Optimising The Opcom: A Discussion On Non-Operator Concerns Under The JOA

Summary and implications

The unique relationship between an operator and a non-operator working together on an oil and/or gas project comes into focus most sharply in the operating committee (Opcom) forum.

The Opcom is not only where most of the critical decisions concerning the fundamental purposes and key practical operating mechanics of the project get made, it also serves as a way of regulating the curious relationship between operator and non-operator.

Governed by the procedure agreed between the parties in the joint operating agreement (JOA), the Opcom serves to navigate the "push-me pull-you" dynamics that tend to arise where the non-operators' and operators' interests stray into potentially misaligned areas. For example, Opcom's typically deal with, amongst other matters: