Projects in the oil and gas (O&G) industry are complex, and their sustainability is crucial for the organizations involved. Achieving project success (PS) is particularly challenging in O&G matrix project organizations where resources are shared across multiple projects. This study aims to identify PS criteria based on two dimensions – project efficiency and effectiveness.
A case study was employed as the research strategy. Through an interpretivist lens, 20 O&G project managers from a local refinery in the Kingdom of Bahrain were interviewed to understand their perceptions of project success. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis with the aid of NVIVO 12.
The study conveys the measures that constitute sustainable project success, categorizing them within the spectrum of project efficiency and effectiveness. Consequently, project professionals are encouraged to not only think about PS criteria “efficiently” but also “effectively”.
The research highlights the importance of integrating project efficiency and effectiveness criteria into project management practices in the O&G industry. A key implication for O&G project managers is the advocacy for a holistic project management approach that improves resource allocation and aligns with organizational goals. By understanding these dimensions, decision-making can be enhanced, thereby leading to better outcomes and promoting sustainability in the sector.
The O&G industry, particularly matrix project organizations in the downstream segment, remains under-researched. While there is extensive literature on project success in other sectors, the multidimensional nature of project success criteria specific to the O&G industry has received comparatively little attention.
