Oil & Gas and Energy

Performance that is significant. Measurable. Sustainable.

In all asset intensive industries but particularly in Oil & Gas and Energy companies, equipment availability is the most significant operational value driver.  Maintenance efficiency and work-flow effectiveness are critical to achieving the right levels of reliability and operational stability.  The fact is that in today’s high demand / high price environment no LNG (liquified natural gas) plant, refinery operation or other downstream energy players can afford to have anything but minimum levels of planned downtime and definitely no unplanned outages.

A common response is to throw money at the problem by buying more spares or employing more workers or contractors in order to react quicker. However, these actions treat the symptoms, not the root causes.  To continue to be critical players in the energy independence vision all energy players must ensure “best in class” performance in everything from turnarounds, capital project execution, reliability, integrated logistics to maintenance.

Running plant operations with minimal waste and high reliability. Spending the right amount, on the right things to maximize asset returns. Not to mention keeping costs competitive is our ultimate “True North” with clients.

Our team of industry experts understand the best way to transform operations and sustain performance is through implementation of a Continuous Improvement culture and a drive towards excellence throughout the complete value chain.  Many times, clients have a sense of what needs to be done but knowing where to start, how to start, how to change the culture and what is critically important to ensure success, is something else altogether.

We have extensive analysis and implementation expertise in Natural Gas Liquefaction plants, refinery operations, petrochemical plants, storage / logistics / midstream and other energy assets.  Our methodology applies proven continuous improvement techniques and visualization tools to improve team collaboration and effective front-line execution.

When it matters most, our end-user designed solutions and performance leadership are put to work to achieve excellence in operations and maintenance execution in the different stages of the Oil and Gas value stream:

• Upstream: Production and Upgrading Operations
• Mid-Stream: Transportation, Processing, Storage and Distribution
• Downstream: Manufacturing, Refining and Petro-Chemicals
• Equipment manufacturing in the conventional /non-conventional production environments

Our team of change practitioners work with clients in seven specific areas:

• Optimal maintenance execution and work-order management
• Effective coordination between maintenance and operations for the right asset ownership strategies and behaviors
• Excellence in execution and cost management in Capital projects
• Increase capacity and reduction of costs in rail operations
• Turnaround planning and execution through lean methods
• Asset care and reliability strategies
• Leaders leading for performance

Argo was referred to us by one of Canada’s largest railway operators, and were ultimately shortlisted based on their demonstrated capacity and capability for developing lean talent. This lead to a three year partnership in which we were able to develop 25+ internal “lean practitioners”, who then went on to achieve millions in savings for the Upstream side of the business. Argo’s combination of lean tool deployment and behavioural-based leadership development proved to be a great formula for building sustaining skills with our workforce. Several of those leaders have gone on to senior positions and still rely on that experience to continuously improve our business.

– Global Continuous Improvement Director at a major Canadian oil producer

Changing the process

Our Industrial Engineering and Lean – Continuous Improvement Methodology is built on a management rigor system where the goal is process execution excellence, development of a daily performance culture and long term sustainment.

Our team has deep experience in front line execution of:

• Overall labor productivity analysis and waste elimination
• Core workflow management – Work order mapping, scoping and quality
• Preventive Maintenance efficiency and equipment reliability
• Best maintenance practices to eliminate waste and repeat work
• Spare parts management and materials availability
• Inventory planning and execution accuracy for optimal net working capital
• Contractor utilization analysis and management practices
• Make vs. buy analysis for overhaul and repair
• Logistics, sourcing and warehouse management
• Supply chain management
• Capital projects – lean methods for planning and execution

Building the Performance Culture

Top quartile performance is built upon a relentless pursuit of operational discipline and front-line leadership habits. Our involvement follows a teacher / coach approach to embed the right practices and behaviors towards “winning every day”:

• Fact-based “hands-on” problem solving
• Cascading goal setting and regular accountability dialogue
• Right metrics. Right time. Right leadership.
• Knowledge transfer of key waste elimination tools
• Coaching for Continuous Improvement behaviors and leading change
• Ensuring the human chain is connected using visual management and dynamic problem solving

Argo’s seasoned consultants connect seamlessly with the craft and supervising ranks providing hands-on learning improvement tools at the right pace.

Argo team members are expert coaches in leadership behaviors – evaluating and coaching leadership at all levels to understand the pivotal role they play in driving success and ensuring sustainment.

Typical benefits of our joint work with clients include:

• Increased asset reliability and availability
• Lower annual variable costs
• Increased labor productivity and insourcing of work
• Reduced planned and unplanned downtime with reduced production costs
• Improved cooperation and ownership between maintenance and operations
• Improved shutdown planning and execution to compress duration
• Improved maintenance plans to effectively link supply chain and inventory requirements and reduce freight and logistics costs