Experience
Experience
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Crude Oil Gathering System Acquisition Due Diligence Conducted technical and economic due diligence for a commercial bank that was considering financing a crude oil gathering system acquisition. Pipeline , Pricing |
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Refinery Air Pollution Dispute Analyzed refinery and chemical plant air emissions data, categorized events, and explained how and why refinery and chemical plant operations air emission events occur. Environmental , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Product Quality |
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Ammonia Plant Business Interruption Dispute Provided expert witness testimony in a multi-million dollar business interruption claim. Evaluated operating records, estimated business interruption losses due to a power outage. Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Ammonia Plant Construction Insurance Dispute Evaluated the technical basis for a ammonia plant insurance claim involving construction defects and warranty work. Inspected the plant, evaluated project records, and reviewed maintenance records. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Ammonia Plant Lender's Engineer Lender's engineer services for a major European bank on a 750 TPD ammonia plant relocation. Assessed existing and new technology that was to be incorporated in the project. Analyzed feedstock supply, reviewed contracts, and inspected progress prior to close of financing. Monitored construction progress, certified mechanical completion, and witnessed the plant performance test. Commercial Terms Review , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Ammonia Plant Lender's Engineer Lender's engineer for a major European bank on a world-scale ammonia plant construction project. Assessed the technology, analyzed feedstock supply agreements, reviewed contracts, and assisted with contracts negotiation. Monitored construction progress and witnessed the plant performance test. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Ammonia/Urea Reactor Failure Analysis Investigated the cause of an ammonia/urea plant reactor failure and responded to OSHA claims. Analyzed process equipment and operating practices used in ammonia and urea manufacture. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related |
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Natural Gas Processor Superfund Tax Dispute Reviewed the Superfund Tax legislation and its applicability to natural gas processors who produce natural gasoline at their facilities. Compared natural gas processing with crude oil processing in order to show whether the Superfund Tax was intended to be levied on gas processors. Environmental |
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Asbestos Exposure Litigation Assisted a manufacturer of industrial equipment in defending personal injury claims related to asbestos exposure. Assisted in discovery, assessed the likelihood and degree of employee exposure to asbestos during maintenance activities, and reviewed equipment specifications, project histories, and maintenance records for various power generation units. Provided opinions regarding the potential for personal injury due to asbestos exposure in the course of normal work activities. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety , Toxic Tort |
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Asian Refinery Competitive Analysis Assisted client in using PRISM refinery models to analyze Southeast Asian refineries competitive position. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Asphalt Market Study Provided a financial institution with an assessment of the market for paving asphalt in California. Study focused on current and short-term future markets and included the results of interviews with California paving grade asphalt producers, contractors, and buyers. Pricing |
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Audit of Gas Contract Conducted an audit of the revenue settlement of natural gas liquids and residue gas per the terms of a gas processing agreement. Investigated causes of reduced product yields, and reviewed compressor operation, fuel consumption, and product and fuel allocation procedures. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Bankruptcy Reorganization Developed, in conjunction with senior management, reorganization plans for various operating segments of a major trading and transport company. The resulting business plan formed the foundation of the company's successful reorganization and emergence from bankruptcy. Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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Benzene Exposure Reviewed plant operating history and emissions records and provided expert opinions regarding potential benzene exposure to refinery employees. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related |
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Benzene Production Economics Analyzed benzene production economics for inland refiner, including benzene price forecast and transportation cost to USGC. Reviewed benzene consumers and future market potential. Estimated the capital cost for benzene production and shipping facilities. Pipeline , Pricing , Project Feasibility , Waterborne/Marine |
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Business Interruption Damages Claim by Concrete Supplier Provided an expert consultant business interruption loss estimate for damages to a concrete products producer as a result of an incident at an oil refinery. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Biodiesel Plant Due Diligence Performed a site inspection and advised a potential investor on the commercial and technical risks associated with converting a chemical plant to biodiesel production. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Bitumen Economics/Refinery Reconfiguration Using the PRISM refinery simulator, calculated the economics of replacing the current refinery crude slate with Canadian synthetic-bitumen (syn-bit) or condensate-bitumen (dil-bit) blends. Cases were considered with and without capital investments and potential investment costs were also estimated. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Bitumen Processing Study Used our proprietary PRISM refinery model to determine the bitumen processing capability of several U.S. refineries. PRISM Data or Analysis , Product Quality |
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Bitumen Technology Evaluation Provided technical expertise in evaluating new technology for upgrading Canadian Oil Sands bitumen to saleable products. Reviewed technical reports and presentations, and prepared an assessment of the technical risks associated with developing a commercial scale unit. Product Quality |
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Bitumen Valuation Reviewed historical supply and demand of high TAN crude oil to the U.S. Gulf Coast refineries and addressed future trends which would impact a TAN discount. Estimated a TAN discount using two methodologies: Market based approach and Return on Capital investment approach. Calculated the impact on bitumen value as a result of asphaltenes content. Calculated the value added by a diluent recovery unit in a Canadian Oil Sands upgrader. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Bitumen Valuation Study Developed a methodology using a marker crude oil to value bitumen at the production site. Methodology addressed differences in qualities (sulfur, acid number) and refining yields. Transportation costs from the valuation hub to the production site were developed. Blending methodologies were evaluated to develop bitumen blends for comparison to the marker crude oil. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Black Oil Storage Provided an assessment of terminal facilities in the Long Beach and Los Angeles areas. Assessed historical and projected crude oil supply and demand for California. |
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Chemical Plant Business Interruption Claim Analyzed the impact of a major equipment fabrication error on a chemical plant business interruption (BI) claim including schedule delay and financial impacts. Business Interruption , EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Safety |
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Business Interruption Claim and Root Cause Analysis Monitored rebuild engineering and construction of facilities damaged by fire and offered expert opinion on the appropriate construction period for the business interruption claim. Participated in the incident root cause analysis. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Oil Exploration Business/Technology Valuation Conducted a due diligence assessment and economic valuation of a business with proprietary technology designed to significantly reduce crude oil exploration and finding costs. Intellectual Property , Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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C4 Upgrade Project Due Diligence Conducted preliminary due diligence for a project to upgrade various mixed C4 streams into a range of higher valued butylenes streams and chemical products. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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California Crude Oil Market Study Developed a detailed California crude oil supply, demand, and transportation balance (by refinery) for a mid-size independent California crude oil producer. Results were used in client's annual report for shareholders and security analysts. Crude Oil Valuation , Product Quality |
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Carbon Dioxide Impact of Refining Canadian Bitumen Using the PRISM refinery simulator, calculated and compared the carbon dioxide emissions for two processing options: (1) a bitumen upgrader in Canada combined with a refinery in the U.S. versus; (2) an integrated upgrader/refinery at the U.S. location. PRISM Data or Analysis , Environmental , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Caribbean Refinery Privatization Prepared a business plan and presentation brochure for privatization of a refinery on behalf of a group of international investors. Identified likely partners in the U.S. for marketing of the refinery's production of reformulated gasoline and distillate fuels. Identified several potential crude oil suppliers and assisted in preliminary negotiations for term crude oil contracts. Presented project to major European investment banks. |
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Caustic Soda Contract Dispute Reviewed caustic soda plant expansion and the ability of supplier to deliver the required volume of caustic soda under contract. Advised on the reasonableness of the expansion construction schedule based on review of environmental permits, public data, and internal documents on construction activities. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Chemical Pipeline Market Study On behalf of an acquisitive client, researched, identified, and characterized chemical pipeline operations in the U.S. to form a database of prospective business opportunities. The engagement included contacting each prospective target to ascertain an initial level of interest in pursuing commercial arrangements with the client. The study identified several attractive prospects and provided an overall measure of the market dimensions. Pipeline |
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Chemical Plant Accident Investigation Investigated an accident at a polyethylene production and storage facility. Reviewed equipment design, inspection and repair history, training of personnel, industry practices, and standards of care. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Chemical Plant Evaluation Provided an independent assessment at a chemical plant of recent maintenance and sustaining capital projects. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Chemical Plant Fair Market Valuations for Ad Valorem Tax Appeals Developed fair market valuations for two major chemical plant installations on behalf of the local appraisal district. The engagement included valuation by discounted cash flow, depreciated replacement cost, and comparable sales approaches, as well as a critique of the petitioner's methodologies and assumptions. Ad Valorem Taxes , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Chemical Plant Insurance Claim Support Provided comprehensive technical and accounting support for a property damage claim settlement and analysis for a chemical manufacturing plant that was damaged during a hurricane. Work included review of all repair cost estimates and invoiced repair invoices, as well as analysis of claimed damages discovered and submitted post-recovery. Assistance was also provided during final claim settlement negotiations. Business Interruption , Property Damage |
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Class Action Environmental Litigation Provided assistance in evaluating environmental issues which led to a neighborhood lawsuit. Reviewed plant operating and emissions history and provided preliminary opinions regarding the potential for future impact on local community. Environmental , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Clean Fuels Studies Modeled petroleum refinery operations to determine the impact of proposed ultra-low sulfur gasoline (ULSG) and diesel (ULSD) specifications on manufacturing costs. Provided reports to industry trade associations and government agencies. PRISM Data or Analysis , Environmental , Product Quality |
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Cogeneration Plant Property Tax Dispute Assisted municipality in developing preliminary value estimates for cogeneration facility under appeal. Work focused primarily on income approach values based on various forward pricing scenarios. Ad Valorem Taxes |
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Commercial Contract Litigation Assisted in a force majeure claim related to the recommissioning of a facility after a hurricane. Examined conformance with standard industry protocols and applicable laws, standards, and regulations. Assessed whether the facility operator acted in a reasonably prudent manner with respect to the commercial and technical issues necessary to safely restart the facility as soon as possible. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Company Reorganization Study Following the bankruptcy of a major Singapore-based shipyard, with significant oil interests throughout Southeast Asia, worked with the company's lenders to restructure and reorganize the company's asset base. Made visits to all major company sites and prepared report outlining current status. Recommended the disposition of non-core assets and the reorganization of core assets into a smaller and less highly leveraged entity. Following acceptance of most of recommendations by creditors' committee, company was able to successfully emerge from bankruptcy protection. Waterborne/Marine |
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Conceptual Design of Technical Services Department Performed a conceptual design of a Technical Services Division for a petroleum refining technology licensing company. The objective was to restructure the company's technology delivery methodology to generate improved gross margins, increase customer satisfaction and retention, and additional products and services. Advised the client on defining the critical aspects of the Technical Services Division and the best approach to designing and implementing the new group structure and function. Project Feasibility |
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Condensate Feedstock Contract Dispute Assisted in a claim between: (1) a European refiner and ultimate condensate supplier, and (2) an intermediary company, concerning allegations that the intermediary company was prevented from obtaining condensate supplies for sale to the refiner. Studied the potential availability and quality of condensates in the producing region and elsewhere. Identified potentially suitable condensates for the refinery. Based on forecasts of oil and petroleum product prices, prepared an estimate of potential economic damages. Described how term feedstock contracts for condensate are typically concluded. Testified at an arbitration in London. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pricing |
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Construction Dispute - Gas Plant Provided expert reports and testimony regarding project management issues, alleged defects, and liquidated damages for international arbitration between owner and contractor. The project involved an offshore platform, an undersea pipeline, an onshore pipeline, an onshore cryogenic gas processing plant, and a sales gas pipeline. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Gasification , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Offshore , Pipeline |
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Construction Dispute - Petrochemicals Plant Prepared a confidential "Cold Eyes Review" assessment concerning a contemplated claim between an owner and a contractor of a grassroots petrochemical facility. Reviewed draft claims, researched evidence, and interviewed key personnel in order to produce an independent view of the claim. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Construction Dispute Litigation - Gas Plant Assisted in a litigated dispute between Owner-Operator and Engineering & Construction Contractor over whether a cryogenic gas plant, as engineered, procured, and constructed, met the stipulated contractual performance guarantees; prepared expert witness rebuttal report with respect to relevant issues. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Gasification , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Contamination at Bulk Petroleum Storage Facility Evaluated the potential long-term contamination at a bulk storage facility resulting from the sediment contained in incoming hydrocarbons. Environmental |
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Contract Dispute Resolution Evaluated inter-company petrochemical stream transfers and cost allocations pursuant to the mutually agreeable resolution of a contractual dispute between entities engaged in multiple across-the-fence feedstock and product exchanges. Pricing |
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Contractual Dispute Performed a due diligence of owner allegations and contractor claims pertaining to a Lump Sum-Turn Key contract termination. Reviewed documents, schedules, witness statements, and expert reports to advise counsel on implications of contracting strategy and contract management following award. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Contractual Dispute - Property Tax Prepared an analysis of property taxes relative to refining complexity for a number of refineries in a particular region, using public information, for hearings with a district appraisal board. PRISM Data or Analysis , Ad Valorem Taxes , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Cost Allocation Report Following a refinery fire incident and rebuild, performed an analysis of all elements of the repair costs, and produced a report that assessed and allocated repairs into three categories: identical replacement, functional replacement, and upgrade. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Crude Oil and Refined Products Business Restructuring Assessed the viability and financial prospects of a proposed business restructuring designed to eliminate refining operations and develop pipeline supply options. The analysis results facilitated the client's successful efforts to finance and implement the restructuring plan. |
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Crude Oil Contamination Dispute Investigated a claim that refinery equipment damages were allegedly caused by a sour crude producer that injected high-metals crude into a ultra-sweet crude gathering pipeline. Case settled prior to deposition and trial. Pipeline , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Evaluation Evaluated several processing alternatives and combinations of various refining assets located in the Caribbean and on the U.S. Gulf Coast to process heavy Ecuadorian crude oil production. Crude Oil Valuation , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Evaluation Assisted an independent California crude oil producer in establishing a pricing formula for sale of its heavy oil production under a long-term contract. The analysis included a historical review of relative crude values and the key price drivers affecting the value differences between grades. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Gathering System Evaluation On behalf of an independent U.S. refiner, conducted an in-depth study of its crude oil gathering and transportation system. Our study included reviews of physical assets and crude oil purchase and transportation agreements, and evaluation of the economics of retention versus disposition. Our results and conclusions were used by the client in its asset rationalization plans. Pipeline , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Crude Oil Import Terminal Feasibility Examined the feasibility of a deep water import terminal to meet the domestic refining industry's needs for imported crude oil as West Coast crude production declines. The analysis included a review of the history of imported crude oil for West Coast refineries, the current outlook for domestic production declines, crude oil import trends, shipping logistics, refinery capabilities, and future opportunities for moving crude oils to refining facilities east of the Rocky Mountains. Pipeline , Project Feasibility , Waterborne/Marine |
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Crude Oil Market Studies Prepared several detailed assessments of West Coast crude oil markets for an independent California producer. Studies included preparation of detailed regional balances, identification of target refineries for client's crude oil, and estimation of its value relative to imported and domestic alternatives. Results were presented to client's executive management and at its banker and security analyst conferences. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing |
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Crude Oil Marketing and Trading Reorganization Recommended organizational structure and operating practice changes to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and profitability in the European crude oil marketing and trading arm of a major international oil company. Commercial Terms Review , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Russian Crude Oil Marketing Strategy Analyzed potential markets, transportation options and costs, and contracting strategies for new crude oil production in Russia's Sakhalin Island region. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Offshore , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Marketing Study Assisted the U.S. General Accounting Office in evaluating the potential for marketing of Naval Reserve crude (Elk Hills) in markets east of the Rockies. Work included evaluation of breakeven refining values, assessment of yield and contaminant penalties, and analysis of the potential for supplying this crude to the Gulf Coast market. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Marketing Study Provided support to a major Canadian crude oil pipeline transporter in the customization of the PRISM model, Baker & O'Brien's proprietary refining industry analysis tool, the company had licensed from Baker & O'Brien. Support included addition of crude oils of specific interest to the client. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pipeline , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Custody Transfer Dispute Investigated alleged crude oil Automatic Custody Transfer volume and quality measuring devices irregularities. Reviewed common carrier pipeline tariffs, inspected site, and analyzed measurement data. Crude Oil Valuation , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Pipeline Acquisition Due diligence for a Canada to U.S. crude oil pipeline acquisition including a crude oil supply/demand balance forecast. Pipeline , Pricing |
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Crude Oil Processing Contract Dispute Served as expert witness concerning a dispute between an international oil trading company (Trader) and an independent refining company (Refiner), between whom there was a crude oil processing contract. The Trader alleged that the Refiner misappropriated products to its own account. Analyzed the refinery production and product disposition under each processing deal over a period of three years and calculated the damages under the alleged misappropriation. Prepared an independent detailed damages claim for insurance purposes and defended the claim at trial. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Quality Dispute Acted as expert witness in a dispute between a major oil company and a small crude oil supplier that allegedly delivered "dumbbell" crude into the oil company's common carrier pipeline system. Prepared a report covering standard industry pipeline practices, crude oil quality acceptance, crude oil trading, and refining values of various crude oils. Calculated damages incurred as a result of the poor quality crude oil delivered and the impact on refiners receiving crude from the pipeline. Crude Oil Valuation , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pipeline , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Royalty Litigation Assisted in a lawsuit between an oil company and a royalty owner of oil company's crude oil production for alleged underpayment. Work included identification of the various markets for this crude oil to established whether its value in these markets was consistent with the price received. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Sludge Accumulation Following a claim concerning sludge accumulation in crude oil storage tanks over a twenty-year period, advised as to the creation of sludge in crude oil tanks, its accumulation, the ways to prevent or control it, and the conventional ways of dealing with it. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Supply Evaluation On behalf of a major pipeline and terminal company, prepared a detailed assessment of future crude oil supply and demand balances for the U.S. West Coast, with an emphasis on California. The assessment was used by the client as a key part of its justification for a new crude oil import terminal, capable of handling VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers), to be constructed in the Port of Los Angeles. Results were presented to community and state government groups. Pipeline , Waterborne/Marine |
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Crude Oil Terminal and Pipeline Study Assisted in the site selection study for a new crude oil terminal and a pipeline connecting the terminal to an existing refinery. Pipeline , Project Feasibility |
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Crude Oil Utilization Study Assisted an Australian crude oil producer in preparing and submitting a "brief" to the Australian Government regarding the impact of large new volumes of Australian crude oil on the domestic refining industry. Analyzed the crude oil supplies available to each refinery and estimated the new investment that might be needed to process crude oils containing increased volumes of light ends. Assisted in making recommendations to the Government on the framing of new regulations to lessen the impact on both the industry and the consumer. Project Feasibility |
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Crude Oil Valuation Conducted a valuation for a new grade of Atlantic crude oil production, likely to be marketed to refineries in the U.S. East Coast and U.S. Gulf Coast. The study used PRISM for several specific refineries to calculate refinery breakeven values for the target crude in comparison to several competing grades. The analysis also included a historical review of the calculated relative crude refining values and the key price drivers affecting the value differences between grades. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Supply Study Assisted client in constructing a crude oil supply balance for PADD II and developed incremental crude oil valuations for refineries in PADD II using PRISM, Baker & O'Brien's proprietary refining industry analysis tool. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Damages from Steam Turbine Failure Assisted in determining economic damages resulting from failures associated with a new steam turbine that was provided and installed by a turbine manufacturer at a power generation facility. Conducted independent assessment of economic losses suffered by electric cooperative as a result of both short-term and long-term performance shortfalls and outages. Business Interruption , EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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Defective Paint Evaluated automotive paint and coatings data. Analyzed survey data for paint and coatings system performance when applied by a "big three" automotive manufacturer to determine liability contribution for coating failures. Required understanding of evolution of automotive paint and coating systems. Assisted in evaluation of economic damages resulting from coating application failures. Product Quality |
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Defective Product Lawsuit Provided an expert report concerning a dispute between a pressure safety relief device manufacturer and an operator of a claim that a device did not operate as designed in a reactor overpressure incident. Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Defend Wastewater Treater Air Emissions Requested to provide expert witness opinion of industrial standard of care for wastewater treater operations. Issue concerned volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from a wastewater treater feed tank. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Delayed Coker Fire Investigation Assisted client in investigating the cause of a coker hydrocarbon release and fire, which resulted in multiple fatalities. Visited refinery and reviewed procedures and events preceding the incident to identify potential areas of causation and liability. Operating experience and knowledge of technical and safety issues and of industry and management practices helped the client in addressing specific claims issues. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Due Diligence of Gas Gathering and Processing Assets Conducted due diligence on gas gathering and processing assets within the Permian Basin in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas on behalf of lending group and prospective purchaser. Conducted physical inspection of the facilities, reviewed operation and maintenance records, assessed gas supply and competitive position, and reviewed financial assumptions and projections to ensure consistency with current gas supply contracts and asset performance. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Dust Collection System Risk Assessment Performed a quantitative risk assessment on a dust collection system associated with the multifolder process at a large paper products manufacturing facility. Purpose was to determine if OSHA stipulations were appropriate. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Economic Damages Litigation - Plant Explosion Retained concerning claims of design errors and failures in project management, following explosions and fires at a petrochemical plant. Conducted in-depth reviews of engineering, procurement, and construction agreements; process technology and design basis; construction records; owner's operating procedures; and actual operating history since start-up of the plant. Evaluated operating system provided against prevailing industry standards and examined potential for equipment failure. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Economic Damages Litigation - Plant Fire Following furnace damage and rebuild, provided expert regarding property damage costs and normal maintenance/scheduled turnaround/betterment costs. Similarly, business interruption costs were compiled with reference to market situation and product volumes that were available from inventory. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Electric Incident Investigation Conducted a Root Cause Failure Analysis on a power generation facility following the failures of a surge arrester and a backup battery system. Identified required inspection assistance, evaluated failed component inspection results and examined practices and procedures in place at the facility. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Estimate for Fire Rebuild Developed a cost estimate for replacing and/or purchasing new equipment and materials after damage from plant fire. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Property Damage |
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Ethanol Impact on Refinery Margins Assessed the impact to U.S. refining margins that would likely result from aggressive growth in ethanol production in the U.S. The study examined the likely distribution of ethanol by PADD under an aggressive ethanol growth scenario, the resulting gasoline supply and demand balances, and the consequent impact on margins over a 10-year period. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Ethanol Supply and Demand Study Studied and presented the effects of ethanol supply and demand scenarios on regional gasoline supply and demand for a small domestic refiner. |
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Ethanol Supply Demand Evaluation & Pricing Forecast Prepared an evaluation of ethanol manufacturing business for a U.S. company considering major capital investments to enter that business. Developed an analysis which included ethanol supply/demand projections for key gasoline markets, forecasts of future ethanol pricing within those markets, and key sensitivities. Pricing |
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Ethanol Terminal Blending Facility Evaluation On behalf of a private equity firm, reviewed a site development plan for a coastal ethanol receiving terminal and associated gasoline blending facility. Evaluated the market competition for terminalling services within the local area. Pricing , Product Quality |
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Ethylene Plant Construction Litigation Assisted in a dispute concerning allegations that poor engineering work product contributed to a >$100 million cost overrun. Assisted with discovery, inspected plant, evaluated construction documents, analyzed the project critical path, and analyzed lost income due to delays in the project schedule. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Evaluate Biodiesel Production Facility Provided due diligence review of a biodiesel facility in support of project financing. Reviewed capital costs, operating costs, process technology, and maintenance requirements. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Evaluate Biodiesel Technology and Plant Design Reviewed and critiqued plant design for prospective biofuels production facility. Project Feasibility |
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Evaluate Biodiesel Technology Development and Scale-Up Assessed the technology development and commercialization plan for a biodiesel production hydroprocessing facility. Our conclusions helped provide the basis for the formation of a joint business venture to construct and operate a world-scale biodiesel plant. Project Feasibility |
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Evaluation of New Crude Production Evaluated potential markets and the value of a new crude oil produced from offshore platforms in the West Africa. Crude Oil Valuation , Offshore , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Evaluation of Refinery Competitive Environment Assisted in a dispute between a major oil company and the Federal Trade Commission's claims regarding the anti-competitive nature of the company's proposed acquisition of a West Coast-based refining and marketing company. Prepared a detailed report analyzing the West Coast refining industry. Assessed the competitive position of each West Coast refinery processing Alaskan crude oil and how they might respond to changes in crude oil prices and/or availability. Pricing |
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Evaluation of Refinery Operating Procedures Acted as independent advisor in a dispute between a refinery and the Environmental Protection Agency following a period of excess emissions. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Expert Consulting Services Provided expert consulting services concerning a personal injury incident that involved a weld failure and a release of hydrocarbons. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Fair Market Valuation On behalf of a major U.S. gas power plant developer, estimated the fair market value of a 1,000 MW natural gas-fired electric power project. Evaluated turn key fixed-price contract for engineering, procurement, and construction for the combined-cycle generation facility along with utilities, rights-of-way, and permits. Reviewed the procurement and delivery of four natural gas turbines and two steam turbine generators. Pricing |
