Oil and gas industry is complex and competitive and its projects are characterized by their importance and complexity. To achieve sustainability, oil and gas firms have to initiate and complete projects to scope, schedule, cost and quality. Hence, efficient Project Management Methodologies (PMMs) play a crucial role in successful project delivery. A conceptual model, adopted from the literature, was used to assess the influence of PMMs on project success. Based on a questionnaire data from 95 project management practitioners within the oil and gas industry in the Kingdom of Bahrain, correlational and regression analyses were used to test the research hypotheses. The quantitative study was backed with 17 semi-structured interviews to obtain in-depth understanding about the organizational PMMs. The major finding of the study revealed that applied PMMs have higher influence on project success in comparison with comprehensive PMMs. The companies in the oil and gas industry in Bahrain need to pay sharper attention to their methodologies and get them evolved with time to achieve higher success rates.

PurposeProject managers' competencies contribute toward project success in a considerable manner. The significance of technical competencies' (TCs) contribution toward success in Oil and Gas (O&G) projects is even higher due to the complexity and the technology-intensive nature of these projects. However, technical competencies have often been overlooked in favor of behavioral competencies or simply identified and listed in terms of their significance. Thus, there is currently very limited research-based knowledge concerning the contribution mechanisms of technical competencies toward project execution success. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore the contribution mechanisms of TCs toward success in O&G projects.Design/methodology/approachA case study was employed as the research strategy through which data was collected from project professionals in O&G projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain using semi-structured interviews. Transcripts of the interviews were then analyzed through thematic analysis method with the aid of NVIVO 12.FindingsThe findings reveal six mechanisms through which technical competencies of project managers contribute toward execution success in O&G projects. TCs not only act as a launch pad toward project success, but also help in optimizing engineering designs throughout the project life cycle.Originality/valueInstead of simply identifying and listing TCs, the obtained results enhance our current understanding of their contribution mechanisms toward project success in O&G projects.

This study assessed the impact of project management methodologies (PMMs) on project success in the oil and gas industry in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It also explored the different project methodologies used along with their strengths and weaknesses. Quantitative approach with the support of qualitative interviews was used to achieve the objectives of this research. A total of 95 survey responses were received and 17 interviews were conducted. Projects in the oil and gas industry are more about safety than speed, and hence, the use of comprehensive methodologies and applying the relevant methodology elements are important for oil and gas projects. Furthermore, the companies in the oil and gas industry in Bahrain have to pay more attention to their project management methodologies and get it evolved and improved over time to achieve higher project success rates.