Drilling Expert Witnesses
What is a drilling expert witness?
Drilling expert witnesses typically have a background as a professional engineer with extensive experience in petroleum engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or as a completions engineer. In a high-profile case, or litigation involving a significant financial stake, a law firm may request a subject matter expert with prior expert witness testimony experience.
What types of cases require a drilling expert witness?
Legal cases involving drilling issues could involve intellectual property, such as a patent infringement case or a trade secrets dispute. A subject matter expert in drilling might also provide expert testimony in a product liability case or personal injury case.
What litigation support work might a drilling expert witness be expected to perform?
Litigation support services could include failure analyses, research and authoring expert reports, patent invalidity and validity arguments, depositions, providing expert opinion, and expert testimony at a trial. A drilling engineer or petroleum engineer could also be called upon to provide pre-litigation consulting work. Whether the project involves horizontal drilling technology, offshore drilling, pipeline, oilfield drilling operation, OSHA regulations, natural gas exploration, directional drilling, or any other facet related to drilling, Cahn Litigation Services has the experience required to turn a search for a drilling expert witness around quickly, providing the right balance of expertise and testimony experience.
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Drilling Expert Witness - Representative Bios
Please Note: All Cahn Litigation expert witness searches are customized to attorneys' precise specifications and preferences. Attorneys are encouraged to discuss search parameters with a Cahn search specialist.
The below expert witness bios represent a small fraction of those Drilling experts known by Cahn Litigation Services. These bios are provided to give lawyers a sense of the Drilling landscape.
Expert Witness #250478
This expert has worked in the drilling industry for many years and in several countries, and is widely considered as an expert in planning and drilling relief wells to control oil and gas blowouts; the directional aspects of drilling relief wells are considered to be the most demanding form of directional drilling. This expert earned a PhD in Petroleum Engineering and a Master's of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering. Throughout this expert's career, this expert has acquired a broad range of domestic and international experiences in the fields of direction drilling, completions, fracture stimulation, and production. This expert started working on wells where directional drilling was being conducted; worked drilling supervision on 100+ wells involving directional drilling; helped develop software that assessed directional survey data to determine true vertical depth, x and y departures from vertical and dog-leg severity; wrote a best-selling textbook which contains a chapter on directional drilling. It addresses survey calculations and interpretations as wells as equipment used during the directional drilling process, and taught directional drilling as part of an undergraduate course. This expert has authored five books, co-authored chapters in two publications and published 80 technical publications. This expert has been involved with the SPE and has served in several capacities. This expert is an Adjunct Professor teaching the undergraduate drilling course in the Petroleum Engineering Department. This expert has extensive litigation experience having been deposed and provided courtroom testimony on many occasions.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #250497
This expert is Vice President of Special Projects for a highly successful international consultancy. This expert has a BS in Petroleum Engineering, and many years of experience in the oil industry as a drilling and completion consultant. This expert has worked on high pressure gas wells, horizontal wells, geothermal wells, relief wells, injection wells, underbalanced drilling operations, blowouts and well control audits. This expert's experience includes planning, estimating costs, implementing the drilling and completion operations, and plug and abandonment. This expert has experience with forensic analysis of well problems. This expert also teaches industry training courses. This expert has conducted more than 100 courses in Drilling, Directional Drilling, Underbalanced Drilling and Well Control. This expert has conducted the courses as a PetroSkills instructor. This expert has also authored the book that is used in the training course, which details the equations used to make the directional drilling calculations and constructed Excel spreadsheets to make the same calculations. As a result, this expert is very familiar with the operations of the MWD in the field and how the information gets to the surface as well as the computer calculations and how they are used at the wellsite. This expert is the author of numerous technical papers on directional drilling applications and underbalanced drilling. This expert has worked as an expert witness. This expert has been deposed and testified in court.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #252262
This expert is a Petroleum and Drilling Engineering expert, bringing to the table many years of extensive experience in the areas of the operation and maintenance of oil drilling rigs. This expert has designed and supervised many drilling projects as an engineer, rig supervisor, and drilling manager. This expert’s expertise in rig design includes projects for new and refurbished onshore and offshore rigs, making this expert well aware of the various rig components, how they work, and issues that occur during a drilling operation. This expert is the Principal of a well-respected and highly successful consultancy specializing in oil and gas matters.
