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Abstract Companies are moving away from expensive litigation and opting for more time and cost effective methods for resolving disputes, including my present employer, Marathon Oil Company (“Marathon”). A recent incident and the resolution technique used by Marathon are presented along with an analysis of the effectiveness of the technique used. An Assessment of A Dispute Resolution at the Workplace On November 8, 1999, Marathon Ashland Petroleum (“MAP”), Catlettsburg, Kentucky refinery, owned 68% by my employer, Marathon Oil Company (“Marathon”), had a tank rupture incident submitted for investigation. On this day, water in the bottom of tank 845 reached the boiling point and expanded into steam causing a foam-over of gas oil. The weld between the roof and top of the tank failed and allowed the foam mixture to erupt through openings in the top of the tank. The oil mist was sprayed into the air on and off the refinery’s property. The erupted oil made its way into the parking lot behind the control lab of the refinery where it contacted several parked cars. The liquid traveled down the road and into nearby storm sewers. This event was typical of a foam-over caused by water vaporizing in hot oil.
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