Baker Botts' Midstream pipeline practice provides comprehensive legal counsel across all facets of the domestic and international midstream oil and gas sector, advising clients in the collection, processing, downstream transportation and storage of crude oil, natural gas, CO₂, ammonia and other liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. With significant cross-border and international experience, we represent principal investors, producer consortia, pipeline companies, operators, shippers, and industrial facilities in complex transactions, regulatory matters and infrastructure development. By combining deep industry with regulatory knowledge, our attorneys ensure that midstream and downstream projects - from crude oil and natural gas pipeline to CO₂ capture systems, ammonia transport and energy infrastructure supporting data centers - advance smoothly, efficiently and in full compliance from start to finish.

What type of midstream and downstream services does Baker Botts offer?

We offer integrated solutions for midstream, intrastate and interstate assets that encompass all phases of infrastructure development. Our practice extends beyond traditional pipeline projects to meet the evolving needs of modern commodity markets, including project development of processing plants, storage facilities, export terminals, CO₂ and ammonia transport systems and energy delivery for data centers.

Specific capabilities include:

• Project Development: Counsel to both developers and customers on the construction, expansion and operational frameworks for new and existing assets, including greenfield and brownfield sites, CO₂ capture and transport networks, ammonia pipelines and power infrastructure for data centers.
• Commercial Transactions: Negotiation of gathering, processing, transportation and storage agreements for hydrocarbons, CO₂, ammonia and energy supply to high-demand facilities.
• Regulatory Compliance: Navigating Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) matters, environmental commitments, open seasons, safety regulations and emerging standards for CO₂ sequestration, ammonia handling and industrial energy supply.
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Strategic advice on asset acquisition, divestitures and joint ventures in traditional midstream, CO₂ and ammonia networks and data center energy infrastructure.
• Finance: Structuring project finance, debt and equity securities and investment documentation to support diverse midstream infrastructure, including decarbonization projects and critical energy delivery to data centers.

What energy solutions does Baker Botts provide for industrials such as data centers and power plant clients?

As data centers continue to scale and increase energy demand, midstream infrastructure plays a critical role in ensuring reliable and efficient power and fuel supply. Baker Botts advises clients at the intersection of midstream energy and data center development, providing guidance on the transportation, storage, and delivery of natural gas, water, ammonia and other energy commodities that support high-demand facilities. Our attorneys help structure energy supply agreements, develop dedicated pipelines or interconnections, navigate regulatory approvals, and coordinate land rights, permitting and operational compliance. By combining deep experience in traditional midstream, industrial gases and energy-intensive operations, we enable clients to deliver resilient, cost-effective energy solutions tailored to the unique needs of data centers.

How does Baker Botts' multidisciplinary approach benefit midstream clients?

Our clients benefit from a holistic legal strategy that combines corporate, regulatory finance, environmental and tax considerations directly into project planning. Since midstream projects rarely operate in isolation, our teams include lawyers who are thoroughly familiar with the sector's intersecting issues.

We provide seamless coordination across:

• Tax Structuring: Optimizing tax efficiency for joint ventures, master limited partnerships (MLPs), CO₂ and ammonia networks and energy delivery projects.
• Environmental & Safety: Ensuring compliance with health, safety and environmental (HSE) commitments.
• Land Use: Managing rights-of-way, land acquisition and local permitting for pipelines, storage and energy infrastructure, including data center connectivity.
• Business Organization: Structuring entities for liability protection and operational flexibility across both traditional and emerging midstream projects.

Our attorneys also assist clients in drafting, negotiating and executing a wide range of midstream commercial agreements. We make sure each contract protects our client's commercial interests while complying with evolving regulatory standards.

Representative experience includes:

Commercial & Operational Agreements

• Gathering, storage, processing, compression and treating agreements
• Intrastate and Interstate transportation agreements and capacity rights
• Interconnection, expansion and extension agreements
• Lifting and marine terminal, and energy supply agreements
• Fuel supply, quality bank procedures and data center energy contracts
• LNG and NGL handling
• Gas supply agreements and NAESB agreements

Construction & Development

• Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts
• Funding and development agreements
• Ownership and joint operating agreements
• Land use rights and acquisition arrangements, including marine and rail logistics

Regulatory & Governmental

• Rate design, tariff arrangements and FERC compliance
• Concessions, licenses, and treaties
• Health, safety, and maintenance agreements