OTC 13992

Integration Schedule Reduction of the Brutus TLP

L.R. Rowland, K.G. Bowen, R.F. Figgers, Shell International Exploration and Production Inc. and V.E. Gibson, Gulf Marine
Fabricators

Copyright 2002, Offshore Technology Conference

associated major packages were leased and relocated from an
This paper was prepared for presentation at the 2002 Offshore Technology Conference held in existing facility located in the Gulf of Mexico. Although each
Houston, Texas U.S.A., 6–9 May 2002.
of the components received some commissioning and testing
This paper was selected for presentation by the OTC Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
at their respective fabrication sites, most required to be
presented, have not been reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and are subject to commissioned as an integrated system. The project Integration
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
position of the Offshore Technology Conference or its officers. Electronic reproduction, phase was contracted to Gulf Marine Fabricators (GMF) and
distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial purposes without the written
consent of the Offshore Technology Conference is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print
utilized their Ingleside, Texas facility.
is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The The Shell Integration Project Manager assembled a
abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was
presented. core planning team approximately 18 months prior to the start
of the Integration phase. This team worked part time for
approximately 12 months planning the high-level
Abstract
requirements and systems to execute the project. The team
The Shell International Exploration and Production, Inc.
relocated to the GMF facility for the detailed planning phase
Brutus Tension Leg Platform (TLP) project was challenged to
approximately 6 months prior to the arrival of the first
compress the overall project duration while minimizing costs.
components. The contractor experienced two ownership
The Integration effort is a specific project phase where all
changes during the detailed planning phase resulting in
fabricated assemblies from a structural, piping and electrical
changes in the majority of the contractor management and
perspective are assembled to form an operational facility. The
field supervisory staff. The change in key personnel initially
applicable newly integrated systems were Commissioned and
impacted the detailed planning effort for the project. The new
specific systems certified by the U.S. Coast Guard. The
management meticulously filled all key staff positions with an
Integration phase of the project was on critical path and
emphasis on having a successful project.
targeted to accelerate schedule by 30%. The Integration core
A structured, methodical approach was adopted in
team initially agreed to a 20% schedule reduction without a
planning all aspects of the project including the execution,
detailed plan of how to achieve this target. An additional 10%
management, control, and closeout phases. A final analysis
reduction was identified later in the planning stage. The
following a Lessons Learned Workshop was conducted for the
Integration phase of the project is highly visible due to all
Integration phase to determine the most significant
components coming together to create a working facility and
contributions to the success of the project. The learnings can
the proximity of this phase in the overall project schedule to
be summarized into five major categories; 1) early detailed
first production. The physical changes in the progress can be
planning and interface management, 2) structured application
visually confirmed weekly. This paper will share many of the
of principle-based project management systems, 3) structural
planning and execution solutions used to achieve the schedule.
interconnect design and execution requirements, 4) contracting
It will also highlight some benefits, concerns / issues, and
strategy, and 5) an integrated team approach. This paper will
risks associated with the planning and execution of this
attempt to capture the most beneficial best practices and
project. The benefits listed below are specific to this project,
lessons learned.
whereas the concerns / issues and risks are more generic to
assist those who may consider using a similar approach.
Planning
Planning started with a review of the known Integration scope.
Introduction
This was a high level review because not all of the component
The Brutus TLP project was approved in May of 1999 for
designs had been completed. The team then developed a high-
installation in the Gulf of Mexico. Numerous contracts were
level work breakdown structure (WBS) of the known scope to
established to fabricate major components and assemblies in
frame the required effort for the Integration. Some of the
locations around the globe. These included items such as the
scope was defined by integration of the major packages, but
hull, major modules, compression packages, hydrocarbon
many of the details were based on the actual results and
dew-point control facility and cranes. The drilling rig and the
2 L. R. ROWLAND, K. G. BOWEN, R. F. FIGGERS, V. E. GIBSON
experiences from previous projects. Once the scope was
identified, or at least the known scope at that point in time, the
primary focus was to establish the proper contractual
arrangements. The contract was developed based on an
established long-term relationship between Shell and the
contractor. The result was a hybrid contract with elements of
risk sharing, targeted activities, lump sum components, fees
and incentives. The contract flexibility allowed the Platform
Assembly and Commissioning Team (PACT) team to
optimize the various elements of the work scope, such as
converting some scope to lump sum and subcontracting other
scope. The contract was negotiated and supported aligned
goals and objectives in the spirit of a “win-win” approach. It
also allowed the flexibility to mutually agree to changes in the
objectives, if necessary. A code of accounts was generated to
manage and track all labor, materials, subcontractors and
expenses associated with the project. All scope and planning
efforts were aligned with these accounts and considered
responsibilities of both the client and contractor.
