and accountability frameworks
• Evaluating exploration opportunities and capital investment priorities
• Reviewing PSAP requirements and governance gate alignment
• Applying portfolio management principles to balance risk and resources
• Exercise: Evaluate a project sanction proposal against strategic and financial criteria

Day — 2 Contextual Intelligence and Financial Foundations for Energy Projects

• Understanding macroeconomic factors influencing energy project selection
• Exploring stakeholder mapping and regulatory framework impacts
• Reviewing the fundamentals of financial modelling for energy projects:
  • Discounted Cash Flow (DCF)
  • Net Present Value (NPV)
  • Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
• Identifying leadership competencies for multidisciplinary project teams
• Examining organisational structures in upstream and midstream operations
• Exercise: Build a simplified financial model for a brownfield expansion project

Day — 3 Project Definition and Foundations for Successful Delivery

• Understanding common failure modes and success factors in energy projects
• Developing project charters aligned with operational KPIs
• Translating technical requirements into executable project scope
• Applying cross-functional collaboration frameworks
• Integrating engineering, procurement, and operations during early project stages
• Exercise: Draft a project charter for a debottlenecking initiative with clear success metrics

Day — 4 Stakeholder Engagement and Decision Governance

• Understanding stakeholder analysis for major energy projects
• Designing dashboards to support transparent decision-making
• Applying escalation protocols for managing project deviations
• Identifying decision-rights frameworks to accelerate approvals
• Developing communication strategies for diverse project stakeholders
• Exercise: Design a stakeholder engagement plan for a contested infrastructure project

Day — 5 Scope Definition and Estimating Foundations

• Understanding scope management and work breakdown structures (WBS)
• Exploring estimating methods for oil and gas projects:
  • Analogous estimating
  • Parametric estimating
  • Bottom-up estimating
• Managing uncertainty in early-phase project estimates
• Identifying scope creep risks and applying change control measures
• Aligning project scope with procurement strategies and contract packaging
• Exercise: Develop a WBS and preliminary cost estimate for a pipeline tie-in project

Day — 6 Scheduling, Resource Planning, and Contract Strategy

• Understanding critical path analysis and float management
• Developing Gantt charts and project schedule baselines
• Applying resource allocation and levelling techniques
• Identifying contract selection criteria based on project risk and complexity
• Assessing the impact of schedule acceleration on cost, quality, and safety
• Exercise: Build a precedence diagram and identify the critical path for a facility upgrade

Day — 7 Risk Management and Team Dynamics in Energy Projects

• Understanding risk identification and response strategies in oil and gas projects
• Exploring leadership approaches for remote and multicultural teams
• Reviewing team development stages and project performance management
• Applying risk registers and mitigation tools in project controls
• Examining the relationship between technical, commercial, and HSE risks
• Exercise: Conduct a risk workshop and develop response strategies for a subsea intervention

Day — 8 Change Control, Performance Tracking, and Quality Integration

• Applying best practices for change management in live energy projects
• Exploring Earned Value Management (EVM) for project performance monitoring
• Understanding Critical Chain approaches for resource-constrained projects
• Implementing quality planning and control during project execution
• Reviewing the role of Project Support Offices (PSOs) in governance and reporting
• Exercise: Apply EVM to a delayed project and recommend recovery actions

Day — 9 Operational Readiness and Recovery Strategies

• Understanding operational readiness planning for production assets
• Exploring cost and schedule recovery strategies for challenged projects
• Capturing and applying lessons learned during project execution
• Identifying key performance indicators for commissioning readiness
• Integrating project delivery with asset management practices
• Exercise: Develop a recovery plan for a project facing scope and schedule pressure

Day — 10 Project Closure, Reporting, and Sustainable Handover

• Understanding formal project closure and contractual close-out processes
• Reviewing final reporting requirements for stakeholders and regulators
• Evaluating project outcomes against original objectives
• Applying knowledge retention practices for future projects
• Reflecting on leadership development and continuous improvement
• Exercise: Prepare a project closure report and handover dossier for an operations team
• Course Review: Key takeaways and programme evaluation

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the Estimating, Planning & Scheduling of Projects for Oil & Gas Production course, participants will be able to:

• Understand project governance frameworks and approval processes in the oil and gas industry.
• Apply financial modelling techniques to evaluate project feasibility and investment decisions.
• Select appropriate estimating methods to develop accurate project cost baselines.
• Develop effective scheduling strategies that address critical paths, resource constraints, and project risks.
• Analyse stakeholder and regulatory requirements to support project planning and communication.
• Apply risk management and team leadership practices to improve project performance.
• Integrate change control and performance tracking systems to maintain cost and schedule objectives.
• Implement effective project handover and close-out processes to support operational continuity.

Who Should Attend

This programme is ideal for:

• Project managers and project engineers
• Planning and scheduling engineers
• Cost control and financial analysts
• Operations and execution professionals
• Professionals involved in oil and gas project delivery
• Individuals seeking to strengthen their expertise in project estimating, planning, and scheduling