Site search
Profile of Ben Farnsworth

Ben Farnsworth

Partner, BA LLB (Hons)

Perth

Add to address book

About Ben Farnsworth

Ben advises borrowers and financiers on complex project, corporate and structured finance transactions in Australia as well as various other regions. He has acted for both sponsors and lenders in a wide range of industries including mining, power, oil and gas, economic infrastructure and water. 

His experience includes senior debt, mezzanine, convertible debt and streaming financings.

Ben has been recognized as a leading Australian project finance lawyer by Who's Who Legal Project Finance since 2016 to date and has authored numerous publications on project financing including International Comparative Legal Guide's Project Finance Australia chapter.  In 2020 he was recognised as a preeminent WA Banking & Finance Lawyer by Doyle's Guide. 

Ben’s experience includes advising:

Mining
  • Iluka Resources – Iluka Resources in relation to its $1.25b funding arrangement with Export Finance Australia to fund its Eneabba Rare Earth Refinery Project; advised Iluka Resources in relation to its $570m upsizing and extension of its commercial bank facilities.
  • BCI Minerals – the lenders in respect of the financing for BCI Mineral's Mardie Salt Project.
  • Fortescue Metals Group – the lenders on FMG’s term loan and revolving facilities.
  • Northern Star Resources – the bank syndicate on Northern Star's bank facilities.
  • Mineral Resources – the bank syndicate on MinRes' bank facilities.
  • Perseus Mining – the bank syndicate on Perseus Mining's bank facilities.
  • Resolute Mining – the bank syndicate on Resolute Mining's revolving and contingent instrument facilities.
  • AngloGold Ashanti – AngloGold Ashanti as Australian counsel on its syndicated facilities.
  • Gold Fields – Gold Fields on its syndicated facility to fund the Gruyere gold project.
  • Millennium Minerals – the financier on Millennium’s project debt facility and gold hedging in connection with the expansion of its Nullagine Gold Project in WA.
  • Eastern Goldfields – the financier on Eastern Goldfields' project debt facility and gold hedging (including options).
Streaming
  • Lascaux Resources Capital Fund – on its metal prepay arrangements in relation to Salt Lake Mining's nickel operation in Western Australia.
  • SilverStream SEZC – on gold streaming arrangements with BK Gold Mines Pty Ltd in respect of the British King Gold Project in Western Australia and other metal streaming arrangements.
  • Quintana Minerals – on metals purchase arrangements with KBL Mining Limited relating to the copper, gold, silver, zinc and lead operations at the Mineral Hill mine.
  • Triple Flag Precious Metals – on its metal prepay arrangements in relation to Diversified Minerals' Dargues gold mine in New South Wales.
  • Triple Flag Precious Metals – on its US$550 million streaming transaction with China Molybdenum Co., Ltd. Triple Flag will receive gold and silver deliveries determined by reference to production from the Northparkes copper-gold mine in New South Wales.
Energy
  • Zenith Energy – on its $440 million debt refinancing to support new generation projects
  • NewGen Power Kwinana – the sponsors on the refinancing of the Kwinana gas fired power station in Western Australia
  • Global Infrastructure Partners – GIP on the A$6 billion Perdaman urea plant in Western Australia
  • Ichthys LNG - Inpex and TOTAL on the US$20 billion project financing for the Ichthys LNG project (Asia-Pacific Deal of the Year (PFI)). Participants included JBIC, NEXI, KEXIM, K-sure, EFIC, Atradius, Hermes and Coface.
  • Australia Pacific LNG – advising US-Exim and CEXIM and bank lenders to $8.5 billion Australia Pacific LNG Project financing (Oil & Gas Deal of the Year (PFI)).
  • Warrego – advising Warrego in relation to the joint venture project financing of its West Erregulla project in the Perth Basin.
  • Otto Energy – on the US$40 million RBL financing of an expansion of the Galoc oil field project in the Philippines.
  • Woodside – bank lenders in respect of a term loan facility for Woodside Energy and on the issue by Woodside Finance Ltd of US$800,000,000 Notes in accordance with Rule 144A under the US Securities Act
  • Enel Green Power – in respect of an investment in a wind farm project in Western Australia.
  • Woodlawn Wind Farm Project – Westpac on its financing of the Woodlawn wind farm near Bungendore in New South Wales.
  • Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP) – the financiers on a refinancing of DBNGP's syndicated facilities.
  • Carnegie Wave Energy – in relation to a $20 million loan facility with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to fund its CETO 6 project.
  • Al Dur IWPP – International counsel on the $2.1 billion Al Dur IWPP in Bahrain including a direct loan from US-Exim and a KEIC covered facility (Middle East IWPP Deal of the Year (Project Finance Magazine)).
  • Barka 2 / Rusail IWPP – the sponsors including GDF Suez in relation to the $786 million Barka 2/Rusail independent water and power project in the UAE (Global Power Deal of the Year (Euromoney)).
  • ExxonMobil and NNPC - the bank lenders in respect of their US$220 million NGL II Project supplemental financing in Nigeria.
General Corporate
  • Wesfarmers – on its syndicated and bilateral bank facilities and general treasury requirements, including a green loan.
  • Hobart International Airport – the syndicate lenders on a $195 million refinancing.
  • Perenti – the syndicate of lenders on a dual currency syndicated facility.
  • Imdex – advised Imdex in relation to its acquisition facility for the acquisition of the Devico business
  • Macmahon – its syndicate of lenders on its syndicated facilities.
  • BWP Trust – as borrower on the refinancing of its bank facilities.
  • St John of God – advising the bank club on its corporate refinancing.
PPPs
  • Australian PPP transactions: WA Schools PPP; New Perth Stadium PPP Project (bid); SunshineCoast University Hospital PPP; New Royal Adelaide Hospital PPP; Gold Coast Rapid Transit PPP (bid); Wiri Prison PPP (bid); NT Prison PPP; Reliance Rail Project; and RiverCity Motorway's Clem 7 Tunnel PPP.
  • Offshore PPP transactions: E18 Road Project in Norway; MOD Northwood HQ PPP Project in UK and Golden Ears Bridge Project in Canada.

Ben is admitted to practice in Western Australia and England and Wales.