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Fair Market Valuation of Refinery for Ad Valorem Tax Fair market valuation of a major US Gulf Coast refinery for the local appraisal district. Provided a critique of the valuation methodology used by the refinery as basis for lawsuit seeking reduced ad valorem taxes. Ad Valorem Taxes , Pricing |
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FCC NOx Allocation Prepared a report of FCC regenerator nitrogen oxides (NOx) production that allowed allocation of FCC NOx from a combined refinery stack. The report was used to negotiate the allowable corporate average NOx limits with the EPA. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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FCC Construction Litigation Provided expert testimony regarding allegations that construction errors in the installation of an FCC catalyst cooler resulted in a significant business interruption claim. Assisted in discovery, analyzed operating data, evaluated design issues, calculated property damages and business interruption losses. Business Interruption , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Feasibility and Economics to Produce CARB Phase 3 Gasoline and Diesel Performed independent assessment of a refinery project to produce CARB gasoline and diesel. Assessment included feasibility, cost, and economics of the project. Study was performed for a prospective buyer of the refinery. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Fertilizer Project Due Diligence Assessment In conjunction with a leading upstream consulting firm, conducted a due diligence assessment of gas resources for the purpose of developing a fertilizer complex associated with onshore and offshore gas production under development. The assignment entailed delineating the quantity and quality of gas resources available to support the prospective fertilizer project and estimating costs to deliver natural gas suitable for producing nitrogen fertilizers to the project. Fertilizers , Offshore , Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Agrochemicals Manufacturing Performed due diligence for the purchase of several fertilizer plants on behalf of an investor. These plants manufactured nitrogen fertilizers, phosphate fertilizers, methanol, and other related industrial chemicals. Inspected company assets, assessed technology, analyzed feedstock and product markets, reviewed contracts, evaluated capital investment programs, and analyzed comparative manufacturing economics. Fertilizers , Pricing |
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Financial Model Developed a financial model for a large private equity firm to enable estimates of the future financial performance for the major business segments of a large international refining and petrochemical company. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Fischer Tropsch (FT) Liquids Market Study Evaluated potential markets for Fischer Tropsch products, and the logistical requirements to access those markets from a coal-to-liquids facility. The products included LPG, naphtha, jet fuel, and diesel, and the analysis included expected netback pricing (FOB the plant) to support financial modeling of the capital project. Gas to Liquids , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Fischer Tropsch (FT) Market Study Conducted a market study for intermediate and finished products resulting from FT synthesis of a gas source in West Africa. The study assessed the best markets and projected netback prices for FT diesel, jet, and naphtha, as well as a review of the marketability of intermediate (unfinished) FT products. Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Force Majeure Dispute Provided expert report relating to a claimed force majeure event that extended a petrochemical plant’s turnaround schedule. The plant operator claimed force majeure due to defects in critical equipment that was required to be installed during the turnaround. The correction to the defects then resulted in the late delivery of equipment. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Formaldehyde Plant Construction Litigation Assisted in a dispute concerning allegations that completion delays and poor plant performance at a European formaldehyde plant resulted in a multi-million dollar damage claim. Assisted with discovery, inspected plant, evaluated plant operating records, reviewed construction contracts, valued the plant, and calculated damages. Presented and defended conclusions at hearing. Arbitration , EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Litigation - Fuels Terminal Operations Assessment Performed expert advice on fuels terminal operations that focused on the practices and procedures with an emphasis on the filling of product tanks. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage , Safety |
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Gas Measurement Dispute Performed a preliminary audit of natural gas measurement discrepancies between an unregulated gathering system and an interstate pipeline. Identified periods that meters were out of service and utilized system balance to estimate deliveries. Pipeline |
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Gas Pipeline Rupture Dispute Performed an independent assessment of the costs incurred, including the lost natural gas inventory, on a ruptured interstate gas transmission line for which the owner requested a multi-million dollar damage reimbursement. A report was prepared for mediation which resulted in a negotiated settlement. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline , Pricing |
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Gas Processing Performed a preliminary evaluation of the gas processing design, capital costs, and economics for a natural gas liquids recovery and fractionation facility and a condensate stabilization facility in the Republic of Turkmenistan. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Gas to Liquids Feasibility Study Prepared a conceptual design for a Fischer-Tropsch based gas-to-liquids unit using low value associated gas to produce LPG, gasoline, and zero sulfur diesel. Developed estimates of charge and yield, capital and operating costs, and project development and capital spending schedules. Gas to Liquids , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Gas Turbine Damage Assisted in a root-cause analysis and damages dispute concerning a major turbine failure in the start-up of a power plant. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Gas Well Incident Prepared expert report on behalf of client versus OSHA. Matter involved failure of a pipe carrying natural gas that injured one contractor. OSHA cited client for failure to provided a safe means of pressure relief for vessel (in-line heater) and piping. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Gas Well Production Dispute Reviewed gas well production (meter readings) and pipeline pressure history to determine if gas was delivered into gathering system when the system was not being monitored and the local injection compressor was not operating. Pipeline |
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Gas Wellhead Equipment Failure Performed root cause analysis of a gas well casing hanger which led to a well blow out. Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Gasification Project Assessment Assisted in the evaluation of a petcoke-to-substitute natural gas facility to support possible equity investment. Assessment included review of technology, commercial issues, and economics. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Gasoline Blending Compliance Provided analysis for a refiner that does not produce finished gasoline on the prospects for producing gasoline that meets all API and ASTM requirements. Analyzed the options available to the refinery for blending reformate fractions and whether aromatics or benzene would likely be the constraining specification as it relates to the "anti-dumping" rule. Evaluated potential early compliance with the EPA's mobile source air toxics (MSAT2) program. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Gasoline Contamination Dispute Provided expert report on refinery practices concerning caustic carryover in FCC gasoline mercaptan treaters. Class action plaintiffs, consisting of retail station owners, alleged underground storage tank damage due to gasoline contamination. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Product Quality |
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Gasoline Market Study Provided an analysis of the gasoline market in several mid-continent cities, including a twenty-year price forecast for a client considering market entry. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Gasoline Spill Litigation Assisted in a dispute between a retail marketer and contractor concerning allegations that contractor's work contributed to a gasoline spill from a retail gas station that contaminated the well water of 130 homes. Assisted in discovery, evaluated the mechanical integrity of equipment, examined unique theories of causation, inspected site, and attended destructive testing procedures. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Global Gasification Feedstock Analysis Conducted an analysis of the potential low-cost carbon feedstocks for a grassroots gasification project to produce a combination of synthetic fuels and electricity. The study investigated sources and delivered costs for various feedstocks, including coal, petroleum coke, and low-valued refinery streams such as residuum and cracked fuel oils. Historical data was used to assess pricing mechanisms for world petroleum coke prices, including delivered coal prices to Japan and Western Europe. Gas to Liquids , LNG , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Global Polyethylene Study Conducted a global market analysis to determine export market potential for a proposed ethylene/polyethylene complex. The study encompassed development of global supply/demand balances and price forecasts, as well as an analysis of prospective competitors' process economics. EPC-related , Pricing |
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Grassroots Refinery Feasibility Study Conducted a feasibility study for a grassroots refinery project that included assessment of potential crude oil supplies, various refinery configurations, and a detailed analysis of target markets and product distribution logistics. The study also included an integrated coke gasification complex to supply hydrogen, power, and steam to the refinery. Capital cost estimates were prepared and project economics were developed for a range of scenarios. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Grassroots Refinery Study Built a grassroots refinery model using our proprietary PRISM refinery modeling system. Our client (a PRISM licensee) then used the model to evaluate the economics of various refinery configurations. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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GTL Diesel Blending Study Performed several diesel blending studies in different refinery configurations using PRISM to calculate the Green House Gas benefits of using GTL diesel as a potential blendstock. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Heliport Pipeline Leak Prepared expert rejoinder report on leakage from fuel storage, pipeline, and loading system located at a heliport and marine dock. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , OSHA-related |
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HF Alkylation Incident Investigated facts related to pump casing rupture where hydrofluoric acid was released. Reviewed refinery operations, training, and safety practices. Advised attorneys on generally accepted industry engineering practices and standards regarding design, operation, and maintenance of hydrofluoric acid alkylation unit. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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HF Alkylation Restrictions Impact Analysis Investigated and analyzed the impact of various potential restrictions on the use of HF alkylation technology in U.S. Refineries. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Historical Refinery Waste Generation Provided expert report on the probable types and amounts of wastes produced by a refinery during its 50-plus year operating life. Study was part of litigation involving assignment of responsibility for an EPA superfund site. Environmental , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Hurricane Rita Claim A petrochemicals facility experienced a loss of steam supply from an outside steam supplier and a subsequent unscheduled shutdown which, in turn, resulted in production losses and major damage to the facility. The steam supplier attributed the steam outage to boiler damage caused by a hurricane, which had made landfall several months earlier. Assisted by investigating the link between the hurricane and the steam supplier boiler outages. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Impact of Gasoline Toxics Regulations Quantified the impact of proposed changes in gasoline toxics regulations (MSAT-II) on each individual refinery in the U.S. Using our proprietary PRISM refinery modeling system, calculated investment costs, changes in operating costs and product yields. Our report was presented in testimony before the U.S. E.P.A. PRISM Data or Analysis , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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Crude Import Facilities Study Analyzed the adequacy of southern California port infrastructure to accommodate future crude oil import requirements. PRISM Data or Analysis , Waterborne/Marine |
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Incident Analysis - Petrochemicals Performed an investigation analysis following fire and explosion incidents at a major Gulf Coast manufacturing facility. The engagement entailed development of the sequence of events, root cause analysis, assessment of the decision to rebuild, and reconstruction monitoring. An independent project schedule and cost estimate for the plant reconstruction was developed. Business Interruption , EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Property Damage , Safety |
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Independent Engineer Retained as the Independent Engineer for the "grassroots" Tangguh LNG Liquefaction Project in Indonesia. Prepared the technical due diligence for the US$3 billion facility on behalf of a financial consortium. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , LNG , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Independent Power Production Assisted in the development proposals for two independent power projects in southeastern Japan. One facility, which was successfully implemented, involved a $180 million investment for a petroleum coke-fired 130 megawatt condensing turbine generator. Assisted in the creation of a sophisticated linear program model, which was used to justify the project, based on cash flows and probable rates of return. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Industrial Incident Investigated cause of dust cloud deflagration at a Vitamin E production facility. Assessed that bulk solids handling procedures were modified without considering the original safety design basis for the equipment. Developed expert opinions on causation. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Insurance Arbitration Investigated the circumstances surrounding an oil spill at a Gulf Coast refinery following a hurricane. Work focused on whether the refiner acted as a "prudent operator" before and after the hurricane and whether the owner was entitled to a claim for damages based on an insurance policy's pollution exclusion clause. Prepared a written report for submission into evidence in an international arbitration. Arbitration , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Environmental Contamination Insurance Litigation Provided expert witness testimony and analysis regarding liability and damages for petroleum refinery environmental contamination insurance claims across the U.S. based on the multiple insurance contracts for each site. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Toxic Tort |
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Interstate Pipeline Inspection Practices Provided expert testimony on inspection and maintenance practices for interstate petroleum products pipelines. Issues included reasonable depth of additional overfill and width of maintenance right-of-way. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Investigate Refinery Heater Explosion Performed root cause analysis of an explosion at a refinery heater and identified contributing factors. Performed a review of safe operating procedures, including shutdown and start-up of heaters. Provided expert testimony. Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage , Safety |
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Investigation of Gas Processing Plant Incident Assisted in the investigation of an explosion and fire with resulting failure of natural gas supply from onshore crude oil, condensate, and natural gas processing facilities located offshore. Reviewed facility design, operating, and maintenance standards and prepared expert testimony. |
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Ion-Exchange Resin Plant Performed market study and competitive analysis of an ion-exchange resin plant on behalf of a major government agency bank. Study evaluated the financing of an ion-exchange resin manufacturer in the context of possible sale of the plant. Pricing |
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Isobutanol Valuation Study In order to assess the potential value of isobutanol as a gasoline blending component, performed simulations of refinery operations at a select group of West Coast refineries to calculate isobutanol value relative to blending ethanol into gasoline. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Jet Fuel Contamination Dispute Following product quality issues in major interstate product pipeline movements, reviewed product injection practices and analyses at pipeline injection point. Evaluated analyses at various points along the pipeline to assess possibility of quality degradation. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline , Product Quality |
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Jet Fuel Underpayment Claim Assessed jet fuel supply contracts to the Defense Energy Supply Center to see if an overpayment claim was justified. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Lender's Independent Engineer Served as independent engineer for a "grassroots" olefins project. Prepared the technical due diligence for a US$4 billion facility on behalf of international export credit agencies and onshore and offshore lenders. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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MTBE Litigation Provided expert witness testimony regarding MTBE use in gasoline refinery supply, pipeline distribution, and retail marketing in groundwater contamination litigation in multiple jurisdictions. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Product Quality , Toxic Tort |
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Litigation - Wastewater Treating Provided expert consulting support for a refinery wastewater treating environmental criminal matter. The work required previous experience with and a solid understanding of the plant processes and equipment which are used in treating industrial wastewater. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Long-term Outlook - Global Refining and Light/Sweet Crude Completed a study that examined longer-term developments of the worldwide refining industry and strategies for maximizing the sales value of light, sweet crude grades. The study identified and evaluated a long-term pricing strategy for light/sweet crude oil as a response to expected changes in crude oil quality, environmental legislation and mandates, and regional growth trends in petroleum demand. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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LPG Pipeline Contamination Evaluated pipeline contamination and potential sources of contaminants from various sources. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline , Product Quality |
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LPG Pipeline Specifications Evaluated pipeline tariffs, product specifications, connection agreements, and liquefied petroleum gas sales agreements, including the determination of fractionator feedstock and product economics, for the export of liquefied petroleum gas to northern Mexico from fractionation facilities in West Texas. Commercial Terms Review , Pipeline , Product Quality |
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Lube Oil Market Assessment Conducted a survey of the potential market for naphthenic lubricating oils in South and Central America. Analysis was used to complete a full feasibility study of a new Venezuelan-based refinery to manufacture these products. Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Lube Oil Market Study On behalf of a major oil company, prepared a forecast of the worldwide supply/demand balance for paraffinic lube oil base stocks to support the development of a new high technology manufacturing facility to be located in Saudi Arabia. Project was a joint venture between the company and the Saudi Arabian government. Output from the project was intended to serve the high growth areas of the Middle East and Far East. Project Feasibility |
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M&A Dispute Evaluated the foreseeability of project cost overruns that negatively impacted the economics of the acquisition of an EPC Firm. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Manufactured Gas Plant Provided technical assistance and review of historical documents in support of litigation regarding the environmental cleanup of a manufactured gas plant site. The site, which had various gasification units in operation between approximately 1870 to 1950, had been used for a number of other purposes. Analysis investigated the contamination present at the site to all previous and current gas plant operations. Environmental , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Manufacturing Facility and Plant Evaluation Performed an on-site assessment of a pipe manufacturing facility to determine operational viability. Key assessments made on mechanical integrity and reliability of the process equipment, technical understanding and organizational strength of facility personnel, and related operational issues. Physical Asset Appraisal , Project Feasibility |
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Marine Cargo Contamination Investigated causes for contamination of a cargo of gasoline delivered by ship to Ecuador. Work included review of contract requirements, gasoline blending practices, surveyor procedures, and issues related to laboratory testing of gasoline. Product Quality , Waterborne/Marine |
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Marine Terminal Development Reviewed design requirements and monitored construction, start-up, and operation of a project to develop a bulk liquids terminal. Work included review of dredging requirement, schedule, and interfaces between this project and a project to export ammonia from the terminal. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Waterborne/Marine |
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Market Analysis and Term Supply Contracting - Synthetic Crude Oil Assisted a Venezuelan joint venture company in developing a marketing strategy for a new synthetic crude oil. The assignment included an evaluation of the potential market for the new production, modeling of refinery values for the new production, detailed assessments of potential supply agreements, and assistance in term contract negotiations. Commercial Terms Review , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Market Impact of Low Sulfur Fuels Regulations Using our proprietary PRISM refinery modeling system, performed a refinery-by-refinery analysis of potential production of low sulfur fuels by U.S. refineries. Analysis included the seasonal productions of conventional and reformulated gasolines and ULSD and also included jet fuel and high sulfur diesel production. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Royalty Dispute Provided expert testimony regarding the reasonableness of natural gas royalty payments by comparing available arm's-length contracts, pricing, and actual costs of gathering, compressing, and processing the gas. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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South American Crude Marketing On behalf of a major international oil trading company, developed ongoing valuations for a South American crude oil in several refining markets. Client used the results to achieve maximum values for the crude oil that was being marketed under a long-term contract. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing |
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Midstream Acquisition Due Diligence Assisted energy distribution company with due diligence for potential transaction involving gas gathering and processing assets located in the Permian Basin. Assets evaluated included over 4,000 miles of gas and liquid pipelines, four gas processing plants, and multiple gas treating plants. Participated in data room reviews and management presentations with a focus on commercial, operational, and technical evaluations of midstream systems. Developed comprehensive economic model of the integrated gathering and processing assets that was used to determine valuations and evaluate key sensitivities. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline , Pricing |
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Modular Refinery Conceptual Study Performed a conceptual analysis of a small, skid-mounted refinery operating in the Middle East to serve local markets. Assessed the likely configuration and capital costs and yields, given an assumed crude slate. Pricing |
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Multi-Refinery Synergies Analyzed the synergies and economic advantages of companies that operate multiple refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Analysis included advantages in crude acquisition; turnaround and routine maintenance; feedstock and product transportation; efficient processing of intermediate streams; and optimal capital investment. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Asset Strategic Initiative Prepared job descriptions and qualifications as part of a new organizational strategy of a fully integrated natural gas division. Project Feasibility |
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Natural Gas Pipeline and Processing Plant Due Diligence Assisted an electric utility in its merger with a gas transmission and distribution company. Inspected pipeline and processing facilities and reviewed natural gas and natural gas liquids supply and marketing issues. Conducted operations review and an analysis of staffing levels. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Production Facilities Served as one of two project managers responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction of a 200 million cubic feet per day natural gas recovery facility in central Algeria to provide the feedstock for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant on the Algerian coast. At the time of installation, the $250-million project was the largest of its kind in the world. Conducted negotiations with local labor, equipment, and utility suppliers. Arranged meetings with local environmental agencies to ensure compliance with all national environmental rules and regulations. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , LNG , Operations/Maintenance |
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Natural Gas Royalty Dispute On behalf of several producing companies, demonstrated the reasonableness of royalty payments for natural gas by comparing available arm's-length contracts, pricing, and actual costs of gathering, compressing, and processing the gas. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Royalty Litigation Evaluated the design and historical capital costs of a natural gas pipeline system in western Oklahoma. Reviewed system material balances and operator's natural gas measurement practices. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Tax Dispute Following the imposition of a new oil and gas taxation regime, a dispute arose regarding the contractual right of local natural gas producers to "pass through" incremental taxes to their customers. Served as expert witness. Key work involved the development of a fair mechanism to allocate recovery and distribution costs between "jointly" produced hydrocarbons, including oil, condensate, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. Prepared and defended specific proposal in the arbitration proceedings. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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New Petroleum Products Terminal On behalf of a major international construction company, prepared a preliminary feasibility study on a new petroleum products import terminal to serve the local market . Study included facility layout and size estimates for docks and storage tanks. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline , Project Feasibility , Waterborne/Marine |
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Nitroparaffins Litigation Assisted in a dispute between an operator and and EPC firm concerning allegations that the process design contributed to an explosion at a nitroparaffins manufacturing plant. Assisted in discovery, evaluated design issues, and provided expert testimony. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Offshore Pipeline Failure Following a business interruption claim concerning number of failures on a large subsea crude oil pipeline, examined original construction specifications, maintenance, inspection, and operation records of the pipeline. Also reviewed the repair plans and repair execution of the failed components and made recommendations to include: a) comprehensive metallurgical analyses; b) preparation of an efficient repair and execution schedule; and c) complete subsea modeling of the pipeline for the purpose of failure mode and time to failure predictions. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Offshore , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Offshore Pipeline Project Served as Independent Engineer on behalf of a major financial institution for a $200 million project to build a deepwater gas and oil-gathering system. Prepared a valuation of offshore pipelines and an onshore gas processing plant for gathering and processing of deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production in support of structured finance. Certified completion of the project for financial purposes. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Offshore , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Offshore Platform Design Assessed design of elevated platform and ladders on a jack-up oil derrick which was under construction. Compared design to industry standards. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Offshore |
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Oil and Gas Royalty Valuation In support of a potential public offering, calculated the net present value of a defined royalty interest payable on all proceeds from the sale of crude oil, condensate, natural gas, and natural gas liquids produced from the Gippsland Basin in the Bass Strait off the coast of Australia. Worked in conjunction with an oil reservoir firm that prepared field production estimates over the next 20 years. Report became part of the offering memorandum submitted in compliance with local Public Securities Commission regulations. Crude Oil Valuation , Offshore , Pricing |
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Oil Company Privatization Performed due diligence for the purchase of an integrated oil company on behalf of an investor. Inspected company assets, assessed technology, analyzed feedstock and product markets, evaluated a capital investment program, and analyzed manufacturing economics. |
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Crude Oil Quality Contract Dispute Expert witness services regarding a high TAN (acid) crude oil supply contract and refinery construction and corrosion. Commercial Terms Review , Crude Oil Valuation , Product Quality |
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Oil Sands Downstream Integration Venture Assisted a producer of Canadian oil sands in assessing potential joint venture partners and refinery acquisition targets for processing diluted bitumen in the U.S. Conducted modeling and analysis of prospective refineries and advised the client on likely capital expenditures required for processing increasing volumes of diluted bitumen. Performed technical due diligence, assisted with cash flow valuation analysis, and supported negotiations. Pricing |
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Paper Coating Plant Project Finance Served as independent engineer on behalf of a major financial institution for the construction of a new $100 million paper coating plant. Prepared due diligence, assessed technology, evaluated project scope of work and schedule, reviewed engineering, procurement, and construction contracts, and advised bank with respect to mitigation of project risks. Commercial Terms Review , EPC-related , Project Feasibility |
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Paraxylene (PX) Contract Dispute On behalf of a major international buyer of paraxylene, prepared an expert analysis concerning damages claimed by a large US based supplier. Analysis included a detailed evaluation of supplier's paraxylene manufacturing economics. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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Petrochemical Business Privatizations Developed market valuations, evaluated strategic business alternatives, and formulated short-term planning objectives for several diversified East European chemical companies undergoing the transition from state control to private ownership. Engagements included marketing efforts directed to attracting investors and joint venture partners. Pricing |
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PVC Plant Litigation Assisted in a dispute concerning allegations that an explosion at a major manufacturer of PVC resins was due to a poor process design that failed to meet government regulations and engineering standards. Assisted in discovery, inspected the plant, evaluated procedures and work methods, reviewed applicable standards, and reviewed operating records. Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Review of Power Development Projects Evaluated the economic value of five interim power projects in various stages of development for an international power project developer. |
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Propane Product Quality Dispute Investigated the design and operation of a natural gas liquid fractionation, storage, and loading facility located on the Red Sea to determine potential causes of alleged hydrogen sulfide contamination of propane cargoes. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality |
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Polyurethane Foam Litigation Assisted in claims concerning polyurethane foam system products that were alleged to be defective or unfit for their intended use. Assisted in discovery, observed and reviewed work environment and work methods, evaluated manufacturing records, reviewed warranty claims, and prepared trial exhibits. Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Valuation of Pipelines and Gas Plant Served as independent engineer on behalf of a major bank to value and certify completion of a project to build offshore pipelines and an onshore gas processing plant for gathering and processing of deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production. The valuation was prepared for the lender in support of $200 million of structured finance. EPC-related , Offshore , Pipeline |
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Refinery Evaluation Prepared a study of the economics of various alternative operating modes, including expansion through addition of new processing units, for an independent refinery in the United Arab Emirates. Study included assessment and ranking of a variety of feedstocks and processing schemes and utilized a model specifically developed for the refinery. LP/Planning Practice , Pricing |
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Refinery Equipment Sales Assisted the owner of a 60,000 BPD crude oil refinery in developing a marketing plan and finding potential customers for used process equipment. The assignment generated a sale of several major processing units to a local refiner for use in the manufacture of high-octane gasoline blending stocks. EPC-related |
