Achieving high-performance project execution with a major Australian integrated energy company
How a joint venture upstream project delivered on time and under budget to ensure a smooth transition to operations.
7%
Project cost saving
Challenge
This upstream LNG project converting coal seam gas (CSG) to liquefied natural gas (LNG) was a major undertaking for the State of Queensland. The construction project included development of the substantial CSG resource, a 530km high pressure transmission pipeline, and a multi-train LNG facility with the goal of creating natural gas as a reliable energy source for Australia and SE Asia. The major capital project (MCP) was a joint venture between three oil and gas companies. Our client, a major integrated energy company, was responsible for the construction and operation of the gas fields and pipelines. Never having executed a project of this scale before, the company faced a number of challenges:
- The project was ambitious both in geographic scope and timeframe
- The LNG industry has a history of overruns and delays
- The majority of project personnel were unfamiliar with the CSG to LNG business teams carried a legacy of poor performance from other industries
- Teams working in silos with their own agenda
As the project progressed, there were frequent organisational changes. New team members had to be continuously aligned and engaged with the vision goals and strategies to keep construction on schedule. Recognising that the project needed support with this, the integrated energy company engaged JMJ.
Solution
Working with our client’s team, JMJ helped create a collaborative approach. Our solutions included:
- Facilitating an Alignment and Expectations workshop with 66 stakeholders to create a clear
project vision:- Helping leaders develop way to work effectively together
- Aligning core leadership teams on vision, goals, strategies and project deliverables
- Equipping senior leaders across the project to work together as a high-performance team
- Making leaders more visible in the field and ensuring they communicated regularly with sub teams
- Bringing clients, contractor and subcontractor groups together to renew their understanding of the commitments made by senior leadership and create coordinated action
- Providing key leaders with one-to-one coaching in support of their goals
Client Goals
- Generate and cascade an inspiring vision that engages the workforce at all levels
- Create a project culture characterised by a results oriented and accountable organization
- Provide clarity in business and functional objectives, with a clear understanding around
roles and responsibilities - Build seamless collaboration and communication between all members of the team
- Equip senior leaders to clearly communicate expectations and accountabilities across the project organization
- Shape a clear matrix of explicit and aligned expectations
- Create trusted and powerful relationships within the team, the community and stakeholders
- Build mutual appreciation and respect amongst project management, and with leaders of the CSG business unit to facilitate the development of a high-performing team
- Develop a high-performance project execution to deliver on schedule and on budget
The project team often had to learn as they progressed through the project, constantly finding effective solutions to address the major changes or challenges they experienced. In doing so, they became a high-performance learning organization
The Australian integrated enWe achieved a successful completion of the upstream project followed by a smooth and safe transition to operations. It marks a historic moment in our history
Results
The LNG upstream project was delivered on time and under budget. This was remarkable given the numerous changes and constant adjustments that the complexities of the project required. The project teams successfully worked together using high-performance team principles. Strong leadership cascaded timely communications through the various teams, enabling the workforce to work effectively
and in a coordinated way. Communication and collaboration between the subprojects was vastly improved and teams found ways to overcome many of their greatest challenges.
Delivered on time and under budget
7% saving on predicted cost
High-performance organization
Learning as the project progresssed
Transition to operations
Project achieved a smooth and safe transition to operations