Project Management for the Oil & Gas Industry
Managing projects in the oil and gas sectorrequires more than general project management knowledge — it demands a clearunderstanding of how projects are sanctioned, financed, executed, and closedout within Nigeria's unique regulatory, commercial, and operationalenvironment.
This 10-day flagship programme — deliveredas two 5-day modules over two consecutive weeks — takes participants throughthe complete project lifecycle: from business case development and sanctioningunder NUPRC and Joint Venture governance, through financial modelling under PIAfiscal terms, scheduling, cost control, contracting and NIPEX procurement,NCDMB local content compliance, and risk management, all the way to projectclose-out and handover.
Built around a continuous Nigerian-focusedcase study and aligned with internationally recognised project managementprinciples, this programme equips participants to deliver projects confidentlywithin Nigeria's oil and gas reality.
Course Curriculum
1
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Day 1 — Project Management Fundamentals &Sanctioning in the Nigerian Oil & Gas Context
- • Theoil & gas project lifecycle: Exploration → Appraisal → FEED → FID → EPC →Commissioning → Operations → Decommissioning
- • Projectsanctioning and approval under NUPRC and JV/PSC governance structures
- • Developingthe strategic project business case
- • Projectidentification and accountability in NNPC, IOC, and indigenous E&P settings
- • Exploratorydecision analysis and early-stage screening
- • Regulatoryframework: licensing, Petroleum Industry Act provisions, environmentalapprovals (EIA/NESREA)
- • Institutionalfactors and infrastructure constraints
- • Projectfeasibility decision-makers: JV Operating Committees and approval chains
- • Projectpreparation and planning responsibilities
Day 2 — Understanding the Nigerian ProjectContext
Day 3 — Project Financial Modelling &Project Leadership
• Structuringproject finance: equity, debt, JV cash calls, and PSC cost recovery
• Financingand credit risk considerations for Nigerian projects
• Timevalue of money — DCF analysis under Nigerian fiscal terms
• NPV,IRR, and rate of return under PIA fiscal regimes
• Buildingan executive leadership style for project performance
• Projectorganisation structures in Nigerian JV/operator settings
• Uniquerequirements of the Project Manager in Nigeria
Day 4 — Project Failures, Success Criteria &the Project Charter
• Whyprojects fail in the Nigerian context — and what successful projects dodifferently
• Developingthe Project Charter
• Definingsuccess criteria and KPIs, including Nigerian Content (NCDMB) targets
• Capturingtechnical, commercial, regulatory, and community requirements
• Buildinga project team approach
• Communicationin multicultural, multi-stakeholder project teams
• Workingcollaboratively across operator, contractor, and community interfaces
Day 5 — Stakeholder Relationships, Communication& Decision-Making
• Planningengagement with key project stakeholders
• Creatingproject dashboards for JV Operating Committees and regulators
• Presentingdecisions to project boards and technical committees
• Recognisingthe need for project recovery
• Controldecision-making within JV governance
• Module1 Workshop: stakeholder map and communication plan
2
• Stakeholderimpacts and implications of unclear needs and expectations
• Definingsuccess measures: cost, schedule, local content compliance, HSE record
• Capturingrequirements — permits, approvals, and host community (GMOU) obligations
• Developingscope with Work Breakdown and Product Breakdown Structures
• Estimatingtechniques with Nigerian cost drivers: import duties, local fabrication,logistics
Day 7 — Project Planning: Schedule, Cost &Resources
• Developingnetwork diagrams with total and free float calculations
• BuildingGantt charts and the schedule baseline
• Estimatingthe project cost baseline
• Contracttypes and risk distribution: Fixed Price vs. Cost-Plus, and NIPEX contractorframeworks
• Resourceallocation and prioritisation — balancing specialist and Nigerian Contentresources
• Planningand scheduling limited resources
• Optionsfor accelerating the schedule — and their implications
Day 8 — Managing Risks, Resources & ProjectTeams
• Riskmanagement process and model
• Identifyingrisk events typical of Nigerian projects: community unrest, security incidents,regulatory changes, forex volatility, seasonal logistics
• Qualitativeand quantitative risk analysis techniques
• Designingrisk response strategies — including community engagement as mitigation
• Challengesof Nigerian project teams: expatriate-national integration, workforcedevelopment obligations
• Leadershipmodels and team development dynamics
• Motivationin remote and field locations
Day 9 — Managing Project Changes WhileMaintaining Quality
• Managingchange — variation orders and scope changes in JV approval chains
• Best-practicechange control processes
• Trackingperformance with Earned Value Management (PV, AC, EV, CPI, SPI)
• Managingvariable conditions and competing tensions
• TheCritical Chain approach and its relevance
• Therole and benefits of a Project Support Office
• Projectreviews and governance reporting
• Qualitymanagement: planning, assurance, and control; quality tools for Nigerianfabrication and construction
Day 10 — Staying Focused, Delivering & Closing the Project
• Operational readiness and preparation for handover
• Project cost and schedule recovery techniques
• Implications of late recovery practices
• Project management reporting — JV partners, regulators, and corporate
• Project handover and closure, including NCDMB close-out requirements
• Lessons learned and continuous improvement
• Module 2 Workshop: full case-study close-out and final group presentation
3
By the end of this programme, participants will be able to:
1. Navigate the full oil & gas project lifecycle, from concept through sanctioning to decommissioning
2. Apply stage-gate decision-making and develop strategic business cases for Nigerian projects
3. Build project financial models using DCF, NPV, and IRR under PIA fiscal regimes
4. Map and engage stakeholders — NUPRC, NCDMB, host communities, JV partners, and financiers
5. Develop project charters, success criteria, and KPIs, including Nigerian Content targets
6. Build schedules using WBS, network diagrams, CPM, and Gantt charts
7. Estimate and control costs, accounting for Nigerian-specific cost drivers
8. Select contracting strategies and navigate NIPEX procurement frameworks
9. Identify, assess, and respond to risks typical of Nigerian projects — community, security, forex, and logistics
10. Track performance with Earned Value Management and manage change within JV approval chains
11. Apply quality management across Nigerian fabrication and construction environments
12. Execute project close-out, including NCDMB close-out requirements, handover, and lessons learned
4
• ProjectManagers, Project Engineers, and Project Coordinators
• Programmeand Portfolio Managers
• EPC,Contracts, and Procurement Professionals
• CostEngineers, Planners/Schedulers, and Project Controls staff
• HSEOfficers and QA/QC personnel involved in project delivery
• Financeand Business Development professionals working on project appraisal
• Commercialand Operations Managers in operator and contracting companies
• Graduateengineers and early-career professionals building oil & gas project careers
• Consultantsand contractors seeking PMI-aligned, Nigeria-relevant project competencies
This course includes
- 4+ Activity Modules
- 40 hours + lessons
- Lifetime access
- Certificate of completion
- Available on desktop and mobile
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