The responsibility for damages pursuant to an offshore oil and gas production platform explosion and fire resulted in a dispute between the insurers regarding cause and origin. Baker & O'Brien was engaged to test two different expert opinions developed during the incident investigation through a review of cited evidence and extensive operating records. Following an open pre-mediation expert conference and supplementary written reports, the dispute was quickly resolved in an international mediation.

Specialty equipment is essential to the effective and efficient operation of process plants; hence, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) may guarantee that installed-performance meets owner specification parameters. In this case, the owner claimed a flawed design of new heat exchangers while the OEM countered the equipment was being operated outside of owner-provided design specifications. Baker & O'Brien produced an expert report that reduced a very complex technical and economic evaluation into readily understandable concepts.

The developer of a natural gas processing facility had a dispute with the owner over the compounding of cost and inordinate delay in mechanical completion. At issue were project planning and project management pitted against labor disruptions, lack of staff for key positions, industry cost escalation, and weather disruptions. We submitted our opinion of the effects on project progress and costs in a technical report submitted to the arbitration tribunal, followed by oral testimony at the hearing.