This expert designed well projects for various fields and zones within these oil and gas fields. This expert supervised drilling rigs for an ongoing development program and designed and oversaw drilling programs for a wide variety of development and exploration wells. This expert oversaw rig operations, new facilities installations, and production optimization. This expert designed development drilling programs to build on existing production, as well as oversaw expansion into new fields This expert has been in charge of drilling new wells, well completions, and increasing production of existing wells. This expert’s extensive experience with well operations has made this expert familiar with the equipment required to do the work.
This expert has an extensive litigation background having worked on over 50 cases while providing expert reports, depositions, and trial testimony.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #250466
This expert is an old school veteran of the Oil and Gas industry with many years' experience. This expert directed a team of research and development professionals to perfect a drilling measurement device. This expert holds two drilling-related patents and has experience as an expert witness, writing reports and testifying. This expert has extensive knowledge of rigs, drilling, engineering, oil spills, and failure analysis. This expert's expertise stretches across a wide range of equipment in nearly every application and in nearly every drilling environment.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #252259
This expert began a career in the oil industry working summers offshore on several production platforms as a roustabout, before earning both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Petroleum Engineering.
This expert worked as a roughneck then joined a petroleum company as a Drilling Representative/Engineer and was involved in the design and well site supervision of drilling, completion and workover operations on over 200 wells, ranging in depths from 1,000' to over 17,000', in conventional, tight sand and shale reservoirs. This expert was the onsite operator representative overseeing operations performed by drilling, completion and workover rig companies and various subcontractors. This expert's drilling experience includes PDC, roller cone, RWD and bi-center bits, directional (including horizontal) wells, under reaming, coring, foams, fishing and multiple mud system experience. This expert's completion and workover experience includes acid and fracture stimulation, foam operations, sand control, remedial cementing, cased hole fishing, on both flowing and artificial lift wells (rod pump, gas lift, ESP). This expert also designed and supervised numerous thru-tubing workovers, coiled tubing stimulation and cementing operations. This expert was promoted to Area Engineer, responsible for the reservoir and production engineering. This expert was credited the most successful workover on a converted shut-in water injector, resulting in a 1,400 BOPD producing oil well.
This expert researched wellbore stresses using finite element modeling and graduated with a doctoral degree in Petroleum Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. This expert maintains an active practice in consulting, working in multiple basins in the United States, designing drilling, completion and workover programs.
This expert has taught graduate, undergraduate courses and industry seminars in Completions, Drilling and Workover Engineering. This expert has attended numerous industry schools, technical conferences and symposiums as part of continuing education.
