Short Communication

Construction Planning of an Offshore Petroleum

Platform1
O. A. Muyiwa & K. Sadeghi
Girne American University, Faculty of Engineering & Architecture, Mersin 10, Turkey

The study evaluated the project life cycle for the construction of a fixed petroleum
platform which comprises of the planning, design, fabrication, load-out,
transportation, installation and commissioning phases.
The project life cycle, like several offshore structures located in open waters and
exposed to severe forces must be planned in great details for a successful
execution. It is therefore necessary to study and gather all necessary information on
the construction of a platform with the objective of creating a client, consultant and
contractor’s work breakdown structure (WBS) template in a project planning
software. The results of this study eventually serve as a guide which can be
adjusted to suit the planning and management for the construction of a fixed
petroleum platform depending on the soil characteristics, environmental and
operational parameters.
An oil platform is a large structure used to house workers and machinery needed to
drill and then produce oil and natural gas in the ocean (Wikipedia 2007). There are
different types of petroleum platforms and each of these types is chosen primarily
due to water depth considerations, and secondarily due to the intended service and
quantity of deck equipment necessary to perform its service. To develop a WBS for
the construction of a fixed jacket petroleum platform, the following issues were
investigated:
1) Planning: It takes into account operational considerations (i.e. the function,
location, and orientation of the platform) and environmental considerations
(including winds, tides, currents, ice, shallow gases, earthquakes and marine
growth) (Sadeghi 2001),
2) Design: It analyzes the dead loads (i.e. weights of the platform structure and any
permanent equipment and appurtenant structures which do not change with the
mode of operation), live loads (loads imposed on the platform during its use and
which may change either during a mode of operation or from one mode of
operation to another) and environmental loads (loads imposed on the platform by
natural phenomena including wind, current, wave, earthquake, snow, ice and earth
movement),

1
This publication is part of a MSc.-thesis in Construction Management of the 1st author presented
to Girne American University.
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 O. A. Muyiwa & K. Sadeghi, GAU J. Soc. & Appl. Sci., 2(4), 82-85, 2007
3) Fabrication: It takes into account the portion of the offshore platform, the jacket
which is manufactured onshore and assembled either in close proximity to the
manufacturing site or at the location where the offshore platform is to be positioned
for production,
4) Transportation: It is the movement of the platform components from the
fabrication yard to an installation site, using cargo barges which should be of
adequate number, proper size and structural strength (American Petroleum Institute
[API] 2001),
5) Installation; It consists of positioning and leveling the platform on the site and
assembling the various components into a stable structure in accordance with the
design drawings and specifications.
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques
to project activities to meet project requirements (PMBOK 2004). The project
stakeholders which are primarily made up of the client, consultant and contractor
are individuals and organizations actively involved in the project. The South Pars
gas field and Resalat oil field projects in the Persian Gulf were reviewed to create a
WBS for the project stakeholders and decomposed into project planning and
management levels with each level giving a detailed description of works to be
carried out.
In figure 1, the considered client’s WBS for level 1 of project planning and
management is shown.

ID Task Name
2006
Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1
1 Work Activities (Client)
2 Project Integration
10 Site assessment
23 Scope Management
28 Project Design
41 Time/Cost Management
47 Risk Management
53 Bidding Process & Selection of contractor
64 Detailed Engineering
150 Procurement
179 Fabrication
229 Load-out and Transportation
237 Installation,Hookup, and Commissioning

Figure 1. Client’s WBS for level 1 of Project Planning and Management

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Short Communication
This can be decomposed further as follows: i) project integration which consists of
assessing project needs, completing major studies and making recommendations,
developing a project charter, developing a preliminary scope statement, and
developing a project management plan, ii) site assessment which consists of
identifying potential sites, assessing regulatory and enviromental impacts,
identifying project sites, recommending sites and applying for permits, iii) scope
management which consists of developing a scope management plan and
statement, iv) project design which consists of a conceptual and basic design, v)
time/cost management which consists of activity definitions, sequencing, resource
estimates and duration, vi) bidding process and selection of contractors which
consist of advertisements to intreseted contractors, evaluation of received proposals
and selection of the contractor, vii) detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication,
load-out and transportation, installation, hookup and commissioing (i.e. the jacket,
piling and topsides). Figure 2, shows the considered consultant’s WBS for level 1
of project planning and management.

ID Task Name

1 Work Activities (Consultant)

2 Endorsement of Basic Design
44 Performing the Calculations
99 Preparing MTO and Requisitions
110 Preparing Technical specifications
119 Preparing Procedures
124 Preparing Drawings
133 Close out of Detail Design

Figure 2. Consultant’s WBS for level 1 of Project Planning and Management

This can be decomposed further as follows: i) endorsements of basic deign; would

consist of revision of calculated notes, drawings, and technical specifications ,
procedures, MTO and listing of deficiencies and missed points, ii) performing
calculations; would consist the performance of the following analyses: in-place,
earthquake, fatigue, load-out, transportation, cathodic protection, sea fastening,
launch/lift, installation and topside installation (Sadeghi 2001). Figure 3, shows the
considered contractor’s WBS for level 1 of project planning and management. This
can be decomposed further as follows: i) award of contract; would consist of
receiving notice to proceed and signing of the contract, submission of bonds and
insurance documents, and preparation and submitting the project schedule, ii)
fabrication of materials, load-out and transportation, launch/lift and installation;
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 O. A. Muyiwa & K. Sadeghi, GAU J. Soc. & Appl. Sci., 2(4), 82-85, 2007
would consist of the jacket, piling and topsides, iii) delivery and close-out of
project; would consist of submitting the shop drawings, as-built drawings and
operational manuals.
ID Task Name
2005
Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2
1 Work Activities (Contractor)
2 Site Assessment
15 Award of Contract
23 Endorsement of Basic Design and Documents
37 Performing of the Detail Design
123 Performing the procurement
142 Fabrication of Materials
181 Load-Out and Transportation
190 Launch and Installation
201 Commissioning

Figure 3. Contractor’s WBS for level 1 of Project Planning and Management

The study identified the necessary workpackages required for the construction of
an offshore petroleum platform. With the input of these levels in a project planning
software, the client, consultant and contractor would be able to determine their
roles and responsibilities for the execution of the platform construction as well as
planning, monitoring, and controlling the scope of the project.

References
API, 2001. Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing and Constructing,
Fixed Offshore Platform, 21st ed. American Petroleum Instititute.
PMBOK 2004. A Guide to the Project Management Body of knowlege, 3rd ed
Project Management Institue, Inc.
Sadeghi K, 2001. Coasts, Ports and Offshore Structures Engineering, Power and
Water Univeresity of Technonology, ISBN 964-93442-0-9.
Wikipedia, 2007. The Free Encyclopedia. [WWW document; retrieved March
2007]. URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_platform.

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