Transactional
Tim has forty years experience throughout the world in all facets of the oil & gas and energy infrastructure business, including:
Senior executive in commercial, operational, finance and law functions
Company CEO in the Middle East and Finance Director in the FSU
Project management of exploration and production operations
Legal counsel in upstream, midstream and downstream operations
Negotiated and drafted extensive oil & gas and infrastructure agreements
Advised on international decommissioning regimes and programs
Managed acquisition and divestment of oil & gas properties
Established, managed and wound down international operations
Project financing of energy projects
Managed international banking and financial systems
Economic analysis of petroleum projects
Tim has extensive international experience in various legal systems including the common law, civil law and Shari’ah law with technical expertise in the following sectors:
Energy – Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals and Mining
Construction and Infrastructure
International Trade and Investment
Joint Ventures, Sale and Purchase Agreements, Service Agreements and Host Government Contracts
Regulatory and Administrative
Finance and Banking
Tim’s peers have selected him as one of the International Who’s Who of Oil & Gas Lawyers. He has been described as an “innovator in international oil & gas law” and as “a true expert in the oil & gas sector.”
Global experience in more than fifty countries around the world, including:
Middle East
Yemen
Iraq
Iran
Oman
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Qatar
Jordan
Syria
Bahrain
Africa
Egypt
Libya
Algeria
Tunisia
Sudan
Nigeria
Equatorial Guinea
Cote d’Ivoire
Niger
Gabon
Angola
Madagascar
Asia
Indonesia
Australia
Malaysia
Vietnam
China
Taiwan
Thailand
Myanmar
Pakistan
India
Mongolia
Papua New Guinea
Americas
Canada
United States
Mexico
Colombia
Venezuela
Ecuador
Brazil
Peru
Argentina
Suriname
Guyana
Bolivia
Europe & CIS
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Italy
France
Russia
Kazakhstan
Turkmenistan
Azerbaijan
Ukraine
Hungary
Norway
Spain
Examples of Tim’s international energy and infrastructure experience include:
Saudi Arabia
Provided counsel and legal support for the construction of an $8 billion refinery and $22 billion petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia.
Egypt
Negotiated a farmin on an offshore Exploration Concession with a major US oil company and eventually acquired all of their interest. Then negotiated a Development Lease with the Egyptian Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) to continue the Concession rights. Coordinated and submitted both a Development Plan and an Environmental Plan to EGPC. Negotiated a farmout with US and Canadian independent oil companies at the same time to spread the risk. Then took on the responsibility of country manager to carry out the drilling program. Discovered reserves were not economic and subsequently arranged for the abandonment of the Concession.
Acquired an onshore Exploration Concession through a bid round as Operator. Arranged the formation of the bid group and negotiated both the Joint Venture Agreement and the Concession Agreement. Managed the acquisition of a seismic program but was not able to commence the drilling program since as a result of opposition from nearby tourist resorts. Then negotiated for the substitution for an offshore block in the Gulf of Suez with the Egyptian Minister of Energy.
The substitute block was chosen after completing a regional study of the Gulf of Suez. It was located between the two largest oil fields in the Gulf of Suez. Successfully negotiated the terms of the Concession Agreement and sold the block to a major US oil company.
Indonesia
Responsible for a Canadian independent’s first entry into Indonesia located on the island of Sumatra through a farmout from a major US oil company. When the Production Sharing Agreement(PSA) expired, successfully negotiated a new agreement with Pertamina. A major discovery was eventually made on the block.
Malaysia
Participated in a bid round and the negotiation of two PSA’s and Joint Venture Agreements in the Straits of Malacca.
North Sea, UK
Participated in the acquisition of two blocks in the North Sea. Responsible for the bid round and negotiation of the joint venture agreements.
Russia
Finance Director for KomiArcticOil. Arranged for project development financing with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Directed several precedent setting cases on tax law, the biggest problem area in Russian business investment. Successfully managed the transfer of operatorship from a Canadian company to a British company.
Kazakhstan
Negotiated the fiscal terms and contracts for a petroleum joint venture in Kazakhstan. When this project ran into major problems, negotiated a cash buyout and full releases from all liabilities.
Colombia
Acquired three Blocks in the Putamayo Basin. Negotiated fiscal terms and contracts for the blocks.
Venezuela
Participated in several bid rounds. Managed sale of oil concession.
Yemen
Handled and resolved the settlement of major cost recovery dispute with Yemeni Government. Negotiated and drafted the acquisition of six PSA’s, resulting in totally new and improved fiscal and contractual terms. Negotiated & drafted numerous JOA’s, farmout & participation agreements, confidentiality & settlement agreements, etc.
Canada
Managed and personally handled thousands of transactions in conventional oil & gas in the western sedimentary basin, oil sands, frontier, onshore and offshore. Full range of upstream & midstream petroleum agreements including mineral leases (crown & freehold), surface leases, operating agreements, farmouts, confidentiality agreements, construction & service agreements, pipelines & facilities, crude oil & natural gas sales agreements, etc.
USA
Handled farmouts, operating agreements and M&A work in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska and the Dakotas, both onshore and offshore.