This expert has 34 publications and three patents. This expert has presented at multiple workshops and conferences worldwide. This expert is a Principal in a highly respected consultancy, providing drilling, completion and workover consulting services, strategic planning, industry schools, intellectual property and expert witness services. This expert is a member of the SPE, AADE, ACS, ASME, AGU, Sigma Xi, Pi Epsilon Tau, and is a registered professional petroleum engineer.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #244701
This expert is a Professional Engineer with experience in drilling and completions engineering and operations management, as well as proven expertise in optimizing well design, planning and operations for drilling. This expert has a solid track record of providing high level engineering design, operations management and substantial cost saving. Accomplished in drilling optimization, performance improvement and Technical Limit process, this expert has designed and constructed vertical, directional, and horizontal wells for oil and gas production and environmental remediation; as well as horizontal bores for pipeline installations and utility crossings. As a skilled team leader and mentor with strong ability to coach and motivate junior staff; prioritize and manage multiple concurrent activities meeting deadlines and financial objectives, this expert's proactive approach ensures job quality, workplace safety, regulatory compliance and environment protection. This expert has performed numerous analyses to determine the mechanisms that cause failures of drill bits, downhole tools, tubulars, rig structures, assemblies, components, and overall drilling systems. This expert has prior litigation experience, having written reports and been deposed, but has yet to have the pleasure of testifying in court.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #244692
This expert has many years' experience in Oil & Gas Operations, and is a recognized pioneer in horizontal, Managed Pressure Drilling, Underbalanced and Casing Drilling. This expert is a registered Professional engineer, holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and is presently President and CEO of an Oil and Gas consulting firm. This expert presents frequently at industry conferences, and consistently works for clients that are well-known in the industry.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #255263
This expert has many years' experience and is Vice President of a mining engineering company with an international practice. This expert is an authority on best practices and standards for blasting operations and consults as to planning controls regarding surface and cast blasting. This expert has significant experience as a testifying expert and has participated as an expert in Federal and State matters and has given testimony in depositions and trials.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #252285
This expert is a licensed Professional Engineer with many years' experience in the oil and gas drilling industry. This expert is a Completion Engineer with experience using diverting agents, and a focus on maximizing production with state of the art technology and methods. As head of a consulting firm, this expert specializes in frac and refracture design and implementation, injection and water disposal, production optimization, and pressure transient analysis. This expert is active in industry conferences. This expert has some experience as an expert witness, but has never testified at trial.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #250772
This expert is Director of the Advanced Vehicle Systems Research Program at a research university. This expert is an expert in automotive drivetrain technology and extensively studies, publishes and teaches on oscillation, vibration and flexure of drivetrains. This expert's primary focus is on electrical and mechanical systems including imbalance issues, and the attendant noise and vibrations that occur, specifically the dynamics and analysis of mechanical vibrations on rotating and linear devices. This expert is a member of the society of Automotive engineers (SAE) and is a registered Professional Engineer. This expert has experience as an expert witness, having testified approximately a dozen times in court, and providing upwards of twenty depositions, primarily in patent matters.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #266119
This expert holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and a Ph.D. degree in Engineering Geoscience. This expert worked boots-on-the-ground as a Development Engineer. This expert been with the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at a prestigious university, where this expert teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on MWD, well logging, formation evaluation, integrated reservoir characterization, nonlinear optimization, inverse theory, and computer programming. This expert has experience with signal and image processing as well as borehole measurements, including whole drilling. This expert’s current research is focused to the petrophysical, geophysical, mechanical, and geological description and quantification of the borehole region from geophysical measurements (open hole, MWD, logging-while-drilling, and cased hole), and in-situ permanent sensors. Three-dimensional seismic data, vertical seismic profiles, cross-well data (seismic, electromagnetic, tracers, etc.), well-interference measurements, tracer arrival data, and production information, are used to the extent that they provide a way to extrapolate laterally away from wells the petrophysical parameters estimated in the near-borehole region. Drilling, well completions, and rock mechanics research includes: MWD, LWD, and PWD technologies; well bore stability in highly deviated wells; high-temperature/high-pressure properties of drilling fluids; fracture gradient and pore pressure quantifications; wave propagation and mechanical behavior in weak, loosely cemented, granular materials; and more. This expert is co-author of 5 US patents, has published more than 202 articles in refereed technical journals, over 235 articles in international conferences, and two book chapters. This expert is a member of the research committee of the SEG, was a member of the technical committee of the SPWLA (Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts), and is currently VP of Publications of the SPWLA. This expert has conducted numerous training courses for oil companies in the areas of petrophysics, formation evaluation, MWD, well logging, inversion, seismic amplitude inversion, reservoir characterization, and geostatistics.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #266124
This expert is a veteran of the directional drilling and drilling technology industry, with very deep and broad experience with new technology development. This expert managed the development of drillstring modeling software for analyzing drilling torque, and drew the basic concept of the user interface for the software and then managed its development with programmers. This expert has technical expertise in directional drilling, rotary steerables, measurement/logging-while-drilling, formation evaluation, surface data logging, geosteering/horizontal drilling, extended reach drilling, managed pressure/underbalanced drilling and data acquisition. This expert has been responsible for new product definition for a range of downhole technologies involved in directional drilling and logging while drilling. This required deep investigation into existing products and patent research for freedom to operate. This expert worked closely with subject matter experts and mastered the nuances of the key features and distinctive benefits relative to competitors to be able to write the functional requirements documents that would define how the technologies would be developed. Only then could the product have a competitive advantage. As Global Product Champion, this expert routinely explained to industry experts the technical merits of this technology advancement over the conventional approach and process of directional drilling with a steerable motor.
