Petroleum Engineering Consultant – International Operations PI Placement

A petroleum engineering consultant reached out to us looking for Professional Indemnity insurance. The business specialised in oil and gas pipeline consultancy, including staff training and advice on extraction processes for major international energy companies.

The challenge was immediately clear. This wasn't a local operation. The consultant was working across five countries: Colombia, Oman, UAE, Malaysia, and Brunei. Each territory brought its own complications for underwriters.

They needed $2 million in PI cover and had already been turned down by multiple insurers. The combination of occupation type (petroleum engineering) and international exposure made this a hard-to-place risk that most Australian insurers simply wouldn't touch.

We started by mapping out which insurers had already declined so we wouldn't waste time going back to the same underwriters. Then we got to work.

Our approach was systematic:

• Specialist underwriters first: We went straight to underwriters with known appetite for energy sector consulting risks
• London market access: For a risk with this kind of international spread, we knew we'd likely need Lloyd's capacity
• Contract review: We reviewed the client's consulting agreements and identified clauses that underwriters would flag
• Documentation preparation: We prepared a comprehensive submission that addressed the territorial concerns upfront

When we reviewed the client's contracts, we found a clause that would concern underwriters. We flagged it and the client modified the agreement to remove the problematic wording. That kind of proactive contract review makes a real difference when you're dealing with specialist underwriters.

Six insurers declined this risk. The reasons were consistent across the board: occupation type and international territory exposure.

Petroleum engineering sits in a high-hazard category for PI underwriters. Add in operations across South America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, and most Australian insurers simply won't engage. Each country brings different regulatory frameworks, different legal systems, and different liability exposures.

The challenge wasn't just finding someone willing to quote. It was finding an insurer with genuine expertise in energy sector consulting and the capacity to cover claims that might arise in multiple jurisdictions.

This is exactly the kind of risk that requires London market access. Lloyd's syndicates have the global reach and specialist expertise that domestic markets often lack.

We secured cover through a specialist underwriting agency with Lloyd's capacity:

The policy covered oil and gas pipeline consultancy, staff training, and technical advisory services. The premium came in at just over $6,000 for $2 million in cover, which represented genuine value for a risk that six other insurers had walked away from.

The client now has the PI certificate they need to tender for major international projects with confidence.