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Pulp and Paper Mill Incident Analyzed processing operations and engineering design in a pulp and paper mill to determine sequence of events and possible causes of incident. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Refinery Manufacturing Options Study Prepared an investment strategy to manufacture transportation fuels. Evaluated yields, investment, and operating economics to produce gasoline and diesel fuel from residual materials. Presented conclusions for consideration by the company's board of directors. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Performance Test Evaluation Investigated claims of poor performance of a $1 billion refinery project between a refiner and a major EPC contractor. Evaluated charge and yield, feedstock quality, and efficiency issues and assisted in documentation of response to claim. EPC-related , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Sulfuric Acid Storage Incident Retained to assist in the investigation of a fatality incident at a sulfuric acid processing and storage facility. Reviewed equipment design, inspection and repair history, operating procedures, training of personnel, and industry practices. Assisted legal team with on-site investigation and interaction with local, state, and federal agencies. Reviewed conclusions by root cause analysis for consistency and factual support. Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Profit Improvement with Advanced Control System Evaluated potential refinery profit improvements based on installation of an advanced process control (APC) system using Baker & O'Brien proprietary PRISM refinery economic analysis tool. Developed a proposal for the project based on sharing of the profit improvement. PRISM Data or Analysis , Commercial Terms Review , Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery and Chemical Plant Feedstock Valuations Provided expert witness evidence the financial damages of interplant feedstock and product transfer agreement non-compliance between a refinery and an adjacent chemical plant. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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Thermal Radiation Exposure Investigated an incident involving a claim of thermal radiation exposure during a refining unit fire. Engineering reports, videos, weather conditions, unit design drawings, and published literature on levels of heat exposure from large hydrocarbon fires were evaluated. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Salt Water Disposal Tank Explosion Investigated the cause and origin of a storage tank explosion at an oil and gas salt water disposal facility in Colorado. Conducted site investigation and facility/equipment inspections, evaluated system design and operation, and conducted witness interviews. Determined cause of explosion and worked with company management to evaluate existing policies and procedures for potential areas of improvement. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Physical Asset Appraisal , Safety |
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Planning and Scheduling Improvement Assisted an integrated oil company in improving its processes and tools for crude oil pipeline scheduling, refinery short-term planning and optimization, refinery scheduling, and performance measurement. The initiative was part of a large, company-wide implementation of SAP and focused on improving the processes and methods of integrating data between the decision support tools and the data warehouse (SAP BW). Tools included refinery LPs, refinery scheduling tools, assay systems, and batch pipeline scheduling software. LP/Planning Practice |
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Refinery Best Practices Analyzed multiple refineries of a major international petroleum firm to determine economic limitations and causes of performance gaps versus competitors. The study reports consisted of analyses of practices, performance targets, and recommendations for improvement initiatives. The work involved site visits, employee interviews, final reports, and presentations to company management and refinery personnel. LP/Planning Practice , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality |
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Project Feasibility and Start-Up Assistance Retained by a financial institution to conduct an independent assessment of a refinery project to restart and expand idle equipment to produce transportation fuels and lube base oils. The feasibility analysis included review of project costs, a product price forecast and margin outlook, as well as an assessment of the competitive market environment. Provided assistance to the lender in structuring terms for loan agreement and establishing project milestones for the funding. Monitored construction and revamp progress for the lender and certified mechanical completion of the project. Following start-up of the units, attended performance test runs and provided certifications to the lender that the units met design throughput capacities and products met required quality specifications. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Product Distribution Outlook On behalf of a large, publicly-traded master limited partnership engaged in the transportation, storage, terminalling, and marketing of petroleum, we assessed the five-year outlook for refinery production, liquid storage capacity, and major pipeline flows on the USGC. Pipeline , Pricing |
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Refinery Finance Litigation Economic damages were claimed by the sponsors of a refinery project in Russia due to a failure to obtain funding from a financial institution. Examined claim basis, economic assumptions relied on for the project feasibility study, and actual financial results that would have been realized if the refinery had been built. Provided testimony concerning the relationship between industry margins and the losses incurred by the project sponsors. Pricing |
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Power Plant Construction Dispute Provided expert report and oral testimony on roles and responsibilities of: (1) an EPC contractor under a Lump Sum-Turn Key contract; (2) owners in awarding and managing such projects; and (3) the capabilities of owner's and contractor's project management teams. The project involved provision of EPC services to retrofit selective catalytic reduction equipment to existing power generation units, as mandated by the regulatory authorities. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Supply/Demand Forecast Constructed PRISM refinery models of all of the Australian refineries for use by a client for its strategic planning efforts. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Technology Commercialization Performed due diligence on a new gas-to-liquids (GTL) process to evaluate possible routes to commercialization. The work program included the following steps: verification of mass balance, comparison of laboratory and pilot plant yields, evaluation of alternative technologies, assessment of scale-up issues, review of preliminary commercial design, estimate of capital costs, and the development of an economic model that included sensitivity analyses for capital costs, yields, and prices. Gas to Liquids , Intellectual Property , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Evaluation Retained by a financial institution to conduct an independent assessment of an asphalt refinery. In addition to an analysis of the market environment, the assessment included a review of the general condition of machinery and equipment and projected operating performance of the refinery. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Supply and Distribution Assisted in a dispute concerning the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on jet fuel prices for the Gulf Coast market. The sequence of events and impacts on individual suppliers were developed, as well as an allocation of outages and price differentials attributable to each hurricane. Our analysis of pricing activity also considered estimates of normalized versus event-based price movements in the overall market. Pricing |
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Refinery Valuation and Due Diligence Prepared an analysis of refining and marketing assets for a company that was considering acquisition of shares of a refining and marketing business located in South Korea. The analysis included refining and marketing economics, and due diligence of the facilities. Pricing |
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Refinery and Expansion Project Valuation Assisted a refinery owner in establishing a value for an existing refinery, the value of a large expansion project, and the additional value resulting from a guarantee clause associated with the expansion project. The analysis included cash flow modeling, comparative sales assessments, and an evaluation of expansion project capital requirements and economics. Pricing |
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Subsea Pipeline Rupture Assisted attorneys in investigating the circumstances surrounding a rupture of a subsea crude oil pipeline caused by a vessel dragging an anchor. This assignment included a review of the impact on crude oil gathering system and receiving terminal operations, the owner's emergency response, subsea pipeline repair costs, and a determination of the maximum insurable loss. Business Interruption , Offshore , Pipeline , Property Damage , Safety , Waterborne/Marine |
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Technology Assessment Working for potential investors, reviewed plans for a grassroots lube oil re-refining facility, and advised our client regarding technology and commercial risks. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Business Interruption Prepared detailed analyses of property damage, business interruption, and demurrage claims resulting from a vessel allision with a refinery dock. Business Interruption , Property Damage , Waterborne/Marine |
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Refinery Feasibility Study Performed a feasibility study for a small, skid-mounted refinery to be operated in Kurdistan to serve local markets. Reviewed contractor proposal regarding likely configuration, crude slate, capital costs, and yields. EPC-related , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Valuation Study Provided an opinion as to the fair market value of a large European refinery that changed ownership during the 1980s. Party filed arbitration proceedings against its former partner, claiming that the refinery was sold for well below market value. Prepared several reports that were submitted as evidence. Arbitration , Pricing |
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Power Project Supported lenders in mezzanine financing for construction of a cogeneration plant in Western Siberia. Advised as to the collateral value of certain equipment ordered for the project and evaluated the technical capabilities of the company to manage the project under long-term project financing. EPC-related |
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Underground Storage Tanks Claim Assisted in a dispute concerning an allegation that Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) at a retail outlet had released gasoline vapors, resulting in contamination of groundwater with MTBE. Assignment included review of procedures for delivery of gasoline from tankers to UST, review of equipment and fittings used in UST, review of hydrogeological data regarding groundwater and contamination plumes, review of the design of vapor recovery systems, and calculations of vapor composition and amounts released. Prepared report to document findings and testified in deposition. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , OSHA-related , Toxic Tort |
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Review of Facilities Safety Issues Assisted in technical review of safety related issues at crude oil production and gathering facilities. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Pipeline , Safety |
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Refinery Acquisition Study Provided assessment of refinery technical and economic features for prospective buyer, including on-site inspection and projections of potential capital investments for refinery upgrades. Pricing |
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Planning and Economics Implementation Assistance Made an assessment of the implementation plan and "change readiness" associated with a project to improve the short-term planning, optimization, and decision-making processes for a global refining and marketing company. Assessed key stakeholder impressions of the improvement project and provided feedback to senior management to ensure a successful outcome. LP/Planning Practice , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Gasification Study Identified and ranked refineries as potential candidates for residue gasification projects. Screened refineries in terms of their crude capacity, crude slate, bottoms products, hydrogen users, and location to neighboring plants. Also, provided a macro level review of European countries that would potentially have a synergistic benefit from a gasification project. Gasification , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Substitute Natural Gas Market Study Developed comprehensive market profile of SNG industry and market in North America, including operating and planned facilities, feedstock outlook, project incentives, and environmental issues. Environmental , Gasification , Pricing |
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Power Plant Construction Dispute Provided advice on a construction dispute between owner and contractor regarding a project to upgrade and modify a power plant in the Caribbean, which had alleged defects related to the boiler heat recovery section, the desalination plant, seawater cooling piping, and instrumentation. EPC-related |
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Root Cause Analysis Conducted a Root Cause Failure Analysis on a high pressure steam turbine that failed following a planned outage at a cogeneration power plant. Evaluated outage work procedures, actual outage work undertaken, start-up monitoring results, and post-failure turbine inspection results on turbine disassembly. Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Acquisition Planning On behalf of an acquisitive client, developed a summary of the U.S. refining business to focus on the supply/demand and competitive forces within the market. Provided information regarding historical U.S. refinery M&A transactions and a summary of typical due diligence focus items. Screened several potential acquisition candidates and developed a shortlist of opportunities which appeared to best align with the strategic objectives of the client. Pricing |
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Piping Subcontractor Claim Evaluation Evaluated claims for additional quantities of materials needed, due to owner caused delay and disruption on a specialty chemical plant project. EPC-related |
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Refinery Restart Due Diligence Performed a site inspection and advised potential investor regarding the technical and commercial viability of restarting a refinery that had been shut down for several years. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Feasibility Study Studied the possible development of a grassroots refinery that included an assessment of the refinery's potential feedstock, refined product yields, operating costs, and earnings capability. Utilizing Baker & O'Brien's proprietary PRISM refining industry analysis software and data services, developed a ten-year outlook for refining margins/crack spreads, modeled alternative refinery configurations, and conducted a competitive assessment of the proposed refinery compared to key regional competitors. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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RFS Infrastructure Study Prepared a report for the American Petroleum Institute (API) that analyzed the potential logistics and infrastructure bottlenecks on a year-by-year basis to 2012 that could result from the industry trying to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard from the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Reciprocating Compressor Accident Reviewed details of non-fatal accident involving a restart of skid-mounted gas compression machinery at a producing well. Upon investigation of the facts, prepared report detailing the proximate cause of the incident. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Technical Review Performed technical review of chlor-alkali and calcium chloride processes and project plan on behalf of prospective lender. Reviewed the process design packages for the chlor-alkali and calcium chloride production facilities and provided opinions regarding the selected processes and their technical compatibility. Reviewed the project schedule and cost estimate for the facilities and provided input to the prospective lender regarding the appropriate level of contingency. Evaluated the contracting strategy and project execution plan and provided opinions. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Competitiveness Study Analyzed the relative competitiveness of a group of refineries in a specific region. The study included an analysis of the local supply and demand balance, and a forecast of product movements into and out of the region. Using our proprietary PRISM system, modeled each refinery in its current configuration and in its expected configurations eight years in the future. Profit margins were calculated for each refinery under three different product price scenarios. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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U.S. Refining and Marketing Strategy Advised a client on developing strategic options as it relates to future participation in the U.S. refining and marketing sector. Developed scenarios and assessed the medium term outlook for refining and marketing in the U.S. to support client objectives. Prepared short list of potential candidates for acquisition, and developed case studies and recommendations related to post merger integration activities. Advised client on appropriate timing for executing strategic objectives. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Refining Economics Course Development Developed an outline and course material for a refinery and oil sands upgrading course to be given in-house by an operating company. LP/Planning Practice |
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Refinery Oil Sands Processing Capability Conducted refinery modeling and developed a preliminary assessment of the current and future capabilities of several U.S. refineries for processing diluted bitumen. Prepared initial screening estimates of likely "Phase 1" capital projects for significantly increasing the capability to process blended bitumen. Conducted analysis of likely future competitiveness of same refineries in the regions of operation. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Product Delivered Cost Data Assisted a client with the historical analysis of refined product supply patterns and costs in the U.S., with a particular emphasis on delivered cost of supply for transportation fuels. Provided five years of delivered product volume and cost data (by calendar quarter), for all major gasoline and distillate grades, for 85 U.S. markets, as produced and transported from over 130 fuels refineries. Pricing |
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Transmix and Biodiesel Processor Valuation Developed a business valuation for an entity engaged in transmix processing, biodiesel production, and ethanol terminaling. The engagement entailed analysis of historical, current, and projected cash flows from operations to generate an income-based value for the enterprise. The work included updates to valuations of operations previously assessed by Baker & O'Brien, as well as analysis of new facilities. Pricing |
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Pipeline Contamination Dispute Assisted in a claim involving an alleged y-grade/NGL pipeline contamination from a gas processing facility. Examined the following key areas to evaluate the claim: pipeline hydraulics, laboratory records, chronology of pipeline sample data, reasonableness of claimed expenses, gas processing facility operation, and records. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Pipeline Quality Bank Dispute Assisted in a dispute involving crude oil quality bank payments demanded by a pipeline consortium transporting a company's oil through Central Asia. Studied the quality bank calculation procedure in order to demonstrate if the methodology described in the tariff had been properly applied. Provided examples of methodologies used in other quality banks. Prepared quality bank calculations based on application of the methodology. Testified at an arbitration in London. Arbitration , Crude Oil Valuation , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pipeline , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Refining Strategic Analysis Using PRISM, performed a competitor analysis of over 20 refineries that potentially competed with client refinery. Developed refinery cost curves under multiple crude oil and product price scenarios and identified key characteristics of those refineries which operated at the low end of the cost curve. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Refinery Analysis For a prospective investor, provided analysis and commentary on the relative competitiveness of a targeted refinery, explaining the fundamental basis for its competitive position. Pricing |
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Refinery Operations Snapshot Provided client with an estimate of actual crude runs by grade, product yields, and operating costs for a European refinery in 2007 based on our proprietary PRISM refinery database and simulator. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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U.S. Midcontinent Crude Valuation Evaluated crude oil refining values and logistics for several targeted refineries in the U.S. midcontinent area. Evaluated expected price parity points for domestic crude oils versus competing grades delivered to the refineries via pipeline. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Pipeline , Pricing , Product Quality |
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TEL vs. MMT Blending Study On behalf of a chemical supplier, reviewed the use of tetraethyl lead (TEL) as an octane enhancing gasoline additive in a Middle Eastern country from 2000 to 2006 compared to using methyl cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). Pricing |
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Tank Truck Explosion Investigation Investigated the potential causes and sources of ignition for an explosion that destroyed a road tanker, used to haul raw natural gas liquids from a gas treating plant, that was in a repair shop for the replacement of a pressure relief valve. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Product Supply Contract Review Following the notice of cancellation of a product supply agreement based on crude processing, to be replaced with an agreement where refined product prices were to be supplied based on adjustments to posted prices, evaluated the economics of the proposed supply contract compared with the existing crude processing agreement. Determined the required level of discount to OPIS prices to match product cost under the existing crude processing arrangement. Commercial Terms Review , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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TEL Usage in Southeast Asia On behalf of a chemical supplier, reviewed the use of tetraethyl lead (TEL) as a gasoline additive in a Southeast Asian country from 1999 to 2005 compared to the technical requirement based on the quality of the country's base gasoline and the required octane target. Pricing |
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Refinery Competitiveness Study Prepared a competitive positioning analysis for a Midwest Refinery that incorporates the impacts of the proposed Cap and Trade legislation in Congress. Addressed the potential financial impacts of Cap and Trade on the refining industry in PADDs 2 and 3. PRISM Data or Analysis , Environmental , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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U.S. Refinery Competitiveness Assessment Assessed the expected future competitiveness of U.S. refineries in PADDs 1, 2, 3, and 5. Developed a base scenario and price outlook to evaluate future relative cash margin performance for over 90 refineries considering large expansion projects. Examined effects of key sensitivities, such as light/heavy crude oil price spreads, effects of carbon regulation, and the price differential between gasoline and diesel. PRISM Data or Analysis , Environmental , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Integration Analysis Using PRISM, investigated and analyzed the potential value that two refiners might capture through the consolidation of operations of two neighboring refineries. The analysis was performed under multiple price scenarios. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Equipment Evaluation Evaluate suitability of surplus equipment from a shut down refinery crude unit being sold for rehabilitation and then installation overseas. Project Feasibility |
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West Coast Refining Strategy On behalf of a West Coast refining company, we estimated the cash margin of all PADD 5 refineries under four different price scenarios. These competitive margin assessments were presented for 2015, 2020, and 2025 and accounted for the cost of compliance with CO2 regulations and other environmental regulations that were applicable to each scenario. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refining Industry Overview Provided guidance as to opportunities within the U.S. petroleum fuels market for blending isobutanol. Developed a list of target refineries for blending of isobutanol into gasoline. Provided isobutanol gasoline blend valuations versus ethanol for several Midwest refineries. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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U.S. Gasoline Study Performed an independent analysis to determine the potential supply and cost impacts of a new National Clean Gasoline Standard that would significantly lower the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) and sulfur allowed in gasoline. A refinery-by-refinery analysis was performed that considered each refinery's compliance options accounting for technical, strategic, market, and economic factors, and then estimated a likely response based on this information. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Petroleum Refinery Dispute Provided overview of turnaround practices and industry standards utilized in the United States and Europe. Evaluated decisions and practices utilized at the subject refinery to determine if those decisions were in compliance with standard practices and whether a decision to optimize the turnaround execution date was a factor in a plant incident. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Ultrafines Study Provided an analysis of the economic impact of the presence of ultrafines in a Canadian mined bitumen upgrader operation. Quantified the capital and operating cost mitigation steps required by a mined bitumen upgrader operation to address the impacts associated with ultrafine solids present in the mined bitumen. Prepared a written report and presented results. Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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U.S. Gulf Coast Isobutanol Study Evaluated the gasoline blending economics for isobutanol versus ethanol for a U.S. Gulf Coast refinery. Calculated the value difference between isobutanol and ethanol in a low vapor pressure conventional gasoline. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Valuation Dispute Assisted in a dispute between minority shareholders and company management concerning claims that certain refinery assets were improperly valued when the group's ownership interests were purchased by the company's management. Prepared a detailed valuation of the refinery assets in question and showed how their location, processing capability, and access to feedstocks contributed to their value relative to the competition. Prepared an expert report and testified in Federal Court. Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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Refinery Business Interruption Determined the economic damages suffered by a refiner as a result of multiple incidents which eventually led to reduced feed to the refinery. Project required the analysis of all refining units, including their actual and planned operations and maintenance. Alternative utilizations of feedstock and supply of products were also investigated. Business Interruption |
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Pressure Vessel Failure Investigated the cause of a hydrocarbon release resulting from the brittle fracture of a pressure vessel during start-up at a petrochemical plant. Incident involved multiple injuries and deaths and extensive property damage. Issues studied include ethylene plant design, operating practices and procedures, start-up operations, instrumentation, and safety training. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Integration Study Undertook a comprehensive study of the local Venezuelan refining industry to identify potential areas of synergy between individual refineries and the possibility of closer cooperation to maximize overall industry profitability. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Polyolefins Plant Explosion Assisted attorneys and company in preparation for litigation and negotiation with government agencies while investigating the cause of an explosion which caused the death of over 20 people. Assisted risk management in preparing and negotiating property damage and business interruption claims in excess of $1.3 billion. Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Property Damage , Safety |
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Refinery Feasibility On behalf of a major Indian industrial organization, prepared a feasibility assessment for a world-scale "grassroots" refinery on the western coast of India. The refinery started up in 1999. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Fair Market Value Dispute On behalf of one of the interested parties in a bankrupt oil refinery, conducted a technical and economic evaluation of the facility to determine if the plant was economically viable and had value as a "going concern." Study was submitted into evidence before an international arbitration tribunal established to determine the ultimate disposition of the facility. Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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Refinery Feasibility Study On behalf of a financial institution considering the financing of a "grassroots" refinery project, prepared a detailed feasibility study for the refinery. The proposed facility was to be based outside of Phoenix, Arizona, where it was to serve the fast growing Phoenix/Tucson area with new "clean burning" fuels. Analyzed regional product markets, existing and potential competition, alternate crude oil sources and availability, optimum refinery configuration, and by-product disposition. Attended meetings with potential crude suppliers and product customers. Feasibility study was also used in negotiations with equity participants. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Propylene Production Studied the feasibility of reconstruction and expansion of a catalytic dehydrogenation plant at a large Gulf Coast refinery for the production of propylene from propane. The study included evaluation of the current technology, development of costs for reconstruction and expansion, estimation of operating costs, and assessments of regional markets for propylene. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Crude Oil Supply Identified and evaluated feedstocks for a proposed new refinery in eastern Russia. Assessment included contacting potential suppliers and shippers. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Construction Dispute Engaged to assess claims that poor EPC performance resulted in significant cost increases and schedule delays in the construction of a residue catalytic cracking unit. Case centered around whether the prime contractor had fulfilled all of its obligations under the sub-contract and had taken all agreed steps to contain identified potential cost overruns and other factors impacting the schedule. Prepared an expert report on the project and provided evidence at the hearing. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Refinery Reactivation and Upgrading Worked on behalf of a major investment banking group to evaluate the plans of an independent refiner to upgrade and reactivate its 200,000 barrels per day refinery. Conducted "due diligence" on the company's plans and specifications, evaluated likely economics, and assessed competitive forces in the marketplace. Upon closing of the financial transaction, monitored the construction progress, schedule, and budget over a period of four years. Reviewed all invoices for labor and materials and approved draw down of construction funds in accordance with the contractual agreements. EPC-related , Project Feasibility |
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Utility Feedstock Contract Evaluation On behalf of a regional utility in central Alaska, evaluated newly proposed long-term feedstock contracts linked to prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The proposed price adjustments were based on quality variations from the fuel specifications. Pricing |
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Polypropylene Manufacturing Facility Provided a cash flow valuation of a polypropylene complex in support of an ad valorem tax matter. The valuation included analysis of recent historical operations, review of the markets for feedstocks and products, development of operating costs, and analysis of industry trends. Ad Valorem Taxes , Pricing |
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Pipeline Contractual Dispute Assisted in a claim between a major U.S. energy provider and project promoters concerning claims that the energy provider defrauded project promoters when it proceeded with the construction of an international natural gas pipeline. Submitted report outlining the differences between energy provider's project and the promoters' project. Commercial Terms Review , Pipeline |
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Valuation of Refineries Performed valuation of three Russian mini refineries located in Western Siberia. Work involved market analysis for crude oil and products, logistics infrastructure, refinery configuration and yield, and construction costs. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Polybutylene Pipe Litigation Assisted municipal water districts in asserting claims for tens of millions of dollars in damages resulting from defective polybutylene pipe. Assisted in discovery, evaluated research and development records, reviewed state-of-the-art issues, and provided expert testimony. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline , Product Quality |
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Polypropylene Manufacturing Assisted in a dispute concerning insurance claims for property damage and business interruption in connection with a reactor incident during construction of a production facility. Business Interruption , EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Property Damage |
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Refinery Construction Dispute Assisted law firm representing Russian refiner in dispute with U.S. engineering firm that provided a refinery for a location in Russia. Ascertained construction status of units and reviewed issues in dispute regarding design basis, scope of work, and costs for a modular refinery constructed in the U.S. EPC-related , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Products Terminal Feasibility Study Prepared feasibility study and cost estimate to modernize and increase throughput capacity of a petroleum products terminal on the Black Sea. Project Feasibility |
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Petroleum Products Terminal Expansion On behalf of a worldwide independent storage group, undertook a marketing study to support the expansion of an existing petroleum products and chemical storage terminal. Study addressed the potential growth in Southeast Asian products trade, the demand outlook for independent storage, and likely future terminal rates. Expansion proceeded to successful completion based on study results. |