Most of this expert’s career has been focused on market research, investigating cutting edge technologies, and creating business cases for development of those technologies to get them sanctioned for investment by senior management. For example, when a drilling services company was first-to-market with numerous technologies, beating main competitors, this expert researched patents to determine freedom to operate for technologies such as novel drilling concepts for rock destruction, automated directional drilling systems, and gyroscopic directional drilling guidance solutions. This expert has performed portfolio analysis, technology acquisition analysis, strategic corporate planning, business planning and market research in cutting-edge technologies. This expert was part of an industry consortium that attempted to create a digital twin for simulating the downhole drillstring motion while drilling. This expert has scripted and storyboarded 3-D animations for marketing purposes that visualize the directional drilling process; the skill set and expertise that is required to generate realistic and accurate 3-D animations that will be viewed by subject matter experts in directional drilling is exactly the same skill set that is required to produce a graphical user interface for monitoring the directional drilling process.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #266731
This expert is an internationally recognized expert on the design, development and control of adjustable speed motor drives and generators over a wide range of applications, with more than 25 years of experience in this area. Current research interests include electromechanical energy conversion, design and control of power electronics converters/systems, numerical analysis of electromagnetic fields in energy conversion devices, and electric propulsion of electrified transportation. Among this expert’s funded work on all–electric drilling and hybrid hydraulic pumps includes the following:
• Experimental Development of LSRM Drive for Deep Well Pump
• Multi-Machine Control of Linear SRM Drives for Pump Applications
• Novel Low-Cost Method to Install Geophones for CO2 Monitoring
• Design of a Plunger System for Compressor Applications
• Design of Super High-Speed Motors for Drilling Applications
This expert holds 18 US patents with six more pending, and has co-authored over 300 scientific articles. This expert earned PhD, MS, and BS degrees in electrical engineering, and is currently a distinguished professor of engineering where this expert leads research and education in the area of motor drives and power electronics.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #244671
This mechanical engineer and pipeline expert is a seasoned Mechanical Engineer with over 55 years of domestic and international experience across energy and related industries. This expert is a registered Professional Engineer (PE) in over 10 states with expertise in oil and gas, pipeline systems, safety protocols, and mechanical design. This expert is a certified safety expert with specialized training in oil and gas facilities, refining, and construction operations. As an instructor, this expert has taught energy-related courses, including drilling operations and oil and gas safety, through energy training providers and a well-regarded university. This expert has authored technical manuals, industry papers, and computer programs and holds over 10 U.S. patents for downhole equipment innovations.
This expert has over 35 years of litigation experience and has provided legal testimony in matters related to oil and gas well drilling, blowout prevention, pipeline design, power generation, and mechanical systems. This expert also has significant experience in product liability, personal injury analysis, and accident reconstruction.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #277656
This mechanical and metallurgical engineering expert holds a PE and provides forensic and consulting engineering services using a combination of mechanical and metallurgical engineering experience, including plastics, along with related education. This expert is a registered professional engineer in Texas and more than 25 other states, with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing in the metals processing industries, over 30 years performing failure analyses, and over 25 years investigating claims. Assignments have involved mechanical equipment, appliances, oil and gas production and transmission equipment, plumbing, HVAC, heavy equipment, machine tools, cranes and wire cables, metal roofs, manufacturing and thermal processes, among many others.
Over the course of over 15 years, this expert has investigated a number of oilfield assignments, including pipelines, separators, heat treaters, workover rigs, drilling rigs, and associated equipment. This expert has worked with gas compression equipment at well sites and midstream locations, including diesel-driven and turbine-driven equipment, and with a variety of valves used in high-pressure applications, including those used with natural gas.
