Concentration

Summary

Mr. McArdle advises leading energy companies on a variety of transactions in the U.K., Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In addition, he maintains a broad corporate practice advising clients on the financing and development of start-up businesses and on a wide range of environmental matters.

Mr. McArdle joined Baker Botts as an associate in 2000. Before joining the firm he qualified as a solicitor with an international law firm and spent time seconded to ARCO British Limited and BP. Before qualifying as a solicitor, Mr. McArdle worked in an environmental role with British Gas plc.

Representative Engagements

• Gaz de France – advising on ($250 million) acquisition of Egyptian PSC interest from Vegas Oil & Gas
• Gaz de France – advising on ($170 million) acquisition of Libyan PSC interest from Hellenic Petroleum
• Gaz de France – advising on acquisition of Indonesian and Egyptian PSC interests and UK oil producing interest, in “asset swap” transaction with Eni, in connection with sale by GDF Suez of Distrigaz S.A (Belgian gas distribution company) 
• Petrogas E&P LLC – advising on acquisition of 45% Oman PSC interest from Maersk
• Petrogas E&P LLC – advising on acquisition of 30% interest in Egyptian Service Contract with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation from Oil Search
• European gas company – advising on bid for 100% contractor party PSC interest onshore and offshore Egypt
• KNOC – advising on Farm-in and Joint Operating Agreements in respect of Yemen PSA interests; conducting due diligence in Yemen
• Itochu Corporation – advising on farm-in in Namibia from Tullow Oil
• DNO – advising on various Farm-out transactions and joint operating agreement matters in Yemen
• Terralliance Technologies – advising on farm-ins to Turkish exploration licences and to a PSC in Mauritania
• US private equity company – advising on the disposal of a Spanish upstream gas exploration, production and storage company
• EOG Resources – advising on the acquisition, divestiture and portfolio management of various interests, offshore Trinidad and Tobago
• EOG Resources – advising on gas supply sales to industrial users, Trinidad and Tobago
• Sasol – advising on the potential farm-in to licences in Papua New Guinea
• Maersk – advising on bid for an enhanced oil recovery EPSA interest, Bahrain

Upstream – UK and North Sea

• Itochu Corporation – advising on ($110 million) corporate acquisition of North Sea oil producing interests from Tullow Oil
• Cieco UK (Itochu Corporation) – advising on farm-in to various UK and Faroe Islands Licences
• Cieco UK (Itochu Corporation) – advising on range of UK Joint Operating Agreement commercial and operational issues with partners; advising on Hudson Field decommissioning security arrangements; advising on sale of interests in NW Hutton Field and facilities decommissioning contract
• Noble Energy Europe Ltd – advising on the exchange of North Sea oil interests with Talisman; advising on the acquisition of North Sea interests from Shell; advising on a North Sea Farm-out with Exxon Mobil
• GDF Britain Ltd – advising on the acquisition of CalEnergy Gas (U.K.) Ltd; subsequently advising on the group reorganisation and transfer of the business and assets of CalEnergy to GDF Britain Ltd
• GDF Britain Ltd – advising on the transfer of North Sea exploration assets to a Dutch affiliated company; advising on the transfer of North Sea interests from subsidiary companies and the subsequent liquidation of the subsidiary companies
• PGNiG Norway – advising on the potential acquisition of Norwegian exploration licences and gas transportation and processing facilities from Marathon
• Secondment - BP Plc - advising on the disposal of North Sea interests to Tullow Oil following the acquisition of ARCO by BP and transfer of operatorship to Superior Oil (UK) Ltd
• Arco British Limited – secondment
• Various European oil and gas companies – advising on a range of asset swaps, sales and purchases, gas transportation and processing agreements, gas attribution, allocation, substitution and balancing agreements, data licensing, seismic survey agreements, drilling contracts, contractual indemnities, operator agreements and transfers, licence applications, confidentiality agreements and guarantees

