Oil and gas investment decision making—what's at risk?
When considering oil and gas developments in Australia, it is worthwhile to consider what's at risk. This extended abstract considers oil and gas investment decision-making from a first-principles basis, introducing case studies and learnings from past projects. Additionally, investment decisions can examined from the following perspectives: Setting the mould—decisions crystalise risk; therefore, decision quality is paramount. How do investment decisions serve as expression of corporate risk appetite? What is observable at the time versus what may lay silent? Too big to fail—can the organisation withstand the risk profile of its chosen investment slate? Is the owner or joint-venture structure sufficiently resilient to undertake the set of activities in question (e.g. deep-water drilling or LNG project developments)? Management charge—leadership and management motivations may drive projects into risky territory; are the appropriate feedback mechanisms in place? Dealing with complexity—project execution plans, layers and sub-contracting require formal and informal communication and governance to ensure successful delivery. Has complexity been dealt with? Or does structure mask hidden risk? Addressing human factors—human interaction and project organisational structures may drive perverse outcomes. What allowance and process reviews and assures against human motivation and influence? This extended abstract frames investment decision-making and project execution using practical examples, and shows how investment-decision quality is a primary driver of shareholder wealth creation. This has implications for the stage-gate capital processes, governance structures, and investment review practices presently in place in the industry.