This expert is an experienced expert witness and litigation consultant. This expert has testified in a wide variety of matters, including personal injury and property damage, in both state and federal court, and has testified by deposition more than 150 times and in court more than 15 times. Expert opinions and testimony have never been excluded.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #281327
Mr. Michael Wick
Mining and Minerals Expert
This expert has nearly forty years of mining, engineering and valuation experience and currently serves as Vice President of the John T. Boyd Company. This expert has been involved in the physical mining, and the financial dealings aspects of the industry and has worked in consulting to mining operations including drilling, exploration, mapping, engineering layout, etc. As an expert witness this expert has been retained in numerous matters in court and for arbitration proceedings and has supported both plaintiffs and defendants. This expert is an experienced testifier and has been in high demand in this arena and has testified both domestically and internationally.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #295106
This meteorological instrumentation, decision support systems, and weather algorithms expert is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist and senior executive of a specialized consultancy, with over 30 years of experience in meteorological instrumentation, systems integration, consulting, expert witness testimony, decision support systems, hazardous weather algorithms, numerical weather prediction, and meteorological displays.
This expert's career has focused on the buildout of software applications for meteorological instrumentation, as well as managing the buildout and delivery of large meteorological system integration projects. This expert understands the research and development effort required for instrumentation and software buildouts, has spent most of this expert's career in private industry, and has experience founding and co-founding private weather companies, including knowledge of the business and competitive landscape in the weather industry.
This expert's experience includes matters involving the determination of weather conditions related to downed powerlines caused by thunderstorm winds; vehicle accidents involving winter weather, thunderstorm winds, fog, and other hazardous conditions; delayed medical helicopter transfers; hail-related building damage; accidents involving downed trees at a youth camp; skydiving-related injuries; lightning-related building damage; pesticide drift and crop damage; hurricane wind velocity analysis; wildfire-related property and livestock losses; rainfall accumulation and soil saturation analysis related to construction losses; flooding and residential or commercial building damage; icing conditions at drilling sites; significant weather conditions at offshore oil platforms; commercial building roof collapse; wind velocities causing commercial building damage; precipitation-related injury accidents at recreational facilities; roof damage involving rainfall and wind; tree and rollercoaster-track injury analysis involving wind and climatology; and weather-related commercial building damage during construction.
This expert provides meteorological tools that help front-line forecasters deliver accurate forecasts, nowcasts, and warnings to the public to reduce life and property losses. This expert also has experience managing meteorological support services contracts for remote operational environments.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #304222
This hydraulic fracturing expert holds PE, SPEC, CPG, FGS, QMS, and CCML credentials and has decades of experience with conventional well drilling and completions.
This expert has addressed production issues associated with shale formations, including the Woodford Shale and other formations such as the Utica Shale. The effectiveness of chemical additives used in hydraulic fracturing can depend heavily on the geologic traits of the formation. Key issues in the Woodford Shale include high iron and pyrite content within the formation.
This expert has worked with energy companies on these types of hydraulic fracturing and production issues. This expert also helped develop a reporting system through which operators disclose fracturing details, including chemical additives such as friction reducers.
Start Drilling Expert SearchExpert Witness #304692
This commercial ocean marine insurance expert has extensive knowledge and experience in insurance industry practices and insurance risk management, and holds CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter), CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), and CRM (Certified Risk Manager) designations.
Ocean marine experience includes coverage placement, policy management, and claims experience involving offshore drilling rigs, including Business Income; boat owners, including ocean and inland waters and yacht policies, including salvage; importers and exporters, including Open Cargo policies and Business Income; Stock Throughput Policies, including property coverage for Ocean Marine, Inland Marine, and storage exposures; marinas, including Wet and Dry Marine coverages; and international shipments of oil, machinery, and bulk goods.
This expert has served as an expert witness in many insurance-related cases, including matters related to ocean marine insurance.
Start Drilling Expert Search