The Shell Integration Project Manager selected a core
group of experienced Shell staff and key contractor personnel
to commence the project planning. Lessons learned were
reviewed from the previous projects of similar scope, as well
as other deepwater projects, to leverage the knowledge gained
from these experiences. Proven practices, alternative
approaches, inefficiencies and relevant issues were reviewed
for immediate implementation or documented for future
consideration. The schedule and performance data from the
previous Integration projects were analyzed for potential
opportunities and threats. The criteria to be used in developing
the Integration schedule and the project management systems
were outlined to ensure the management and control of the
execution would support the fast pace of an accelerated
project. The Integration goals and objectives were reviewed to
ensure alignment with those of the overall project. Other areas
of execution, such as logistics, risks and quality were also
studied to define the expectations and align their objectives.
During the project management systems planning, an
extensive review was conducted of all existing contractor
processes and procedures. Many of the policies had been
improved since our previous experience at this facility. The
existing contractor capabilities were evaluated with respect to
the requirements criteria for managing this project. The intent
was to maximize the use of all current processes employed by
the contractor to maintain compatibility of all their systems.
Any differences between the contractor’s existing procedures
and the agreed upon requirements for all management
processes and systems were identified. The team proposed
enhancements to the existing procedures to achieve the
requirements of the management systems by proposing the
approach that was the least disruptive to the contractors’s
existing systems. The project control systems were designed to
link all components to create a complete management system.
This internconnected design of the management systems
strengthened the flexibility and capabilities of the
new processes.
OTC 13992
The logistics planning was conducted with the
assistance of the Shell Operations staff. The material logistics
addressed the receiving, storing, maintenance and
coordination of placement aboard the TLP. Supply lines were
established as well as procedures and tools for ordering,
tracking and expediting the necessary materials. Additionally,
this team planned and coordinated the staffing requirements
and movements of the Shell Operations staff prior to their
arrival at the Integration site. The Shell Operations staff
worked 24 hours a day for 7 days per week with scheduled
crew changes.
A communications plan was utilized to ensure critical
and necessary information was distributed appropriately. The
team also optimized the site layout and selected the best co-
location of the team members. In addition to planning for
warehousing and office spaces, the team planned traffic routes
for personnel, vehicles and equipment.
The PACT was expanded for the detailed planning
phase. The GMF team members were assigned late in the
planning stage due to the multiple ownership changes and
ongoing work assignments. Teambuilding and alignment
sessions were conducted to establish an environment of open,
honest communications among all team members. The
members were selected and assigned responsibilities by
disciplines such as structural or piping. The disciplines with a
large amount of scope activities occurring simultaneously
were subdivided into multiple teams to distribute the scope.
The initial scope estimates were replaced with the detailed
planning targets for all scope activities at this time. Many of
the initial estimates were based on previous project production
rates. The final TLP design was then used to refine these
estimates. Some of the activity estimates were based on crew
size and time elements. The resources and durations were
validated and challenged by the GMF field operations
personnel who were tasked with reviewing current
calculations and providing suggestions for improving
productivity. They also looked for innovative ways of
accelerating the work and reducing the critical path. This
effort produced the baseline schedule, which had a high
degree of credibility and buy-in by the entire team.
The schedule had been developed according to pre-
determined requirements. Some of these requirements were
managed through the use of code fields in the software to
allow maximum flexibility in manipulating various scope
activities and the management of specific resources. All
human resource requirements were included in the schedule
by discipline and skill. The resource-loaded schedule included
all prime contractor, subcontractor and selected
commissioning personnel time. This enabled very strict
control and management of the project. All component
deliveries and need dates were revised to coincide with the
Integration early start requirements. The TLP hull orientations
were planned to minimize any required movements that
impacted the work progress. Each activity was reviewed to
determine if a particular orientation was required to perform
the work. Critical path activities controlled most orientation
OTC 13992 INTEGRATION SCHEDULE REDUCTION OF THE BRUTUS TLP
changes and received the most scrutiny. Activities with
minimum float were the next priority.
