Sectors

Energy and Natural Resources

Description Experience

Energy and Natural Resources

SIGNUM’s energy and natural resource team offers creative, comprehensive and effective legal solutions to clients. SIGNUM lawyers provide legal advice to a wide spectrum of Kazakhstani and international oil and gas producers, servicing companies, trading companies, energy marketers and government agencies.

Our energy and natural resources group has a wealth of experience on the domestic and international stages.

We are proud that we have been long standing legal advisors to many of our clients from the moment of signing subsoil use contracts up to present days. We have been providing legal support to our clients on subsoil use matters (e.g. negotiating with the Government, assisting with obtaining regulatory approvals for project and technological documents, litigation, including complex tax litigation cases and oil operations rules applicability practice).

Our M&A lawyers have rendered legal support for significant transactions in relation to acquisition of oil and gas assets (e.g., our lawyers have advised on the major IPO deal on a Kazakhstan Stock Exchange).

SIGNUM offers a synergy of wide energy sector experience and legal knowledge. Some of our lawyers have worked in-house in leading oil and gas companies, enabling us to appreciate our clients’ technical and commercial objectives. This allows us to fully understand business strategy of our clients as well as their internal technical and business objectives. In addition, narrow specialization of our lawyers ensures both professionalism and practicality of our advices and recommendations.

Service includes the following directions

Contracts and business law
Corporate law
Taxes
Dispute resolution and litigation
State authorization system and environmental protection
Labor issues
Corporate Investigations
Mergers and Acquisitions

"SIGNUM law firm advises a number of well-known international clients on environmental protection, subsoil use, taxation, debt collection, competition law or compliance issues."

Legal 500 Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, 2016

Experience

Contracts and Business Law

Full legal support of Norwegian E&P company in acquisition of oil and gas project in Western Kazakhstan: transaction planning, drafting all related agreements and deeds etc.;
SIGNUM tax lawyers are currently advising a number of Kazakhstani and international oil producers on the recently introduced export customs duty, the export of crude oil and quota issues;
Legal support of negotiations of a group of Norwegian investors and funds on proposed acquisition of several oil and gas projects in Kazakhstan in transaction amounting to USD 1 billion;
Our M&A lawyers gave advice during acquisition of 100% interest in oil and gas contract for USD 32 million; participated in drafting all transaction documents and relevant applications; assisted in obtaining waivers of the state and approvals/permissions of the Kazakhstani authorities and antimonopoly committee;
Legal advice and representing the interests of European oil and gas company in acquisition of 100% of participating interest in Kazakhstani oil and gas company in a transaction totalling USD 15 million; participated in drafting all transaction documents;
Legal advice in acquisition of several fields/exploration blocks by public Australian company;
Acting for a multinational group of investors on acquisition of interest in an oil and gas field located in Western Kazakhstan;
Legal support of major European oil and gas company in transaction involving transportation of hydrocarbons through Kazakhstan and other countries to Western markets;
Our mergers and acquisitions lawyers represented a UK-based oil and gas company, listed on the Toronto and London Stock Exchanges, in its acquisition of two Kazakhstani oil and gas projects in Aktobe Region;
Participation in negotiations and discussions with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the drafts of the subsurface use contracts and amendments to them by a number of oil and gas and mining companies; involved in their approval by the number of involved Kazakhstan authorities;
Represented a major oil company in several projects to explore and develop hydrocarbon reserves in Kazakhstan, including drafting and negotiation of an offshore PSA and advice on farming into existing petroleum projects;
Consulting a member of Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) on possible sale of its interest, focusing on compliance with contractual commitments on transfer of interests under the CPC Shareholders Agreement;
Drafting JOA between members of the consortium performing exploration and production of the hydrocarbons in Western Kazakhstan;
Drafting drilling service contracts on drilling of 30 wells for large drilling contractor with the main focus on the responsibility and insurance clauses;
Legal advice on standard service contracts including rent of equipment and personnel on compliance to the Kazakhstan rules and regulations;
Legal advice for large off-shore subcontractor on marine laws and use of the vessels; drafting and developing the drafts of bareboat-charter agreements, legal advice on registering the vessels in Aktau seaport;
Drafting contract on design, delivery of the equipment and materials and construction of pipeline on a “turn-key basis” according to the standard contracts of the International Federation of Civil Engineers (FIDIC);
Legal advice for major local and foreign clients on a wide range of activities in the mining sector in Kazakhstan, including projects involving gold, copper and vanadium;
Acting for several investors in major due diligence of mining assets in Kazakhstan in preparation for private placement;
Our mergers and acquisitions lawyers represented an Australian mining company in its acquisition of the participating interest in Kazakhstani company possessing the rights to gold deposits;
Representing a major Italian oil servicing company in the incorporation of a joint venture and subsidiary in Kazakhstan, participation in discussions/negotiations with local partners; drafting partners documents;
Due diligence of various Kazakhstan companies selling their interest in oil and gas and mining fields and exploration blocks;
Legal services on monitoring regulatory compliance of various oil and gas and mining companies by obtaining all permits, licenses and approvals for petroleum operations, including assisting in drafting and approval of project documentation (exploration projects, trial production projects, development programs, technological schemes, reserve approval etc.);
Legal advice on expansion of contract territory to large European company, resulting in expansion more than several times;
Full legal support in transaction involving sale of 100% participation interest of international oil company, which carries out its hydrocarbon exploration activity in Kyzylorda Oblast in favour of foreign investors;
Legal advice on obtaining of consent from the Ministry of Oil and Gas of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the transfer of objects connected to subsurface use, and on obtaining the approval of the Antimonopoly Agency on economic concentration.

