Recent resources experience includes:
ConocoPhillips natural gas business
Advised ConocoPhillips on its joint venture with Origin Energy to create a
long-term Australasian natural gas business focused on coal bed methane
production and liquefied natural gas processing and sales.
Mozambique coal project
Advising Riversdale on its Mozambique Coal Project. Allens prepared the
documentation for Riversdale's special purpose joint venture vehicle with Tata
Steel and is continuing to provide advice on the advancement of the project.
Shell sale of North West Shelf oil assets, Australia
Advised Shell on its sale of North West Shelf oil assets to Woodside for A$440
million. The sale included equity stakes in the Cossack, Wanaea, Lambert and
Hermes oilfields, the Cossack Pioneer floating production facility and oil
exploration interests within a tieback distance to the Cossack Pioneer. The
transaction also included giving Shell final offer rights in relation to
Woodside's Libyan exploration assets.
Victorian Power & Liquids Project, Australia
Acting for Anglo Coal Australia Pty Ltd on its participation in
the Victorian Power & Liquids Project, which is a proposed
coal-to-gas-to-liquids and electricity co-generation project, based on brown
coal reserves in the Latrobe Valley in southern Victoria.
Sepon Project, Laos
Advised Rio Tinto on the sale of an 80% interest in the Sepon high grade
copper and gold project in South Eastern Laos to Oxiana Limited, which involved
complex sale, joint venture, and financing documentation, and has culminated in
the first major minerals development in Laos. We continue to advise Rio Tinto on
its involvement in the joint venture.
HIsmelt Project, Australia
Advised on and negotiated a variety of contracts for HIsmelt, the first
commercial application of a direct ironmaking process through high intensity
direct-smelting, including major raw materials (coal, iron ore, water, power,
industrial gases), land and port access and government funding.
Bayu Undan LNG development, Timor Sea
Advising Santos and Inpex on all aspects of development of a $3 billion LNG
and natural gas project for the Timor Sea, including pipeline documentation, LNG
issues, and international law advice in connection with the East Timor/Australia
Joint Petroleum Development Area.
North West Shelf gas sales contracts, Australia
Advised the North West Shelf Joint Venture on gas sales contracts including
a long term LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement with Tohoku Electric in Japan and
more recently the first contract for sales of Australian LNG to Korea. We have
also advised on spot cargo sales contracts with Tokyo Electric.
Hamersley Iron Ore JV, Australia
Acted for Hamersley in establishing a 20-year joint venture with China's
largest steel producer, Shanghai Baosteel Group Corporation, involving
construction and operation of a new iron ore mine in the Pilbara, WA, and
long-term sales arrangements to China worth over A$7.2 billion.
PNG Gas Project, PNG
Acting for the operator, ExxonMobil, on this project, including JV
arrangements, the negotiation of a Project Agreement with the Queensland
Government, preparation of Gas Sale Agreements with key potential customers,
negotiating gas transportation arrangements and landowner benefits.
Timor Sea petroleum permit acquisition
Advised Osaka Gas on its acquisition of a 10% interest in Timor Sea
petroleum permits from Woodside Petroleum and Shell Oil Corporation. This
transaction, was the first instance in which a Japanese utility had held an
interest in a western off-shore gas interest.
Pilbara Rail Company, Australia
Advised for Rio Tinto Iron Ore, in the establishment of the Pilbara Rail
Company, a 50:50 joint venture between Rio Tinto Iron Ore and Robe River Iron
Associates for the operation and maintenance of the rail assets of Rio Tinto
Iron Ore and Robe River Iron Associates in the Pilbara.
BHP Billiton exit from Ok Tedi, PNG
Advised on arrangements to facilitate the transfer of BHP Billiton's 52%
shareholding in Ok Tedi Mining. This unique and complex transaction involved the
transfer of the shareholding to a program company to enable sustainable
development within Western Province and PNG generally.
Rolleston Coal Mine, Australia
Advised on financing and development of a A$380 million greenfield coal
project at Rolleston, the first greenfield coal project development by Mount Isa
Mines Limited for 20 years. In addition to resource and infrastructure issues,
this involved land acquisition and construction of almost 100km of rail
infrastructure.
WMC demerger
Advised on the structuring and implementation of the demerger of WMC
Limited, to form two separately listed companies, Alumina Limited and WMC
Resources Limited. This was the largest demerger transaction in Australian
corporate history.