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Replacement Cost Determination Provided a comprehensive estimate of replacement costs for oil and gas producing facilities, offshore production and drilling platforms, gathering systems, storage facilities, and processing plants. These costs were used as a basis for establishing appropriate levels of insurance coverage for a major petroleum corporation. Offshore , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Petroleum Products Market Study Based on visits to major markets in the Southwest Pacific area, estimated the future market demand for petroleum products, including residual fuel and asphalt. Also estimated the potential margins that could be obtained through supplying these small market areas versus larger volume customers. Study was used by a major international oil trading company to establish a long-term strategy for greater market penetration in this fast-growing, high-margin area. Pricing |
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Refinery Feasibility Study Directed a feasibility study into a joint venture "grassroots" export refinery in the People's Republic of China. Advised the Western partner during several "rounds" of negotiation with the Chinese partner over a period of two years. Prepared estimates of anticipated rates-of-return for both parties under different economic and cost-sharing scenarios. Assisted in negotiations with local tax and regulatory authorities. Project was shelved following Gulf War. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Feasibility Study On behalf of a crude oil transportation company in Western Australia, investigated the feasibility of establishing a small refinery to process local crude production. Evaluated the technical and economic considerations involved in a range of alternative projects to refine crude oil and market products to local industries and other consumers throughout the region. Conducted negotiations with crude oil suppliers and commercial customers. Project was eventually terminated due to inability to obtain satisfactory financing. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Pipeline Divestiture Undertook a comprehensive market analysis and competitive assessment of a major refined products pipeline system and formed various strategic options for asset disposition. The conclusions developed from the engagement supported the client's subsequent decision to divest certain asset segments. Pipeline , Pricing |
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Retail Marketing Business Development Assessed Mid-Continent petroleum retail markets and competitive environment on behalf of a prospective retail market entrant. Pro forma economics were prepared for various retail business configurations to determine entry strategy options and assess the client's development objectives. Pricing |
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Process Plant Leasehold Settlements Assessed the market value of residual operating interests held by a major financial entity in several leased chemical processing facilities. Each engagement included an ongoing advisory role pursuant to successful negotiations for sale of the institution's ownership interests. Pricing |
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Refining and Supply Strategy Assisted the European division of a major integrated oil company in the development of a refining and supply strategy for its refining and marketing business in Western Europe. The assignment included the benchmarking of the client's current performance versus competitors, development of future market scenarios, and projections of financial performance for various strategic initiatives that could be implemented by the refining business unit. Pricing |
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Petroleum Supply Planning Assisted a major Canadian oil company in identifying improvements to its supply-chain planning process. The assignment focused on improvements that could be realized by an integrated oil company that produces, markets, and refines synthetic crude produced from oil-sands. Pricing |
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Refining and Marketing Performance Benchmarking Developed and maintained a quarterly benchmarking service for a consortium of refiners and marketers with operations in the U.S. The publication reported key financial and productivity benchmarks on a quarterly basis to subscribers for use in competitive analysis and strategy formulation. Pricing |
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Refinery Feasibility Studies Assisted an engineering and construction firm in preparing feasibility studies for two projects in Russia. One of the projects was a new "grassroots" refinery project, and the other project was to build a new FCC gasoline complex in an existing refinery. Work included modeling of refinery operations and yields, analysis of feedstock and products markets, and evaluation of project economics. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refining Market Forecast Investigated business interruption claims from fuels refineries, lube refineries, cement plants, fuels distributors, and chemicals manufacturers due to the closure of marine access following the release of oil into the waters surrounding the plants. Business Interruption |
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World Scale Alumina Refinery - Independent Engineer Teamed with a mining consulting firm to provide independent engineering support to lenders of a world-scale, multi-billion dollar grassroots alumina refinery to be located in Guinea, West Africa. Reviewed project execution plan and entire design package for the proposed facility, including alumina refinery, power plant, import/export facilities, and all associated infrastructure. Prepared several interim reports during the initial engineering phase before project was abandoned due to political unrest within the country. Project Feasibility |
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Crude Oil Valuation and Marketing Plan Identified target markets, coordinated the assay evaluation, assessed market values, and developed a marketing plan and marketing brochure for a new crude oil to be produced in offshore West Africa. The initial crude oil sales price was estimated, based on quality and location, and was presented in terms of global crude price benchmark grades. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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MTBE Litigation Prepared declaration of gasoline distribution issues in northern California, including rebuttal of other experts' analyses of gasoline distribution. Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Coal Gasification Plant Accident Provided assistance to a mechanical contractor for a root-cause investigation of a fatal accident at a coal gasification plant. Gasification , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Arbitration - Refinery Valuation In support of a valuation dispute, developed an economic model to assess the value of a fuels refinery. Submitted an expert report and provided testimony. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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Gas Plant Explosion & Subsequent Insurance Claims Assisted resolution of claims between insurance company and Owners/Operators related to a gas plant explosion. Reviewed property damage and business interruption claims for accuracy and veracity. Business Interruption , Pipeline , Property Damage |
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Refinery Force Majeure Claims Prepared expert reports and testified in an international arbitration involving multiple product supply disputes between a refinery and an adjacent chemical plant. Reviewed force majeure claims related to catalytic cracking technology, product supply contracts, and utility supply interruptions. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Propane Storage Assessment Prepared an analysis of an underground propane storage system to determine causes of leakage and potential corrective actions. |
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Petrochemical Terminal Fire Reviewed testimony, expert reports, and forensic evidence and attended depositions to determine cause and origin of terminal fire. Prepared report addressing electrostatic discharge theory, petrochemical handling procedures, employee training, and management issues. Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Safety |
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Asphalt Refinery Valuation Concerning an owner's capability and obligation to pay a prior arbitration award, determined a retrospective fair market value of an asphalt refinery and provided testimony regarding the estimated value of the refinery assets. Expert Witness/Testimony , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Project Cost Overrun Dispute For a large sour condensate stripper facility, evaluated a significant project cost increase over the original estimate, taking into account work scope changes, market escalation, the accuracy of the original estimate, and the impact of project delays. An assessment was made of the reasonableness in each category and the likelihood of success with respect to cost recovery via litigation proceedings from a technical standpoint. The project was designed and constructed during a period of rapidly escalating labor and material costs. EPC-related |
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Gas Processing Metallurgy Replacement Evaluated the reasonableness of a large project’s cost to replace the piping with a different metallurgy for a high-pressure, high-temperature sour gas reinjection facility in Central Asia. Also opined on the industry knowledge of the proper metallurgy at the time of construction of the original facility. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Study of Planning Processes Assessed the monthly planning and optimization process and identified recommendations to address significant limitations to profitability improvement. Reviewed the linear program model and conducted interviews of key personnel involved in the planning process, including crude selection, refinery processing, LP optimization, product distribution, and product marketing. LP/Planning Practice |
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Fall Protection Evaluation Investigated circumstances concerning the injury to a person who fell from a loading dock. Provided opinions regarding general safety requirements, industry practices, and fall protection requirements for this type of activity. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , OSHA-related |
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Review Project Development Costs Evaluated multi-million dollar cost overruns of yearly operating budgets of a Central Asian consortium involved with the oil and gas development and production. Costs reviewed included Engineering Support, Operating Costs, Drilling Costs, and Capital Expenditures. EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance |
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Misappropriation of Trade Secrets Using chemical engineering expertise, process design background, and experience in operations and manufacturing, provided an opinion on the likelihood of another firm’s ability to produce the same pharmaceutical chemical with comparable quality and value as the original product without utilizing trade secrets learned from the intellectual property owner. Intellectual Property , Product Quality |
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Gasoline Pricing Dispute Analyzed gasoline price anomalies that developed after a major hurricane made landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Provided technical support for the use of Gulf Coast spot market pricing as the basis for gasoline sales contracts. Pricing |
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Crane Accident Claim Analysis Analyzed business interruption and property damage insurance claim by a refinery operator resulting from a crane accident. This included analysis of the cost to repair the physical damage from the accident, the impact to schedule and cost of a process unit turnaround that was in progress at the time of the accident, and valuation of lost production due to the accident. Business Interruption , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Gas Plant Emergency Shutdown Design Analysis To determine whether a system complied with key requirements, reviewed design of cryogenic gas plant emergency shutdown system in connection with a fire event to assess conformance with API RP 521 (Guide for Pressure Relieving and Depressuring Systems). Provided affidavit of merit pursuant to Texas Civil Practice Section 150.002. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Refinery Lost Profits Claim Developed an opinion of reasonable lost profits, resulting from a crude oil supply force majeure and refinery downtime after a fire. Reviewed testimony and refinery linear program files. Business Interruption |
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Terminal Facility Due Diligence Conducted financial and operational due diligence on behalf of lenders for a large regional petroleum terminal facility with associated transmix processing and commercial waste treatment operations. Tasks included inspection of facilities, assessment of competitive market position, evaluation of financial performance, and estimation of potential market value for the facilities. |
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Natural Gas Gathering Disputes Provided expert report regarding claims involving natural gas measurement, prudent operations, natural gas pricing, surface estate issues, reasonable accommodations, and environmental considerations. Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Tennessee Gasoline and Ethanol Blending Provided an expert report and expert testimony on the production and distribution of ethanol and gasoline, particularly branded gasoline, in the state of Tennessee. Provided a refiner perspective of the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard on gasoline blending, distribution, and marketing operations. Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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Feasibility Assessment Developed a feasibility study for a large, potentially stranded, natural gas discovery. Constructed an economic model to evaluate potential options for gas monetization, including pipeline natural gas sales, gas-to-liquids (GTL), and liquefaction (LNG). Performed market assessments for the LNG and GTL products. Gas to Liquids , LNG , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Failure Analysis of Pressure Washer Evaluated the cause of a failed hot water pressure washer used during a road construction project. |
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Refinery Off-Gas Recovery Project Provided independent assessment and due diligence for a proposed refinery offgas treating facility in the USGC. Advised the client on requirements related to schedule, documentation, and technology selection for project financing. Project Feasibility |
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Oil Field Pipe Dispute-Insurance Claim Reviewed a claim involving an insurance dispute relating to proper preservation of drilling pipe in a storage yard following a hurricane. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Pipeline Pigging Accident Reviewed injury accident that occurred while pigging a gathering pipeline to remove formation water produced with natural gas. Provided an expert report regarding applicable industry standards regarding operation of vacuum truck for disposal of formation, as well as observations regarding the contractual responsibilities of the tank truck operator and the production operator. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline , Safety |
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Refinery Construction Dispute Evaluated dispute between a mechanical subcontractor and owner on a refinery expansion project in the Middle East. Evaluated issues related to delay and disruption caused by material delivery delays. EPC-related |
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Refinery Contractor Indemnification Dispute Provided expert opinion concerning an indemnification dispute between a refiner and contractor, as well as the standard of care and practice in the industry concerning the design and construction of a piping relief system. Also opined on the refinery owner’s responsibilities concerning the acceptance and maintenance of completed piping systems. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Crude Quality Analysis Assisted with crude oil quality analysis from new production field in order to establish initial valuation estimates. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Lube Oil Re-Refining Assessment Prepared an assessment of lube oil re-refining plant to determine causes of problems related to reliability and operating performance. Operations/Maintenance |
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Gas Producer Contractual Dispute Provided expert report and testified in federal bankruptcy court concerning disposal costs of produced salt water, reasonableness of a farm-out joint venture agreement, costs of capital, and salvage value of production equipment. Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Review Refinery Feasibility Study Conducted a detailed review of a feasibility study to construct a new refinery (oil sands feedstock) in Canada. Reviewed capital costs, crude oil and product pricing assumptions, and several other key inputs that were used in an integrated financial model. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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U.S. Gasoline Study Performed an independent analysis to determine the potential supply and cost impacts of a new National Clean Gasoline Standard that would significantly lower the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) and sulfur allowed in gasoline. A refinery-by-refinery analysis was performed that considered each refinery’s compliance options and likely response considering technical, strategic, market, and economic factors. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Refinery Explosion, Subrogation of Insurance Claim Assisted in a dispute concerning a rebuild estimate, which was the subject of subrogation, for an oil refinery process plant damaged by an explosion. Property Damage |
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MTBE Litigation Provided expert report that evaluated and discussed the issues concerning why MTBE was chosen over ethanol to the federal oxygenate requirements in the early 1990s. Also included was a discussion of how gasoline was supplied to the local region in California over the 1990s and early 2000s. Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Preliminary Refinery Value Assessment Established a preliminary valuation assessment of a refinery for a local taxation district. Assessment was used in initial discussions with the taxpayer. Ad Valorem Taxes |
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Bitumen Diluent Study Developed a market study regarding diluent to be used by Canadian Oil Sands bitumen producers. This included projected supply and demand balances, logistics requirements, and impact from unconventional natural production. Pricing |
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Refinery Marketing Study Surveyed existing and potential customers regarding proprietary slurry oil separation. Evaluated responses to determine the industry's perception of the technology and quantified the potential value for refinery customers. |
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Wellhead Value - Natural Gas Provided opinion with respect to effect of capital recovery of production facility costs on wellhead value of natural gas. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pricing |
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Petroleum Terminal Valuation Updated valuation of petroleum terminal and trans-mix processing facility completed previously in order to reflect changes in the business environment, and to reflect specific transaction scenarios designated by the client. Pricing |
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Project Development Dispute Prepared an expert report and delivered a deposition and testimony at jury trial in a dispute involving a project development claim. The dispute focused on the value and likelihood of successful completion for two projects in the early stages of development: a natural gas salt dome storage facility and a petroleum products terminal. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Refinery Strategy Meeting Conducted a kick-off session for a day-long senior level strategy meeting. Discussed the client's competitive position and the attributes of top performers. |
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NGL Pipeline Due Diligence Reviewed data presented by a potential NGL pipeline seller on behalf of a potential buyer. The review focused on mechanical integrity and other safety issues. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline |
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Offshore Oil Lease Development Dispute Provided an assessment and expert report that determined estimates of the economic value for an undeveloped oil block in offshore Sierra Leone. The analysis synthesized an FPSO development approach and various scenarios of reserve volumes, development timelines, and oil prices to arrive at an indicative value for lease development. Offshore , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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HF Alky Study Sensitivity Case Investigated and analyzed the impact of various potential restrictions on the use of HF alkylation technology in U.S. Refineries. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Gas Gathering and Treating Due Diligence Performed due diligence of West Texas natural gas gathering and treating system. Reviewed contracts and facilities, assessed competition, developed economic model, and estimated market value of assets. |
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Review Insurance Claim Reviewed a petroleum refinery business interruption insurance claim resulting from a dock closure because of an oil spill. Business Interruption , Environmental , Operations/Maintenance , Waterborne/Marine |
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Dust Explosion Capability Testing Provided assistance in testing of explosiveness of resin dust during the operation of hand tools in a confined space. Dust test results were videotaped and used for litigation support. Safety |
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Plant Commissioning Review Provided initial guidance and comments regarding the development of a commissioning and start-up schedule for a polypropylene plant. Provided initial input into how plant start-up incidents affected the commissioning schedule. Business Interruption , Operations/Maintenance |
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Dispute Support - Groundwater Contamination Provided expert witness support regarding a groundwater contamination claim at a closed refinery. Provided opinions regarding the standards of care and operation of the former refinery. Prepared a written expert report. Environmental , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Economics Update Utilized Baker & O'Brien long-term price forecast to update the project’s economics. Our analysis considered various options for refinery size and petcoke gasification. Pricing |
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Isobutanol White Paper Evaluated the economic impact of blending isobutanol in place of ethanol for finished gasoline in various U.S. markets. Also evaluated isobutanol as a substitute for purchased alkylate in gasoline blending. Determined the highest value options for blending isobutanol into gasoline. Summarized the results in a White Paper style report. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Petroleum Refinery Due Diligence Prepared a due diligence report on a full conversion refinery, including a review of regional crude oil supply and regional products markets. Reviewed refinery operations, including high level assessments of refinery safety and environmental performance. Developed economic model of refinery and estimated market value. Pricing |
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Review Project Development Costs Evaluated multi-million dollar cost overruns of yearly operating budgets of a Central Asian consortium involved with the oil and gas development and production. Costs reviewed included Engineering Support, Operating Costs, Drilling Costs, and Capital Expenditures. EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance |
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Tube Sheet, Flare Tip Matter Investigated the cause of tubesheet and flare tip damage related to an unplanned sudden shutdown of the facility. Evaluated whether damage was caused by the shutdown, long-term wear, or contractor error during installation. Provided expert support through mediation and settlement efforts. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Shale Oil Market Study Prepared market study for upgraded shale oil in several refining centers over extended project life. Estimated refining value and ocean freight in selected refineries to yield netback value at upgrader dock. Compared estimated refining value for upgraded shale oil to estimated refining value of typical swing crudes for each region. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Refinery Valuation Provided an assessment and valuation for potential U.S. refinery candidates for a client considering a refinery acquisition. Analysis included price scenario development and financial modeling to determine indicative offer price. Pricing |
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Biodiesel Plant Construction Dispute Evaluated engineering and construction practices in a dispute between an owner and EPC contractor due to cost overruns. Issues included engineering and project management practices which required rework, and construction practices which created safety and operability issues. Cost estimates were prepared for correcting the deficiencies. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Gas Compressor Incident Dispute Provided expert opinions concerning a gas compressor failure insurance claim related to: (1) evaluating the gas processing facilities' maintenance and standard of care practices compared to industry standards; and (2) reviewing the operating practices and programs utilized at the facility to determine if these practices caused or contributed to the incident and subsequent damage. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Gas Treating Facility Explosion Investigation Investigated cause of system overpressure and shutdown of downstream pipelines which led to flange gasket failure and fire. Reviewed system design, construction, and overpressure protection at wellheads located upstream to determine cause of failure. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline , Safety |
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Due Diligence of a Lube Re-Refining Facility Conducted a due diligence analysis of technical and economic features of a lube oil re-refining plant involving a potential acquisition. Pricing |
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Refining Margin Forecast Prepared a ten-year price forecast for a petroleum refiner for use in its long-range plan development. Reviewed current downstream refining industry trends, including supply and demand balances, environmental regulations, and shifts in regional crude oil pricing to develop a future downstream industry outlook. Pricing |
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Refinery Acquisition Study Provided client with five years of operating and financial data from the PRISM refinery database for use in evaluating a potential acquisition. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Gasoline and Diesel Terminal Due Diligence Performed technical due diligence for terminal assets on behalf of financial firm. Visited the facilities and reviewed relevant documentation to advise the client on issues concerning the operability, safety, and physical conditions of the facilities and potential future maintenance and capital costs. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Waterborne/Marine |
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Cause and Origin Analysis Conducted a cause and origin investigation of a fire at a natural gas combined cycle generation plant. Investigation included in-plant interviews and review of operational data, as well as metallurgical investigation to determine the probable cause and origin of the fire. Forensic Analysis , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Refinery Economic Analysis Prepared due diligence analysis of refinery technical and economic performance to support a potential working capital loan. |
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Refinery and Pipeline Systems Valuation Provided values of a refinery, crude oil gathering, and products marketing system to be recorded as fair values for purchase price allocation purposes. Pipeline , Pricing |
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Refinery Technical Review Provided a technical review and forecast of cash flows for a refinery acquisition candidate. |
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Refinery Cash Margin study Provide a comparison of cash refining margins for PADDs 1 through 4 versus expected cash refining margins when inland crude oil transport bottlenecks to the USGC have been relieved. Pricing |
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Review Infrastructure Assets Assisted client in evaluating infrastructure spending to support ongoing operations and maintenance activities. Our review evaluated whether the infrastructure assets were integral to the overall technological complex. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Production Sharing Dispute Reviewed amended field development plan with respect to a PSA dispute between government and operator consortium over a proposed multi-billion dollar increase in projected final costs. Prepared expert report, reply report, and provided oral testimony. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Chlorine Contract Dispute In a lawsuit involving a long-term chlorine supply contract, provided litigation support relating to a series of force majeure events. Analyzed the chlorine producers options to mitigate the loss of contracted sales volumes. |
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Condensate Gathering System Due Diligence Assisted client with engineering due diligence on a Texas condensate gathering system focusing on pipeline mechanical integrity issues. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline |
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Horizontal Drilling Property Damage Reviewed damage to private property (farmland) allegedly caused during the installation of an underground pipeline. A portion of the pipeline was installed using the technique of horizontal directional drilling (HDD). EPC-related , Pipeline , Property Damage |
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Monterey Shale Oil Study On behalf of a California refiner, reviewed the potential for production of Monterey shale crude oil in the San Joaquin Valley and the accessibility of this crude to the client's refining system. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Natural Gas Gathering Fee Dispute Reviewed natural gas contracts to opine on whether addition of a gas gathering fee was consistent with typical commercial experience on intrastate pipelines. Commercial Terms Review , Pipeline |
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Price Forecast - Northwest Europe Prepared a five-year price forecast for Northwest Europe, considering global and regional supply/demand fundamentals and the relationship between oil and gas pricing, among other factors. Pricing |
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Market Study for Crude Oil Rail Unloading Terminal Provided an update to a previous report on U.S. light crude oil supply/demand and implications for a new crude oil unloading terminal in a large refining center on the USGC. Supplemented the report with an analysis of heavy crude oil rail transport opportunities. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Hurricane Damage Insurance Dispute Assessed the impact of a hurricane to a refinery and its impact on turnarounds being executed at residue upgrading process units. Support included investigating failures incurred to a flare and to a heater, their relationship to the hurricane, and subsequent shutdowns of process units. Operations/Maintenance |
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PADD 1 Refining Study Provided a competitiveness analysis of refineries located in U.S. PADD 1, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Eastern Canada. Developed a price forecast and historical supply and demand balance. Provided a competitive ranking of a prospective acquisition of a refinery in the region being considered by the client. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Refinery Risk Assessment In support of questions relating to company stock valuation, assessed the technical and commercial risks inherent in several refineries owned by a U.S. refining company. |
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Canadian Downstream Petroleum Outlook Evaluated the cumulative effect that regulations and policies may have on the Canadian downstream petroleum sector over the next 20 years. |
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Refinery Due Diligence Assisted financial client with a due diligence study of a European Refinery. Visited the site and received briefing from refinery management. Developed cash flow model of historic and projected operations. Tuned cash flow model to match past four year's of operations and cash flow results. Developed five year price forecasts for crude oil and refined products in Europe. Reviewed operating and maintenance expenses. Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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Crude oil and Product Price Forecast Developed a crude oil and product price forecast for a client's use in evaluating an investment in a new refinery. Pricing |
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Refining Market Forecast Prepared a ten-year price forecast for a petroleum refiner for use in its long-range plan development. Reviewed current downstream refining industry trends, including supply and demand balances, environmental regulations, and regional crude oil pricing to develop the outlook. Pricing |
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Crude Oil Pipeline System Due Diligence Supplemented the client's team performing due diligence as part of a potential transaction regarding a crude oil gathering and mainline pipeline system. Our focus was on the engineering aspects of new facilities and facilities under construction. We provided an opinion on whether the new facilities, and the facilities under construction, appeared to be designed to applicable industry specifications. EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Refinery Valuations Prepared annual property values for several major refineries amounting to several billion dollars. Assisted with discovery, inspected each of the plants, and analyzed refinery operations and profitability. Assisted in negotiating settlements. Testified in public hearings before appeals boards. Ad Valorem Taxes , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Refinery Venture Development Performed economic evaluation and developed comprehensive financial models for a West Coast refinery restart and upgrade program. The engagement included market analysis, evaluation of investment options, and support of project financing efforts. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Yield and Hydrogen Balances Provided client with yield and hydrogen balance estimate for a group of Canadian refineries using our proprietary PRISM modeling system. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Refining and Marketing Privatization Assisted a state-owned integrated oil company in Central Europe in completing a strategic planning study for its downstream refining and marketing business. The study considered potential markets and pricing for crude oil and refined products. Opportunities to optimize the operation and logistics of the company's refining and marketing system were evaluated in view of maximizing the value of the assets prior to privatization. LP/Planning Practice , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Refining Assessment Analyzed the profit improvement potential for an asphalt and naphthenic lube specialty refiner, which focused on the existing operating and planning practices of several refineries in the network. Recommended several zero capital cost improvements to be implemented. LP/Planning Practice , Pricing |
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Reformulated Gasoline Study Provided a large independent Southern California refiner an assessment of their existing processing equipment, outside feedstocks to be purchased, and new capital investment necessary to produce reformulated gasoline for consumption in the most regulated gasoline market in the world. Physical Asset Appraisal , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Reorganization of Crude Oil Trading Business Analyzed crude trading business for potential reorganization. Project Feasibility , Waterborne/Marine |
