Best Practices and Guidelines for Scheduling Oil Drill Rig Resources for Projects on Alaska's North Slope
Abstract
The recent increase in the number of the projects and activities on the North Slope of Alaska has become challenging, leading to numerous scheduling conflicts for equipment and resources. This project explains steps that can be taken to improve resource allocation and guidelines for scheduling oil drill rig work activities for oil and gas projects on Alaska’s North Slope. The project includes insights from two years of research to improve the oil drill rig scheduling process, a survey of subject matter experts involved in the oil drill rig scheduling process, research of similar Arctic environment projects, and the researchers professional experience identifying and mitigating risks and schedule conflicts in the mid-term planning phase of oil and gas projects. Implementing the proposed guidelines has improved the oil drill rig scheduling process, roles and responsibilities are more clearly defined, communication among groups has been improved and support groups have adequate time to complete their work. Results include reduction of oil drill rig move downtime and a reduction in the time to produce oil after the oil drill rig leaves the well site.Description
Presented to the Faculty of the University of Alaska Anchorage In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCETable of Contents
Disclaimer / Abstract / Project Research Key Words / List of Exhibits / List of Appendix / Project Research Approach / Organizational Research / Academic Research / Conclusions / Recommendations / Future Research / References / Glossary / AppendixesDate
2015-12-01Publisher
University of Alaska AnchorageType
ReportCollections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Project Delivery Method Study of Civil Projects in AlaskaMay, Julene D. (University of Alaska Anchorage, 2014-04-01)Government agencies across Alaska use primarily one project delivery method (PDM), design-bid-build, to complete civil construction projects (roads, landfills, airports, etc.). The problem many agencies encounter is that the method does not appear to provide on-time, within budget projects that encounter complex issues. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into whether an alternative PDM might have provided a more successful outcome for projects undertaken by the Northern Region Alaska Department of Transportation. Evidence of success can be measured in different ways, including on-time completion, staying within budget, and/or the final product meeting requirements. This study assessed only completion timeliness and budget compliance if a different acquisition PDM type had been used. The study used engineers’ estimates, initial bid prices, initial schedule completion dates, final cost, final completion dates, and change orders to assess how a different PDM might have resulted in a more successful project. Proposed Objective Relationships: • assessed whether a PDM selection guide could be created to help select the best PDM to use for different levels of project complexity • used the guide developed for this study to determine which PDM might have provided a more budget compliant project completion • analyzed whether PDM success varied across civil construction projects based on project complexity To specifically help the ADOT Northern Region and provide for consideration of use by other agencies within the state, this study developed a PDM selection process and then used that process to do a case study on three projects, two already complete projects finished under the DBB process, and one project having completed its design and about to go into construction using the PDM process.
-
Evaluating Differences in Household Subsistence Harvest Patterns between the Ambler Project and Non-Project ZonesGuettabi, Mouhcine; Greenberg, Joshua; Little, Joseph; Joly, Kyle (National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior, 2016-08-01)Western Alaska is one of largest inhabited, roadless areas in North America and, indeed, the world. Access, via a new road that would transverse Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (GAAR), to a mining district in a vast roadless section of northwest Alaska has been proposed. Given the potential effects of the road on nearby communities, we analyzed how communities connected to the road system compare to their unconnected counterparts. Specifically, using zero inflated negative binomial models, we analyzed subsistence harvest data to understand factors that influence subsistence production at the household level. We found substantial difference in these factors between communities near the proposed road (project zone (PZ) communities and a comparable set of road accessible communities outside the region, and were affected by household characteristics such as the gender of the head of household, number of children, and income. Total subsistence production of project zone communities was 1.8 – 2.5 times greater than that of non-project zone communities. Communities with a higher percentage of Alaska Native residents had greater per capita subsistence harvests. Higher household income levels were associated with lower subsistence harvest levels. Roads can provide access for hunters from outside the region to traditional subsistence hunting grounds used by local residents that would not be very accessible if not for the road. Our proxy for competition (number of nonlocal moose hunters) indicates that resident moose harvest amounts are inversely related to the number of hunters in a particular area. If subsistence harvest patterns for project zone communities currently off the road changed to mirror existing non-project zone harvests due to the road, the financial cost would be USD $6,900 – 10,500 per household per year (assuming an $8/lb. ‘replacement’ cost for subsistence harvests). This represents about 33% of the median household income. Taken together, our results suggest that the proposed road should be expected to substantially impact subsistence production in communities that are not currently connected to the road system. The scale of our data did not allow for the comparison of the impacts of the different proposed routes but the impacts of different routes is likely minor in relation to the presence or absence of the proposed road
-
Project Risk Identification for Government Projects in Anchorage and PalmerBanks, August R. (2014-12-08)This study reflects the research and analysis associated with identification of risk classifications and potential risks (both positive and negative) for use in project risk analyses in government projects managed via contract. Relying on literature reviews and surveys, a risk breakdown structure (RBS) and risk register with mitigation strategies are developed for use as a checklist by the organizations participating in the project; the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Plant Materials Center of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR/PMC). The survey findings support the original objective of establishing a common core of risks among the participating organizations. The 50 percent commonality among the top risks identified by both organizations was quite an unexpected result. These results, along with the substantial pool of risks and risk response strategies can serve as a foundation for the development of a risk management process for the participating agencies.