Cessation of Production Readiness Review
A structured Decision Quality assessment of the decisions shaped by Cessation of Production (CoP), designed to help late-life assets close critical choices, surface trade-offs, and commit with confidence.
In Late Life, Critical Decisions Often Do Not Get Made
As assets approach Cessation of Production, the volume of analysis increases. Forecasts are refined, sensitivities are rerun, and options are discussed across technical and commercial forums.
Yet the underlying decisions — on life-extension, cost structure, integrity scope, emissions investment, infill activity and decommissioning sequencing — are frequently deferred rather than closed.
The CoP date may move and assumptions may be updated, but what often remains unresolved is whether the organisation has explicitly committed to a coherent direction that integrates these choices and defines the conditions under which it would change course.
Decisions remain open because interdependencies are not tested in a structured way and the trade-offs they imply are not made explicit.
- Independent assessment and disciplined challenge
- Targeted interviews to assess alignment (incl. partners where relevant)
- Benchmarked Decision Quality scoring (six dimensions)
- Explicit trade-offs, key exposures, and practical improvement actions
- Decision-ready readout for leadership
The CoP decision context
Cessation of Production (CoP) defines the point at which hydrocarbon production ceases permanently. It influences a cluster of interdependent decisions that shape the final phase of an asset’s life, including:
- Life-extension and integrity investments
- Operating philosophy and cost base
- Emissions strategy and capital allocation
- Infill and incremental reserves activity
- Export assumptions and infrastructure commitments
- Decommissioning timing and sequencing
These decisions are taken under tightening late-life constraints: a narrowing value window, high and relatively inflexible operating costs, infrastructure interdependencies, limited scope for regret, and partners with differing materiality and risk appetite.
What the review assesses
The Readiness Review provides an independent assessment and disciplined challenge of the current CoP-context decision set. We apply a structured six-dimension Decision Quality framework tailored to late-life assets, examining:
- Clarity of the decision frame
- The range and credibility of pathways considered
- The treatment of material uncertainty
- The explicitness of trade-offs
- The internal economic coherence of the position
- Readiness for commitment and alignment
Each dimension is evaluated against defined benchmarks derived from prior late-life asset work, producing a scored assessment that indicates where the position is strong, where it is fragile, and where it remains underdeveloped.
How the assessment is used
The scoring is used to provide an objective view of overall decision quality, highlight concentration of exposure across dimensions, and prioritise actions that will materially increase confidence.
Structured stakeholder interviews provide a diagnostic view of alignment, clarifying where assumptions diverge within your organisation and, where relevant, between partners. For each dimension we provide a concise rationale for the assessment, clear statements of analytical or alignment fragility, and specific actions required to move the position to a stronger level.
The intent is practical improvement, not methodology for its own sake.
What you gain in three weeks
- An independent assessment of the quality of your CoP-context decisions
- Disciplined challenge of assumptions — within your organisation and, where relevant, between partners
- A structured view of where stakeholder assumptions converge and where they diverge
- Explicit visibility of trade-offs across NPV, cash flow, emissions, risk and timing
- Structured testing of the uncertainties that materially influence outcomes
- Clarity on where the current logic is robust and where it is exposed
- Defined next steps where further analysis, alignment or reframing is required
This review can be commissioned by operators or non-operating partners. It is particularly valuable when integrating a newly acquired asset or portfolio, when inherited assumptions require structured testing, ahead of material life-extension or decommissioning commitments, or where cross-functional teams and partners require a shared basis for commitment.
Fees
Starts at £30,000 for a single-asset assessment.
Final fees depend on asset complexity, number of stakeholders, and partner involvement. The base review includes targeted stakeholder interviews, structured analytical challenge using existing models, six-dimension Decision Quality assessment with improvement actions, and a leadership readout. Workshops, extended partner facilitation, or deeper modelling can be added where required.
How it works
Week 1 — Define the decision set and assess alignment
We conduct structured interviews with a focused group across technical, commercial and operational roles and, where relevant, partner stakeholders. The interviews surface decisions in play, value metrics, assumptions, perceived trade-offs, and areas of ambiguity or divergence, and are synthesised into a clear articulation of the CoP-context decision framework.
Week 2 — Targeted analytical challenge
We examine credible directional pathways, test the trade-offs they imply, and assess sensitivity to material uncertainties using existing planning models and data. The analysis is anchored in the decision tensions surfaced through interviews, rather than generic scenarios.
Week 3 — Decision Quality assessment and readout
We evaluate the strength and coherence of the overall position, including the degree of alignment revealed through interviews. We identify analytical and organisational fragilities and present a structured assessment with prioritised recommendations for improvement.
Optional add-on
The base review does not include cross-functional workshops. These can be added where deeper alignment or partner engagement is required.
Client feedback
“StrategicFit partnered with us to untangle complex technical, business and financial processes — delivering key insights that strengthened analytical capability and informed strategic decisions for a late-life asset with many moving parts.”
“I can vouch for the integrated decision analysis and facilitation services StrategicFit provide. Their ability to frame the problem early and provide challenge is key.”
“They enabled honest conversations and helped resolve issues without accusations of bias.”
Book a 30-minute CoP decision clarity discussion
We offer a focused discussion to determine whether your current CoP-context decisions are clearly framed, internally coherent and ready for commitment, and whether a three-week Readiness Review would add value.
In this discussion we will clarify the key decisions currently in play, identify where assumptions or trade-offs remain implicit, outline how the structured Decision Quality assessment would apply, and indicate candidly whether this intervention is appropriate.
- No preparation required
- Clear view of fit and next steps