At this point in the planning, there was a need to
reduce the schedule an additional 10%. All opportunities to
perform pre-work of the component fabrication sites were
analyzed. Examples of these opportunities are the pre-pulling
of select cables to expedite the electrical interconnects scope
or the pickling operations performed prior to component
deliveries to eliminate the conflicts between disciplines. Each
TLP crane assembly and installation was planned at the
earliest possible opportunity. The cranes, once installed, were
used for equipment placement and material movement on the
TLP. Cherry pickers and forklifts were to be placed aboard the
TLP to free up the cranes for other necessary lifts. The deck
structural interconnect plate installation sequences were
optimized for safety and maximum utilization of resources. A
welding profile school was held just prior to the hull arrival to
accelerate the learning curve for the primary steel welders; this
was a key lesson learned from previous projects.
Benefits of Early Planning. Early planning allowed a more
stringent review of the minor details. Alternate approaches and
innovative solutions were reviewed, analyzed and generally
incorporated. The planning allowed adequate time to level and
optimize the use of the various resources. The advantage of
this schedule approach allowed different scenario plans to be
quickly developed and reviewed. The participation by the
complete team allowed all members to become familiar with
the different needs and capabilities of each discipline. The
safety team conducted detailed analyses and scheduled all
work with an increased safety risk between activities having
large quantities of personnel working in close proximity of
one another. Additional reviews of the risk plan were
performed as schedule and other individual plan revisions
occurred. Early planning also afforded the team the time to
impact equipment delivery dates to improve the Integration
schedule and to review opportunities to accelerate sail away.
Concerns / Issues during Planning. A common tendency is to
focus too much effort on the schedule itself and ignore the
critical processes and procedures necessary to support the
schedule. This phase of planning should require the team to
develop a process outlining how they will plan, manage,
control and closeout the project. If these issues are not
considered early enough to adequately plan them, they may be
developed reactively rather than proactively. Minimal
planning may be sufficient when things are going well, but be
inadequate under different circumstances. Even perfect plans
lose their value if not maintained as the environment or
progress changes. Teambuilding should be performed even if
the members have worked together on previous projects to
ensure they are aligned with the goals and objectives for the
present project. This may be more important with experienced
staff because of the assumptions that similar projects should
be performed in a similar manner. It is also very important to
have the individuals involved in the detailed planning be the
same ones executing the plan.
3
Risks during Planning. For schedules to be effective they
must be accurate. Unnecessary or insufficient resources will
cause great damage to the credibility of the schedule. Once the
schedule has been proven unreliable, it is extremely difficult
to restore a credible status. Project personnel by nature tend to
be optimistic individuals. Their optimism and desire to be as
efficient as possible can lead to an unrealistic schedule. The
win-win approach and commitment to aligned objectives must
be sincere. Open communications are bi-directional and this
trust must be built and maintained. Although flexibility in the
contract and schedule sounds intuitively beneficial, there may
be risks if the relationship and trust have not been firmly
established. Care should be taken when developing new tools
and processes. They should be developed from a systemic
perspective. It is easy to develop tools that perform adequately
when things go well. Significant effort is required to modify
these systems in the heat of battle. The risk identification
process should be employed iteratively throughout the project
and given special emphasis during and following the
development of the baseline schedule.
Execution
With the arrival of the hull, the attention shifted from planning
to execution. The first three weeks of scheduled work were
heavily analyzed and reviewed prior to the hull arrival until
the requirements became second nature to the teams. The
schedule was used as a reminder during this period to ensure
no daily work scope was overlooked. The lessons learned
from previous projects and experiences of the team members
were applied at every opportunity. Just prior to the hull arrival,
the moored TLP location was shifted from a single bulkhead
to the corner of two adjoining bulkhead to provide additional
access for personnel and cranes. A new orientation plan was
created and placed in the schedule to determine the impacts
and opportunities. All solutions by the PACT members
adopted a “Best for Project” approach void of preferences for
any discipline or subcontractor. The schedule was utilized as a
work authorization system. All work scope, including scope
growth and contingency plans, were included in the schedule.