Corporate

Full legal support of Norwegian E&P company in acquisition of oil and gas project in Western Kazakhstan: transaction planning, drafting all related agreements and deeds etc.;
Legal support of negotiations of a group of Norwegian investors and funds on proposed acquisition of several oil and gas projects in Kazakhstan in transaction amounting to USD 1 billion;
Our corporate lawyers advised on acquisition of 100% interest in oil and gas contract for USD 32 million; participated in drafting all transaction documents and relevant applications; assisted in obtaining waivers of the state and approvals/permissions of the Kazakhstani authorities and antimonopoly committee;
Legal advice and representing the interests of European oil and gas company on acquisition of 100% of participating interest in Kazakhstan oil and gas company in a transaction totalling USD 15 million; participated in drafting all transaction documents;
Legal advice on acquisition of several fields/exploration blocks by the public Australian company;
Acting for a multinational group of investors on acquisition of interest in an oil and gas field located in Western Kazakhstan;
Our corporate lawyers represented UK-based oil and gas company, listed on the Toronto and London Stock Exchanges, on its acquisition of two Kazakhstani oil and gas projects in Aktobe Region;
Consulting a member of Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) on possible sale of its interest, focusing on compliance with contractual commitments on transfer of interests under the CPC Shareholders Agreement;
Acting for several investors in major due diligence of mining assets in Kazakhstan in preparation for private placement;
Our mergers and acquisitions lawyers represented an Australian mining company in its acquisition of the participating interest in a local company possessing the rights to gold deposits;
Representing a major Italian oil-servicing company in the incorporation of a joint venture and subsidiary in Kazakhstan, participation in discussions/negotiations with the local partners; drafting partners documents;
Due diligence of various Kazakhstani companies selling their interest in oil and gas and mining fields and exploration blocks;
Legal advice on incorporation of joint venture between the world’s leader in engineering and geological research on the sea and land and the collection and interpretation of data and the leading Kazakhstani engineering company, including representation of the client in negotiations with the partner and the involved state authorities, preparation of the drafts of all major documents for the transaction.

Tax

SIGNUM tax lawyers are currently advising a number of Kazakhstani and international oil producers on the recently introduced export customs duty as well as the export of crude oil and quota issues;
Representing various oil and gas and mining companies at the appeals stage and in courts with claims against the tax authorities on tax audits, resulting in the cancellation of tax audit reports, including those on transfer pricing, international taxation, allocation of costs and charges for overheads/secondment;
Our tax lawyers represented the interests of a major European oil and gas company in the courts on the penalties imposed on transfer pricing by the Tax Committee.

