Rob Butler

Partner

[email protected]

London

P: +44.20.7726.3426
F: +44.20.7726.3526
Rob Butler Photo

Rob Butler is a partner in the Global Projects practice and is the co-chair of the firm's LNG, hydrogen and CCUS practice group. Rob advises clients on a wide range of projects and transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors, with a particular focus on the upstream and midstream oil and gas sectors, LNG and LNG shipping matters.

Rob assists clients with the structuring and development of projects, joint venture arrangements, asset sales and purchases, and corporate acquisitions, disposals and financings. Rob's experience includes negotiating, drafting and advising on commercial arrangements including LNG sale and purchase agreements, LNG terminal use agreements, common facilities agreements, gas sale and purchase agreements, crude oil offtake agreements, pipeline transportation agreements, vessel charter agreements, joint venture agreements, asset sale and purchase agreements, and share sale and purchase agreements.

Related Experience

LNG Project Development

  • A major international energy company - in connection with its proposed participation in the North Field Expansion Project in Qatar
  • Novatek - in relation to the structuring and development of the Arctic LNG 2 project
  • Advising the project sponsors on all aspects of the development of a floating LNG regasification terminal in Ghana
  • International energy company - on the joint venture arrangements in connection with the development of two LNG transhipment terminals
  • Advising the project sponsor in connection with the conversion of an LNG carrier to a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU)
  • Advising the project sponsor of a proposed floating LNG liquefaction project in British Columbia, Canada
  • International energy company - on the development of a small-scale LNG liquefaction facility
  • Advising a project sponsor of a South Asian floating LNG import project in connection with terminal capacity sharing arrangements, including the drafting of an LNG borrowing and lending agreement
  • National oil company - advising on the development of LNG bunkering facilities at an existing LNG import facility, including in respect of the terminal services agreements to be put in place
  • Advising on the terminal use agreement and on EPC matters in connection with the development of an LNG receiving terminal in Croatia
  • Advising on a common facilities agreement and operation and maintenance agreement for an LNG liquefaction project in the U.S.
  • South American LNG project - advising on gas sales agreements

LNG Marketing & Trading

  • International energy company - on the establishment of an LNG marketing joint venture, the entry into a long-term LNG sale and purchase agreement and a terminal use agreement in connection with the development of a new-build LNG import terminal in China
  • National oil company - on the development of its standard form master LNG sale and purchase agreement (MSA)
  • A major international energy company - as buyer under a long-term LNG sale and purchase agreement from an African LNG project
  • NOVATEK - on LNG marketing activities, including long-term LNG sales from the Yamal LNG project and the Arctic LNG 2 project
  • International energy company - on the long-term purchase of LNG on a DES basis from the Mozambique LNG project
  • Sempra LNG - in connection with the marketing of LNG from the Port Arthur LNG Liquefaction project
  • European energy company - on a number of long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements and master LNG sale and purchase agreements (MSAs)
  • International energy company - advising on the purchase of a portfolio of long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements
  • Advising a national oil company on the purchase of LNG on a long-term basis from an LNG export project in Canada
  • International energy company - on the sale of LNG from a small-scale LNG liquefaction facility on an FOB, DES and truck loaded basis, including the drafting and negotiation of various short-term and mid-term LNG sale and purchase agreements
  • A major international energy company - in connection with the long-term sale of LNG to an LNG-to-power project in South America
  • Steelhead LNG on the long-term sale of LNG into India
  • NOVATEK - on the entry into three separate long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements with Shell, GDF Suez and Gunvor in respect of LNG produced from the Yamal LNG project
  • A state-owned Middle Eastern energy company - on long-term, short-term and spot LNG transactions, including options and swaps
  • A major international energy company - on LNG sale, purchase and swap arrangements
  • Advising various international energy companies on amendments to their standard form master LNG sale and purchase agreements (MSAs)
  • Origin Energy Limited on its LNG sale and purchase agreement with ENN LNG Trading Company Limited for the delivery of LNG to China
  • Advising an LNG project in connection with a price review under a long-term LNG sale and purchase agreement
  • Indian energy company - as buyer under a long-term LNG sale and purchase agreement from a U.S. LNG export project
  • Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore on the long-term sale of LNG to GAIL in India
  • European energy company - on the entry into back-to-back long term LNG sale and purchase agreements from a US LNG project
  • Gazprom Marketing and Trading - as seller under various long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements
  • Advising an LNG project on matters relating to the renegotiation of various diversion and pricing provisions in LNG sale and purchase agreements
  • North American company - on the negotiation of master LNG sale and purchase agreements
  • Independent joint venture - advising on long term LNG sale and purchase agreements for an Australian LNG project
  • Asian energy company - advising on a long term LNG sale and purchase agreement

LNG Shipping

  • National Oil Company - on its tender for a new FSRU in respect of an existing LNG import facility
  • Advising the charterers on the long-term charter of an LNG carrier on a bareboat basis
  • Advising the project sponsors on the entry into a ship management agreement for an FSRU
  • National Oil Company - on its proposed charter of a bridging FSRU during dry docking of its existing FSRU
  • Advising the project sponsors on the long-term charter of an FSRU for use at an LNG regasification terminal in Ghana
  • Advising the project sponsors in connection with the procurement of marine services and the marine terminal liability regime in respect of a Latin American LNG project
  • Middle Eastern LNG project - advising on the time charter arrangements for a floating regasification vessel
  • International energy company - in connection with the negotiation and amendment of time charter parties and operations and service agreements in respect of three floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs)
  • European energy company - on the negotiation of LNG shipping arrangements and long term LNG sale and purchase agreements

