Resource Allocation Practices and Project Performance in Oil and Gas Companies in Delta State, South South Nigeria

Effective resource allocation is fundamental to project performance in capital-intensive industries such as oil and gas, where resource constraints and competing project priorities create complex management challenges. This study examines resource allocation practices and their effect on project performance in oil and gas companies operating in Delta State, South South Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey will recruit 200 project managers, resource planners, and operations engineers from international oil companies (IOCs) and independent operators in Warri and Sapele. A structured questionnaire will assess resource planning methodologies, allocation decision processes, resource leveling practices, and their relationship to project schedule and cost performance. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression will be employed. Recent project management literature from the Nigerian oil and gas sector highlights resource conflicts as a major source of schedule deviation, particularly in projects involving shared infrastructure and multi-project environments. Findings will contribute to project management office (PMO) design recommendations for IOCs operating in Delta State. Keywords: resource allocation, project performance, oil and gas, Delta State, project management office