Concentration

U.K. and international energy and resource acquisitions and projects

Summary

Hamish McArdle has wide ranging experience in the U.K. and international energy sector where he advises clients on all aspects of the energy value chain including large-scale projects and corporate and commercial matters, with a particular focus on those associated with the upstream and midstream oil and gas sectors and LNG.

Mr. McArdle advises leading energy companies in the structuring and negotiation of oil and gas development projects and transactions, and he acts for sellers, purchasers and joint venture project companies, with particular recent experience in Africa and the Middle East. In addition, he maintains a broad corporate practice and advises clients on a wide range of environmental matters.

Mr. McArdle has spent time seconded to ARCO British Limited and BP, and before qualifying as a solicitor he worked in an environmental role with British Gas plc.

Representative Engagements

Mergers and Acquisitions

    International 

• Sinochem - advising on the US$3.1 billion acquisition of a 40% interest in the Peregrino oilfield, Brazil form Statoil
• U.S. E&P company - country entry into the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including acquisition of interests in new and existing production sharing contracts
• GDF Suez - advising on the acquisition of various production sharing contract interest in Egypt, Libya, Indonesia and Qatar
• Petrogas E&P LLC- advising on the acquisition of an interest in an Oman production sharing contract from Maersk, an Egyptian Service Contract interest from Oil Search, and various upstream opportunities in Angola, Oman and Tunisia
• KNOC - advising on Farm-in and Joint Operating Agreements in respect of Yemen production sharing agreement interests
• Itochu Corporation - advising on a Farm-in in Namibia from Tullow Oil 
• DNO - advising on various farm-out transactions and joint operating agreement matters in Yemen
• U.S. independent oil and gas company - advising on farm-ins to Turkish exploration licences and to a production sharing contract in Mauritania
• U.S. private equity company - advising on the disposal of a Spanish upstream gas exploration, production and storage company
• Independent U.S. oil and gas company - advising on the acquisition, divestiture and portfolio management of various interests, offshore Trinidad and Tobago
• Sasol - advising on the potential farm-in to licences in Papua New Guinea
• Maersk - advising on a bid for an enhanced oil recovery EPSA interest, Bahrain

     North Sea

• Cieco U.K. (Itochu Corporation) - advising on range of corporate and asset acquisitions and disposals in the North Sea including acquisition of an interest in the oil producing Alba Field, acquisition of various exploration interests in the UK and Faroe Islands sectors, and sale of an interest in the NW Hutton Field
• Independent U.S. oil and gas company - advising on a range of North Sea asset exchange and farm-in and farm-out arrangements
• GDF Suez - advising on a range of asset acquisitions and group restructurings of North Sea interests, and the acquisition of CalEnergy Gas (U.K.) Ltd
• PGNiG Norway - advising on the potential acquisition of Norwegian exploration licences and gas transportation and processing facilities

Project Development, Corporate / Commercial Energy and LNG

• Brass LNG  - advising on gas supply and sales to the Brass LNG plant
• 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 transportation agreements between AGSC and South Caucasus Pipeline Company (including gas transportation); advising on contract disputes and price negotiations with BOTAS
• Major energy company - advising on joint venture arrangements for the development of a floating liquefaction project, and for associated FEED contract tendering
• Independent U.S. energy company - advising on LNG sales agreements for LNG export form the U.S.
• Major U.S. oil and gas company - advising on the Equatorial Guinea Train 2 project for new gas supplies and international gas pipeline developments from Nigeria and Cameroon; advising on the sale of an equity stake in the 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
• Government of Croatia - advising on the sale to MOL of a strategic 25% stake in the state oil & gas company INA, and associated advice on the privatisation and liberalisation of the Croatian oil & gas sector
• Various international oil and gas companies - advising on a range of asset swaps, oils and gas transportation and processing agreements and oil and gas product sales arrangements, drilling contracts, FPSO related agreements and developments and a range of contractual and corporate joint venture and operator agreements
• Independent U.S. energy company - advising on a range of historic commercial agreements relating to interests in and gas supply arrangements to a proposed Yemen LNG Plant
• Independent U.S. energy company - advising on various liquids and gas processing, gas sales, transportation and associated infrastructure arrangements, Trinidad and Tobago
• GDF Suez - advising on a planned divestment of interests in a joint venture company holding interests in the North Sea Elgin Franklin field
• Cieco U.K. (Itochu Corporation) - advising on aspects of the development of the UK North Sea Western Isles Field; advising on a range of U.K. Joint Operating Agreement commercial and operational issues including Hudson Field decommmisioning security arrangements; and matters associated with the contract for decommissioning the NW Hutton Field
• Various European gas companies - advising on long term gas sales agreements and disputes there under
• U.S. chemical company - advising on a bid for proposed acquisition of Innovene petrochemical company from BP
• Halliburton - settlement of post-divestment disputes with Wellstream regarding sale of U.K. and U.S. oil services subsidiary companies

Environmental and Climate Change

• Polaroid Corporation - advising on various product and labeling and waste management compliance issues with respect to EU environmental Directives
• Independent U.S. energy company - advising on application for project approval of Methanol Plant, Equatorial Guinea under the Kyoto protocol CDM mechanism
• Independent U.S. oil and company - advising on Yemen LNG gas feedstock contracts and production sharing contract environmental compliance issues, in an international arbitration against the Government of Yemen
• French genetically modified seed producer －advising on product licensing agreements
• U.S. chemical company - advising on sale of EU emissions allowances through ISDA Master Agreement

Contentious, Other Corporate and Data Protection

• Nigerian Bank - advising on commercial and asset due diligence relating to the financing of a gas pipeline project
• U.S. engineering and energy services company - advising on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations concerning activities in Nigeria and Iran
• SUBtv Group - advising on various financing subscriptions, group restructuring and general corporate matters
• Liberty Media - advising on contentious matters relating to the acquisition of European cable assets
• Kraft Foods - advising on international transfers of personal data
• MasterCard Services - advising on various U.K. and European data protection issues 

Publications, Speeches and Presentations

Publications

• "Legal Issues to Consider In Structuring of New Floating LNG Developments," LNG Journal, March 2011 (Oliver Byrne, co-author)
• "Turkmen Gas - Export Strategy and Trans-Caspian Opportunities - Parts 1&2," ROGTEC (Russian Oil & Gas Technologies), September and October 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)
• "Striking a Price for Hot Air," Legal Week, January 2002

Speeches and Presentations

• Confidence Capital, Oil & Gas Law School, presenter on upstream operating, joint venture and host government agreements, October 2010
• 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, June & December 2010, and June 2011
• 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
• "EU Emissions Trading Scheme," Baker Botts Seminar, London, March 2005