TERMS & CONDITIONS
GENERAL CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
GENERAL
(a) Unless otherwise agreed in writing or except where they are at variance with (i) the regulations governing services performed on behalf of governments, government bodies or any other public entity or (ii) the mandatory provisions of local law, all offers or services and all resulting contractual relationship(s) between any of the affiliated companies of PETROMAR(b) The Company may perform services for persons or entities (private, public or governmental) issuing instructions (hereinafter, the “Client”).
(c) Unless the Company receives prior written instructions to the contrary from Client, no other party is entitled to give instructions, particularly on the scope of the services or the delivery of reports resulting there from (the “Reports of Findings”).
2. PROVISION OF SERVICES(a) The Company will provide services using reasonable care and skill and in accordance with Client’s specific instructions as confirmed by the Company or, in the absence of such instructions: (1) the terms of any standard order form or standard specification sheet of the Company; and/or (2) any relevant trade custom, usage or practice; and/or (3) such methods as the Company shall consider appropriate on technical, operational and/or financial grounds.
(b)Client agrees that the Company is not responsible but will make best efforts to verify the condition or calibration of apparatus, instruments and measuring devices used, check the analysis methods applied. The company is not responsible for the actions or omissions of terminals, inspection companies, vessels crew, barge crew, third party personnel or the analysis results.
(c) Reports of Findings issued by the Company will reflect the facts as recorded by it at the time of its intervention only and within the limits of the instructions received or, in the absence of such instructions, within the limits of the alternative parameters applied as provided for in clause 2(a). The Company is under no obligation to refer to, or report upon, any facts or circumstances which are outside the specific instructions received or alternative parameters applied.
(d) The Company may delegate the performance of all or part of the services to an agent or subcontractor if the Client authorizes Company to do so.
(e) Should Company receive documents reflecting engagements contracted between Client and third parties or third party documents, such as copies of sale contracts, letters of credit, bills of lading, etc., they are considered to be for information only, and Private and Confidential ,and will not be shared without prior consent of Client.
(f) Client acknowledges that the Company, by providing the services, neither takes the place of Client or any third party, nor releases them from any of their obligations, nor otherwise assumes, abridges, abrogates or undertakes to discharge any duty of Client to any third party or that of any third party to Client.
OBLIGATIONS OF CLIENT
The Client will: (a) ensure that sufficient information, instructions and documents are given in due time to enable the required services to be performed;
(b) procure all necessary access for the Company’s representatives to the premises where the services are to be performed and take all necessary steps to eliminate or remedy any obstacles to, or interruptions in, the performance of the services;
(c) supply, if required, any special equipment and personnel necessary for the performance of the services;
(d) inform Company in advance of any known hazards or dangers, actual or potential, associated with performing requested services in the designated area.
(e) fully exercise all its rights and discharge all its liabilities under any relevant sales or other contract with a third party and at law.
FEES AND PAYMENT
(a) Fees not established between the Company and Client at the time the order is placed, or a contract is negotiated shall be at the Company’s standard rates (which are subject to change) and all applicable taxes shall be payable by Client.
(b) Client shall not be entitled to retain or defer payment of any sums due to the Company on account of any dispute, counter claim or set off which it may allege against the Company.
(c) In the event any unforeseen problems or expenses arise in the course of carrying out the services the Company shall endeavor to inform Client and shall be entitled to charge additional fees to cover extra time and cost necessarily incurred to complete the services.
(d) If the Company is unable to perform all or part of the services for any cause whatsoever outside the Company’s control including failure by Client to comply with any of its obligations provided for in clause 3 above the Company shall nevertheless be entitled to payment of: (1) the amount of all non-refundable expenses incurred by the Company; and (2) a proportion of the agreed fee equal to the proportion of the services actually carried out.
5. SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION OF SERVICES
The Company shall be entitled to immediately and without liability either suspend or terminate provision of the services in the event of: (a) failure by the Client to comply with any of its obligations hereunder and such failure is not remedied within 10 days that notice of such failure has been notified to Client; or (b) any suspension of payment, arrangement with creditors, bankruptcy, insolvency, receivership or cessation of business by Client or any of their agents (each a “Company”) and Client (the “Contractual Relationship(s)”) shall be governed by these general conditions of service (hereinafter the “General Conditions”)
LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION
(a) Limitation of Liability:
(1) The Company is neither an insurer nor a guarantor and disclaims all liability in such capacity. Clients seeking a guarantee against loss or damage should obtain appropriate insurance.
(2) Reports of Findings are issued on the basis of information, documents and/ or samples provided by, or on behalf of, Client and solely for the benefit of Client who is responsible for acting as it sees fit on the basis of such Reports of Findings. Neither the Company nor any of its officers, employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable to Client nor any third party for any actions taken or not taken on the basis of such Reports of Findings nor for any incorrect results arising from unclear, erroneous, incomplete, misleading or false information provided to the Company.
(3) The Company shall not be liable for any delayed, partial or total non-performance of the services arising directly or indirectly from any event outside the Company’s control including failure by Client to comply with any of its obligations hereunder.
(4) The Company shall have no liability for any indirect or consequential loss including without limitation loss of profits, loss of business, loss of opportunity, loss of goodwill and cost of product recall. It shall further have no liability for any loss, damage or expense arising from the claims of any third party (including, without limitation, product liability claims) that may be incurred by the Client.
(5) In the event of any claim, Client must give written notice to the Company within 30 days of discovery of the facts alleged to justify such claim and, in any case, the Company shall be discharged from all liability for all claims for loss, damage or expense unless suit is brought within one year from: (i) the date of performance by the Company of the service which gives rise to the claim; or (ii) the date when the service should have been completed in the event of any alleged non-performance.
(b) Indemnification:
Client shall guarantee, hold harmless and indemnify the Company and its officers, employees, agents or subcontractors against all claims (actual or threatened) by any third party for loss, damage or expense of whatsoever nature including all legal expenses and related costs and howsoever arising relating to the performance, purported performance or non-performance, of any services.
MISCELLANEOUS
(a) If any one or more provisions of these General Conditions are found to be illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Unless specifically agreed otherwise, all disputes arising out or in connection with Contractual Relationship(s) hereunder shall be governed by the substantive laws of the State of Connecticut exclusive of any rules with respect to conflicts of laws and be finally settled under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce by one or more arbitrators appointed in accordance with the said rules.