The schedule controls in place governing new activities
ensured that only valid scope was added.
The team conducted routine meetings at all levels of
the project hierarchy to effectively manage the project. These
ranged from daily morning toolbox safety meetings and
afternoon leadman coordination meetings to the project
steering team meetings comprised of senior managers. The
field operations personnel were empowered to manage their
area of responsibility or discipline to the best of their ability.
This empowerment was eagerly embraced and allowed them
to optimize their work responsibilities, locations and crews to
achieve maximum productivity. The field operations staff
willingly adopted the new processes to maintain the schedule.
They actively managed the progressing of the schedule,
analyzed discrepancies between the plan and the progress, and
utilized the schedule for timekeeping. Actual work time was
charged against the individual schedule activities. The project
controls team edited all time cards to match the standard
4 L. R. ROWLAND, K. G. BOWEN, R. F. FIGGERS, V. E. GIBSON
accounts used by GMF. Almost without exception, the team
members continued to develop their skills and proficiencies as
the project progressed. This active management approach was
used throughout the duration of the project and was a key
factor in the success of the Integration project.
As previously mentioned, the schedule was the
primary management tool for the day-to-day operations. The
project was managed toward the early start curve. As the
efforts to reduce the schedule duration continued, scope creep
began to increase. Some of the scope creep was due to
components arriving incomplete and additional work was
required to support the accelerated Installation phase after sail
away. Additional living quarters and temporary support
systems were installed to increase the personnel capacity
aboard during the offshore construction phase. All delays,
such as weather or late deliveries, were aggressively pursued
on a continuing basis to recover any time lost due to the delay.
This focus allowed the team to incorporate all the new scope
and accommodate the compressed schedule. The emphasis on
how to the prioritize work between conflicting disciplines on
the TLP shifted throughout the project. The discipline having
priority was able to control the crane usage and receive
immediate attention logistically. The structural work was first
priority due to the need to quickly create the physical
interfaces. As the commissioning work scope crept close to
critical path, priorities were redirected to the piping and
electrical disciplines. When USCG certification required
systems be tested and witnessed, commissioning received
the priority.
Safety was of primary importance during the project.
It was always visible due to the very large, dedicated safety
staff. The prime contractor, the client and most subcontractors
had safety representatives. Each activity was planned using a
safety-first approach and all work performed directly overhead
or in the vicinity of others received added attention. Daily
reviews and walk-throughs were conducted to ensure no safety
violations existed. The team also assisted in the resolution of
any conflict arising between disciplines identified from a job
safety analysis.
The primary structural steel activities were critical
path for much of the project. A detailed structural analysis was
performed based on the module and equipment installation
plan. Although the installation sequences for interconnect joint
plates were optimized in the planning stage, the continuing
challenge to compress the schedule resulted in further
optimization efforts. Opportunities identified by PACT
members were reviewed and ranked based on the maximum
benefits. The selected opportunities required additional
structural analysis on an exception basis. The structural design
team reviewed the minimum welding requirements
considering how much weld metal was required by location 1)
to allow the removal of the supporting structural members or
strongbacks and 2) to allow placement of additional weight on
the modules. The site had direct access to the lead structural
engineer and the requests to evaluate the actual field situations
were always addressed in a timely manner. The timely
OTC 13992
solutions to these challenges were the greatest single enablers
of schedule compression.
Benefits during Execution. The value should be obvious from
the pre-planning, the project management systems
development, challenges to the integration structural welding
requirements, the adopted contract strategy, and the selection
of team members. The structural design team investigated the
preferred integration scenario to optimize the welding
requirements. Previous project requirements were tailored to
meet the specific needs of the Brutus Integration. This
innovative approach was continually applied because
additional benefits emerged with each improvement.
The project execution was safe, efficient, well-
managed and controlled. The accuracy and maintenance of the
schedule supported precise adjustments in resource needs and
availabilities. Another large benefit was having an established
relationship of trust and commitment between Shell and Gulf
Marine Fabricators. This relationship extended to new
contractor personnel added for this project. The empowered
team generated many great suggestions from all levels of
supervision and craftsmen. This empowerment created a
sincere feeling of contribution and pride of ownership for the
project’s success at all levels within the team. All new team
members adopted these attributes as they were added to
the project.
