Westney Consulting Group
2200 West Loop South
Suite 500
Houston, TX 77027
Phone: 713-861-0800
Toll Free: 800-648-3475
Email: info@westney.com

CLIENTS

Westney clients include every type of player and stakeholder involved in large capital projects in the energy, chemicals manufacturing, and mining & metals industries.

Independent Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Companies

Independent oil companies today are aggressively developing hydrocarbon resources on a large scale and in difficult locations.  These lean organizations are often severely stretched to perform these large projects.  This can be a major issue since, given the large percentage of net income being invested in projects, significant cost overruns or delays in completion can severely impact cash-flow and shareholder value.

Westney’s work with independents includes clients in the USA, Canada, Europe, Africa, and Far East.  Services typically focus on benchmarking and improving organizational capabilities for developing and executing projects, as well as providing unbiased assessments of project risk, predictability, and readiness for sanction.

“Super-major” Oil Companies

Super-major oil companies have well-staffed and mature project organizations to manage their portfolio of projects.  Nevertheless, these large companies often have so many projects to manage that only the largest get the full range of project expertise they need.  In many cases, an independent perspective on risk and predictability is useful in aligning partners on major decisions and plans.

Westney’s work with super-majors includes clients in the USA, South America and Europe and typically focuses on alignment with JV partners, risk assessments, and improving selected areas of organizational competence.

 

Project Developers

Many projects today are undertaken by developers and financed by investors and some form of project finance.  These projects may involve LNG or an alternative green energy technology.  Typically, the developer lacks the engineering and project management organization needed to frame and manage work by engineering and construction contractors. 

Westney’s work with developers is mostly for US clients and typically focuses on managing the interface with the engineering & construction contractor community; providing independent assessments of project status, risk exposure and issues; and ensuring that partners and lenders are aligned on the assessment and allocation of risks so financial close can be achieved.

 

Holding Companies & Private Equity Investors

Holding companies, private equity and other investor/owners in capital-intensive industries are often placing big bets on someone else’s ability to develop and deliver a large capital project.  They may be considering an investment in the oil & gas, chemical manufacturing, power generation, or alternative energy sectors, and may be facing the risk of new or significantly improved technologies.  These investors are often challenged to make decisions when they may not have the capability to evaluate the feasibility and realism of what is being proposed, or to assess the extent to which an optimistic bias may be reflected in the numbers.

Westney works with investors to help them gain an improved understanding of the risks involved, and the associated financial exposure.  Support to the project teams may also be provided in order to address the key risk drivers and improve predictability.

 

Chemical Manufacturers

Chemical manufacturers must make investment decisions that balance the uncertainties of global and project economics with those of major capital projects.  Predictability and risk management are particularly critical for these projects, which often involve complex and proprietary technologies and careful integration of current and proposed process units.

Westney’s work with chemical manufacturers has involved projects in the USA, Canada, the Middle East, and China, and includes risk management, value improving practice implementation, capability development, and project execution planning. 

 

Mining & Metals Manufacturers

Mining and metal manufacturers must often invest in large projects in remote areas with massive impacts and demands on infrastructure.  In some cases, a single project can represent a “bet the company” level of financial risk.

Westney’s work with mining and metals manufacturers has involved projects in the USA, Africa, Canada and Latin America and includes risk management, independent project reviews, and contracting strategy development and implementation.

 

Power Producers

Power producers vary widely in the size and complexity of their capital projects, from the very costly hydropower and nuclear plants to the smaller and simpler projects using well-established technologies.  Regardless of the technology involved, political and commercial issues often present the greatest challenges.

Westney’s work with power producers has involved projects in the USA, Canada, Latin America, and Asia and includes risk management, execution planning, independent project reviews, project execution planning, and organizational development.

 

Joint Venture Partners

Non-operating partners inevitably face major frustrations as they fund major projects over which they end up having little control.  As projects become larger and more complex, the traditional operator – non-operator model (where the operator does all the work and the non-operators are essentially passive investors) is evolving to more of a true joint venture model, where each partner has a role to play.  This creates opportunities for improved performance, while, at the same time, presenting challenges of organizational alignment and integration.

Westney works with JV/non-operating partners to provide an independent oversight of progress, key decisions and estimates of cost and time to complete, as well as to improve partner alignment.

 

Deepwater Drilling Contractors

As oil and gas reservoirs are found in deeper waters, and more sophisticated drilling techniques are employed, Deepwater drilling contractors must be able to quickly and cost-effectively develop and deploy floating drilling rigs capable of operating in these conditions.  The engineering, fabrication and commissioning of each of these rigs is equivalent in cost and complexity to an offshore production platform and requires the same, if not greater attention to cost and schedule risk management.

Westney provides leading deepwater drilling contractors with services including an independent view of the cost and time risk exposure of projects already underway, facilitation of project execution planning, and organizational benchmarking.

 

Engineered Solution Providers

Engineered solution providers typically provide oil & gas production facilities on an at-risk basis, using proprietary technologies.  Examples may be processing facilities, deepwater production equipment and facilities, or floating production vessels.  As the size and risk of these projects continues to increase, challenges include risk management as well as integrating the different cultures associated with research, manufacturing, and project management.

Westney works with engineered solution providers to benchmark organizational capabilities and develop improved work processes and competencies. This includes early shaping of client requirements and improved capabilities to integrate client and contractor development processes.

 

Government Agencies & National Oil Companies

Government agencies at the federal or state level typically have responsibility for development of natural resources to meet revenue, employment, and environmental compliance expectations.  As energy projects in a state, province, or nation grow in size and involve new or improved technologies, the agency’s internal capabilities may be significantly stretched.

Likewise, national oil companies (NOCs) face the challenge of balancing their requirement to compete with international oil companies with their responsibility to improve life for the people of the nation.  And, more and more NOCs today are expanding their focus from domestic projects to a worldwide project portfolio.

Westney works with government agencies and NOCs to enhance their capabilities with specific expertise as well as to provide an independent view of the predictability associated with proposed projects and project sponsors.