Oil & Gas

  • UNOC and the Government of Uganda on the development and project financing of the $3.5bn 1,443 km crude oil pipeline between Uganda and Tanzania
  • Cobalt International Energy Inc. - advising in connection with its upstream operations in the Republic of Angola and the Gabonese Republic
  • Qatar Petroleum - on the drafting and negotiation of the new concession for the cross-border (Qatar/Abu Dhabi) Bunduq field
  • ONGC Videsh Ltd - part of team advising on its entry into the concession for the Lower Zakum oil fields, offshore Abu Dhabi
  • A major international energy company - in connection with the renegotiation of a production sharing contract in Angola
  • Gazprombank - in connection with the $489 million project financing of the construction by SOCAR Polymer of petrochemical facilities in Sumqayit, Azerbaijan
  • A major Russian oil company - advising on an international upstream joint venture agreement with another state oil company
  • Qatar Petroleum - in connection with the contractual arrangements for the Al-Shaheen oil field
  • Advising on the negotiation and drafting of a risk services agreement in Azerbaijan
  • International offshore services company - on the establishment of a joint venture for the importation of a drilling rig into Nigeria
  • A consortium of international oil companies - advising on oil lifting arrangements for a major offshore oil field in the Caspian
  • Advising on transportation arrangements relating to the transportation of crude oil through the CPC pipeline
  • Gazprombank - in connection with a US$1 billion prepayment facility to fund a joint venture between Gazprombank and PDVSA to further develop the Bachaquero Tierra and Lagunillas Tierra oil and gas fields in the western region of Venezuela

Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Rosneft Oil Company - in relation to its multi-billion dollar sale to Trafigura of a 10% stake in Vostok Oil, a major world-class oil-producing project located in the Russian Arctic
  • Sasol - on the sale to VAALCO Gabon S.A. of its 27.75% non-operated interest in the Etame Marin Permit and its 40% non-operated participating interest in Block DE-8 offshore Gabon
  • Rosneft Oil Company - in relation to its multi-billion dollar sale to a joint venture comprising Vitol S.A. and Mercantile & Maritime Energy Pte. Ltd. of a 5% stake in Vostok Oil
  • Cobalt International Energy Inc. - advising on the company’s US$1.75 billion sale to Sonangol EP of its interests in two blocks located offshore the Republic of Angola
  • National oil company - on the potential purchase from two separate sellers of interests in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) field in Azerbaijan, including interests in the related export pipelines
  • Neptune - on the acquisition of interests from Apache Corporation in the Seagull development and Isabella prospect
  • National oil company - on the sale of a company holding interests in two oil fields offshore Brazil
  • Private equity-backed E&P company - on the purchase of interests in two UKCS licences
  • Advising an international energy company on its farm-down of interests in two petroleum exploration licences in Namibia
  • Repsol - on the c. US$8 billion acquisition of Talisman Energy
  • GDF Suez - advising in connection with the acquisition of UK onshore shale licences from Dart Energy and subsequent sale to INEOS
  • U.S. energy company - on the acquisition of a number of upstream interests in the Federal Republic of Nigeria
  • National oil company - on the sale of its interest in a 50:50 pharmaceutical joint venture
  • Advising a Middle-Eastern oil and gas company on the potential acquisition of licence and infrastructure interests in the North Sea
  • U.S. oil and gas company - on the internal transfer of various upstream licenses in the Gulf of Mexico
  • GDF Suez - advising in connection with the acquisition of various production sharing contract interests in Egypt, Libya and Qatar
  • U.S. independent oil and gas company - advising on the sale of the entire issued share capital of a U.S. company holding an interest in a production sharing agreement in the Republic of Yemen
  • South Asian conglomerate - advising on the sale of an interest in an oil and gas exploration license in Kazakhstan
  • Advised a newly incorporated company on its acquisition of UKCS assets and its subsequent Initial Public Offering
  • Dutch investment company - advising on the sale of its oil and gas division
  • UK plc - advising on the acquisition of a North American oil and gas company
  • Swedish oil and gas company - advising on the potential acquisition of a North Sea focused oil and gas company
  • UK plc - advising on the possible acquisition of various North Sea oil and gas assets

Awards & Community

Ranked by Chambers UK as "Up & Coming" in Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas, 2022 & 2023

Recognised in The Legal 500 UK, as a "Next Generation Partner" for Oil & Gas, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Recognised in The Legal 500 UK as a "Rising Star" in Oil & Gas, 2020

Recognised in The Legal 500 UK as a "Next Generation Lawyer" in Projects & Energy: Oil & Gas, 2017, 2018 & 2019

Recognised by Euromoney Legal Media Group as a "UK Rising Star" and "Energy & Natural Resources Rising Star," 2019

News

results Page of

Thought Leadership

results Page of

Events

Recent

results Page of

2021 World LNG Summit & Awards

Baker Botts is proud to be a sponsor of the upcoming World LNG Summit & Awards on November 30 - December 3 in Rome, Italy.

2021 Gastech Conference

We are proud to be part of the 2021 Gastech Conference on September 21-23 in Dubai.

Baker Botts Energy Lawyer School

Baker Botts is delighted to invite you to our Energy Lawyer School commencing on the 16 March and finishing on 24 March 2021

CWC World LNG Virtual Summit

Baker Botts is proud to be a sponsor of the CWC World LNG Virtual Summit on December 1-4.