With thirty per cent of the world's oil and gas production coming from offshore areas, the construction of specialist vessels to perform offshore operations is a crucial part of the industry. However, with exploration and production being performed in increasingly exacting locations, the scope for disputes arising from cost overruns, scheduling delays and technical difficulties is immense.

In the absence of legal precedent, this ground-breaking title provides practical guidance on avoiding and resolving disputes in the construction of offshore units and vessels, including FPSOs, drilling units, OSVs and fixed platforms. Written by a leading team at Stephenson Harwood, this book covers the entire construction process from initial concept right through to installation, at each stage commenting on typical contract terms and offering expert advice based on real-life examples. Key topics include:

• Design risk
• Changes to the work
• Consequences of delay
• Acceptance Tests
• Termination
• Dispute resolution

This unique text will be of enormous assistance both to legal practitioners and offshore construction professionals including project managers, financiers, insurers, and sub-contractors.

1. Introduction: Evolution of Offshore Contracts 2. Tendering and Negotiating Contracts 3. Design Risk 4. Scope of Work and Interpretation of Contracts 5. Subcontractors and Vendors 6. Changes to the Work 7. Defects 8. Delay 9. Intellectual Property Rights 10. Acceptance and Delivery 11. Indemnity and Limitation of Liability Clauses 12. Allocation of Risk 13. Termination and Step-In Rights 14. Insurance 15. Force Majeure 16. Financial Guarantees 17. Carryover Agreements 18. Warranty Claims and Correction of Defects 19. Transportation and Installation 20. Dispute resolution Procedures