The Firm has extensive expertise in energy and oil & gas work and it represents a substantial number of the international energy companies carrying out exploration and production work in Trinidad and Tobago, both onshore and offshore. The Firm provides advice throughout the various stages of petroleum exploration, production and development and over the years has been involved in a manifold of large scale energy and energy related transactions.
A full range of core energy and energy related services is available to the Firm’s clients and the practitioners in this area regularly advise on petroleum regulation, the administration of bid rounds, production sharing contracts, exploration and production licences involving both public petroleum and private petroleum rights (and hybrids of the two) as well as other petroleum licences. Members of the Firm have also been members of teams established by successful bidders to negotiate directly with the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries on the final terms of production sharing contracts and with the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin) on carry agreements.
Advice is also provided on a myriad of petroleum related agreements including joint operating, study, bidding and use agreements, oil mining leases, unitization agreements, farm-in agreements, purchase and sale agreements, gas supply agreements, pipeline interconnection agreements, service agreements and various others. Dedicated support and expertise is also available on peripheral energy related matters such as the provision of guarantees and performance bonds, confidentiality agreements, deeds of power of attorney, corporate services, HSE issues, anti-corruption issues, levies and taxes, real property transactions and various other issues that affect companies operating in the energy sector.
The Firm also boasts a solid background in foreign direct investment and, in particular, with assisting and advising major operators of industrial undertakings at all stages of their business operations. The Firm has advised clients making proposals to the Government for major industrial projects both in respect of those lodging bids pursuant to Government issued requests for proposals (RFPs) and independent project proposals, public and private sector partnerships (PPPs), joint venture arrangements and build, operate and transfer agreements.
These projects invariably involve advising on a wide array of planning and regulatory approval issues, fiscal incentives, corporate and tax issues (including issues relating to structural efficiency), negotiating and advising on project agreements, supporting leases and infrastructure use agreements (including pier and port usage agreements), wayleaves and rights of way and the supply and pricing of natural gas, electricity and water. The Firm’s project work includes Government privatisation in the iron and steel industry, joint ventures in the liquefied natural gas, ammonia, methanol, di-methyl ether and offshore petroleum construction industries, investments in an iron carbide facility in a free zone, a direct reduced iron plant, air separation plants, power generation projects, proposed aluminum and downstream plastics manufacturing projects and the first offshore marine transshipment free zone established in Trinidad and Tobago.
The lawyers in this area also play a vital role as liaisons with regulatory agencies and state enterprises and they maintain a close working relationship with the personnel at these agencies and institutions, including, but not limited to, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, Petrotrin, the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (NEC) and the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC), Invest TT, the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission, the Water and Sewerage Authority and the Trinidad and Tobago Free Zones Company.
| Jon Paul Mouttet, Partner
Recent Oil and Gas and Foreign Investment Transactions
Acting as local counsel to a well-known upstream operator on the Trinidad and Tobago elements of a major global merger. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a well known UK based upstream operator of the structuring options available for the reorganisation of a major downstream natural gas facility. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Acting as local counsel to a consortium of US based investment funds that specialize in the acquisition of power generation infrastructure in the disposal of a Trinidad and Tobago power generation facility. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a well-known multinational energy services company on the termination and winding up of one its joint venture arrangements in Trinidad. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a well-known UK based upstream multinational on the Trinidad and Tobago law elements of an arbitral dispute relating to a downstream petrochemical investment [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising various upstream operators on the effect of Petrotrin being broken into its various subsidiary divisions and the Miscellaneous Provisions (Heritage Petroleum, Paria Fuel Trading and Guaracara Refining Vesting) Act, 2018. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Acting as local counsel to a consortium of US based investment funds that specialize in the acquisition of power generation infrastructure in the acquisition of a Trinidad and Tobago power generation facility. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Acting as the local advisor to US based property owners wishing to start a blue stone quarrying concern in Tobago in its discussions with regulators and negotiations with a Canadian mining concern. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a well-known US based multinational mining concern on the sale of a suite of assets situate in Trinidad. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising multinational petroleum and mining concern with respect to its negotiations with the Ministry of Energy regarding amendments to its production sharing contract arrangements. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Acting as the local counsel lead to an Asia based multinational with respect to its acquisition of a share interest in multiple downstream petrochemical plants and advising on a variety of due diligence issues relating to such investment. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Acting as the local counsel lead to a US based metallics concern in its bid for the acquisition of a large suite of iron and steel assets consisting of multiple plants on industrial estate leasehold premises. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Acting as the local counsel lead to a US based metallics concern in its negotiations with a local State Enterprise regarding Berth Use arrangements for the import and export of raw materials and processed products. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a European based multi-national subsea marine operating concern on establishing and carrying out sub-sea marine energy service business operations in Trinidad and Tobago [Jon Paul Mouttet].