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Review of Power Development Projects Evaluated the economic value of five interim power projects in various stages of development for an international power project developer. Project Feasibility |
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Natural Gas Processing Contract Dispute Provided expert testimony in a dispute between an independent gas producer and a gas processor regarding a proposed natural gas processing agreement. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Shipyard Insurance Claim Analysis Assessed a business interruption claim filed by a shipyard that resulted from a third-party incident. Based upon our analysis of the claimant's business operations and performance, claim estimates were developed that formed the basis for settlement negotiations. Business Interruption , Waterborne/Marine |
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Strategic Sourcing: Refining Materials and Services Assisted a major, integrated oil and gas company in implementing a strategic sourcing initiative for its refining and petrochemical businesses. The initiative focused on developing a strategic and low cost supply of sulfuric acid, process chemicals, and maintenance services to the client's various refining and petrochemical facilities, which achieved cost savings of up to 25%. Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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Supply Contract Dispute Assisted in breach of contract claims regarding a helium supply agreement from a large natural gas processing/treating complex. Analyzed historical operation and performance of processing and extraction facilities, including sources and composition of gas supplies, plant shutdowns, and plant turndown capabilities. Reviewed plant performance, including operating costs, efficiencies, and operating modes to support defendant's plant operations. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality |
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Supply/Demand Forecast Prepared a forecast of U.S. refined product consumption and production using our proprietary PRISM refinery modeling system for the year 2012. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Terminal Facility Valuation Reviewed the operating results and management projections for a terminal and transmix processing facility to develop an income-based valuation for the business enterprise. This engagement was one of a series of valuations prepared by Baker & O'Brien to support the financing requirements for this business since its inception. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Terminal Operations Provided litigation support assistance and expert opinion for case involving historic Standard of Care issues with petroleum product terminals. Environmental , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Toxic Tort |
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Trans-Alaskan Pipeline (TAPS) Quality Bank Provided expert testimony before extended hearings of both the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (2004) and the Alaskan Public Utilities Commission (2007) with respect to the methodology used to value various Alaskan crude oil streams entering TAPS. Issues included how to calculate the refining values of such crude oils in U.S. West Coast refineries and how changes in the indicated market values of crude oils should be handled from a retrospective basis. Crude Oil Valuation , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pipeline , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Turbine Fire Performed review of root cause analysis of the failure of a 125 MW generating steam turbine. Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Wholesale Trade Practices Assisted a South American national oil company in reviewing trade practices for the wholesale marketing of petroleum products. Advised the client on wholesale price formation and marketing practices in free markets. Pricing |
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LNG Project Development Commercial responsibility for the upstream development of a number of non-operated gas fields associated with a world-scale LNG project. Involved in numerous gas purchase and sale agreements associated with managing the project’s upstream gas portfolio ahead of first LNG in 2015. LNG , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Joint-Operating Agreements Responsible for joint venture management with a mandate to ensure operator compliance within operating agreements (JOAs). Responsible for overseeing non-operator audits with a goal to bring about greater operator accountability and transparency. LNG , Operations/Maintenance |
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Commercial Contract Negotiations Assisted with supply contract disputes relating to “take-or-pay” type obligations and “price adjustment” provisions. Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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M&A in the Cement Industry Performed acquisitions (share and asset) with hands on accountability for economic valuations, financial and market analysis, development of strategic rationale, approval documentation / presentations, deal negotiation, due diligence, legal agreements, and management and integration planning. Pricing |
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Project Management Executed several mid-to-large pipeline and facility projects in multiple international locations, overcoming challenging cultural and language differences. Performed feasibility studies, detailed design, procurement, construction, inspection, hydrotesting, risk assessments, and pipeline integrity. EPC-related , LNG , Offshore , Pipeline , Project Feasibility |
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Plastics Recycling Feasibility Study Evaluated a small German refinery for potential conversion to a plastics recycling plant. Assessed technology, retrofit requirements, operating costs, and logistics. Presented economics, capital investment plan, and likely subsidy requirements to the board of directors. Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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Independent Planning Consultant In the early 1990s, a major oil company agreed to purchase a former Soviet block country’s refining and marketing assets. Additionally, there was an agreement to build a state-of-the-art grassroots refinery. Until the streaming of the grassroots refinery later in the decade, the oil company operated the existing refining assets on behalf of the national office of privatization. The role of the independent consultant was to ensure that the operation was not “optimized” at the expense of the country’s taxpayers. Participated in the preparation of monthly operating plans with the operating company and presentations to the national office of privatization over a two-year period. LP/Planning Practice , Pricing |
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Performance Improvement Initiatives in Worldwide Refineries Helped design and direct a consulting project to identify the most successful profit improvement initiatives at top performing worldwide refineries. Audited and examined company culture, energy usage, refinery losses, personnel training, safety practices, environmental controls, process operations, technical services, administration, planning and economics, capital investments, maintenance, and reliability factors. Identified and documented those initiatives, which proved most successful, including their duration, need, and value added. Assignments were in the U.S., U.K., Romania, Korea, and West Africa. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , LP/Planning Practice , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline , Pricing |
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Privatization of Olefins Plant Evaluated an olefins plant for competitiveness in operating costs, yields, feed supply, and product marketing. Identified and documented strengths and weaknesses and presented the key initiatives, which would be needed to ensure a successful transaction. Estimated the fair market value. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Product Quality |
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Terminal and Pipeline Studies Managed several competitive assessments of major crude oil and refined products logistics systems, including pipeline transportation and inland and coastal storage terminals. Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Maintenance and Reliability Improvement Program Managed the development of a client’s routine maintenance and reliability improvement program that identified areas of concern and implemented new work practices aimed at improving competitiveness. Efforts reduced maintenance costs and improved operating performance. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Turnaround Optimization Studies Performed numerous turnaround optimization studies and execution reviews for refineries and petrochemical companies worldwide. Areas of focus included analyzing the work selection process, reviewing work execution schedules, evaluating the facilities preparedness to perform the turnaround, and optimizing turnaround cycles or start dates. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Maintenance Contracting Strategies Worked with international clients to analyze existing maintenance and turnaround contracting strategies, contractor availability, and local cultures to identify areas of concern and develop strategies for improvement. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Reliability and Maintenance Continuous Improvement Initiatives Improved efforts to eliminate equipment defects and unscheduled outages by developing and incorporating the use of reliability indices to identify problem equipment. Reliability teams were then able to prioritize concerns to focus reliability improvement initiatives in areas of highest risk to safety, operational performance, and profits. This defect elimination program was utilized as the cornerstone for the plant’s continuous improvement initiatives. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Pipeline Operating Dispute Assisted in a dispute between an owner and an operator of a recently-constructed crude oil pipeline. Prepared an expert report concerning: (1) the facilities that should have been provided as part of the capital project to construct the pipeline; (2) the equipment necessary to operate and maintain the pipeline; and (3) whether defects found during the early operating period were the result of improper equipment design specifications and construction, or improper operation and maintenance. Testified at arbitration in London. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Marine Accident Investigation Investigated causes for contamination of a cargo of residual fuel aboard a barge that exploded and sank. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality , Property Damage , Safety , Waterborne/Marine |
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CTL/GTL Question-Answer Session Presented background information to groups of stock research analysts in New York and Boston on the technologies utilized in gas-to-liquids and coal-to-liquids processes. In addition, the economics of gasification projects in the U.S. and the role of publicly traded companies in GTL and CTL was discussed. Gas to Liquids , Gasification |
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Performance Improvement - Petrochemicals Assisted in a global study focused on analyzing the operating performance of steam crackers. Participated as a member of a multi-disciplined team responsible for: reliability and operations data gathering, analysis, plant personnel interviews, and industry benchmarking of performance. The study concluded with numerous recommendations to company senior management aimed at improving worldwide plant operational availability. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Upstream Process Equipment: Intellectual Property Infringement In support of a dispute between a technology owner and a manufacturer, provided an opinion on the likelihood or not of another firm’s ability to produce the same equipment with comparable features as the original product without utilizing trade secrets learned from the intellectual property owner. Intellectual Property |
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Gasification Process: Unauthorized Use of Proprietary Trade Secrets In support of a dispute between a technology owner and a start-up company, provided an opinion regarding the extent to which the start-up company may have relied on confidential and proprietary trade secrets, know-how, and other specific process information. In developing an opinion, reviewed all pertinent technical information, including experimental results and plant data, design details, and drawings from each party. Engineering and design experience provided the background needed to understand if proprietary information had been incorporated in a new design. Gasification , Intellectual Property |
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Acetic Acid Process: Intellectual Property Infringement Using chemical engineering expertise, process design background, and experience in operations and manufacturing, provided an opinion on the likelihood of another firm’s ability to produce the same organic acids with comparable quality and value as the original product without utilizing trade secrets learned from the intellectual property owner. Intellectual Property , Product Quality |
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Jet Fuel Supply Contract Dispute Provided expert consulting services and opinions in a hurricane-related, jet fuel supply contract force majeure claim. Assessed the supply conditions, transportation, and other parameters related to the case. Commercial Terms Review |
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Refinery Fire Damage Assessment and Rebuild Costs Assisted in a dispute concerning fire damages and estimated rebuild costs at a petroleum refinery, as well as monitored the rebuild project. Property Damage |
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Industrial Gas Contract Evaluation Evaluated a contract for supply of nitrogen to petrochemical facilities. Specifically assessed the nitrogen pricing terms and interpretations. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Product Terminal and Transmix Processing Valuation Physical asset appraisal and business valuation of a refined product terminal and transmix processing facility. Estimated the replacement cost and deferred replacement value of the physical assets to provide a depreciation basis for taxes. Valued the business enterprise using a discounted cash flow approach based on an analysis and projection of transmix processing and product terminal activities. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Wholesale Supply Contract Dispute Reviewed supply contract dispute and claims that customer was overcharged for product delivered to customer's retail locations. Completed an analysis of refinery gate prices, regional wholesale pricing, and transportation charges for deliveries to each location to determine if overall charges to customer were consistent with transportation logistics and contractual obligations. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Product Pipeline and Terminal Valuation Prepared a valuation of a pipeline and related terminal associated with client's refinery. The valuation was used by the client for accounting and tax allocation purposes. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline |
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Gas Plant Fire Damage Repair Costs Assessed fire-related damages and estimated rebuild cost for a cooling tower at a gas plant. Property Damage |
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Alberta Bitumen Valuation Study Evaluated various approaches to valuing Canadian Oil Sands bitumen blends (DilBit). Approaches for valuation at a Hardisty, Alberta basis included: differential to a marker crude oil, refinery return on investment, parity to Mexican Maya and other approaches, including statistical regression. Evaluated approaches and potential marker crude oils and provided recommendations to client. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing |
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Independent Engineer for New Refinery in Egypt Technical due diligence for financing of a 200,000 B/D merchant export refinery in Egypt. Our review included opinions on site selection, owner's development plan, supply agreements, offtake agreements, EPC Contracts, refinery unit technologies including sulfur recovery, 'over-the-fence' utility interface, crude oil supply and product export terminal facilities. Our review also included opinions on environmental compliance, licenses and permits, CAPEX, construction schedule, completion risk, OPEX and technical comment to the financial model . Commercial Terms Review , EPC-related , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Evaluated Crude Trading Organization Evaluated a refining company's crude oil supply group's effectiveness in disposing of crude oil that had been scheduled for delivery after a fire caused an extended refinery shutdown. Commercial Terms Review , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing |
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Gas Plant Construction Dispute Provided expert advice with respect to standard and customary practices of gas plant design and construction. EPC-related |
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MTBE Contamination Litigation Supported several oil company clients in defense of claims that the inclusion of MTBE in gasolines supplied to the State of New Hampshire caused contamination of water wells in the state. Provided information on the supply of MTBE-blended gasolines to the State and assessed availability of other oxygenates (primarily ethanol) to meet EPA requirements for oxygenated fuels. Testified at trial. Expert Witness/Testimony , Product Quality |
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Isobutanol Value in Gasoline Prepared initial screening study to assess the potential benefits and issues associated with marketing isobutanol as a gasoline-blend component within the U.S. Provided isobutanol gasoline blend valuations versus ethanol/alkylate for a list of target refineries. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Petrochemicals Business Interruption Claim Assisted in a dispute concerning a petrochemicals business interruption claim and lawsuit after a declaration of force majeure by a manufacturer. Reviewed pertinent data and prepared written reports, affidavits, and deposition regarding the business interruption claims. Business Interruption |
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Fuel Contamination Investigation Investigated an occurrence of contaminated diesel fuel at a mine facility, as well as the claimed property damage and business interruption claims. Assessed the root cause of the fuel contamination and prepared a presentation of our findings. Product Quality |
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Dock Collision Business Interruption Claim Assisted in a dispute concerning a refinery business interruption claim and lawsuit after a marine vessel allision with a refinery dock. Analyzed need for extraordinary refined product marine and pipeline movements, as well as trading activity and demurrage claims. Commercial Terms Review , Waterborne/Marine |
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Pipeline Pigging Incident Investigation Following a plant incident caused by the ingress of water, we investigated upstream pipeline activities and operating records to determine the root cause of the incident. Pipeline , Safety |
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Alaska Refinery Evaluation Assisted our client in evaluating the profitability of one of the refineries in Alaska. The evaluation provided inputs that were instrumental to the client in its ongoing discussions with a refiner regarding a long-term crude oil supply contract. Commercial Terms Review |
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Terminal Hurricane Damage Repair and Claim Assisted in a dispute concerning a rebuild estimate for a terminal damaged by a hurricane. Property Damage |
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Heat Exchanger Failure Investigation Investigated cause and events surrounding the rupture of process precooler involving one fatality. Assisted outside counsel by evaluating plant maintenance, safety and operator training procedures compared to industry accepted practices, as well as developing an understanding of probable circumstances that led to the event. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Gasoline Supply Contract Dispute Represented a major refiner in a dispute related to lack of performance alleged by a large local service station chain. Reviewed the contract terms and provided testimony via deposition. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Engineering & Construction - Liquidated Damages Dispute Reviewed claim relating to assessment of liquidated damages and inadequate delivery of Operating Manuals. Commercial Terms Review , EPC-related |
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Refinery Construction Dispute and Arbitration Following previous arbitrations regarding liability for change orders and delays associated with a refinery expansion/upgrade, Baker & O'Brien was engaged to estimate the "quantum" amounts associated with over 400 individual claims that had been addressed by the arbitration tribunal and its technical advisor. We testified regarding our estimates at a final arbitration hearing. EPC-related |
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Hot Fuel Class Action Claim Provided expert witness testimony and litigation support in a class action lawsuit claiming that sales of retail gasoline should be temperature corrected at the pump. Evaluated seasonal gasoline property variability, among other key factors. Expert Witness/Testimony , Product Quality |
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Ethanol Class Action Litigation Assisted a major Florida fuel marketer in Florida in defense against class action claims that ethanol-blended fuels had resulted in damaged boat engines, fuel tanks, and other marine/recreational equipment. Reviewed terminal blending and quality control practices, the actual quality and formulation of gasolines delivered to Florida consumers, and state specifications controlling the quality of such gasolines. Commercial Terms Review , Product Quality |
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MTBE Litigation - East Coast Supported joint defendants in litigation involving alleged MTBE contamination in groundwater. Analyzed gasoline supply issues to the New York Long Island area over the period 1980 to 2006 and submitted expert report. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Hydrogen Pipeline Construction Cost Dispute Assisted client in a dispute concerning settlement costs in regards to a canceled construction contract for a hydrogen pipeline. EPC-related , Pipeline |
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North Carolina Gasoline and Ethanol Blending Analysis Provided an expert report on the production and distribution of ethanol and gasoline, particularly branded gasoline, in the state of North Carolina. Provided a refiner's perspective of the impact of the Renewable Fuel Standard on gasoline blending, distribution and marketing operations, considering the options, alternatives and risks of selling gasoline without ethanol. |
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RFCC Arbitration Expert Report Arbitration expert witness opinion on residual fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) operations, prudent operating procedures, and force majeure claims related to an RFCC incident. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance , Waterborne/Marine |
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MTBE Litigation - West Coast Supported joint defendants in litigation involving alleged MTBE contamination in groundwater. Analyzed gasoline supply issues to the Los Angeles basin over the period 1980 to 2006. Expert report submitted and deposition taken, however case settled prior to trial. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Sulfuric Acid Plant Fire Investigation Investigated cause for sulfuric acid plant fire. Reviewed plant operating conditions prior to the fire and the unit design to identify the cause and potential contributing causes to the fire and subsequent explosions. Safety |
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Refinery Business Interruption - Marine Spill Conducted an assessment of business interruption damages stemming from downtime caused by an oil spill which disrupted marine traffic at several adjacent manufacturing facilities. OSHA-related , Waterborne/Marine |
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Pump Failure Root Cause Analysis Root cause analysis of a boiler feed water pump failure including analysis of rotating equipment maintenance shop's pump maintenance and rebuild procedures. Provided recommendations to improve maintenance shop quality control. Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Valuation and Synergy Analysis On behalf of two international refining companies, investigated and estimated the potential value of synergies that might be realized upon the combination of the two refineries. Provided indication of value capture, based on criteria provided by companies. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Coker Incident and Design Assessment Reviewed project management procedures and facilities design of an oil refinery project after a subsequent structural failure. Provided written report and oral deposition regarding design responsibility and failure liability. EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance |
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Ethanol Contract Dispute Assisted in a dispute between gasoline marketing firm and an ethanol producer in arbitration over a long -term ethanol supply contract from a new production facility. Testified in arbitration regarding the development of the contract pricing formula, how it was to be applied, and the shortcomings associated with it. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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MidWest U.S. Crude Oil Study Identified the factors that likely contributed to a significant widening of the price differential between Light Louisiana Sweet Crude oil (LLS) at St. James, LA and WTI crude oil in Cushing, OK. Developed a three-year outlook for U.S. PADD 2 crude oil supply and disposition, and the expected price differential between LLS and WTI crude oil. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing |
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MTBE Litigation and Expert Report Provided expert report on behalf of a joint defense group of gasoline marketing companies that discussed the many issues concerning why MTBE was chosen over ethanol to meet the federal gasoline oxygenate requirements in the early 1990s. Also included was a discussion of how gasoline was supplied to the local region in California over the 1990s and early 2000s. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Product Quality |
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Isobutanol Valuation Versus Ethanol Prepared isobutanol vs. ethanol valuations for gasoline blending at several U.S. refineries. Assessed blend values for refineries producing reformulated gasoline, low vapor pressure gasoline, and California Air Resources Board (CARB) gasoline. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Air Compressor Incident Investigation Provided independent assessment of an accident that occurred at a container manufacturing facility involving an air compressor and high pressure piping. Efforts included reviewing the compressor operators' work practices and potential causes of the incident. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Power Transmission Fire Investigation Investigated the cause of major fire that resulted in a fatality. Safety |
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Petroleum Revenue Override Dispute Reviewed contract, evaluated contract terms and key definitions and analyzed royalties related to a large West African oil, gas, LNG and petrochemical complex. Pricing |
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Crude Oil Terminal Study Assisted client in identifying new crude oil business opportunities for a large off-shore oil terminal that it had recently acquired. Analyzed regional crude oil supply and demand patterns and expected trends, and considered other opportunities such as crude oil blending. |
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Shale Oil Market Study Developed target markets, estimated values for upgraded shale oil in various U.S. refineries, and expected price netbacks to the project site. Developed crude oil supply and demand balances to determine which crude oils would be displaced and the expected pricing impacts. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing |
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Heat Exchanger Failure Investigation Investigated circumstances concerning a heat exchanger failure that resulted in a fire and explosion, fatally injuring several employees. Investigation included evaluating relevant operating records and comparing these with design specifications to evaluate whether exchanger was operated, inspected and maintained in accordance within design parameters and industry practices. Prepared expert report. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Refinery Valuation Dispute and Arbitration Developed an opinion of the value of a joint venture company that owned and operated a large petroleum refinery in Eastern Europe. Evaluated the refinery's financial performance, capabilities and competitive position, as well as other valuation metrics, such as replacement cost and comparable refinery transactions. Provided testimony at international arbitration. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Refinery Valuation: Ad Valorem Tax Support Developed income and cost indications of value for a refinery in an ad valorem tax dispute. |
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Tank Truck Fatality Incident Provided inspection of truck tank and tank cleaning facilities related to a fatality accident. Investigation including collecting samples of tanker contents for further testing. Safety |
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Terminal Acquisition Due Diligence Support Conducted a review of fuel oil and asphalt terminal assets in support of a potential acquisition. Provided input and recommendations as to the overall quality of the assets, including a review of previous expenditures and maintenance records. Operations/Maintenance |
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Process Plant Fire Protection Review Advised client regarding API and NFPA process industry fire protection standards.. Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Undersea Pipeline Damage Repair Costs Assisted client by providing opinion on reasonableness of claimed repair costs to an undersea pipeline damaged by a ships's anchor. EPC-related , Offshore , Pipeline , Property Damage |
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Methanol Contract Dispute Provided an expert opinion on several aspects related to a methanol supply contract dispute. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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Refinery Risk Assessment Assessed the technical and commercial risks inherent in each of several refineries owned by a U.S. refining company. |
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Refinery Business Interruption Assessment Estimated the lost profit (business interruption claim) stemming from a contractor incident which caused an extended refinery outage. Business Interruption |
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Hydrogen Sulfide Incident Investigation Following a fatality caused by exposure to hydrogen sulfide at a crude oil storage tank with a known sour gas atmosphere, investigated the causes for the incident and the operating and maintenance practices (standard of care) with respect to: supervision, training, and use of personal protective equipment. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Confined Space Incident and Dispute Provided support in a wrongful death dispute regarding a confined workspace incident. The incident involved nitrogen asphyxiation where two maintenance contractors died. Investigated the cause and origin of the incident, including work procedures and practices. Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Piping Purchase Dispute Reviewed purchase order documentation for piping material and provided opinion on whether the material met the engineering specification and requirements. |
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Refinery Repair Costs Dispute Provided expert assistance and a written report for a dispute concerning reasonable contractor repair costs for an oil refinery unit after it had been damaged by fire. EPC-related , Property Damage |
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Product Pipeline Terminal Valuation Prepared a terminal valuation based on a discounted cash flow analysis of transmix and terminal businesses and an appraisal of the physical assets. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline |
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Polypropylene Plant Due Diligence Support Provided technical due diligence support for a moth-balled polypropylene plant. Evaluated capacity, historical utilization and mechanical availability and other factors. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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LNG Liquefaction Capital and Operating Costs On behalf of a confidential client with a proposed world-scale LNG liquefaction plant, prepared high-level cost estimates for two phases of the project: 1) the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) phase and, 2) the operating phase. Provided cost data for client’s financial model to help assess the risks and viability of the project. EPC-related , LNG , Operations/Maintenance |
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Contractor Tripping Incident Investigated circumstances concerning the personal injury of a contract employee. Provided opinions regarding general safety requirements, industry practices, contractor training and safety expertise and utilizing contractors for the activity being performed. Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Shale Oil Prefeasibility Study Assisted client with determining the economic optimum product quality for Synthetic Crude Oil (SCO) to be produced from retorted shale oil. Determined the potential impact of various SCO qualities on refining customer process units and estimated the potential revenue changes that would result from adjustment of these qualities. Product Quality |
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Storage Tank Spill Incident Developed an expert witness report associated with a spill from a sour naphtha storage tank. Reviewed numerous documents and depositions to develop opinions associated with the event. Provided expert opinions on the standards of care and operation of a petroleum refinery. Environmental , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Feasibility and Economics Study Conducted an economic feasibility study for a proposed refinery in Central America. The study evaluated indigenous crude oil supply and imported crude oil, as well as expected product netback prices compared to the status quo of imports. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Equipment Demolition / Fire Investigation Investigated circumstances of a large refinery fire related to a hydrocarbon release from a partially demolitioned open-ended pipe. Developed expert report of findings and provided opinions concerning industry practices and standards of care for the demolition of decommissioned facilities. Provided deposition and arbitration testimony. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Refinery Competitive Assessment Conducted a refinery assessment for a natural gas supplier that was considering investing in infrastructure to enable one of their refining clients to increase capacity. The assessment included a refinery competitive analysis and cash flow forecasts under multiple scenarios. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Valve Failure Investigation: Herbicide Plant Investigated the design and operations of a batch reactor process for the manufacture of herbicides in relation to a piping failure. Equipment material of construction was the focus of the analysis. |
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Bitumen Valuation Dispute Initial meeting with attorneys to provide B&OB background on previous bitumen valuation studies. |
