Oil and Gas

Carter Newell is a leading dynamic Queensland-based firm providing specialist legal advice to Australian and international corporate clients.

Led by partners Bronwyn Clarkson, and James Plumb, the Resources team has acted for a number of listed and private Australian oil and gas explorers and producers for the past 15 years.

Over the past seven years, Carter Newell has been heavily involved in the development of the Queensland coal seam gas industry. We are the trusted Queensland advisors to one of the biggest coal seam gas producers in Australia.

Key areas of our expertise include:

• Advising on acquisitions, disposals, farm-in and farm-out transactions with respect to oil and gas assets, including the preparation and negotiation of transaction documentation and legal due diligence investigations. Recent examples of our experience include:
• assisting and advising a large Australian oil and gas producer with a proposed on-market takeover of a Queensland-based coal seam gas producer;
• representing a large Australian oil and gas producer in their dealings in respect of an offshore asset in the Northern Territory; and
• advising an ASX listed oil and gas producer and explorer on the farm-out of a part of its interests in tenements in South Australia’s Cooper Basin to a national listed gas and energy company.
• Drafting, advising and assisting in respect of all aspects of:
• exploration and production joint venture and joint operating agreements;
• oil and gas sales and transportation agreements;
• third party royalty arrangements; and
• various services arrangements such as drilling contracts.
• Advising and assisting with respect to landholder issues, including securing access to public and private land for exploration, production and pipeline projects.
• Assisting and advising on issues relating to pipeline construction and maintenance operations. Recent examples of our experience include:
• advising a listed power generation company in respect of its pipeline right of way requirements as part of a $525 million power generation project; and
• advising a client on regulatory issues relating to a Queensland pipeline project, including competition and tariff pricing issues.
• Advising on the operation of the petroleum and gas regulatory regimes in various jurisdictions.