Successful project delivery in complex brownfield environments*

Abstract

Delivering services and projects in a brownfield environment has unique challenges. Brownfield, by its very nature, involves highly constrained and dynamic environments. This requires stakeholders to work collaboratively and be creative and nimble. Effective communication between client and service provider is essential. This is because the decision-making horizons are significantly shorter and consequences are more immediate. Brownfield projects are typically organised to minimise inter-discipline interfaces, with seamless delivery from engineering through to construction. Engineering effort needs to be the right-sized based on the level of complexity and risk involved to ensure the effort and cost expended is appropriate for the modification or upgrade. When planning and executing brownfield projects, the following areas require special focus:

1. health, safety and the environment—to cope with the inherently higher risks due to live inventory, lack of space, simultaneous operations and increased personnel;

2. interface with operations—to plan, manage and minimise disruption to production;

3. live systems—to assess the impact/disruption to energised systems and coordinate tie-ins;

4. production—to minimise disruption and ensure that the project is executed safely while production continues;

5. hot work—to a minimum and where necessary contain naked flame and spark activity on site;

6. integrity—to ensure the condition of the asset is well understood and any sub-system upgrades to accommodate the modification are identified;

7. limited space—to accommodate temporary project facilities, minimising the impact on operations and maintenance activities; and,

8. access—to ensure that the project is planned to lessen disruption, maximise off-site preparation and to minimise on-site construction.

Systematic program management, project engineering and a tiered engineering approach are essential to cost effective and timely delivery. For each of the eight key areas we detail some of the subtle and enabling strategies/tools that distinguish brownfield project delivery from greenfield.