Manchester oil and gas specialist to undertake ground-breaking research with Australian university

A Manchester headquartered workforce solutions provider to the oil and gas industry has teamed up with Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia to conduct ground-breaking research.

Air Energi will collaborate with QUT to develop a method of reducing people-related risks within the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry - the first of its kind.

With the opportunity of a second wave of LNG projects in Australasia still very much a possibility, there are concerns that workforce costs and continued shortages could contribute to further project delays or cancellations.

Matt Smith, director of global LNG development at Air Energi, said: “People risk mitigation is not a new way of looking at manpower services, but it is an area that is yet to be addressed in the oil and gas industry with an appropriate level of rigour.

“A number of critical project issues encountered are fundamentally people-related, such as struggling to find the right resources and then mobilising them quickly and compliantly. Issues like these result in increased pressure on the project schedule and have substantial catch up financial implications not only for the operating company, but also for contractors and sub-contractors across the supply chain.”

Dr Karen Becker, a researcher and senior lecturer in the QUT Business School, explains: “The research project will be undertaken in six stages, with an initial report scheduled for publication in early 2014. We believe the findings have potential to help businesses think differently about identifying and managing their people-related risks, particularly in large and complex projects.”

Mr Smith adds: “There are more than 50 different types of risk connected with a contingent workforce during the execution of a major project. Combining our extensive experience in the Australasian marketplace with the dedicated research capabilities of QUT, we will use the lessons learned thus far in the LNG sector to develop solutions that help bridge the silos that typically exist in multi-billion dollar projects.

“This will be critical to the future development of projects in Australasia, as well as those firms looking to benefit from the booming LNG markets of North America and East Africa.”