Role of the consultant in offshore oil industry projects

The complete process of evalution, planning, design, construction and installation of an offshore project is one of the most complex and demanding engineering tasks of modern times, utilising the combined skills of a wide range of engineering disciplines. With the growth of the offshore industry the consulting engineer has found himself increasingly involved in all aspects of offshore engineering, from the preparation of the initial feasibility studies to the provision of assistance in the operation of the completed facilities. The consulting engineer´s primary role is to provide advice, based upon his knowledge of current and developing technology and the best available industrial practices, using an objective, unbiased approach. The expression of this advice frequently takes the form of a feasibility study for a complete new oilfield development scheme or for individual sections of the proposed production facility or offshore platform. When the project proceeds, the role of the consulting engineer may include preparation of the conceptual design, specification writing and detailed engineering design, tender preparation, evaluation and advice on selection of the contractor. The consultant may also be called upon to provide project management services, monitoring progress and costs and verifying performance against specification, during the detailed engineering and construction stages of the project, and to provide advice and assistance during commissioning. Other specialist services provided may include technical audits, hazard analysis and safety audits, environmental studies, survey and inspection services, quality assurance and certification and provision of training courses for the client´s personnel. During the operating life of an offshore field, the consulting engineer may provide services to monitor the performance of production facilities, including equipment and structures, and provide advice on remedial work, expansion, repair and maintenance, and on - ny modifications which may be required as a result of changes in reservoir performance, changing economic conditions or new legislation. As the offshore oil industry finds it necessary to prospect for future oil and gas production in deeper waters and increasingly hostile environments, and as the larger offshore reservoirs are depleted and reserves become concentrated in smaller and commercially marginal fields, a high degree of technical innovation will be required to ensure the safe, reliable, environmentally acceptable and commercially viable offshore production of hydrocarbons. Participation in these highly complex and costly developments promises to expand the role of the consulting engineer, especially in such areas as research and development, including the preparation of studies and monitoring test programmes for industrial clients, and through joint industry and government-funded development studies.