Shell — Oil Platform Decommissioning
Software Engineer · 2018–2019
Impact: Baseline: months of planning ambiguity → intervention: rapid onsite Design Sprint + full-stack build → outcome: MVP delivered on schedule.
Brought in to build tooling for Shell Techworks to support the decommissioning of end-of-life offshore oil platforms — a domain with real cost and logistical complexity.
Built a full-stack application that ingested oil platform data and determined the optimal, least-cost decommissioning path. Frontend in React with Ant Design, backend in Node. Worked onsite with the Shell Techworks team in Boston, using the Google Design Sprint process to rapidly iterate and arrive at a clear MVP scope — compressing months of potential back-and-forth into focused, structured sessions.
MVP delivered on schedule, with the Design Sprint process doing real work — not just ceremony.
Constraints
- Complex domain with high operational and cost implications
- Tight timeline for MVP definition and delivery
Key decisions
- Used Design Sprint sessions to rapidly converge on MVP scope
- Built full-stack React/Node system for least-cost path evaluation
Tradeoffs
- Prioritized core optimization workflow over lower-value peripheral tooling
Results
- Before: manual planning ambiguity. After: MVP tooling with clear least-cost decommissioning guidance.