Kate Parker

Director Management Consulting

Discipline

Management Consulting

Qualifications

  • BSc. Sociology and Psychology
  • MSc. Project Management
  • Chartered Membership, Institution of Chemical Engineers
  • BEng. (Hons) Chemical Engineering

Specialisms / Skills

  • Dispute Avoidance
  • Corporate Governance
  • Oil and Gas
  • Net Zero
  • Digital Transformation
  • Project Engineering

Kate has 25 years of experience across engineering, project management and consulting. Her experience ranges from oil & gas and infrastructure projects to business start-up, strategy development, business development and marketing.

She was a co-founder of Agilis, a specialised consultancy using agile approaches to help manage projects in volatile, uncertain, complex and evolving environments. She is passionate about improving performance through developing processes that are rooted in a better understanding of people and behaviour and is focussed on supporting transformation to a net zero economy.

Kate is a Chartered Engineer with a Masters in Project Management from the University of Manchester and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bath. She also holds a degree in Sociology and Psychology from the Open University.

Recent commissions undertaken have included:

  • Design and delivery of workshops, development of knowledge and activity workflows
  • Leadership of digital transformation initiative for a major energy development project in a remote frontier location. Worked collaboratively with multiple stakeholders within client, contractor and supplier organisations to identify the digitalisation initiatives with potential to add value from subsurface to market, including: the development of digital assets, improved workflows and data collaboration; and the organisational and governance structures required to support digital transformation.
  • Development of Intelligent Integrated Operations (IIO) strategy and benefits case and roll-out of IIO initiative including cultural change aspects. Developed IIO Project Execution Plan to address all aspects of project planning for Execute & Operate phases including contractual scope & reward mechanisms, technical architecture, risk management, and organisational design.
  • Project development support in pre FID phases, working in both client and contractor project offices, including: design basis, requirements & specifications development; and identification and resolution of key technical issues.
  • Working in a consultancy-technology partnership to support organisations in Net Zero planning, climate risk management & disclosure, and sustainability and ESG reporting

Kate’s career has included working with and supporting oil and gas focussed companies including Amec, Upstream Advisers and Premier Oil.

 

 

Experience

 

Independent Consultant

Independent consultant providing technical, project management and strategic advice to a range of clients across the oil & gas, infrastructure and technology sectors.

Agilis KLM

Director

Agilis develop processes and techniques that improve the way teams and groups of people interact and collaborate, with a focus on the understanding and management of issues, risk and value.

Travivas Consulting Limited

Director

Joined Steering Group and led organisational review that has resulted in significantly improved member engagement and identified clear strategic focus areas.

Premier Oil Sea Lion Project

June 2018 – February 2020

February 2013 – May 2016

Senior Project Engineering Consultant

Led digital transformation initiative for an energy development mega-project in a remote location. Development of Intelligent Integrated Operations (IIO) strategy and benefits case, working with multiple stakeholders within client, contractor and supplier organisations using an agile approach to build a virtual collaborative team focussed on project value.

Managed roll-out of IIO initiative including cultural change aspects. Ensured IIO embedded in FEED deliverables. Developed IIO Project Execution Plan to address all aspects of project planning for Execute & Operate phases (including contractual scope & reward mechanisms, technical architecture, risk management, and organisational design).

Previously provided support to Concept Selection, Pre-FEED & FEED stages, working in both Premier Oil and contractor project offices, with multiple internal and external stakeholders:

  • Development of project-wide basis of design, statement of requirements and functional design specifications for TLP and FPSO options.
  • Cross-discipline technical issue conflict resolution
  • Contractor management
  • Peer review team for Premier Catcher project

Upstream Advisors

August 2011 – December 2018

Senior Consultant

Responsible for the management of studies and the provision of technical and management consultancy and advisory services to a diverse range of clients. Development and delivery of organisational strategy, marketing and business development.

Study lead – technology strategy study for Confidential Client

Study to review emerging technology areas related to unmanned operations, and propose vision and strategy for client.

Facilities technical lead: expert witness support for Confidential Client

Responsible for developing process schemes and full facilities CAPEX and OPEX estimate for Low, Mid and High scenarios, adopting an analogue approach to develop a basis for the scheme and presenting full supporting rationale.

Study lead – Shaikan Triassic Conceptual Development – Gulf Keystone Petroleum

Identification and review of potential schemes, including early production option, for new development close to existing facilities. DRILLEX, CAPEX and OPEX estimates.

 

 

Consultant – Nigerian asset valuation – Glencore

Technical review and support to valuation of Nigerian asset, two development options. Critical review, assimilation and integration of information from a wide range of sources.

Consultant – Organisational review of client team  – Confidential Client

Analysis of project delivery assessment survey results to provide a snapshot of team performance and develop a route-map of areas to target for improvements.

Study Lead – Technical review of wellpad design – Glencore

Technical review of proposed new wellpad design against Client’s corporate policies and industry practice. Assessment of material impact of Client’s corporate and project requirements on wellpad design.

Study Lead – Ultra deepwater technology study & development plan – Rhino Resources

Overview of ultra deepwater current technology status, highlighting key issues and identifying trends in technology development. Next steps and key strategies identified. Field development plan and cost estimate for ultra-deepwater prospect.