Midstream, Downstream and LNG

• Brass LNG – advising on gas supply and sales to the Brass LNG plant; assisting the team advising on LNG sales
• Azerbaijan Gas Supply Company (AGSC) – advising on gas sales agreements and operational agreements with Turkish, Georgian and Azerbaijani State gas companies; advising on the gas sales agreement with BTC oil pipeline company; advising on agreements between AGSC and South Caucasus Pipeline Company (including gas transportation); advising on contract disputes and price negotiations with BOTAS
• Marathon Oil – advising on the Equatorial Guinea Train 2 project for new gas supplies and international gas pipelines from Nigeria and Cameroon
• Marathon Oil – advising on sale of equity stake in EG LNG project
• EG LNG Holding Company – advising on port and shipping arrangements for the LNG and Methanol exports from the shared port facilities Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; advising on various commercial and operational matters arising under the EG LNG project agreements
• Petrobras – advising on joint venture arrangements for Floating LNG FEED contract tendering
• Hunt Oil – advising on a range of historic commercial agreements relating to interests in and gas supply arrangements to a proposed Yemen LNG Plant
• EOG Resources – advising on various liquids and gas processing, gas sales, transportation and associated infrastructure arrangements, Trinidad and Tobago
• Various European gas companies – advising on long term gas sales agreements and disputes there under
• Lyondell – advising on a bid for proposed acquisition of Innovene petrochemical company from BP

Corporate Energy and Regulatory

• Government of Croatia – advising on the ($500 million) sale to MOL of a strategic 25% stake in the state oil & gas company INA; advising on the privatisation and liberalisation of the Croatian oil & gas sector
• Noble Corporation – advising on the sale and purchase of various drilling rigs
• Gaz de France – advising on the divestment of interests in a North Sea joint venture company with Total
• Halliburton – settlement of post-divestment disputes with Wellstream regarding sale of UK and US oil services subsidiary companies
• Ministry of Energy and Water, Republic of Lebanon – advice in the formulation, drafting and implementation of a legislative and regulatory framework for petroleum exploration and development
• Dynergy – due diligence for various aborted acquisitions of UK coal and gas fired power stations
• SUBtv Group – advising on various financing subscriptions, group restructurings and general corporate matters
• Liberty Media – various corporate due diligence matters; advising on contentious matters relating to the acquisition of European cable assets

Environmental and Climate Change

• Polaroid Corporation – advising on various product and labelling and waste management compliance issues with respect to EU environmental Directives
• Noble Energy – advising on application for project approval of Methanol Plant, Equatorial Guinea under the Kyoto protocol CDM mechanism
• Hunt Oil – advising on Yemen LNG gas feedstock contracts and PSC environmental compliance issues, in the international arbitration against the Government of Yemen
• Limagrain (French genetically modified seed producer) – advising on general commercial aspects of licensing agreements with Monsanto
• Lyondell – advising on sale of EU emissions allowances through ISDA Master Agreement

Contentious and Data Protection

• US engineering and energy services company (confidential) – advising on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations concerning activities in Nigeria and Iran
• Kraft Foods – advising on various data protection issues including international transfers of personal data
• MasterCard Services – advising on various UK and European data protection issues 

Publications, Speeches and Presentations

• Workshop presenter, "Floating LNG: Joint Venture Contracting," IQPC Global FLNG Summit, London, January 2010
• "Joint Ventures and Other Collaborating Agreements in the Oil and Gas Industry," Falconbury Seminars, London, December 2009
• "Turkmen Gas - Export Strategy and Trans-Caspian Opportunities - Part 1," ROGTEC (Russian Oil & Gas Technologies), September 2009 (Mark Rowley, co-author)
• "Floating LNG: Key Issues In Developing a Successful LNG Project," LNG Journal, May and June 2009 (John White author; Hamish McArdle contributor)
• Roundtable workshop chairman, "Infrastructure and Pipelines," FLAME Conference, Amsterdam, March 2009
• Workshop presenter, "Floating LNG: Key Issues In Developing a Successful Floating LNG Project," IQPC Global FLNG Summit, London, March 2009
• "International Pipeline Projects" and "Production Sharing Agreements," Balkan and Black Sea Petroleum Association, Bucharest, April 2007
• "Striking a Price for Hot Air," Legal Week, January 2002