The Oil, Gas & Chemicals department provides a comprehensive service to clients involved in the international trade of oil, gas and chemicals and bulk liquid cargoes by sea, pipeline, rail and road.
Bulk liquid cargoes encompass the shipment of crude oil, petroleum products, petrochemicals, liquefied gases, as well as vegetable and animal oils.
Oil and petrochemical plants are high-capital, major hazardous installations, which impose large loss potentials. Safety and pollution issues are of paramount concern, whilst quality issues dominate and contamination claims constitute a prevalent risk.
CWA also provides expertise in loss prevention, risk, safety, and environmental protection.
Scope of work
Bunker quality disputes
Business Interruption claims
Chemical & forensic analysis
Commodity pricing analysis
Contamination investigations
Dangerous Goods
Environmental impact studies
Expert witness >
Fire & explosion investigations
Hazardous spills & pollution clean-up
Incident investigation worldwide
Laboratory supervision
Live attendance >
Loss prevention & safety studies
Off-spec cargo reclamation and disposal
Oil and chemical damaged cargo surveys
Oil shortage claims evaluation
Post incident investigations >
Refinery performance analysis
Specialist oil loss control studies
Squeeze dry & tanker expediting
Tank cleaning & inspection advice
Tank coating & corrosion problems
Tanker & gas carrier damage surveys
Experts & Consultants
The Oil, Gas & Chemicals department was established in 1978.
Assignments are implemented under the direction and control of a team of long serving specialists.
CWA are frequently called upon to give expert evidence in arbitration and court hearings.
The department routinely attends incidents world-wide.
Typical Cases
CWA has conducted numerous in-depth investigations and loss prevention surveys following recurring problems in the carriage of LPG involving for example excess water content, and the presence of excess dimer in butadiene shipments.
CWA regularly makes international attendance to investigate quality deviations in bulk liquid cargoes petroleum products, petrochemicals, and vegetable oils.
CWA has dealt with a number of large refinery Business Interruption (BI) claims arising from problems in the feedstock supply and/or quality, or from fire and explosion incidents. Often investigations require thorough knowledge of refining practice.
Concerning fitness of vessel's tanks and tank coatings for carriage of aggressive bulk liquid cargoes.
CWA has been engaged in a number of high profile tanker and container ship casualties requiring advice on the salvage of oil and chemical cargoes and associated quantum.
CWA has conducted detailed safety audits of marine infrastructure e.g. loading berths, sometimes in the context of major incidents
CWA advises on the remaining useful economic working life of the assets of petroleum handling operations. The items of equipment can include piping, pumps, single buoy moorings, storage tanks and vapour recovery units.
CWA can evaluate the impact of maintenance standards and inflation on net values.
CWA has investigated a number of major oil spill incidents worldwide to assess the extent of oil pollution damage and the efficacy of oil clean-up measures. Investigations were undertaken so as to form an objective assessment of environmental damage.
CWA undertakes technical audits to investigate the design, operation and quality control procedures of oil production facilities, stabilisation plant, pipeline and transfer to an integrated marine terminal.
CWA regularly advises on the reliability of methods and their role in the analysis of crude oil products, petrochemical and liquefied gas, and bunkers.
CWA can perform detailed consequence analysis of spill scenarios for LPG marine terminals.
CWA routinely investigates all aspects of bulk liquid shortage disputes. This includes full reconciliation of loss factors, identification of real and apparent losses within oil terminals and on tanker vessels, review of pumping performance, efficacy of crude oil washing, nature and extent of ROB, suitability of heating, etc.
Cargoes
CWA has a long established track record in dealing with matters concerning oils, gases and chemicals.