The Law Crest LLP (“the Firm”) constantly provides legal, consulting and advisory services on energy matters in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of the energy industry.
The Firm is at the forefront of negotiating and drafting exploration and production contracts and joint ventures, obtaining necessary consents for acquisitions and transfers of interests as well as the creation of charges over oil and gas assets.
Our extensive expertise also includes negotiating and preparing gas and petroleum products purchase and sales agreements and related contracts. We have, over the years, amassed considerable experience in the Energy and Natural Resources sector and this enables us to proffer realistic and practical advice to our numerous clients.
The Firm has been involved in various transactions, including:
Acting as Nigerian counsel to Tende Energy PLC (“Tende”), a UK-incorporated company focused on oil and gas exploration, development, and production across Africa.
Additionally, the Firm advised Tende's subsidiary, incorporated under the laws of the Dubai International Financial Centre.
This service was provided in relation to securing a facility of up to $600,000,000 (Six Hundred Million Dollars) for the exploration, development, production, and sale of crude oil from OML 65, a field owned by Nigerian Exploration and Production Limited (formerly Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited) (“NEPL”).
Our role involved advising Tende Energy both as a borrower in a facility agreement with another lending entity and as a lender in a subsequent agreement, where Tende on-lent the facility to COPDC Petroleum PLC for the development of OML 65;
Carrying out comprehensive due diligence and providing Sirius Petroleum PLC (“Sirius”) with an in-depth assessment of the Ororo Marginal Oil Field, located within OML 95.
This engagement included delivering a detailed legal opinion to Sirius regarding the procedures for renewing a licence for a Marginal Field within an oil mining lease in Nigeria;
Advising Savannah Energy PLC (“Savannah”) in respect of the Nigerian aspects of a secured loan transaction with Seven Uquo Gas Limited (a Nigerian registered company), which was guaranteed by Seven Energy International (registered in Mauritius).
The transaction also involved the assignment of interests in crude oil sales by Frontier Oil Limited (a company incorporated in Nigeria) as additional security for the loan facility and included ExxonMobil Sales and Supply LLC (as buyer) and each of Network Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited and Universal Nigeria Limited (each being Nigerian registered companies) as sellers along with Frontier Oil Limited;
Providing legal advisory services in respect of an Escravos Gas to Liquid Project.
We advised on a range of issues including rent and royalty payments, local content, role of an operator in a joint venture and domestic gas obligations.
Advising on the acquisition of interests in Seabulk Offshore Operators Nigeria Limited.
Our involvement in the transaction saw us play critical roles including conducting due diligence on the target company and proffering several legal opinions to guide all the steps taken in the transaction including Ministerial consent, decommissioning obligations as well as renewal of leases.