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Strategic Review of Ethanol Plants Provided a strategic review of an ethanol production business, including the analysis of ethanol plant operating costs compared to regional and ethanol industry competitors. Provided ethanol production margin forecast and made recommendations on whether to continue operations, invest in plant improvements, or exit the business. Pricing |
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Chemical Plant Fire Repair Provided technical advice and consultation for recommended repair procedures for vessels and piping damaged in a chemical plant fire. EPC-related , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Gas Plant Construction Dispute Prepared expert report for AAA arbitration regarding alleged deficiencies by the EPC contractor relating to compliance with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practice (RAGAGEP) for adherence with OSHA requirements. Multiple issues, including control room safe location, electrical area classification, positive material identification, process hazard analysis, metallurgy selection, and building ventilation design were addressed. EPC-related , OSHA-related |
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Fall-Related Injury Investigation Investigated circumstances concerning the personal injury of a contract employee who fell inside a flue gas system during a refinery turnaround. The investigation included evaluation of: (1) refinery safe work practices compared to industry standards; (2) utilization of fall arrest systems to mitigate the presence of fall hazards; (3) the responsibilities of both operating companies and contractors to recognize and develop plans to mitigate fall hazards; and (4) responsibilities of both parties to execute and communicate turnaround work plans. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Flare Tower Design Review Independently reviewed the design of two flare towers for an LNG onshore facility. Commented on the EPCM contractor's responsibilities to review the work product of subcontractors and vendors. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , LNG |
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Prepare Northwest Europe Price Forecast Prepared a five year price forecast for crude oil, refined products and petrochemicals in Northwest Europe. Pricing |
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Crude Oil Rail Transport Study Provided an assessment of refinery crude oil processing capability and crude oil pipeline receipt options to enable client to assess crude-by-rail options that might be available to U.S. refiners. |
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Stainless Steel Braided Hose Failure Provided technical expert witness assistance in dispute concerning the failure of a braided stainless steel hose in a medical facility. |
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Wind Turbine Generator Failure Analysis Analyzed and provided expert testimony on the frequent failure of doubly-fed electrical generators located at a wind power generation facility. Examined and critiqued: the previous investigations concerning the possible causes, whether possible causes were linked to design, manufacturing or operation; and whether adequate steps had been taken to obviate further failures. Opined on whether the equipment was fit for purpose. Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Due Diligence Evaluated the condition of refining assets for a potential acquisition. Addressed potential "fatal flaws" regarding the acquisition of a topping refinery. Provided support in evaluating the potential cash flow for the refinery. |
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Refinery Olefins Production Model Developed a refinery olefins model that has the capability to predict propylene and butylene production and consumption for the U.S., at the individual refinery level. The model provides the user with an ability to toggle between different FCC conversion levels and to adjust several other key parameters. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Storage Tank Foundation Failure Following the failure of a storage tank foundation, we reviewed the applicable documentation and prepared an affidavit concerning the standard of care used during its construction. |
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Refinery Screening and Evaluation Provided cash flow forecasts and indicative transaction values for select target refineries using PRISM charges and yields and client price forecasts. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Midstream Due Diligence Conducted due diligence on gas gathering assets in East Texas for a prospective purchaser. Inspected facilities, reviewed pipeline and facility construction records, confirmed regulatory status, evaluated pipeline integrity management program, and assessed process safety. |
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Owner's Engineer for New Refinery Project Reviewed key project assumptions and provided guidance on various aspects of project development, including: transportation infrastructure; refinery design basis; EPC strategy and contract; refined product markets and pricing basis; crude oil sources, quality, and pricing assumptions; project financial model and economics. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Strategic Review of Refining Portfolio For a large integrated refiner and marketer, assessed the historical performance of each refinery in the company's system, and evaluated key benchmark metrics against various selected peer groups. Reviewed each refinery's competitive position and highlighted the key factors that differentiated its performance. Quantified the performance gaps on a dollar-per-barrel basis, attributed the gaps to controllable or structural factors, and made recommendations for improving the controllable gaps. PRISM Data or Analysis , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Refinery Operating and Emissions Data Provided detailed PRISM refinery operating and emissions data on individual refineries to a government agency. PRISM Data or Analysis , Environmental , Operations/Maintenance |
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Wyoming Refinery Appraisal Fair market appraisal of a refinery including connecting crude and products pipelines and storage assets to support debt financing. Project included income valuation with forecast prices, discounted cash flows, and replacement cost estimates for the refinery as well as the pipeline and storage assets. |
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Ethanol Plant Operating Cost Study Compared the estimated cash operating costs for approximately 50 U.S. ethanol plants to the costs for a client's potential ethanol plant acquisition target. Ranked the acquisition target on six separate cash cost metrics and presented the results. |
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GTL Technology and Cost Evaluation Evaluated the technology, cost estimate and financial model for a small scale GTL project to convert natural gas to liquid specialty products. The project evaluation included a review of the synthesis gas process, Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reactor technology, product recovery and product separation. The project definition and stage of development were evaluated for technology risk, cost estimate range of accuracy and suitability of the financial model assumptions. Gas to Liquids |
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Refinery Valuation for Ad Valorem Taxes Developed a cost approach estimate for the valuation of process units at a U.S. Gulf Coast Refinery. Calculated a replacement cost new for the process units and adjusted for physical depreciation, functional obsolescence, and economic obsolescence to arrive at a physical asset value for the refinery's process units. Ad Valorem Taxes , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Used Refinery Relocation Conducted an initial review to identify the status of a proposed refinery project (North Africa) and comment on the potential to utilize the surplus process equipment from a U.S. refinery that had been shut down. Project Feasibility |
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U.S. Crude Oil Study In response to increasing production of U.S. light crude oil, estimated a range of light crude oil prices that would be required in order for moderately complex refiners to break-even versus processing medium crude oil. Developed a forecast for North American crude oil production by major producing basin in order to understand the point in time at which essentially all light crude oil imports would be displaced from the North America market. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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GTL Jet Fuel Scoping Study On behalf of a major airline, assessed the risks and benefits involved in entering into either a jet fuel off-take agreement, or participating in project ownership. The assessment, for a number of small-scale GTL technology providers, covered the following topics: state of technology development; technical risks for project completion; likely capital costs, yields, and operating costs; market price analysis for crude oil and natural gas; and economic sensitivity analyses. Project Feasibility |
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PRISM Refinery Data Provided refinery capacity, throughput, product yield, and cash flow estimates for two European refineries in support of preliminary acquisition discussions. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Refinery Strategic Review Provided a strategic review of a client's refinery with a focus on the potential opportunities and threats related to evolving crude oil supply dynamics and competitor expansions. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Midstream Infrastructure Review Completed a high-level review of natural gas and natural gas liquid (NGL) infrastructure in Western Oklahoma for a project developer to present to a potential investor. |
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Crude Oil Market Study Provided a forecast of North American crude oil production through 2030 by quality and by major producing region. Evaluated the extent to which the North American refining industry could accommodate a lighter crude oil slate. Identified expected change in crude flow patterns and imports. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Refinery Acquisition Study Assisted client in screening refinery acquisition targets using PRISM operating and profitabiility data. Evaluated options to process Eagle Ford crude oil at one refinery and building a distillate hydrocracker at another. PRISM Data or Analysis , Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Hydrogen Demand Forecast Forecasted individual refinery hydrogen supply balance changes due to Tier 2 and 3 gasoline sulfur regulations using the PRISM refinery modeling system. PRISM Data or Analysis , Operations/Maintenance |
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Utica Shale Oil Market Analysis Identified target refineries for a Utica shale oil marketer using the PRISM refinery database. Provided reports on their current crude slates and profitability. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation |
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Lawsuit Settlement Analysis (Refinery Metrics) Provided client with an analysis of key refinery operating data that helped evaluate their liability in an environmental contamination lawsuit. The analysis formed the basis of the client's settlement offer. |
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Hydrotreater Balance Developed a charge and yield material and volumetric balance for a simple refinery containing a naphtha hydrotreater/catalytic reformer and diesel hydrotreater. Summarized feedstock and product properties. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Hot Tap Incident Evaluated and incident involving a "hot tap" on processing pipeline and resultant leak. Assisted refinery owner and outside counsel in action brought against maintenance contractor. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refining Margin Forecast Prepared a ten-year price forecast for a petroleum refiner for use in their long range plan development. Reviewed current downstream refining industry trends including supply and demand balances, environmental regulations, and WTI/LLS pricing to develop a future downstream industry outlook. Pricing |
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Thermal Cracker/Lube Unit Yields Prepared yields for a thermal cracker unit and lube oil extraction unit. Used PRISM unit models to assist in developing the yields and stream properties. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Refinery Scenario Development Workshop Facilitated a workshop with the senior management of a refining company to develop scenarios which would be used in deciding whether to install a hydrocracker or retrofit an existing FCC. Developed crude oil and refined product price sets corresponding with each of the scenarios. Pricing |
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Refinery Competitiveness Study Conducted a study of the competitiveness of a refining company's three refineries for a client contemplating the establishment of a partnership with the refining company. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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PADD 4 Products Supply/Demand Study Forecasted PADD 4 refined products supply and demand through 2020 considering potential refinery expansions, refining economics, logistics and product consumption trends. Outlined the potential implications of changing supply/demand patterns on PADD 4 refined product prices. Pricing |
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High TAN Crude Oil Refinery Study Identified U.S. Gulf Coast refineries processing high TAN crude oil. Estimated capital cost to convert heavy sour crude refineries currently processing low TAN crude oil to high TAN refineries. Considered a Canadian bitumen/diluent blended crude oil as the basis. Calculated the metallurgy and light ends processing costs associated with refinery conversion to high TAN crude oil. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pipeline |
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Refinery Acquisition Screening and Valuation Provided refinery modeling, valuation and M&A support for a client that was considering a refinery acquisition. |
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Refinery Due Diligence Support Provided due diligence support for potential refinery acquisition. Developed cash flow models for valuing the refinery. Developed price forecast used in cash flow model. Evaluated key drivers and their impact on the refinery valuation. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Isobutanol Blending Study Evaluated the gasoline blend value of isobutanol versus ethanol for a Midwest refinery. Calculated isobutanol blend values for summer and winter and for constrained and unconstrained gasoline production. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Crude Oil Pipeline Due Diligence Provided technical, commercial, and market due diligence for acquisition of pipeline transportation rights in Latin America. Carried out a technical review of the oil pipeline and pump station facilities. Reviewed the tariff setting mechanism and analyzed key inputs. Developed a tariff model and ran sensitivity scenarios to predict future pipeline tariffs. Carried out regional market study to compare alternate transportation modes (pipeline versus truck) and reviewed forecasts for crude oil production and transportation. Pipeline |
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Crude Oil Valuation Study Estimated the value of various crude oil grades in a number of refineries that compete for the acquisition of local crude oil production in the U.S. mid-continent. Crude Oil Valuation |
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Power Outage Root Cause Analysis Root cause analysis of a Port of Houston container facility power outage and an assessment of potential exposure to business interruption claims. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Property Damage |
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Asbestos Insulation Litigation Advised client of typical engineering standards regarding the use of asbestos insulation prior to the early 1970s. Toxic Tort |
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Oil Sands Technology Review Examined a new oil sands technology for bitumen extraction to identify potential flaws and areas of risk prior to commercialization. Observed performance of and assessed sufficiency of development unit to demonstrate viability and reliability of commercial operations. Intellectual Property , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Northwest Europe Price Forecast Developed a five year outlook for crude oil, refined products and petrochemical prices for a European refining company. Pricing |
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Leadership Development Program Provided a leadership development program for an international refining and marketing company executive. Areas of focus included U.S. refining, marketing, crude oil and transportation practices and trends. |
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Refinery Hydrogen Demand Study Quantified the hydrogen demand impact due to Gasoline Tier 3 regulations, the changing crude supply, and product demand in the USGC over a ten-year horizon. PRISM Data or Analysis , Environmental |
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Gasoline Blending Data Provided gasoline and diesel blend pool quantity and quality data for 15 U.S. refineries for use in biofuel blending studies. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Crude Oil Pipeline System Due Diligence On behalf of an investment group, provided technical and operational due diligence of an interstate (FERC regulated) crude oil pipeline system. Our focus included the review of asset integrity, design, system capacity, and operating costs of an existing asset and the design, project execution plan, schedule, cost estimate, and projected operating costs of a proposed pipeline. Commercial Terms Review , EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Refinery Sulfur Study Quantified the cost impact for Canadian refiners to comply with a 10 ppm average gasoline sulfur specification to comply with the U.S. Tier 3 gasoline regulation. PRISM Data or Analysis , Environmental |
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Refinery Feasibility Study Evaluated the economic feasibility for constructing a new grassroots refinery in the U.S. Mid-Continent. Developed a forecast for the feedstock and product prices. Utilized preliminary process design data to construct an economic model for two different refinery configurations. Identified the major variables which impacted the refinery economics. PRISM Data or Analysis , Project Feasibility |
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Residual Fuel Oil Valuation Provided an assessment of the quantity, quality, and value of fuel oil recovered during demolition of storage tanks at a power plant. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Black Wax Crude Oil Market Study Reviewed qualities of Utah Black Wax crude oil versus other sweet crude oils to determine key criteria which would lead a refiner to process to Utah Black Wax crude oil. Used criteria to screen existing U.S. refineries for their ability/incentive to process the Utah Black Wax crude oil. |
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Fuel Oil Contamination Dispute Expert witness services regarding a residual fuel oil contamination in a storage facility. Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Product Quality |
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Crude Oil Storage Project Analysis Evaluated current and future crude oil storage capacity on the U.S. Gulf Coast, and developed a near-term crude oil storage cost forecast as input to client's greenfield crude oil terminal project due-diligence. Project Feasibility |
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Ethanol Blending Lawsuit Working on behalf of a petroleum industry trade organization, in defense of major gasoline branded companies, provided analysis and opinions related to the potential impact on brand quality from allowing ethanol splash-blending by third parties. Provided expert testimony at trial. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Product Quality |
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US Crude Oil Market Analysis Conducted an analysis of U.S. crude oil production growth and imports, and the impact on U.S. crude oil and refined products markets. Pricing |
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European Refinery Competitiveness On behalf of a large industry participant, evaluated the relative competitiveness of refineries operating in Western Europe. Utilized our proprietary PRISM modeling and database system to extract individual refinery margin and cost metrics and projected the likely future positions of the client's refineries on the cost and margin curves. |
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Drilling Incident Investigation Following an incident on an oil drilling platform, assisted with the investigation to discern whether relevant practices, e.g., API and others, were followed. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Fire Insurance Claim Assisted in a dispute concerning a rebuild estimate, which was the subject of subrogation, for an oil refinery process plant damaged by fire. Business Interruption , Property Damage |
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LNG Due Diligence On behalf of potential offtakers and equity investors of train one, performed a technical due diligence and risk assessment of a two-train liquefaction project, including common use of certain existing regasification facilities. Work completed during the development phase of the project involved the evaluation of pre-completion risks and post-completion risks, including a review of planned and existing facilities. CAPEX, contractor capabilities, construction schedule duration, and OPEX were reviewed for appropriateness and risk of overrun. Subsequent follow-up work included a review of an Open Book Estimate (OBE), a project risk evaluation (reviewed and quantified pre-FID and post-FID cost and schedule risk), and an assessment of the project’s draft environmental impact statement (EIS). LNG |
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Nitrogen Manifold Failure Provided litigation support for nitrogen manifold explosion. Operations/Maintenance , Safety |
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Contract Company, Bankruptcy Dispute Supported client in a contractor bankruptcy case by providing opinions concerning (1) industry practices plant operators (owners) take to vet industrial contractors for consideration to perform work at their site; (2) impact to operations following the suspension of work by a contractor during turnaround without prior notice; and (3) efforts owners may take to mitigate the impact of work suspension. Developed expert report and provided deposition testimony. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Business Interruption Assessment Assisted in a dispute concerning factors which may have contributed to an explosion and prepared an estimate of lost profits stemming from the resultant loss incident. Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Property Damage |
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Propane Pricing Analysis Evaluated the historical development of propane prices in a key North American market, and developed a report that assessed propane supply-demand dynamics and price response, given the increasing availability of supply. Evaluated the evolution of company price postings and compared independently-assessed, third party prices to these postings. Provided opinions on the best propane price reference points to be used in commercial supply contracts. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Refinery Fire Claim Provided litigation support for a valve supplier with regards to an insurance subrogation claim associated with a refinery fire. Determined extent of damage, cost and time to repair, and estimated business interruption if refinery facility had been designed per normal industry standard. Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Property Damage |
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Pipeline Quality Bank Dispute Reviewed claims by a crude oil refiner to adjust the valuation of the residuum cut in the TAPS Quality Bank. Reviewed the residual fuel markets and the delayed coking capacities and operations for several West Coast refiners. Provided written and oral testimony before a FERC Administrative Law Judge. Crude Oil Valuation , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pipeline , Pricing |
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Tank Collapse Assessment Assessed contractor work practices associated with the collapse of a storage tank that occurred during cleaning operations. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage , Safety |
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Refining Company Financial Analysis Prepared a financial analysis of an independent U.S. Refiner and Marketer in support of a valuation for a prospective buyer. |
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Crude Oil Storage Study Supported various feasibility studies related to development of a crude oil storage project on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Activities included a survey of Houston and Port Arthur-area crude oil storage costs, an assessment of medium term lease rates, and an evaluation of days of crude oil storage, both historically and projected, given the changing crude oil flow dynamics from the Eagle Ford and Permian regions. Project Feasibility |
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Gas Plant Due Diligence On behalf of a developer's due diligence process, provided an independent review of a gas plant project in the U.S. Reviewed documents and consulted with the developer regarding the process design, engineering, major systems and equipment, procurement, construction, schedule and CAPEX. EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Logistics services company assessment Provided an independent financial and commercial assessment of a logistics services company that our client was considering purchasing. |
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Needle Coke Price Dispute Provided an opinion on the market price of needle coke in connection with a dispute submitted to the International Centre for Expertise of the International Chamber of Commerce. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Ethanol Plant Freeze Claim Reviewed an insurance claim associated with an idled ethanol manufacturing facility being re-started. Purpose was to assess items listed in the claim to determine if damages were caused directly by a winter freeze or due to some other failure mechanism such as improper mothballing techniques or normal degradation of a once-operating facility. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Faulty Equipment Claim Assisted refinery operator with an insurance claim concerning the delivery and operations of a faulty air cooler. Reviewed documentation and supported client to determine roles and responsibilities of the equipment supplier to design, fabricate and deliver equipment free from manufacturing defects. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Refinery Equipment Valuation Determined the estimated market value of idle refinery equipment that was designated as loan collateral. Prepared a report valuing the equipment under different sales scenarios including as an entire refinery, by individual process units, by individual equipment item and as scrap value. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Refinery Turnaround Dispute Arbitration Investigated the cause/origin of a leak that developed on a process unit after a turnaround, leading to an extended shutdown. Evaluated various damage models used to estimate the value of loss of use of the process unit and the reduced operation of the refinery. Submitted an expert report on the leak liability issues and the estimated value of loss of use of the process unit and its effects on refinery operations. Arbitration , Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Condensate Splitter Due Diligence Conducted asset due diligence activities: inspected facility under construction; provided market incentives, operating costs, risk overview, and staffing recommendations for successful acquisition of condensate splitter and associated logistics. Crude Oil Valuation , Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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GTL Screening Model Developed a gas-to-liquids project screening model for potential North American sites. Gas to Liquids , Project Feasibility |
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Asphalt Refinery Due Diligence Performed due diligence on behalf of a financial institution for funding the startup of an idle asphalt refinery. Advised client on technical issues related to running black/yellow (Uinta) wax crude in the asphalt refinery. Work included evaluation of the condition of the process units and infrastructure, assays of feedstocks, analysis of yields, and evaluation of process bottlenecks. Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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Crude Oil Marketing Study Evaluated options for marketing light tight crude oil (LTO) including calculating the breakeven refining value in specific refineries and its value as diluent in a diluent-bitumen blend. Crude Oil Valuation |
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Refining Margin Forecast Provided a 10-year refining margin and price forecast for use by client in developing their long-range plan. Provided historical trends and identified drivers which could impact future refining margins. Pricing |
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LNG Capital Cost Review On behalf of potential offtakers and equity investors of one train, Baker & O’Brien performed a follow-up review of the updated Open Book Estimate (OBE) of a two-train liquefaction project, including common use of certain existing regasification facilities. EPC-related , LNG |
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Refinery Due Dilgence Assessment Provided an initial assessment of a Gulf Coast refinery for possible acquisition by the client. Provided estimated refinery yields and profitability. |
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Environmental Impact Support - Rail Terminal and Refinery Prepared an expert report on behalf of a local government agency, as part of an environmental impact process, to address the key technical changes resulting from a project to construct a crude oil rail terminal and modify an existing refinery to allow it to process increased amounts of light domestic crude oil. Crude Oil Valuation , LP/Planning Practice |
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Refined Products Terminal Study To support a client's due diligence efforts for a potential petroleum products terminal acquisition, undertook a market study to evaluate the current refined products supply and demand balance on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Key market drivers were identified which could impact future market growth. |
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Permian Basin Market Review Analyzed Permian Basin crude oil production, production forecasts, infrastructure projects, and price differentials for a midstream company. Provided input for annual investor presentation. Pipeline |
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Gasoline Supply Analysis Prepared several regional maps showing sources of gasoline supply to various states including refineries, pipelines and waterborne routes. Pipeline |
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Condensate/Diluent Analysis Developed a diluent supply and demand balance to determine if U.S. lease condensate is being blended into Canadian bitumen for import into the U.S. Evaluated multiple approaches to identify any potential U.S. lease condensate being blended into Canadian bitumen. |
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New Refinery Fatal Flaw Analysis Provided an initial assessment to a local government body regarding the development of a 20,000 B/D refinery in North America. Interviewed the project team and reviewed project documents and identified potential concerns for the project progressing as envisioned. Prepared a written report of the key findings and concerns. Project Feasibility |
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Debutanizer Tower, H2S Incident Developed an expert witness report associated with an incident concerning an H2S release during the scheduled turnaround activities involving a debutanizer tower. |
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Refinery Economic Losses Due to Fire Prepared an assessment to quantify the economic damages resulting from a refinery fire that caused damage to equipment and a lengthy shutdown of a refinery distillation and conversion train. Prepared a detailed report that documented both business interruption losses and repair costs for damaged equipment. Provided testimony in deposition and district bench trial. Business Interruption , Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing , Property Damage |
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Power Plant Cooling Tower Operation Assisted in a dispute concerning whether or not the alleged excessive vibration observed in an operational cooling tower was outside the limits of operational integrity called for in the operating insurance policy. |
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Asphalt Refinery Dispute Provided analyses on locating an asphalt refinery on a property and expert witness deposition testimony involving the construction of an asphalt refinery. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Crude Oil Flow Projections for Pipeline Acquisition Evaluated the current regional supply and demand balance for crude oil and developed medium-term forecasts, given expectations for area refinery expansions and crude oil production changes. Developed projections for crude oil transportation volumes in an existing crude oil trunkline that was considered for acquisition. Pipeline |
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Gas Plant Acquisition Dispute After concluding a transaction, the acquiring party claimed that the facilities were not sufficient to conduct business due to deficiencies related to design, construction, safety, and failure to meet environmental regulations. Visited the plant to interview key personnel, viewed the physical facilities, and reviewed relevant operational, safety, and engineering design information. Our findings and opinions were presented in an expert report which was submitted into evidence. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony , OSHA-related |
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Terminal Due Diligence Provided technical due diligence support for a large terminal acquisition opportunity involving approximately 50 terminals, 700 tanks, and 30MMbbls of storage. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline , Waterborne/Marine |
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Condensate Splitter Due Diligence Conducted asset due diligence activities: (1) inspected facility under construction; (2) provided market incentives; (3) operating costs; (4) risk overview; and (5) staffing recommendations for successful acquisition of condensate splitter and associated logistics. Operations/Maintenance , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Condensate Splitter Market Study Developed market study and economics for a "grassroots" Eagle Ford condensate splitter located in Corpus Christi. Evaluated alternate locations and presented to CEO and management. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Oil Disposition Study Developed economics of crude disposition alternatives for producer's growing production of light tight oil. Alternatives included local and distant refining values with appropriate logistics costs. Crude Oil Valuation , LP/Planning Practice , Pipeline , Pricing |
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Nitroparaffin Manufacturing Evaluation Evaluated technology and patents related to the production of nitroparaffins. Project Feasibility |
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GTL Technology Assessment Assisted company in evaluating a larger equity investment in a GTL technology company by visiting the prototype unit, reviewing process data, and assessing the potential market. Project Feasibility |
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GTL Commercialization Study Performed due diligence on a new GTL process to evaluate possible routes to commercialization. The work program included the following steps: (1) verification of mass balance; (2) comparison of laboratory and pilot plant yields; (3) evaluation of alternative technologies; (4) assessment of scale-up issues; (5) review of preliminary commercial design; (6) estimate of capital costs; and (7) the development of an economic model that included sensitivity analyses for capital costs, yields and prices. Project Feasibility |
