Risk analysis in oil and gas projects : a case study in the Middle East

Abstract

Global demand for energy is rising around the world. Middle East is a major supplier of oil and gas and remains an important region for any future oil and gas developments. Meanwhile, managing oil and gas projects are becoming more challenging and riskier than ever before. Therefore, risk analysis and development of strategies to manage risk are crucial to the reduction of potential future delays and cost overruns in oil and gas projects. This thesis focuses on analysis and management of the technical and institutional risks involved in oil and gas projects in the Middle East. In the first section, we describe various types of risk and introduce a framework for risk management. We then conduct a case study to highlight some of the most important risk factors involved in oil and gas projects as well as recommendations to deal with such risks. The case is based on publically available information and includes two distinct projects with similar geologies under two separate legal regimes in Iran and Qatar.