Technical Expert Witness, Chartered Chemical Process Engineer, Oil & Gas Consultant
Simon has extensive experience in chemical and process engineering. He works in the process industries, mostly in oil and gas with experience on projects in the early project development phases as well as design through to commissioning. He has strong experience and expertise in engineering and design of offshore and onshore projects. He has worked throughout the world on many high-profile projects.
He has strong expertise in production facilities and pipeline design as part of field development planning. His recent experience includes reviewing field development plans that led to improved terms for the host government in a production licence, He continues to provide expert advice and technical assessments for oil and gas development/ investment strategy.
He is skilled at process engineering and design including surface facilities conceptual design; pre-FEED CAPEX & OPEX estimating; Piping & Instrument Diagrams, Process Flow Diagrams; Heat & Mass Balances; static and rotating equipment such as separators, compressors & pumps; process simulation; flow assurance; reliability; materials of construction; and corrosion.
He is a lateral thinker and innovator. He has strong forensic engineering skills that enable him to analyse the facts and provide insights based on sound engineering principles.
He has written several CPR35 Expert Witness reports for disputes within the oil & gas , power and process industries and has testified in International Arbitrations. The subjects of the disputes include: insurance claims, gas processing facilities, heavy fuel oil processing, diesel fuel storage, offshore platform modifications, corrosion of pipelines and offshore platforms.
Simon recently gave expert evidence and was cross examined in the English High Court case of Energy Works (Hull) Ltd v MW High Tech Projects UK Ltd & Others[2022] EWHC 3275 (TCC) which concerned an EPC contract for the design and construction of an energy from waste plant in Hull.
Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Member of Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering.
2020 Expert report for a dispute involving a power station in the Middle East. The subject was related to the quality of the heavy fuel oil supplied and the process equipment to treat it prior to combustion.
2020 Expert engineering services in respect of an insurance claim related to incomplete and eroneous design of a waste to energy plant in the UK.
2020 Technical expertise in the assessment of Premier Oil’s Sealion Field Development Plan on behalf of a potential farm-in partner.
2018-present: Expert Advisory services reviewing the Field Development Plan (FDP) for several of Guyana’s offshore developments on behalf of the government. This includes the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading ship (FPSO). I recommended changes to the FDP to comply with the Petroleum Agreement and to meet the environmental discharge expectations of the government.
2017-2018: Expert Advisory produce Reliability, Availability and Maintainability (RAM) report for the 1500km Tengiz (Kazakhstan) to Novorossiysk (Russia) pipeline that identified debottlenecking opportunities to increase capacity.
2017: Expert Advisory peer reviewed the conceptual design report for the proposed Alkali Surfactant Polymer (ASP) flood to increase production from the Cairn Energy (India) Mangala field.
2017: Expert Advisory provide conceptual design and cost estimating to develop a strategy for the development of gas resources offshore and onshore Angola on behalf of the government.
2016: Expert Advisory provide cost estimate and report for the development of the offshore sour gas field Farzad B Gas, Iran on behalf of the then Indian operator. This included offshore platforms, pipelines and onshore gas processing plant.
February 2019 – present: Expert Witness for Belden Advocates and Solicitors, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, as a Technical Expert for the Respondent in an Asian International Arbitration regarding the corrosion of offshore platform risers. The dispute concerns onshore and offshore construction, corrosion, and materials selection.
June 2018 – Dec 2019: Expert Witness retained by Pinsent Masons, Aberdeen Scotland, as a Technical Expert for the Claimant in a Technical & Construction Court Litigation regarding alterations and additions to an offshore oil and gas production platform in the North Sea.
May 2018 – Present: Expert Witness retained by Brigard Urrutia, Bogata Colombia, as a Technical Expert for the Claimant in a South American Arbitration regarding corrosion of a gas pipeline. This dispute concerns the condition of the pipeline built under a BOOMT contract on transfer to the state-owned company at the end of the contract.
Jan 2018 – Sept 2018: Expert Witness retained by Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, London UK, as a Technical Expert for the Respondent in an International Arbitration regarding a gas supply contract in Central Asia. It involved an assessment of the gas production, compression, and processing facilities in relation to the quality and quantity of gas deliveries that were in dispute.
Oct 2017 – April 2019: Expert Witness retained by DLA Piper, Melbourne Australia, as a Technical Expert for the Respondent in a Singapore International Arbitration regarding the construction of laboratory facilities for an LNG production project. Testified before the Tribunal.
Mar 2017 – July 2017 Expert Witness retained by DLA Piper, Dubai, UAE, as Technical Expert for the Respondent in a Dubai International Arbitration regarding the construction of a fuel storage depot in the Middle East. Testified before the Tribunal.
2013-2014 Expert Witness retained by Stewart McKelvey, Nova Scotia Canada, as Technical Expert for the Respondent to give technical opinion on the cause of delays and cost overruns to the installation, hook-up, and commissioning of an offshore gas platform in the North Atlantic. The case was settled prior to the trial.
Essential Expert Witness – Legal Experience Training
Expert Essentials – Expert Witness Institute
Discussions Between – Experts Bond Solon
Witness Familiarisation- High Court – Civil – Bond Solon
Courtroom Skills Training – Expert Witness – Bond Solon
Cross-Examination Day – Bond Solon
Networking – Kintish
Advanced Professional Award in Expert Witness Evidence Training & Assessments – Court Skills & Advanced Report Writing – Legal Experience Training
Foundation Course – Academy of Experts
Essential Expert Witness – Legal Experience Training
Landlines in Deserts and Mountains – Trevor Jee
E&P Economics Training – Shell
Opportunity Framing – Shell
Reservoir Engineering for Other Disciplines – Petroskills