Mining, Oil and Gas

Our experience includes advising:

• A UK company on the acquisition of rights to mine the Tatu coal mines.
• On potential acquisitions of coal mines (including Xinghuo and Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry).
• R C MacDonald Investments on New Zealand's first coalbed demethanation mining permit and work programme.
• Winstone Aggregates in relation to their Three Kings, Belmont, Otaika, Hunua, Symonds Hill and Pokeno quarries.
• The Higgins Group in relation to the Maraekakaho Quarry and The Stevenson Group in relation to Drury quarry.
• Gore District Council on the consenting and strategic planning issues related to Solid Energy's lignite proposals in Gore.

Our experience includes advising:

• Origin Energy on oil and gas contractual arrangements, including processing agreements, pipeline access arrangements, drilling and option arrangements, and royalty sharing agreements as well as on regulatory issues.
• Divestment of interests in petroleum licences and associated production and transportation facilities.
• Gas clients on connection and balancing issues associated with connection to the Maui gas transmission pipelines.
• Multi-national operator on the establishment of its oil and gas operations in New Zealand.
• Mobil Oil on its retail fuel operations in New Zealand.
• Todd Energy in a dispute as to off-take rules in relation to the Pohokura field.
• Gas clients during due diligence of risks arising from joint venture agreements.
• On disputes over joint venture agreements, including obtaining interim relief against the removal of a field operator, and seeking interim relief in support of arbitration in relation to repudiation of a joint venture agreement.
• On arbitrations as to quantities and pricing of gas available under Gas Supply Agreements.
• On judicial review of decisions under the Crown Minerals Act.
• On technical and commercial disputes, eg under drilling contracts, arising in relation to field exploration or mining operations.