Advising a US based multinational upstream petroleum company on its joint venture arrangements with various counterparties, potential new joint venture projects and on application arrangements for the renewal of its base concessions with the Ministry of Energy. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a US based multinational aerospace service provider on doing business in Trinidad and Tobago (including extensive advice on civil aviation regulations). [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing a well-known Asia based multinational with respect to its acquisition of a share interest in an offshore petroleum acreage with a progressed field development and gas processing plant program and advising on a variety of due diligence, regulatory and joint venture issues relating to such investment. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Acting as local counsel for a European based energy company in the sale of its interest in an offshore petroleum block to another European based oil and gas major. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a large and well known UK based international upstream entity in its divestment of three offshore blocks held under PSCs to a large European based energy entity, one of which was already in production with a developed downstream marketing entity. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a large and well known upstream entity on various environmental regulatory issues with respect to the processing of its Certificate of Environmental Clearance applications for seismic and drilling programs relating to multiple offshore blocks located in Northern and Southern Trinidad. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a large and well known UK based international upstream entity in its divestment of two offshore blocks held under PSCs to a large European based energy entity. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Providing a large and well known European based “oil major” with extensive and detailed advice on the Trinidad and Tobago energy regulatory regime prior to its entry into Trinidad and Tobago through the acquisition of another large and well known UK based upstream group. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a European based international energy commodity trading company on fuel sale arrangements with Petrotrin. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a UK based oil and gas company in the proposed acquisition of onshore petroleum assets in Trinidad existing under existing IPSC and conducting extensive data room due diligence. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a UK based oil and gas company in the proposed acquisition of multiple onshore petroleum assets in Trinidad existing under Petrotrin sub-licence and IPSC arrangements. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a UK based oil and gas company on a complex proposed split horizon farmout agreement in respect of certain onshore privately owned petroleum assets in Trinidad. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a consortium involving, two well-known international petrochemical concerns and a local conglomerate with respect to the establishment of a petrochemicals project in Trinidad. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a consortium involving an international iron concern and a local conglomerate in relation to the establishment of a proposed metallics project in Trinidad. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a well-known international energy company with respect to the negotiation and extension of its existing Production Sharing Contract, Gas Sales Contract and Joint Operating Agreement arrangements. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a European based engineering and investment company in relation to a proposed LNG project to be established in Trinidad. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a well-known international energy company with respect to the negotiation of, and successful entry into, multiple Deep Water PSCs. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a UK based international energy company on the sale and disposal of its interests in multiple upstream oil and gas blocks. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Representing and advising a European based international energy company on an allocation and measurement dispute relating to the transport and delivery of pipeline liquids. [Jon Paul Mouttet]
Advising a Canadian based international energy company on a proposed merger with another Canadian based energy company with an established presence in Trinidad and carrying out extensive due diligence and reporting on various petroleum related assets (including privately owned petroleum rights, Petrotrin lease operatorships and sub-licence arrangements). Jon Paul Mouttet, Kurt Miller]