Regulatory Compliance and Environment

Currently, our environmental lawyers are advising a number of both Kazakhstani and international oil producers on the recently introduced export customs duty and on the export of crude oil and quota issues;
Our environmental lawyers advised on the acquisition of 100% interest in oil and gas contract for USD 32 million; participated in drafting all transaction documents and relevant applications; assisted in obtaining waivers of the state and approvals/permissions of the competent body and antimonopoly committee;
Legal advice and representing the interests of a European oil and gas company on the acquisition of 100% of participating interest in Kazakhstan oil and gas company in a transaction totalling USD 15 million; participated in drafting all transaction documents;
Legal advice on acquisition of several fields/exploration blocks by a public Australian company;
Acting for a multinational group of investors on acquisition of interest in an oil and gas field located in Western Kazakhstan;
Legal support of major European oil and gas company in transaction involving transportation of hydrocarbons through Kazakhstan and other countries to Western markets;
Our environmental lawyers represented UK-based oil and gas company, listed on the Toronto and London Stock Exchanges, on its acquisition of two Kazakhstani oil and gas projects in Aktobe Region;
Participation in negotiations and discussions with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the drafts of subsurface use contracts and amendments to them with a number of oil and gas and mining companies, involved in their approval by a number of involved state authorities;
Legal advice on standard service contracts, including rent of equipment and personnel on compliance with the local rules and regulations;
Legal advice for the large off-shore subcontractor on marine laws and the use of the vessels; drafting of bareboat-charter agreements, developing the drafts, and assistance in registering the vessels in Aktau seaport;
Litigation: representing various Kazakhstani and international companies in disputes with environmental agencies, resulting in essential decrease of the penalties and impositions;
Reviewing standard policies of major European oil and gas company in compliance with Kazakhstani rules;
Legal advice for largest subcontractor of consortium of oil and gas companies in relation to the unions; drafted and negotiated the collective agreement with the representatives of employees;
Preparation of the legal overview on permissive and regulatory procedures established for building of oil pipeline in Kazakhstan for major European oil company;
Legal services for monitoring regulatory compliance of various oil and gas and mining companies by obtaining all permits, licenses, approvals required by Kazakhstani legislation for petroleum operations, including assisting in drafting and approval of the project documentation (exploration projects, trial production projects, development programs, technological schemes, reserve approval etc.);
Participated in drafting of a number of the regulations on petroleum operations, including current regulations on procurement in oil and gas;
Consulting companies on the question of drafting their tender documentation on the perspective exploration blocks being announced for tender by the state.

Dispute Resolution and Litigation

Legal advice for various companies in disputes with environment agencies, resulting in essential decrease of the penalties and impositions;
Representing various oil and gas and mining companies at the appeals stage and in courts with claims against the tax authorities on tax audits, resulting in the cancellation of tax audit reports, including those on transfer pricing, international taxation, allocation of costs and charges for overheads/secondment;;
Successful representation of different clients’ interests in courts on employment disputes and termination issues; staff-reduction cases;
Our litigation lawyers represented the interests of a major European oil and gas company in the courts on the penalties imposed on transfer pricing by the Tax Committee;
Dispute between PSA operator and the Regional Environment Protection Department – claim against PSA operator for reimbursement for environmental damage (KZT 3.9 billion) caused by illegal production of common mineral deposits;
Legal advice to a subsurface user during complex tax audit with tax adjustments in the amount of ~$50 million;
Legal advice to a subsurface user during VAT tax audit with tax adjustments in the amount of ~$8 million;
Numerous legal advices to a subsurface users during tax audits on transfer pricing issues;
Ecology damage case for ~$20 million between a subsurface user and the state;
Damage caused by underproduction case for ~$23 million between a subsurface user and the state.

Employment and Labour

Legal advice for largest subcontractor of consortium of oil and gas companies in relation to the unions by drafting and negotiating collective agreement with the representatives of employees;
Successfully representing Kazakhstani and international clients’ interests in courts on employment disputes, termination issues; staff-reduction cases;
Representing large European E&P company in dealing with trade union and negotiating the collective agreement;
Legal advice for consortium of oil and gas companies on employment matters on assignment of the participating interest in project.

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