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Potential Refinery Acquisition On behalf of a prospective buyer, evaluated a Northern European refinery as a potential acquisition target. Determined the current physical condition of the refinery, its existing processing capability, and the potential for expansion and upgrade. Developed an economic and financial model that was used by client to prepare its tender offer. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Waste to Liquid Process Evaluation Performed an economic and technical screening evaluation for a client-provided process for conversion of animal waste to hydrocarbon products. Researched current patented technology as well as investigated theoretical mass balances for feed/products. |
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Refining Alternative Crude Study Prepared an evaluation of the economics of processing alternative crude oils in a Midwest refinery. Crude Oil Valuation |
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Barge Loading Incident Investigation Investigated a marine over pressure and rupture incident which occurred while loading a barge with light stabilized hydrocarbons. Safety |
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Light Tight Oil (LTO) Refining Capacity Conducted a study to assess the ability of the United States (U.S.) to absorb incremental light tight oil (LTO) production. Evaluated potential for crude oil import substitution, refinery expansions, heavy oil blending and other means for increasing U.S. absorption of LTO. Results were compared to various forecasts of domestic oil production growth. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Jet Fuel Market Study Analyzed historical jet fuel prices in PADD 1 to show how interruptions in supply impact the market price. Prepared a supply and demand balance for jet fuel in PADD 1. Developed a jet fuel supply curve for Gulf Coast and PADD 3 refiners into PADD 1. PRISM Data or Analysis , LP/Planning Practice , Pricing |
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Refinery Feasibility Study Prepared a feasibility study for a client considering a greenfield refinery investment. Developed a price forecast and expected product netback prices and crude oil costs. Calculated the cash flow, NPV, and IRR for the project. Evaluated a crude oil railcar loading facility option for the refinery. Project Feasibility |
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Pipeline Contractor Business Interruption Claims Reviewed business interruption claims made by welding contractors related to a pipeline incident that resulted in damage to the contractors' equipment. Prepared a report documenting our findings of the business loss claims. Business Interruption , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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PRISM Refinery Data Provided historical refinery cash flow estimates for use by the client's credit department in assessing counterparty risk. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Post-incident Equipment Preservation Review Assisted client by assessing preservation techniques and "mothballing" efforts following the catastrophic failure of a vessel at a specialty products company. Incident resulted in an insurance claim for damaged equipment and idled equipment in the vicinity of the vessel failure. Efforts included assessing preservation techniques utilized at the plant compared to industry practices, developing an expert report, and providing expert testimony. Operations/Maintenance |
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Paper Mill Safety Incident Assisted attorneys by investigating the circumstances concerning an incident that occurred at a paper plant during a scheduled turnaround that resulted in a fatality. Issues studied included assessing work practices and safety procedures utilized to prepare equipment for turnaround activities, including vessel entry and paper mill plant design. Forensic Analysis , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Flash Fire Investigation Investigated circumstances concerning a flash fire that occurred during vessel entry and cleaning operations. The investigation included the: (1) assessment of refinery safe work practices compared to industry standards and government regulations; (2) utilization of vessel entry and confined space safety practices to mitigate ignition hazards; and (3) responsibilities of both the operating company and contractor organization to recognize, develop, and follow safe work plans to prevent potential flash fires from occurring during vessel entry. Developed and submitted expert report. Forensic Analysis , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Due Diligence In support of a potential acquisition and start-up of a topping refinery that had been shut down for an extended period, addressed any "fatal flaws" and provided support for evaluating order-of-magnitude costs required to inspect, repair, staff, and start-up the facility. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Litigation Support for Asbestos Claim Asbestos Litigation---provided expert input and litigation support for trial preparation on refinery/chemical personnel's exposure to asbestos gaskets and equipment insulation materials. Environmental , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety , Toxic Tort |
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Refractory Failure Investigation Provided expertise and technical assistance related to the evaluation of a failed refractory in a methanol reformer. Business Interruption , Forensic Analysis , OSHA-related , Property Damage |
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Crude Marketing Study Prepared a crude marketing study for a Utah black wax crude oil producer. Evaluated refineries outside of Utah which could receive crude oil via railcars and the expected netback price to the crude oil producer. Identified and ranked the refineries which would yield the highest netback value to the producer. Provided contact information and initiated meetings with the crude oil producer and potential refinery candidates for processing the Utah black wax crude oil. Crude Oil Valuation |
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Refinery Business Interruption Dispute Following an unplanned shutdown, caused by extensive equipment damage, evaluated the refinery operation to confirm that all mitigation steps had been taken and also confirm the claimed business interruption losses. Business Interruption , Crude Oil Valuation , Forensic Analysis , LP/Planning Practice |
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Gas Plant Mediation Support Provided mediation support in relation to a helium supply agreement dispute between a new natural gas processing plant and a downstream customer. Reviewed force majeure declaration and prepared mediation presentation summarizing aspects of the dispute. EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance |
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Production Facility EPC Dispute Reviewed and opined on different aspects of a dispute between the developer of an oil production facilities project and the EPC contractor. Assessed variation/change orders for entitlement and reviewed claims of preferential engineering (versus functional design). Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Power Outage Cause and Origin A refinery suffered an unplanned shutdown due to a power outage. At the time of the incident, the power source was from the grid via a third-party cogeneration station. Analyzed facilities and procedures to determine which parties: the grid, the cogeneration station, and/or the refinery, contributed to the outage. Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Feedstock Supply Dispute Reviewed the incidents of feedstock disruption and its effects on production of a basic chemical by a chemical producer in its dispute concerning a long-term feedstock supply contract. Dispute was settled at an early stage, prior to the preparation of an expert report. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , Operations/Maintenance |
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Gasoline Supply Analysis Analyzed gasoline supply logistics to a specific state, including refineries, pipelines, and waterborne routes and prepared demonstratives. PRISM Data or Analysis , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pipeline , Waterborne/Marine |
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Ethanol Plant Business Interruption Dispute Reviewed an insurance claim for an ethanol plant "opportunity loss" due to a power outage resulting from repair work on main electrical feed cables after being damaged by a construction contractor. Reviewed operating expenses and ethanol pricing during the subject period and provided an opinion on the reasonableness of the size of the claim. Business Interruption , Pricing |
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Refinery Environmental Review Reviewed and reported on potential environmental solid waste issues associated with a large idled refinery in support of a client's bid for the facilities. Performed an on-site inspection of the refinery to identify potential environmental risks. Environmental , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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GTL Facility Due Diligence Performed due diligence for a company evaluating an equity investment in a GTL facility under construction. Reviewed project budget and schedule for completion. Evaluated the amount of contingency included in the budget, confirmed the status of payments to contractors and other service providers, and interviewed project representatives regarding mechanical completion and commissioning plans. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance |
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Chemical Plant Construction Dispute Provided expert report on construction dispute concerning prefabricated module manufacturing quality and cost overrun issues. EPC-related |
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LNG Technical Advisor Provided technical support regarding the FERC filing process, reviewed FEED study deliverables from contractors, and advised with regard to other contracts in support of the project, including geotechnical issues, noise survey, vapor dispersion, etc. Also reviewed progression and risks involved in estimates of project CAPEX and OPEX. EPC-related , Project Feasibility |
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Gas Plant Construction Dispute Prepared expert report and testified regarding alleged performance deficiencies of a general mechanical contractor performing a reimbursable construction project. The project allegedly experienced poor productivity, resulting in cost overruns and schedule delays. Assessed the different potential causes of alleged poor productivity, including project management, scope changes and weather impacts. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Fertilizer Complex Economic Model Constructed an economic model to analyze the financial performance of a fertilizer complex that produced ammonia and other nitrogen chemicals. Evaluated expected operations and financial performance subsequent to the completion of an ongoing capital expansion project. EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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EPC Construction Dispute Provided expert support in a construction dispute relating to a natural gas processing plant in North America. The dispute primarily concerned engineering design issues and whether the installed facilities met contract, specification, and industrial standard requirements. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Fracking Equipment Fire Assisted with the Cause and Origin investigation of a fire on a blender used in a fracking operation. Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Marine Dock Business Interruption Claim Reviewed documents and provided analysis concerning a marine collision with the crude oil unloading dock, which resulted in a business interruption claim for a Gulf Coast refiner. Business Interruption , Waterborne/Marine |
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Crude Oil Supply Contract Dispute Provided an expert report for a crude oil supplier who lost its contract to a refiner. Provided a valuation versus alternative crude oils as to the value of the cancelled crude oil supply contract. Dispute settled prior to trial. Expert Witness/Testimony , Physical Asset Appraisal , Waterborne/Marine |
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Refinery Acquisition Assessment Prepared an initial profitability assessment of two refineries for possible acquisition. Identified key drivers to profitability and the strengths and weaknesses of each refinery. |
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Refinery Business Interruption Claim On behalf of an insurer, calculated the business interruption expense for a Gulf Coast refinery associated with a delay in receiving crude oil via ship. Reviewed calculations provided by the refinery and opined on associated business interruption impacts associated with the delay in receiving crude oil shipments. Provided an expert report, which enabled a settlement in the dispute. Business Interruption , Waterborne/Marine |
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Refinery Business Interruption Claim Provided technical support for a business interruption claim associated with a refinery fire. Evaluated refinery linear program model used to develop the "but for" cases. Prepared a report with recommended corrections to the linear program model "but for" case output. Business Interruption , LP/Planning Practice |
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Crude Oil Storage Support Surveyed industry sources to develop an estimate of the current crude oil storage costs in the Texas Gulf Coast area. Developed an estimate of the current crude oil storage capacity and petroleum refinery capacity in the Houston area. Project Feasibility |
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Pacific Northwest Market Study Prepared a market study of the Pacific Northwest U.S., which included the refined products supply and demand balance and logistics systems. The emphasis of the study was on current and future jet fuel supply and demand in the region. Evaluated jet fuel logistic systems for Pacific Northwest. |
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Business Interruption Claim Analysis Reviewed preliminary business interruption calculations related to a ship collision incident at a refinery dock. Developed a revised business interruption estimate, which resulted in a claim settlement. Property Damage , Waterborne/Marine |
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Refining Margin Forecast Provided a ten year refining margin and price forecast for use by client in developing their long-range plan. Provided historical trends and identified drivers that could impact future refining margins. Pricing |
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Refinery Yield Data Provided refinery yield data and variable operating costs for developing generic refining margins. Refinery yield data sets included generic refineries located in the Midwest, U.S. East Coast, and U.S. Gulf Coast, with varying configurations. |
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LPG Terminal Lenders' Engineer review for development of an LPG terminal consisting of LPG tankage, gasoil tankage, loading facilities, and associated pipelines and equipment. The facilities were planned to accommodate annual throughput volumes of 1,150,000 tons of LPG and 940,000 tons of gasoil, with minimum guaranteed volumes of 700,000 tons of LPG and 600,000 tons of gasoil with planned future facilities for increased throughput volumes, bunkering operations, and third-party storage. EPC-related , Project Feasibility , Waterborne/Marine |
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Refinery Design Review Grassroots refinery was to be a modular-fabrication with an on-site assembly on a greenfield site in North East Africa. Due to the characteristics of the crude oil (heavy, waxy and high naphthenic acid content), process design included Visbreaker-type technology. An evaluation was made of the process design and the project economics. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Standard of Care During Ethylene Plant Outage Reviewed the shutdown and subsequent start-up of an ethylene plant following a utility outage. Reviewed liquidated damage calculations. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Gas Pipeline Dispute As a member of the three person dispute resolution board for a gas pipeline construction project, reviewed, evaluated, and determined liability for project claims brought before the board. Commercial Terms Review |
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Electrical Supply Disruption Following the sudden loss of electrical supply to a chemical plant, which resulted in equipment damage, the chemical plant owner claimed that the electricity supplier was negligent. In addressing the root cause of the equipment damage, our work assessed the following parameters: (1) the nature of the supply contract; (2) the nature of the outage - whether intentional or inadvertent; (3) the chronology of events following the outage; (4) the designs of the electrical systems in question; and (5) the operational procedures in the event of a power outage and whether they were followed. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Pipeline Pig Station Incident Investigation Reviewed information concerning a fire associated with the commissioning of a pipeline station and equipment skid. Purpose was to assess cause and origin for the incident and roles and responsibilities of the operating company and equipment supplier associated with the project. Property Damage |
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GTL Technology Assessment Provided a fatal flaw analysis, evaluated the technology application and integration, reviewed the cost estimate accuracy range, and assessed the financial model for a natural gas to wax proposed project. Particular emphasis was placed on the ability to scale-up the process, the assumptions for plant capacity and availability, and the project schedule. EPC-related , Intellectual Property , Operations/Maintenance , Project Feasibility |
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IPP/Refinery Power Generation Outage Dispute Assessed the cause(s) of supplier's steam and electricity generation failure and mitigating actions by the refinery/petrochemical customer. Preliminary findings and a document request were provided to the client. Arbitration , Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Insulation Works Dispute Provided expert witness assistance with technical issues regarding the installation of insulation on an LNG facility. Baker & O'Brien reviewed the technical issues, prepared an expert report, and testified regarding our opinions in an ICC Arbitration hearing. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , LNG |
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Lender's Engineer - GTL Plant Served as Independent Engineer on behalf of a major Australian bank for the construction of a GTL plant. Prepared a technology assessment, analyzed feedstock supply, and reviewed contracts. Inspected equipment and confirmed permits were in place prior to authorizing draw-down certificates. Monitored construction progress, confirmed expenditures, and compared these expenditures against budget. Commercial Terms Review , Environmental , EPC-related , Gas to Liquids , Operations/Maintenance |
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Pulp and Paper Mill Construction Dispute Opined on engineering standard of care issues and issued an expert report for use in a dispute between the owner of a pulp and paper mill and an engineering firm as it related to a major turnaround project. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Refinery Economic Study Evaluated various strategic options for a small Rockies area refinery, including an evaluation of a new diesel hydrotreater, refinery crude and product slate optimization, operating cost evaluation, and exit strategy and shutdown costs. Refinery was shut down due to the small refinery ULSD exemption that was expiring. Client wanted to evaluate the impact on the competitiveness of the refinery of adding a new diesel hydrotreating unit. Physical Asset Appraisal , Project Feasibility |
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Refined Products Pipeline Market Study Developed a supply and demand forecast by market area for a major refined products pipeline from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest. Project involved analyzing historical supply trends and demand by market area and forecasting expected pipeline flows under various refinery utilization scenarios. Pipeline |
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Pipeline Specifications Dispute A new pipeline owner was seeking to impose tighter diesel specifications on a pipeline. Provided an expert report and testimony regarding common carrier pipeline diesel product specifications in a regulatory hearing. The dispute was ultimately settled prior to the hearing. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality |
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Floating Production Platform Dispute Reviewed, opined, and prepared expert report regarding the project cost differences experienced during construction of the hull and integration of topsides for a semi-submersible platform, which was placed into service offshore of Brazil. Our review included a change in the construction site, changes in construction strategy, and changes in the sequence of construction. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Offshore |
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Refinery Acquisition Assessment Provided initial due diligence for a potential refinery acquisition. Evaluated refinery profitability and strengths and weaknesses. Developed forecast for future refinery profitability. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Pipeline Operating Practices A lawsuit was filed against a major U.S. pipeline company stating that its operating practices during maintenance at a gas gathering line resulted in a fire and the injury of two contract workers who were the plaintiffs. We were asked to opine on the cause of the fire. The matter was settled out of court prior to reports being issued or testimony being presented. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Refinery Construction Dispute Provided expert consulting support assessing EPC contractor’s responsibilities, project execution, and start-up issues associated with the construction and start-up of a refinery expansion project. Assisted client in two areas: (1) assessed circumstances associated with a piping failure to determine if failure was due to poor engineering design; and (2) organized retained materials to assist with insurance claim. Arbitration , Business Interruption , EPC-related , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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GTL Facility Due Diligence Performed due diligence for a company evaluating an equity investment in a GTL facility under construction. Reviewed project budget and schedule for completion. Evaluated the amount of contingency included in the budget, confirmed the status of payments to contractors and other service providers; interviewed project representatives regarding mechanical completion and commissioning plans. Environmental , EPC-related , Gas to Liquids , Operations/Maintenance |
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Crude Oil Quality Bank Study Recommended a crude oil quality bank methodology for the different types of crude oil to be stored in a new USGC crude oil storage facility. Reviewed other existing quality banks and developed recommendations and methodology for managing a crude oil quality bank. Product Quality |
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Gas Recovery Unit Valuation Prepared a fair market valuation assessment of a leased refinery gas recovery process unit located within a refinery. Visited the site and assessed the overall condition of the asset. Applied a cost approach to value the asset. The valuation was used by the client to negotiate a buy-out of the leased process unit. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Natural Gas Measurement Dispute Assisted client with a "Discovery Request" regarding measurement of shale-play natural gas from a field meter. Reviewed accounting records, photos, and meter specifications to determine if consistent with industry standards for measuring natural gas. Commercial Terms Review , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Assessment for Acquisition Developed a cash flow model for valuation of a potential refinery acquisition. Used PRISM data to estimate the refinery yields and operating costs. Evaluated several refineries as part of acquiring the entire refining assets. Pricing |
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Refiner Acquisition Study Developed cash flow models of a U.S. refiner for a client interested in a potential acquisition. Developed a price forecast and cash flow model for each refinery under consideration. Utilized PRISM and publicly available data to model the charge and yield and economic performance of each refinery. Cash flow models were used for valuation of the potential acquisition. Pricing |
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Transmix Facility Due Diligence Completed technical, financial, and operational due diligence analysis on behalf of lenders for an existing transmix processing facility and associated terminal. Tasks included inspection of facilities, assessment of competitive market position, and an evaluation of a new hydrotreater project for ULSD production. Commercial Terms Review , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Acquisition Study Developed a cash flow model of a U.S. refinery for a client interested in a potential acquisition. Utilized PRISM and publicly available data to model the charge and yield and economic performance of the refinery. Cash flow model was used for valuation of the potential acquisition. Pricing |
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Retail Marketing Contamination Dispute A gasoline marketer that had withdrawn from a particular region was being sued for alleged contamination from leaking underground storage tanks at retail marketing locations in that region. We were retained to provide an overview of the gasoline supply chain with an emphasis on the various types of retail operations and to review the plaintiffs’ claims regarding the number of retail outlets that were owned and controlled by that company in the relevant time period. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance |
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Canadian Refinery Competitiveness Study Evaluated the competitive position of several Canadian refineries located in Eastern Canada and Ontario. Evaluated refinery configurations, crude oil slate and product yield, and profitability versus a group of regional competitor refineries. Presented the crude oil and product logistics systems for each of the Canadian refineries being studied. |
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Oil Company Due Diligence Retained to visit data room and prepare due diligence report summarizing facilities and environmental information for multiple oil fields and an oil processing and export terminal. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Propane Quality Review Reviewed claims regarding a propane quality dispute between a supplier at a new terminal and a retail distributor. Reviewed propane quality test results and bills of lading to compare actual versus reported quality. We provided technical findings to client and assisted in getting the matter settled. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality |
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Terminal Due Diligence Performed a technical due diligence of a Gulf Coast refinery tank farm and associated transfer pipelines for a prospective investor. Reviewed inspection and maintenance records of the assets during a site visit. Reviewed numerous operating performance documents from a data room. Prepared a technical due diligence report outlining our findings. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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St James Louisiana Crude Supply Study Analyzed crude supply sources and pipeline flows for the Southern Louisiana refining market in conjunction with a potential pipeline acquisition. Forecasted crude supply availability by grade in the St. James trading hub and analyzed impact of new crude oil pipelines in the market. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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California Terminal Due Diligence Assisted midstream buyer with valuation of a large Northern California petroleum terminal. Delivered market study presentation to company management to assist in due diligence and valuation using market metrics. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Permian Basin Crude Oil Supply and Logistics Provided supporting material related to Permian Basin crude oil production growth and logistic infrastructure for a pipeline owner's annual investor presentation. |
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Refinery Acquisition Screening Study Developed a refinery acquisition matrix comparing quantitative and qualitative aspects of various refineries. Utilized PRISM data to compare relative profitability and charge and yield results for various refineries under consideration. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pipeline |
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RIN Balance Study Utilized publicly available data and PRISM to estimate the RIN balance for 20 U.S. refiners. Calculated RIN cost impact to a merchant refiner versus an integrated refiner with marketing and product blending. Prepared a report summarizing results. Report used by client for a public website. |
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Construction Dispute - Gas Processing Plant Dispute involving delay and disruption, welding, and testing during gas plant debottlenecking project. Contractor claimed that multiple owner changes had resulted in significant additional costs, including delay. Owner claimed that the costs resulting from the changes were previously paid and that the delay in completion was due to the contractor’s poor management of the project. Arbitration , EPC-related , Intellectual Property |
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Project Feasibility - LNG On behalf of the major oil company project sponsor, prepared a capital cost estimate for a proposed world-scale, “grassroots” liquefaction plant. The cost estimate was used to evaluate competing Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) technology packages from engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor/licensors. LNG , Project Feasibility |
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LNG Due Diligence Provided technical support to the sponsor of a multi-train liquefaction project. The scope of work included: preparation of a technical due diligence report; in-depth review of the Open Book Estimate (OBE), schedule, and project execution plan; assessment of the EPC contractor’s capabilities and experience; high-level review of geotechnical issues; assistance in the development of an Operating and Maintenance (O&M) plan; input into the formation of sponsor’s project management team; and input into the development of owner’s costs, including appropriate levels of cost and schedule contingency. Provided support to the sponsor with EPC contract negotiations. Environmental , LNG , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline , Project Feasibility |
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Oil/Gas Separator Accident Investigated the cause of an oil/gas separator failure. Reviewed and analyzed the design and manufacturer's specifications for the pressure relief system versus the installed equipment. Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Fair Market Value Provided expert witness testimony and assisted client during negotiations regarding the fair market value of a shutdown refinery in bankruptcy. Expert Witness/Testimony , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Cogeneration Project Feasibility Analysis Assessed the feasibility of developing a steam-power cogeneration complex using feedstock from a new refinery. Study considered local market supply/demand issues for petroleum products and anticipated power requirements for the region. Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Valuation Provided expert witness testimony and reports regarding the fair market value of a multiple refineries in New Jersey over multiple years. Ad Valorem Taxes , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Petroleum Products Terminal and Pipeline Environmental Matter Provided expert witness testimony in a groundwater contamination dispute regarding a petroleum products terminal.. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Toxic Tort |
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Power Plant Insurance Claim Provided expert consulting services regarding operations and maintenance of a barge-mounted, diesel-powered turbine electric power generation facility.. Business Interruption , Forensic Analysis , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Refinery Valuation Provided expert witness testimony regarding the fair market value of a shutdown refinery in bankruptcy and assisted during negotiations. Expert Witness/Testimony , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Isolation Valve Investigated the cause of two fatalities caused by asphyxiation due to inert gas leakage into an underground pipe junction box. Assessed original design of the system and operating status immediately prior to the incident. |
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Refinery Valuation Estimated the fair market value of a large refinery complex related to a dispute over ad valorem taxes. Served as expert witness in litigation and testified at trial. |
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Fair Market Valuation of Compressor Station Determined the value of a large compressor station on an interstate natural gas pipeline system for the purpose of the proper assessment of property taxes. |
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Gas-Fired Power Plant Construction Dispute On behalf of a major gas power plant developer in the United States, analyzed the contracts, alleged construction delays, and cost overruns associated with a new power plant engineered by an European construction firm. Work was executed in support of claims being made against the constructor and turbine supplier in an international court of arbitration. |
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Production Facility Incident Reviewed the design of a “full well stream” (natural gas, condensate, and water) production and separation facility in Louisiana. Determined the cause of failure for a vapor recovery tank, which occurred during pipeline purging and production start-up operations. |
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Due Diligence of Gas Gathering and Processing Assets Conducted due diligence on gas gathering and processing assets within the Permian Basin in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas on behalf of lending group and prospective purchaser. Conducted physical inspection of the facilities, reviewed operation and maintenance records, assessed gas supply and competitive position, and reviewed financial assumptions and projections to ensure consistency with current gas supply contracts and asset performance. |
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Chemical Plant Investigated the cause and origin of the release of hydrocarbons within a confined space. |