Concerns / Issues during Execution. The leadership team
should ensure that the project management tools and systems
are interconnected and consistent. It is also easy to overlook
many of the administrative needs and infrastructure required
to support an efficient execution. All team members at all
levels must have the space, tools and materials in a timely
fashion to be their most productive. Safety should always
remain the top priority, especially during periods where the
project is falling behind schedule or when the focus is
on productivity.
Failure to allow for contingencies in the planning can
result in serious schedule impacts when the resources are
constrained. In the excitement and pace of an accelerated
project, one should not forget the documentation requirements
and the active management of various processes or systems.
There is a tendency to defer these items to a more convenient
time. Should a situation occur that required an urgent
evaluation, opportunities may be lost due to the inability to
respond quickly. Resolute management and documentation
policies can be very powerful in a dynamically changing
environment. The contract should always be administered
from a position of partnering rather than conflict. Finally, it is
also very important to recognize the efforts and achievements
of the team and to celebrate successes.
Risks during Execution. Most of the risks are obvious. There
will always be weather concerns, resource issues and
equipment delays. Materials may be unavailable from the
supplier or even unavailable to the workers who need them.
Consideration should be given to material/component storage,
OTC 13992 INTEGRATION SCHEDULE REDUCTION OF THE BRUTUS TLP
movement, interim placement and other logistical issues.
Major equipment, such as cranes or tugs, may not be available
when needed if the schedule improves. The equipment
constraints may negate all potential schedule benefits if not
taken into account.
There are also risks when working with numerous
disciplines and subcontractors within a limited workspace.
They may need to work in the same area, in close proximity to
one another, or the work of one crew may restrict access to the
work location of other crews. There are also problems with
overhead work. There are safety issues as well as other
conflicts that occur. Examples may include the inability to
scaffold or de-scaffold, move materials or equipment or gain
access to remotely placed support equipment. Sometimes
projects enter into a de-bottlenecking phase (optimizing or
increasing the functional capacity of a current system),
challenged to alter functional requirements during the project
or simply experience uncontrolled scope growth. These
unanticipated events expend critical staff time and may require
rework to accomplish. They should be planned in the same
painstaking detail as the rest of the project.
Results
The safety results on this project were excellent. The project
management systems and tools easily aligned with GMF’s
existing policies. The team members willingly adapted to new
ways of performing their work and were very open to
suggestions. The activity durations in the schedule tracked
very closely with the actual performance. This allowed the
team to accurately plan major efforts well in advance of the
traditional approach. The field operations personnel utilized
the custom tools and reports extensively. Their active
management of all aspects of the project was a great asset.
Many of the field operations supervisory personnel were
exposed to new requirements for paperwork, documentation
and reporting that exceeded anything they had done in the
past. Each one accepted the challenge and made major
contributions in their respective areas of responsibility.
Shifting the TLP from a single bulkhead to the corner
of two adjoining bulkheads provided greater accessibility to
more areas. The TLP orientation drawings identifying the
required and optional scope to be performed at each
orientation was an extremely valuable reference. The pre-
planning and interface management significantly reduced
production inefficiencies. The pre-staging of materials and
equipment prior to the lifting of major components allowed
work to begin as soon as possible. The five major module lift
and sets were completed in approximately 4 weeks. The one
risk that was not considered was fog during the lift and sets.
All other weather aspects were considered and addressed. The
unusually heavy fog impacted the dimensional control
functions during the lifting operations because of the line-of-
sight requirements to view the survey reflector targets. The
primary steel work scope to structurally interconnect these
modules with each other and the hull took approximately 12
weeks to complete. Over 5 tons of weld metal was required for
the primary steel mating posts and interconnect joints.
