The Gasoducto del Pacifico Pipeline Project (GasPacifico), a 543 Km. pipeline transporting gas from the Province of Neuquen in Argentina to major cities in Chile, was accomplished in record time and under budget. The project was executed in a time frame even shorter than a previous fast track project in the region, the GasAndes Pipeline Project which also crossed the imposing Andes mountain range. Relying on the experience of the GasAndes Project, the Project Management Team, achieved success through the innovative implementation of project management techniques tailored to the specific challenges of the GasPacifico Project which include:
- The fast track nature of the project;
- Contractual obligations imposed by the Project Management Agreement between TransCanada International (TCI) and the owner, GasPacifico;
- Environmental contraints (route traversed a national park in Chile and areas of high erosion and instability);
- Seasonal constraints (one summer of construction, heavy rains in winter);
- Two countries with two sets of laws and stringent regulatory regimes;
- Procurement and importation of major equipment, materials and pipe.
The project management techniques balanced the triumvirate of quality, schedule and cost while managing the Owner’s risks within the boundary constraints of:
- Schedule commitments;
- Budget;
- Right-of-way acquisition;
- Regulatory Permits;
- Design challenges;
- Procurement limitations;
- Environment requirements;
- Construction challenges.
This paper presents the project management techniques used to manage these challenges, placing them in a relevant context, with the intent that learnings can be applied to other international projects.