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Petrochemical Plant Explosion Provided expert witness testimony and a expert report regarding a petrochemical plant reactor explosion, the design and sizing of the pressure relief valve (PRV), and standard operating procedures. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Mexican Refinery Construction Dispute Served as consulting and testifying experts in an ICC arbitration involving an upgrade and expansion of a large refinery complex in Mexico. Evaluated over 400 separate claims by the owner for alleged improper design and invalid extra work orders for refinery and pipeline projects. Assignment included preparation of an expert report and testimony before the International Court of Arbitration in Mexico City. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Acrylonitrile Plant Construction Dispute Assisted in a dispute between a major EPC firm and an owner concerning claims that the owner's interference with a lump-sum EPC contract resulted in a large cost overrun. Assisted with discovery, evaluated construction documents, analyzed project disruption, evaluated change orders, and prepared trial exhibits. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Refinery Flare Incident Following a fire during a scheduled flare system maintenance turnaround, retained to assess the feasibility of safely hot tapping the flare header to install a stopple and allow removal of a large gate valve upstream of a flare knock-out drum. In consultation with other parties, assessed: (1) the flare system equipment, (2) the refinery hot tap procedures, and (3) evaluated if the activities could be performed safely. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Ammonia Plant Project Finance Served as independent engineer on behalf of the financial advisor for the construction of a new small-scale biomass to nitrogen fertilizers complex. Prepared a technology assessment, analyzed feedstock supply, reviewed contracts, reviewed site and infrastructure considerations, and advised with negotiation of contracts. Commercial Terms Review , Environmental , Fertilizers , Gasification , Intellectual Property , Project Feasibility |
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Explosion Insurance Claim Provided report presenting a reasonable timeline and duration to source, contract, start, and conduct the demolition of the parts the Gas Plant damaged after the plant experienced a fire and explosion. Business Interruption , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline , Property Damage |
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Crude Oil Rail Terminal Study Provided an overview of the Chicago market in terms of crude oil pipeline logistics, refinery crude oil slates, and refinery profitability. Provided supporting information for client considering an investment in a crude oil rail terminal. Supporting information included a Canadian crude oil takeaway outlook and Chicago area refineries crude oil slate outlook. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Ammonia Plant Failure Investigation Assisted in evaluating a series of insurance claims centered around separate events to determine a proximate cause. Work included reviewing design and operating records for a worldscale ammonia plant. Each of the events resulted in claims for property damage and business interruption. Prepared an analysis and report that evaluated the root cause for each of the events and whether the events were connected by a chain of causation. Business Interruption , Fertilizers , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Industrial Accident Investigation Investigated circumstances concerning personal injury of a contract employee who fell off a process vessel during a turnaround. Investigation included evaluating: (1) the operating company's and contractor's safe work practices; (2) relevant OSHA regulations; (3) appropriate fall protection requirements to mitigate risk associated with work activities; (4) responsibilities of affected parties and employees to utilize appropriate fall protection; and (5) identifying contributing factors to the incident. Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related |
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Electrostatic Precipitator Explosion Investigated the cause and origin of an explosion in an electrostatic precipitator used in a cement manufacturing plant that was the subject of an insurance claim. Reviewed operating records for temperatures, pressures, and flow rates through a rotating cement kiln. Evaluated operation of the electrostatic precipitator for anomalies prior to the explosion. Concluded that the cause and orgin related to a mechanical failure in the kiln. Provided findings to the owner and its insurer and supported decisions regarding coverage and subrogation issues. Business Interruption , Property Damage |
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Refinery Environmental Consent Decree Investigated the causes of exceedances of permitted emissions levels at a petroleum refinery in relation to a proposed consent decree to resolve excessive notices of violation. Evaluated the causes, frequency, and levels of sulfur dioxide exceedance incidents. Correlated exceedances with refinery operations and capabilities of emissions control equipment. Prepared a strategy to eliminate exceedances under most operating scenarios, which was much lower in cost than the remediation proposed by the consent decree. Presented findings to regulatory agencies for approval. |
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Amortization Study Prepared amortization studies for an oil and gas production facility in a non-conforming land use. Inspected onshore processing facilities and an offshore production platform to evaluate condition and determine facilities in use. Studied historical and projected cash flows using estimated production declines. Considered capital and operating expenses, as well as future development and abandonment plans. Provided economic scenarios in reports, presented findings in a public hearing, and assisted in settlement negotiations. Commercial Terms Review , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Offshore , Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal , Project Feasibility |
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Refrigerants Manufacturing Arbitration Assisted in investigating claims that a plant, which manufactured refrigerants, was not designed to make products that complied with applicable laws. Work included assistance in discovery, inspection of the plant, evaluation of operating records, review of the plant technology and design, review of capital cost estimates, valuation of the plant, and determination of economic damages. Prepared expert report and testified at hearing. Arbitration , EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Incident CLaim Assisted in the investigation of a refinery leak and fire. Coordinated the collection of information related to the incident and disseminated it to the relevant parties. Helped audit incident related retained materials and developed inventory documentation. Business Interruption , EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Petrochemical Cargo Contamination Evaluated a case where a cargo of butadiene did not meet specification upon delivery due to excessive dimer content. Reviewed the sources and history of the various lots that comprised the cargo, the timing and temperature of the cargo during its voyage, and the gas carrier's operating records. Commercial Terms Review , Product Quality |
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Appraisal Services Provided appraisal services for industrial properties. The three standard methods of valuation used were: cost, income, and market approaches. |
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Nitrogen Fertilizers Arbitration Assisted an investor in asserting claims that the owner’s poor performance in completing an EPC contract and its subsequent operation of a world-scale nitrogen fertilizers project resulted in economic losses. Work included evaluation of the EPC contracting strategy, evaluation of project controls, analysis of the operating performance of the project, review of whether natural gas supplies were adequate, evaluation of electrical power supply and grid reliability, and analysis of capital investment required to improve operations to industry standards. Provided an expert report that was accepted into evidence in an international arbitration proceeding. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony , Fertilizers |
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Refinery Process Unit Damage Dispute Evaluated the circumstances leading up to and contributing to equipment damage and fires following initial start-up of a new process unit. Provided an independent analysis to the Operator’s management. EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance |
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Shale Crude Processing Evaluation Provided economics and expected operating costs of a grassroots light crude oil distillation facility. Facilitated meetings with future customers of intermediate products. Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Tank Incident Report Assisted during an incident investigation related to construction of a storage tank. Interfaced with OSHA personnel during the identification and removal of tank components. Worked with attorneys and other experts to develop protocols for the identification and storage of retained materials. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , OSHA-related |
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Ethylene Plant Construction Dispute Opined on the reasonable period of time for the completion phase of a rebuild project after a fire during an expansion project. Commented on the implementation of relief system changes during the rebuild to be in compliance with standards and codes. Business Interruption , EPC-related , Operations/Maintenance |
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Assessment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material Followed claims by personnel who claimed to have been damaged by technically enhanced radioactive material (TERM), which occurred due to industrial activity. Investigated this phenomenon and compared it to normally occurring radioactive material (NORM). Environmental , Toxic Tort |
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Marine Dock Damage Insurance Claim Analyzed the business interruption insurance claim of petroleum product terminal that was impacted by marine dock damage caused by the collision of an arriving ship. Provided advice regarding potential mitigations concerning the terminal’s product movements. Business Interruption |
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Nitrogen Related Incident Investigated events surrounding the rupture of a nitrogen vessel utilized to purge process equipment during a planned TA. The rupture led to several employee injuries and a fatality. Assisted counsel by evaluating existing plant safe work practices, procedures utilized by different parties associated with the event, and OSHA/PSM requirements relative to the job that was being performed. Efforts included reviewing employee depositions, employee and contractor safe work practices, documentation related to the planned TA and incident, and OSHA regulations. Developed expert report and provided deposition testimony. Expert Witness/Testimony , Fertilizers , Operations/Maintenance |
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Insurance - Sugar Mill: Lost Production Claim A steam-driven turbo-generator in a sugar mill failed, causing loss of production. There was a dispute between the mill owner and its insurer concerning the physical damages and the business interruption losses. We were engaged to evaluate the claim. Business Interruption |
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Pipeline Operation Dispute Following an unreported incident during right-of-way mowing, in which the machine downed a high voltage power line, the pipeline ruptured causing crude to seep into wetlands for several hours. We were asked to opine on the following pipeline operational parameters: supervision of mowing crews, whether mowing is - or should be - a 'covered task,' actions/inactions of control room operators when starting and monitoring pumping operations and leak detection software. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance , Pipeline |
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Chemical Plant Construction Dispute Provided expert report on alleged engineering design and failed mechanical completion issues for a chemical plant in a lump sum and guaranteed completion date EPC contract. Prepared expert report and provided testimony detailing the basis of findings and opinions. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Petroleum Terminals Contract Valuation Provide estimated values of existing storage/throughput contracts for petroleum terminals in North America, Europe, Japan, and Hawaii. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Oil Refinery Valuation Conducted a valuation of an oil refinery and associated pipelines for a commercial bank in support of a significant debt refinance package. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline , Pricing |
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Light Product Supply and Demand Study For a large metropolitan area, provided incremental cost of supplies from competing refining centers. Calculated annual demand and seasonal differences. Provided economics for seasonal gasoline storage. Pipeline |
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Natural Gas Distribution System Construction Dispute Provided expert written reports and arbitration testimony in an EPC construction dispute concerning the construction of a new hydrocracker and associated refinery units. The dispute involved a range of issues, including engineering defects, construction quality control, and construction schedule delay impacts. EPC-related , Pipeline |
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Condensate Splitter Investment Analysis Analyzed a proposed condensate splitter investment for a large midstream company. The study included feed and product supply/demand, economics, staffing, operating costs, and export ban lift scenarios. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Project Feasibility |
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Condensate Splitter Operating Plan Assisted a large midstream company with preparation of a condensate splitter operating plan, including staffing, maintenance, quality assurance, planning, and related items. Commercial Terms Review , Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing , Product Quality |
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Natural Gas Measurement Dispute Assisted with evaluating a claim for natural gas billings that may have exceeded actual usage. Investigated and evaluated purchased natural gas metering and material balancing at refinery site and natural gas supply metering stations. Operations/Maintenance |
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Analysis of U.S. Gasoline Prices and Crude Oil Prices Analyzed the correlation between U.S. and global crude oil prices and regional prices of U.S. gasoline during periods of steep crude oil price discounts (2011-2013). The study analyzed the portion of the West Texas Intermediate price differential that was captured by refiners and the amount passed on via lower spot gasoline prices. The study, which was made public, concluded that a portion of the crude oil price discount was passed through in gasoline pricing, and this effect was most pronounced in U.S. PADDs 2 and 3. Crude Oil Valuation , Pricing |
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Permian Basin Market Study Analyzed Permian Basin production and disposition of crude oil by county, pipeline, and refinery takeaway capacity, and logistic infrastructure expansions in the area. Pipeline |
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Louisiana Crude Oil Supply Study Analyzed crude oil supply and distribution for a potential pipeline acquisition. Evaluated refinery crude slate preferences and capabilities, along with access to domestic and foreign crude oils. Reviewed production trends, crude oil flows, new pipeline construction, and changes of service to estimate future utilization and profitability. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pipeline |
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Fractionator Facility Design Issues Reviewed contractual and design issues for fractionation facility and reviewed previously issued certificate of merit. Assisted by evaluating issues of concern involving: 1) auto-refrigeration and brittle fracture of certain vessels; 2) Pressure Safety Valves (PSVs), flare system, and liquid drain facilities; 3) cooling tower pump suction pipe sizing and potable water supply; and 4) the Distributed Control System (DCS). EPC-related |
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Splitter Performance Review Provided guidance on test run procedures regarding a new condensate splitter start-up. Reviewed operating and lab data to be obtained during the test run and provided input into additional information to be collected. Commercial Terms Review , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality |
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Pipeline Due Diligence - Operation and Expansion Performed a technical due diligence (operations, integrity management and maintenance of pipeline, terminal, and marine loading assets). Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline |
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Refinery Economic Analysis Provided analysis of potential economic losses due to rupture of natural gas pipeline supplying a refinery. Business Interruption , Operations/Maintenance |
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Dispute Support - Groundwater Contamination Provided expert report related to the standards of care for U.S. refineries operating prior to 1960, including typical maintenance practices employed at the time. Reviewed very limited historical records of the refinery and depositions taken of the workers at the refinery during its time of operation. Reviewed the hydrocarbon leak detection technology that existed during the operating life of the refinery and compared it to present technology available today. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care |
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Crude Oil Pipeline Dispute Provided expert reports and interrogatory responses regarding the blending of butane into a crude oil stream that fed a commingled pipeline system. For an extended time period, evaluated the potential refining impacts of the individual crude oil qualities into the commingled crude oil. Crude Oil Valuation , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline , Product Quality |
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Tank Collapse Dispute Investigated the cause of a tank collapse that occurred during cleaning activities in preparation for a planned internal inspection. Assessment included evaluating: (1) condition of the tank prior to the incident; (2) work processes utilized by contractor performing tank cleaning; (3) maintenance and inspection practices of tank operator; (4) industry accepted practices for tank inspection; and (5) contributing causes that led to the incident. Baker & O'Brien also assessed the cost to clean the tank and perform repairs following the incident. Developed expert report and provided support through mediation and settlement efforts. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Hurricane Product Shortage Claim Assessment Assessed a product shortfall by a chemical producer following Hurricane Harvey. Provided volume and revenue estimates, taking into consideration port closures and the timing of force majeure declarations. Arbitration , Business Interruption , Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , LP/Planning Practice |
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Plant Reliability Dispute Assessed plant operating shutdowns and production losses related to force majeure claims. Evaluated if these outages were reasonably the result of a force majeure event, or were related to poor maintenance practices and/or reductions in cost associated with process reliability programs. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance |
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Gas Plant Supply Contract Dispute Provided expert services for dispute involving a supply agreement between a new natural gas processing plant and a downstream customer. Assessed delays in the construction of the gas plant which affected its ability to supply its downstream customer with product. Provided expertise on industry practice to assist in the interpretation of the contract's force majeure language and due diligence responsibilities. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Gas Pipeline - Alleged Valve Defects Addressed the alleged failure of valves to meet specification and the appropriateness of a party’s action to remove the valves from service. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pipeline |
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Hazardous Remediation Costs Allocations Assisted client with a claim related to remediation of property associated with a pipeline corridor and the surrounding petrochemical and terminal industrial complex. Assignment included evaluating pipeline and tank fabrication requirements, inspection, and maintenance practices during the history of the pipeline and surrounding industrial complex; and, specifically, the practices of the client during its ownership of pipelines and facilities involved in the dispute. This information was used to assess the client's responsibilities and the cost allocations between all parties during the history of this industrial site. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance |
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Refinery Strategic Review Provided 10-year market outlook for a U.S. East Coast refinery. Evaluated scenarios related to regional supply, shifting commodity flows, demand adjustments, and alternative tax regimes to estimate the profitability impact to refinery. Analysis culminated in evaluation of strategic options for refinery. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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Ammonia Plant Relocation Evaluated technical issues related to project management in the relocation of an ammonia plant. Reviewed records related to schedule, progress measurement, and construction budgets throughout the relocation project. Reviewed project execution plan and compared actual execution to plan. Also advised on responsibilities of the owner, contractor, and subcontractors on the project. EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Fertilizers , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Project Feasibility |
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Refinery Power Failure A power supply failure at a refinery resulted in a complete and extended outage of the refinery, as well as long-term impacts to refinery operation. Opined on the duration of the outage, the refiner’s actions, and refinery procedures during the restart effort with respect to typical refinery restart efforts. Also calculated the economic damages suffered by the refinery as a result of the power outage. Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Power Market Analysis Provided advice and expert opinion on the commercial and technical assumptions used in the calculation of steam and power rates that an oil and gas producer charged its clients Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Pipeline Strike Reviewed applicable regulations and responsibilities for identification of buried pipelines, following an incident involving a construction contractor striking a third party's natural gas pipeline and causing a sudden release of gas that resulted in a fire. Provided an expert opinion on the incident. Expert Witness/Testimony , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Flaring Dispute Reviewed several flaring incidents associated with litigation at a refinery. Opined on refinery actions taken, maintenance practices, and operating procedures in place related to refinery flaring. Developed an expert report and provided deposition testimony. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance |
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Oil Field Production Facility Fire Assessed potential cause and origin of a fire at an oil and gas gathering facility pump station that resulted in significant damages to power generation, distribution, and instrumentation control equipment. Provided an expert report. Forensic Analysis , Property Damage |
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Contractor Injury Following a contractor injury during a plant turnaround, engaged to: (1) assess activities of contractors associated with the turnaround; (2) determine if activities were associated with the vessel where the contractor was reportedly injured; and (3) evaluate if these activities affected the incident. Developed an expert report. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Insurance Support: Liability and Business Interruption Assessed the merits of a liability claim and business interruption claim associated with an equipment failure in a sulfuric acid regeneration facility. Advised on the value and key determinants of a business interruption claim. Business Interruption , Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , Property Damage |
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Refinery Company Acquisition Developed and presented a multi-refinery acquisition package to the CEO of a large refining company. Using PRISM models, developed a 10-year cash flow of heavy crude refining economics. Presented economics of extensive marketing supply chain through numerous company terminals. Provided economics of company owned pipelines and lubes business. Discussed organization structure, company culture, and pros/cons of each refinery. PRISM Data or Analysis , Pricing |
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IMO 2020 Oil Refinery Study Performed a study on the benefits of IMO 2020 to the U.S. economy. Leveraged general refinery industry expertise and our PRISM™ refining and marketing supply chain modeling system to provide in-depth analysis of the oil refinery sector. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Refinery Acquisition Study Developed cash flow models for regional refineries in conjunction with a potential acquisition target. Utilized PRISM yields and operating costs to evaluate the potential profitability of the target refinery. Also developed a price forecast for input into the cash flow model. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Well Services Contractor Injury Assessed witness reports, investigation reports, depositions and other documents pertaining to the circumstances of a workplace injury during a well service activity. Provided opinions on responsibilities for the incident and submitted an expert report. Expert Witness/Testimony , Industry Practice/Standard of Care , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Refinery Due Diligence - Rocky Mountains Assisted a prospective buyer and commercial bank advisor in a technical and market due diligence study for a refinery. Prepared a pricing outlook, reviewed technical inputs to a financial model, and visited the site. Prepared a summary report of findings including, among other factors, maintenance program status, tank inspection schedule conformance, reliability, utilization, and fixed costs. Operations/Maintenance , Pricing |
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Crude Oil Valuation Study In support of an investment decision, analyzed how a specific crude oil would be valued at various refineries. After identifying the top prospects based upon the crude oil valuation, provided guidance on potential logistical and processing limitations. PRISM Data or Analysis , Crude Oil Valuation |
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Re-Refining Technology Assessment Conducted a technical “fatal flaw” analysis on a used motor oil re-refining technology for the purpose of informing a debt investment decision by investors. Reviewed design basis information, including, but not limited to, a heat and material balance (H&MB); pilot plant operating data, and laboratory results. Opined on the ability of the technology to meet required specifications for lube base oils. Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality , Project Feasibility |
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Regional Fuel Study Evaluated the fuel balance for a region, including production and imports. Analyzed the competitiveness of each of the regional fuel suppliers. PRISM Data or Analysis |
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Catalyst Financial Projection Review Evaluated catalyst sales and financial forecasts for select business lines for various industry applications. Evaluated market sizes and competitors. |
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Gas Processing Plant Dispute Provided an expert witness report on natural gas processing operatings, emissions, and economics in a dispute regarding the acquisition of a gas processing plant. Environmental , Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance |
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Natural Gas Contract Dispute Provided an expert report and expert witness testimony regarding measurement and pricing provisions of natural gas purchase/sale contract. Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Natural Gas Due Diligence Provided a due diligence report regarding the physical condition, purchase and sale contracts and supply/demand outlook for a potential investment in a natural gas gathering, processing, and markeing company. Commercial Terms Review , Physical Asset Appraisal , Pricing |
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Natural Gas Royalty Audit Audited royalty payments related to several natural gas gathering contracts. Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Gas Processing Contract Dispute Submitted expert witness testimony in a natural gas processing contract dispute between a gas producer and processor. Testimony included opinions on application of contract pricing and expense recovery terms. Arbitration , Commercial Terms Review , Pricing |
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Gas Processing Plant Due Diligence Prepared a due diligence report describing the physical condition and maintenace practices of the gas processing plant, staffing and organizational issues, and other operational issues. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Natural Gas Company Valuation Appraised the fair market value of a company involved in natural gas gathering, processing and marketing. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Gas Transmission Company Due Diligence Performed due diligence for a natural gas transmission company acquisition including physically inspecting the pipeline and compression facilities, reviewing maintenance records, and interviewing company management. Provided client with written report Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline |
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Gas Gathering System Due Diligence Performed due diligence for a natural gas gathing system acquisition including physically inspecting the pipeline and compression facilities, reviewing maintenance records, and interviewing company management. Provided client with written report documenting our findings. Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Gas Pipeline Due Diligence Performed due diligence for a natural gas pipeline acquisition including a physical inspection and review of maintenance and corrosion protection records. A report was delivered to the client. Physical Asset Appraisal , Pipeline |
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Chemical Plant Fire Investigation Provided expert witness services regarding a chemical plant fire involving sodium chlorate. Expert Witness/Testimony , OSHA-related , Safety |
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Gas Processing Plant Design Assisted client with the design and development of a cyrogenic natural gas processing plant. EPC-related , Project Feasibility |
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Power Plant Due Diligence Prepared a due diligence report describing the physical condition and maintenace practices of the gas fired steam and electric power co-generation facility, staffing and organizational issues, and other operational issues. Operations/Maintenance , Physical Asset Appraisal |
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Pipe Plug Accident Investigation Provided expert services to assess circumstances relating to the utilization of a pipe isolation tool failure resulting in a personal injury. Performed a root cause analysis to determine responsibilities for the failure and evaluated relevant OSHA regulations and safe work practices. Prepared an expert report and the case was settled. Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Operations/Maintenance , OSHA-related |
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Business Interruption Claim - Damaged Dock Following a disruption in the supply of crude oil due to a ship damaging the refinery dock, calculated the business interruption impact. Evaluated the lost crude oil processed and the associated refining margin. Reviewed the mitigation costs undertaken by the refiner to minimize the business loss impact. Prepared several expert reports summarizing findings and opinions. LP/Planning Practice , Pricing |
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Helium Supply and Price Indexation Assessment Following the decision of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to exit the helium business, we evaluated how the global price-setting mechanism would be likely to change by examining: (1) global supply and demand; (2) pricing dynamics; and (3) the various helium price adjustment indices, and provided advice related to long-term supply agreements. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony , Pricing |
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Power Plant Construction Dispute Provided expert services to evaluate the design, construction, and operation of a gas turbine power generation plant. Evaluated the: (1) gas turbine selection process; (2) environmental conditions at the site and how these conditions may have impacted performance and reliability of the facility; (3) power generation capabilities; (4) roles and responsibilities of the plant operator and EPC contractor associated with this project; (5) power generation and steam losses due to plant unreliability and turbine repair costs; and (6) forecast business interruption damages. Developed expert reports and arbitration testimony. Arbitration , Expert Witness/Testimony , Forensic Analysis , Operations/Maintenance |
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Investigation of a Barge Explosion Investigated the failure of flash point tests to reveal the flammable characteristics of a cargo of heavy fuel oil. A variety of factors were considered, including the origin of the samples, the procedures used to obtain and preserve samples, and third-party testing of samples obtained after the event. Evaluated plant operating logs, distributed control system logs, and inventory records to determine the source of contamination that caused the explosion. Expert Witness/Testimony , Operations/Maintenance , Product Quality , Waterborne/Marine |
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Motor Oil Lawsuit In a class action lawsuit, plaintiffs claimed that motor oil container labels in certain retail stores were misleading. We provided an expert report regarding the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) labelling standards for motor oil. Expert Witness/Testimony , Product Quality |
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Aromatics Plant Claim Evaluated the performance of heat exchangers against guaranteed thermal and hydraulic performance. Evaluated data robustness used to assess performance and the respective positions of the refiner and the equipment supplier. Arbitration , EPC-related , Expert Witness/Testimony , Intellectual Property |
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Crude Oil Pipeline Blending Dispute Provided an expert report on the impact of blending a heavy crude oil into a pipeline transporting medium API Gravity crude oil. Addressed the potential impacts to a refiner as a result of blending heavy crude oil. Developed an economic impact model and subsequent expert report addressing the economic impact to the pipeline operator associated with blending additional butane into the pipeline crude oil. Provided client support related to questions from the regulatory board ruling in this matter. Crude Oil Valuation , Expert Witness/Testimony , Product Quality |
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Gas Gathering and Processing Delay and Lost Profits Dispute A midstream firm built new gas gathering and processing (G&P) facilities for oil and gas producers with firm contracts for its G&P services. An engineering firm hired to design and construct the facilities completed them late. Because of the late completion, the firm’s customers used other G&P service providers during the delay period. Baker & O’Brien produced and expert report calculating the economic damages suffered by the midstream firm, which included lost G&P profits during the delay, lost drip profit, and contractual delay liquidated damage penalties owed to one of its producers. Business Interruption , Commercial Terms Review , Expert Witness/Testimony |
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Personal Injury Liability Investigation Investigated a personal injury claim following a petroleum refinery process incident. Provided expert opinions on refinery conformity with the latest available industry technology, regulations, standards, and practices. Industry Practice/Standard of Care , OSHA-related , Safety |