Case Studies

Shortly after midnight on October 23, 2009, an explosion erupted at the Caribbean Petroleum Facility in Catano, near San Juan, Puerto Rico. Of the property’s thirty gasoline and jet fuel holding tanks, eleven caught fire and continued to burn for several days. Fortunately, because the facility was mostly empty at the time, no one was injured, but the damage was extensive. The facility’s insurer immediately called on PT&C Forensic Consulting Services, P.A. (FCS) to determine the cause and origin of this massive fire and explosion. PT&C swiftly deployed their forensic cause and origin expert consultant team to the site.

As is typical in such high visibility losses, the team had to be adept at navigating the political landscape while conducting their investigation. More than one hundred FBI and ATF agents were on-site conducting their investigation, and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board was conducting its own investigation. PT&C FCS, using its extensive contacts among local and federal investigators, was the only outside entity allowed to enter the plant while the federal investigation was ongoing, ensuring that our investigation on behalf of the insurer began promptly, when the scene was still fresh and evidence undisturbed.

As of this writing, Phase I (site investigation) is nearing completion, and the PT&C forensic fire & explosion unit will soon turn over the results of our investigation to the legal professionals, who will move forward with Phase II (legal analysis) well prepared with an objective assessment of what happened at Caribbean Petroleum Facility.

PT&C FCS’s unique experience and reputation in handling these types of major losses is the reason we are called on by the insurance industry. Proven expertise in forensic engineering, fire and explosion investigations, project management, and cost engineering allows us to offer insurance industry clients a complete, turnkey solution.

PT&C provides a wide spectrum of services. It may start with catastrophe response or cause and origin determination, but, drawing on our world-class cost engineers and project managers, it may expand through a thorough and realistic assessment of the time and cost required to rebuild.

It is too soon, as of this writing, to know whether our client on this loss will require additional services. This dramatic and dangerous event illustrates, however, why the insurance industry consistently draws on our expertise.