Exploration and production supermajor Chevron engaged global project management leader 20|20 Business Insight, based at Broughty Ferry, Dundee to introduce the contractors to techniques designed to improve their individual and their company’s capacity.

The programme was established to reach more than 75 managing directors, project managers and site managers from up to 25 local contracting companies, as well as senior managers for the US giant itself and their major international contractors KBR (US) and Saipem (Italy), who are supporting the project in the Niger Delta.

They are being taught by 20|20's Association of Project Management (APM) and Project Management International (PMI)-accredited lecturers, who after completing this first session in Scotland will travel to Nigeria for training exercises on behalf of the EGTL project.

They are all involved in the construction of the Escravos Gas-to-Liquids (EGTL) plant at Escravos, Nigeria which is being built by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and Chevron Nigeria Limited.  The Escravos site is located in the Delta State in the western part of the Niger Delta.
Chevron's project director on EGTL, Michael Kraly and his KBR colleague, construction site manager John Evans led the first delegation which arrived in the UK at the Marriott Dalmahoy at Kirknewton, near Edinburgh.

20|20 Americas area vice president Graham Chapman, senior facilitator Brian McKaig and director of consulting, Doug Littlejohn, have led the week-long seminar which will help to improve performance for each Nigerian contractor, and in-turn improve performance on the project.
"The EGTL development will become one of the most significant gas-to-liquid production sites in the world, part of the vital global energy chain and a major employer in Nigeria for construction, operations and maintenance of the plant," says Tony Marks, managing director of 20|20 Business Insight.

"Chevron, KBR and Saipem have engaged us to work with their Nigerian subcontractors to ensure that they are trained in the latest project management skills, as a means to transfer project and business management skills to the Nigerian contractors.

"We already work with the supermajor in the US, at our base in Houston, and the opportunity to work with them on what is one of the most significant projects in West Africa has a huge positive impact on our own business."

The EGTL plant is one of the world's largest oil and gas projects, with initial projected yield of 33,000 barrels per day, which is expected to begin production in 2012.

Chevron project director Michael Kraly says: "The skills being learned here are part of a drive to maximise the potential of our staff, local community contractors and in turn the project itself.

"Improving management techniques reinforces the partnership between Chevron and the local contractors, with real positive change in terms of capacity-building and human capital development which is vital in what is a continually challenging global business environment.

"The level of expertise of 2020's trainers has really strengthened our confidence in our ability to meet our targets, while also bringing benefits for future work in the Niger Delta, as the skills will transfer to the next project."

Mr Marks says the roll-out of 20|20's training disciplines in West Africa will have a knock-on effect for projects going forward, as subcontractors will redeploy to other developments and take their new skills with them.

“Project management techniques are as vital and integral to improving efficiencies across all forms of oil and gas operations, as introducing the latest physical and technical equipment in drilling or operations,” says Tony Marks.

“Absolutely critical is that each working process is properly managed. Looking at each component part of a piece of work, if it can be project managed to the highest capabilities of the staff involved, it should be completed on time, to budget and, critically, to the highest standard with minimal wastage.

“Central to the discipline of project management is minimising risk. Generally speaking risk is thought of as involving the risk of damage either to an asset, or injury to a member of the team.

“Risk needs to be viewed as inherent in every level of a business operation – from a change of supplier or delivery partner, to the potential of direct loss through people or products."

20|20 Business Insight runs more than 200 project management courses each year, including open events or bespoke sessions for clients including Venture, Halliburton, Schlumberger and Wood Group.

The firm is a globally registered training provider for the Project Management Institute (PMI) and its expert trainers have delivered programs in around 20 countries from the UK to the United States, Norway, France, Mexico, Venezuela and Australia.