Exploring the Concept Selection Process in subsea field development projects

This paper investigates the rationale for introducing a concept selection process in a small sized Norwegian exploration and production company in a complex systems-of-systems context. There are numerous challenges related to subsea field developments, where decision-takers require the ability of grasping the whole picture in order to make the right decisions. A simplistic process is practical but might not be sufficient for concept selection requiring multifaceted evaluation. The paper shows a first step towards such a process and is based on literature and interviews. The company seeks a concept selection process and a subsea-specific evaluation aid to minimize inconsistencies in projects and project phases. The introduction of such a process shall ensure that significant aspects are considered during concept selection, and reduce frustration due to unclear definitions of deliverables during concept selection. The preliminary results are highly relevant in the oil and gas sector, but also for other complex systems-of-systems where concept selection is based on intuition and practical experience.