Experience Matters

Provided claims analysis and cost and schedule analyses. Prepared a rebuttal report regarding insurance claims related to defective flue gas desulfurization systems on four coal-fired power plant projects.

Analyzed a contractor’s $22 million delay and disruption claim against the owner of a 3x1 combined cycle power plant in Baytown. The scope of the work included a detailed CPM schedule analysis to determine delay and acceleration responsibility.

On behalf of the Ontario Provincial Government, evaluated delays to the restart of a power plant unit at a nuclear power electricity generation station located in northwest Ontario. The operator of the nuclear unit suffered a force majeure outage and, as a result, was entitled to balancing payments from the Ontario Government while the unit was being repaired and restarted. The provincial government was concerned that the delays that the unit operator experienced were excessively long. Evaluated whether the operator managed the unit’s outage schedule in the most efficient manner.

An EPC contractor designed and supplied two 300 MW Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) boilers to replace oil and gas-fired boilers, as well as boiler islands on two units. Engaged to prepare a schedule delay analysis related to a claim filed for an equitable adjustment of the contract price on behalf of the EPC contractor against the owner. The project team later made a presentation for mediation to the owner on the EPC contractor’s behalf.

Analyzed delay claims and supporting documentation that a contractor submitted for the manufacture of four HRSGs for a repowering project.

The executive management of this EPC contractor desired to make its project financial forecasting more robust after suffering a number of project write-downs. After verifying that these write-downs were more than an accounting exercise, the EPC contractor wanted an independent third party to evaluate its bidding and execution practices, benchmark them against industry practices, and develop an integrated project risk management/project governance system that executive management could rely upon. Engaged to evaluate the written procedures and practices of each of the four divisions against industry practices. After the steps required to make those procedures and practices more robust were defined, the team worked with the client to revise the procedures and adjust its practices to make the output of the bidding and execution processes more reliable and transparent to management. This work also involved developing a client custom project governance program to identify high-risk bids and projects during execution and define the tools/staff needed to address these high-risk situations.

The project centered on the contract to design and build a 663 MW sub-critical pulverized coal-fired plant addition to an existing brownfield facility. This was a full EPC contract involving multiple stakeholders including a joint venture between the major contracting entities and power island suppliers. Managed a team engaged to provide risk management and claims avoidance advisory and training services to the on-site project teams. Services also included claims avoidance management both on a term and “as required” basis to facilitate early settlement of project problems and avoid lengthy disputes. The project was completed with no major claims or dispute issues.

The project centered on the installation of a 230 kV transmission line: 24 miles underground and 3.5 miles overhead, through an extremely diverse and environmentally sensitive and challenged series of districts. The major infrastructure subcontractor alleged major delay and disruption impacts caused by the main contractor. Engaged to provide claim support services to the main contractor against the subcontractor’s claims. Prepared a defense position paper involving a CPM analysis, disruption analysis, and contract entitlement to rebut the subcontractor’s expert report, which ultimately resulted in mediation proceedings and a series of settlement negotiations. Also provided claims avoidance training and lessons learned reviews to the main contractor construction team to facilitate improved management of future similar projects.

Assessed the delays a contractor experienced on a project. Provided delay analyses and opinions regarding issues that the contractor identified that caused impacts to the project final completion milestone and that the owner allegedly caused. The assessment identified which delays were attributable to the owner's actions or inactions and quantified the number of days for which the contractor was entitled to an extension of time.

On behalf of an equipment supplier, developed estimates to complete four power plant projects that the contractor left incomplete.