Oil & Gas Operations

From joint operating agreements to natural gas and crude oil marketing and transportation agreements and from initial site construction to final asset retirement and reclamation, we are familiar with upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas operations. With specific proficiency in both the technical and legal aspects of oil and gas operations, our attorneys are uniquely able to understand and effectively navigate the complexities of transactional, commercial, and regulatory matters for oil and gas operations.

Upstream:

In addition to advising mineral developers on mineral leasing, surface use, exploration, royalty, marketing, and joint operating issues, our Firm focuses on helping our clients take their businesses to the next level – including growing new business units such as midstream, entry into new geographic areas and plays, and development and use of new systems and technologies. Our clients include corporate teams that have built, grown, and sold multiple oil and gas sector companies and business units.

Midstream Gas & NGLs:

Our Firm has drafted, negotiated, and advised on hundreds of midstream gathering, compression, treating, processing, and purchase agreements from both the producer and midstream operator perspectives throughout the western hemisphere. We are experienced in both infrastructure development and consolidation.

Crude Oil:

We have drafted, negotiated, and advised on numerous crude oil gathering, interconnection, marketing, transport, and purchase agreements from both the producer and crude oil transporter/purchaser perspectives. We also handle construction and regulatory matters for new or modified crude oil assets.

Produced Water:

We often draft, negotiate, and advise on produced water gathering and disposal agreements. Our Firm was the primary architect for Colorado’s first produced water sharing arrangement allowing two operators to transfer and reuse each other’s produced water for their individual operational needs. We also have handled recent divestitures of both a produced water services business and Bakken produced water pipeline assets. We also have defended environmental enforcement matters arising from produced water handling and releases.

Dispute Resolution:

We are often engaged for dispute resolution matters that are technical in nature. For example, we successfully arbitrated enforcement of an area of mutual interest obligation for a Bakken producer resulting in the forfeiture of key leases to our client. We have handled many midstream contract disputes including most recently saving a gas contract provision worth $100 million to a major midstream company.

Construction:

We negotiate and draft pipeline, compression, interconnection, and plant construction agreements from both project owner and contractor perspectives.