Organizational reshuffling to facilitate coordinated decisions in complex projects

Oil and gas development projects are characterized by numerous contractual agreements. This forms a complex organization, with the challenge to coordinate diverse and interrelated stakeholders at different moments in the project. A critical issue is the communication and coordination between actors on cross-boundaries decisions. This is notably due to the classical definition of organizational boundaries, with several physical packages and, of course, several contractors. The approach consists in, first, modeling interdependencies between project elements such as product components, activities, and organizational entities. Second, some complex phenomena such as propagation chains and loops are identified, in order to anticipate potential undesired consequences if those are not properly managed. Third, an organizational reshuffling is computed, based on the double objective of incorporating at best within clusters the critical interactions and the critical complex phenomena. Results show an improvement on both objectives compared to current organization, meaning that communication and coordination about some crucial cross-boundaries decisions are expected to be facilitated within and between clusters. An industrial application in the oil and gas sector is introduced in order to highlight possible benefits and implementation strategies for such an approach.

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Marine Sound Pollution: Does It Merit Concern?

Marine Technology Society Journal ◽

10.4031/002533203787537014 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 66-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Robert J. Hofman

Keyword(s):

Marine Mammal ◽

Marine Mammals ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Anthropogenic Sources ◽

Fiscal Year ◽

National Defense ◽

Oil And Gas Development ◽

The Bahamas ◽

Definition Of

The possible effects on marine mammals and other marine organisms of sound from human (anthropogenic) sources have become subjects of increasing concern and controversy. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the sources of principal concern were seismic profiling, drilling, and related activities associated with offshore oil and gas development. In the last decade, much of the focus has shifted to activities conducted or supported by the U.S. Navy, most notably the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate Program, ship-shock tests, development and proposed use of low frequency active sonar to detect new classes of quiet submarines, and the stranding of beaked whales and other cetaceans in the Bahamas in March 2000 coincident with antisubmarine exercises involving use of mid-frequency tactical sonars. There has been substantial controversy concerning the possible impacts of these activities, and a number of law suits seeking to stop or restrict them. The Navy believes that the concerns are unwarranted and that the law suits have impeded its ability to meet its national defense responsibilities. Congress agreed and in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-87) made two substantial changes to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA): (1) it authorized the Secretary of Defense to exempt military readiness activities from the provisions of the MMPA governing the incidental taking of marine mammals; and (2) it added to the Act separate definitions of harassment to apply to such activities. These and other proposed changes to the MMPA could undermine the unique, precautionary or risk-averse philosophy of the Act. An alternative, two-step approach, advocated in this paper, would be to (a) revise the definition of harassment to clearly differentiate types and levels of behavioral disturbance likely to have, and not to have, biologically significant effects; and (b) add a general authorization for all incidental taking expected to have biologically insignificant effects, similar to the general authorization for marine mammal research expected to have biologically insignificant effects added to the MMPA in 1994.

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Consideration of Geopolitical Challenges within the Analysis of Geoenvironmental Risks for Oil and Gas Development of the Russian Arctic

Issues of Risk Analysis ◽

10.32686/1812-5220-2019-16-6-50-59 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. 50-59

Author(s):

O. P. Trubitsina ◽

V. N. Bashkin

Keyword(s):

Oil And Gas ◽

Oil And Gas Industry ◽

Optimal Operation ◽

The Arctic ◽

Stage Model ◽

Oil And Gas Development ◽

Gas Industry ◽

The Impact ◽

Further Development ◽

Geopolitical Risks

The article is devoted to the consideration of geopolitical challenges for the analysis of geoenvironmental risks (GERs) in the hydrocarbon development of the Arctic territory. Geopolitical risks (GPRs), like GERs, can be transformed into opposite external environment factors of oil and gas industry facilities in the form of additional opportunities or threats, which the authors identify in detail for each type of risk. This is necessary for further development of methodological base of expert methods for GER management in the context of the implementational proposed two-stage model of the GER analysis taking to account GPR for the improvement of effectiveness making decisions to ensure optimal operation of the facility oil and gas industry and minimize the impact on the environment in the geopolitical conditions of the Arctic.The authors declare no conflict of interest

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