Document Type : Review Paper

Authors

• Mohammed Mushtaq Al-Bdairi ¹
• Jassim mohammed Al Said Naji ¹
• Hameed Khudhair Abed ²

¹ Collage of Oil and Gas Engineering, University of Technology-Iraq

² Oil Products Distribution Company Karbala Branch

Abstract

The oil and gas sector is one of the most capital-intensive and risk-prone industries, requiring advanced practices project management to ensure successful delivery. In recent years, digital technologies and sustainability, digital twins, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles have become central to project governance.
The existing paper presents a systematic literature review of number of peer-reviewed publications from 2014 to 2024, examining the evolution of project management strategies in oil and gas megaprojects. With an emphasis on the Iraqi environment, the current paper uses a qualitative-analytical technique to synthesize recent developments in oil and gas project management. It identifies three dominant trends: the hybridization of management frameworks, the increasing in adoption of digital platforms, and the integration of ESG performance indicators.
The findings also highlight persistent challenges in developing regions, including institutional immaturity, inconsistent ESG application, and failed digital transitions. The main conclusion provided from the study that Iraq's oil and gas project management has structural problems, particularly when it comes to integrating modern methods and digital tools into a challenging institutional structure. Final, paper is recommending maturity-based models, context-specific ESG scorecards, and structured digital roadmaps to improve project outcomes.

Keywords

• Oil and Gas Projects
• Project Management
• Digital Transformation
• ESG
• Hybrid Frameworks