5
There were approximately 35,000 manhours of scope
growth incorporated into the project schedule. The ability to
address this increase of unplanned scope within the scheduled
address unplanned scope within the schedule duration can be
attributed to numerous factors. The continual planning,
resource management, addition of new subcontractors,
continuous attempts to manage back to the early start
schedule, innovative structural solutions to specific situations,
efficiencies and savings from minimizing orientation
movements, shifting pre-work to the component fabricator,
and productivity improvement suggestions by the entire team
were just some of these factors. All of the Commissioning
team’s System Checkout Procedures (SCP) were completed
prior to sail away. The schedule was successfully compressed
to 3 months and 1 week but this would have required some
minor incomplete Integration scope to be passed on to the next
phase. The sail away date was relaxed near the end of the
Integration phase due to the Installation phase not being able
to support an earlier departure. This extra time allowed all
scope to easily be completed and the TLP outfitted for future
operations. The contract was closed out as efficiently as the
rest of the project had been executed.
Benefits. The contract flexibility supported an ever-changing
project scope. The detailed planning by the team members
gave them intimate knowledge of the project scope allowing
them to quickly assess spontaneous situations and respond
effectively. The project management systems were adapted to
changing needs and provided the information necessary to
support critical decisions promptly. The structural design
analyses of site-specific situations allowed the team to
accelerate the schedule and resolve particular issues having
negative consequences. The detailed structural analysis
performed during this phase identified potential design
changes for future TLPs with integrated decks in support of an
accelerated schedule. Managing the schedule toward the early
start curve created the right project atmosphere and was
crucial to the project success. The high level of
communication among the empowered team members
minimized, if not eliminated, normal inter-discipline conflict.
Concerns / Issues. Safety is a continuous challenge due to the
large volume of resources from numerous companies working
in congested areas. These safety systems must be reviewed for
any differences and preferably brought under a single system.
Accuracy in defining the scope activities is critical for
schedule credibility. A well-maintained schedule is a very
powerful tool for managing a project. Careful consideration
should be given to schedule requirements and expectations
before beginning the schedule development. Logistics become
increasingly important where the possibility of alternate
schedule scenarios may occur. The schedule should also be
continuously reviewed as the work changes to adapt to new
situations. Not only is communication important within the
project team, but the team should also maintain good
communications with all existing interfaces, including
regulatory groups. One concern is the quantity of visitors. On
6 L. R. ROWLAND, K. G. BOWEN, R. F. FIGGERS, V. E. GIBSON OTC 13992

projects of a short duration, high visibility and very aggressive

schedule, the impact of visitors places a heavy demand on key
team members. Visitation rights should be carefully planned Projects' Schedule
and managed.
10
Risks. The risk of fog should be considered where line-of-
8
sight is a requirement for certain operations. There should be
some training and guidance in project management and

Months
6
control when empowering a large team, especially when it
may be the first time for many. Excessive monitoring of team 4
members restricts innovation, whereas the lack of adequate
2
guidance may create some loss of control. Critical equipment
necessary for particular operations may be on a strict schedule. 0
When a schedule has shifted due to changes or productivity, Mars Ram/Pow ell Brutus
activities utilizing the equipment must be reviewed to ensure Planned 8 6 5
availability and avoid conflicts from simultaneous
Actual 7 5 3.5
requirements. Resources should be continually analyzed since
other obligations by either party may impact the planned
resources. Personnel may be worked longer hours for short
Figure 1
durations to make up scope or keep on schedule, but the long-
term effect of this practice will impact productivity. Clasher
checks between the major component interfaces usually occur
in the planning stage. However, sometimes smaller packages
or ancillary equipment may have different dimensions or
weight than were planned. These should not be overlooked
since they can easily lose importance once the execution
starts. Finally, floating projects with draft restrictions should
perform salinity checks of the water where the operations will
occur. If the tolerances are tight, there are several
complications that may occur, including impacting the
departure window.

Conclusion
There are many advantages to partnering with contractors to
achieve common goals and optimum efficiencies. A
completely integrated project management system should be
considered essential, especially for projects of this type.
Staffing the integrated team with experienced, positive, open-
minded, problem-oriented individuals who strived to
continuously improve was a critical key to our success.
Empowering the field personnel, who were aligned with and
committed to the project objectives, had a tremendous impact
on the project success. Interface management and
communications, internal and external to the project, were
critical factors in the successful execution. The schedule
achieved during this Integration was about as short and
optimum as possible based on the current design and the
particular scope. Refer to Figure 1 to see how the Integration
of Brutus compared with two previous projects.