Senior Consultant, ADNOC

ABU DHABI NATIONAL OIL COMPANY, ADNOC

SENIOR CONSULTANT

1990/1991

The scope of the consultancy contract was to provide technical and management advisory services to ADNOC Projects Directorate including advice on strategies, plans, organization, technology, systems, and procedures for various disciplines and for projects implementation.

Over 100 management reports were issued covering projects reviews and audits, companies and applicants evaluation, the optimization of project investment through better scoping and cost effective engineering, planning and strategy of new projects, Directorate organization, resolution of projects problems, …etc.

ADNOC Projects Directorate was implementing refinery, oil and gas, gas processing and LNG projects of over 5 billion Dollars investment.

Examples of Contributions :

  1. Contributed to the realization of a reduction of investment estimate of ADGAS, Das Island Third Train LNG Project from US$ 1417 million to US$ 750 million. The Pre FEED (Front End Engineering Design) estimate had been US$ 585 million. This in-depth review was undertaken in Chiyoda offices in Japan by a committee of experts nominated by ADGAS shareholders, chaired by M. El-Rifai. The cost reduction was achieved through the elimination of oversizing, plot plan optimization (40% improvement), redesign of utilities sections taking advantage of synergy with existing LNG train and the reduction of equipment and materials cost taking advantage of world wide procurement.
  2. Provided leadership and guidance for the debottlenecking and start-up of Thammama C Gas Recycling and Injection Plant. The Plant had failed to start-up and was idle for several years. A dispute developed between ADNOC and the contractor. Extensive joint efforts, against serious odds and under the Gulf War conditions, led to the successful commissioning of this major project.
  3. Performed critical analysis of certain ADNOC projects.
  4. Performed a project review of Onshore Gas Development Project at Brown & Root offices in Houston, Texas. The review included License Engineering Agreements, Project Vendors Lists, Project Plot Plan. Recommended a relaxation of sale gas specifications to conform to international specifications resulting in a saving of US$ 150 million.
  5. Contributed to the formulation of projects’ strategies and the prequalification and selection of bidders.
  6. Issued guidelines on the contents and form of a model “Project Monthly Progress Report”.
  7. Consulted with ADNOC on Projects Directorate Organization.
  8. Evaluated and interviewed key expatriate personnel nominated for the recruitment and assignment to ADNOC projects.

ADNOC – ETMAM (1997)

Under a separate consultancy contract, Dr. Rifai developed and proposed revisions of projects execution policies and interfaces between various ADNOC projects activities before and after their release.  This addressed the roles of internal clients, level of decision making, mechanism of monitoring cost, project manager authority, and built-in check and balance without the impediment of a heavy bureaucracy. Work covered guidelines for revisions of Projects Directorate organization, Project Procedures during Project Definition, FEED, Detailed Engineering, Construction, and Commissioning phases.