Consultant – opportunity assessment – Confidential Clients

High level and rapid assessment of opportunities, including CAPEX, OPEX, risks and opportunities for two confidential clients.

Study Lead – Field development options – Chariot Oil & Gas

Field development options for various prospects, including identification of gas market, cost estimate and input to economic model.

Study Manager – Technology study on high CO2 blowdown – Confidential Client

Research study providing extensive technical review of potential for dry ice blockage on high CO2 content gas blowdown, followed by recommended technical research programme and a shortlist of potential research facilities.

Consultant – Modifications for increased production – SDX Energy

Proposed modifications to existing facilities to enable increased production, cost estimate for new development.

Consultant – Facilities review – Confidential Client

Facilities Engineering input to reserves assessment for confidential client.

Consultant – Premier Oil Sea Lion Logistics Study – Confidential Client

Co-ordination of drilling input to logistics study reviewing port and associated facilities requirements at Falklands Islands for drilling and installation phase.

Consultant – Decision Tree Analysis – Panoro Energy

Decision tree analysis of development scenarios.

Consultant – Asset evaluation  – Agora Oil & Gas

Asset evaluation support: critical analysis of risks, issues & opportunities.

Consultant – FPSO Redeployment Study  – SBM Offshore

Development of methodology and screening criteria to identify best fits for FPSO redeployment opportunities.

Consultant – Tullow Oil

Assignment to Tullow Oil development engineering group – based in Tullow Oil offices, working within development engineering group, developing CAPEX and other required inputs for economic analysis of prospect in West Africa.

Consultant – Catcher Area Development – EnCore Petroleum

Technical overview of concept selection study based in contractors offices.

Amec

August 1995 – February 2011

Facilities / Projects Consultant

Technical and project management roles across all phases of the project lifecycle, in a variety of commercial and contractual arrangements.

Responsible for the delivery of a number of company internal consultancy services relating to the development of internal company processes, technical integrity management and project value improvement / auditing.

Technical Integrity & Value Improvement Project Engineer – Ichthys Gas Field Development Project – INPEX Browse

Managed constructability study for CPF facilities with input from three South Korean shipyards.  Provided facilities engineering support and drove concept selection process for an alternative development scenario study. Developed technical integrity strategy and kicked off implementation.  Developed value management strategy and progressed VIP programme from workshop phase to implementation phase, across multiple locations worldwide.  Managed a suite of multi-discipline value study teams.

Front End Group – various studies

Value Engineering, benchmarking, feasibility, conceptual and Front End Engineering Design (FEED) studies for various clients including Petro-Canada, Marathon, Cairn Energy, Shell. General technical and commercial support to proposals, including developing project execution strategies. Business development activities. In-house Modularisation Study drawing on AMEC-wide knowledge base. Promoting integration & knowledge sharing across organisation.

Technical Lead – Gateway LNG Study – Stag Energy

Concept selection and conceptual design study for offshore LNG terminal with offshore regasification and underground gas storage in salt caverns in the Irish Sea.  Study involved 10 specialist subcontractors and consultants.  Responsible for identification and development of option cases and development of selected concepts.

London Team Lead – Shell Sigma 3 Integrated Services Contract – Shell UK

Two feasibility and conceptual design studies for Shell’s Northern UK North Sea assets. Responsible for management of London DE design team.

Facilities Project Engineer – ACG3 Project Define Phase – Azerbaijan Investment Operating Company (Operator BP)

AMEC scope included two bridge-linked platforms and subsea water injection facilities. Responsible for the Process, Control & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Electrical and Technical Safety & Environmental disciplines, encouraging and facilitating adoption of the copy/cloning philosophy. Managed the technical and commercial interface with the Subsea subcontractor.

Process & Flowsheets Lead Engineer – Sakhalin II Project FEED and Detail Design – SEIC

Lead Process Engineer for team of 25+ engineers & designers.  AMEC scope consisted of two offshore platforms to feed a new LNG plant.  Project challenges included concept development from initial basic project definition, managing and incorporating significant technical changes, design for arctic environment and working with Russian design and regulatory approval authorities.

Asset Development Group

Support on a variety of front end and technology studies.

Process & Commissioning Engineer – Britannia Infield Development – Britannia Operator Ltd

Process engineer from preliminary design phase through to detailed design.  Commissioning engineer, based at the topsides fabrication yard then offshore for the following year.

Process Engineer – Southern Fields Unit Revamp – Shell Expro

Assisted in the development and maintenance of design documents.

Healey M., Parker, K. & Saldin, L. (2016) Using ‘nudge’ techniques to influence behaviour in an engineering office, SPE Intelligent Energy Conference and Exhibition

Saldin, L., Healey, M., & Parker, K. (2016) Managing project uncertainty: The Delphi Method, Journal of Petroleum Technology March 2016

Parker, K., (2017) Values led projects: when a compass is better than a map, APM Project Spring 2017 issue

Parker, K. & Saldin, L., (2018) Social Networks – a positive story, The Rail Professional, Spring 2018