Providing outstanding legal services to businesses in the energy and natural resources sectors requires a deep understanding of the unique legal and commercial characteristics of the respective markets.

Ranked as one of Australia’s leading energy and resource teams, our lawyers have specialist expertise from many years involvement in a wide range of projects and transactions in the mining, petroleum and energy sectors.

We act for clients on major projects and transactions as well as operational matters. Our experience extends from resource exploration, through production, processing, trading, haulage and shipping, to sale. It also includes: 

  • structuring and drafting of exploration and production joint ventures including unitisations
  • farm-in/farm-out agreements
  • mergers and acquisitions in the energy and resources sector and related due diligence
  • native title, environmental, land access and planning matters
  • commodity sales contracts including iron ore, gold, concentrates, gas and power sales, haulage and swap agreements
  • LNG project participation and development
  • power generation projects
  • energy markets and regulatory advice including advising on the National Electricity Rules and the Wholesale Electricity Market Rules
  • power, gas and emissions markets advice, including market participation, market rules, hedging arrangements, trading documentation and financial services licensing
  • third party access arrangements for electricity and gas networks
  • pipeline corridor acquisition
  • project financing
  • construction and procurement contracts for brownfield and greenfield development
  • representation in price review negotiations and arbitrations.

Experience

Recent deals

3D Oil

Acted in relation to the farm out of an 80% interest in their T/49P exploration permit in the Otway Basin to ConocoPhillips.

Alinta Energy

Assisting Alinta Energy in relation to the drafting and negotiation of a number of gas transportation agreements.

Ausdrill

Advised on its acquisition of leading Australian underground hard rock contractor, Barminco.

Australia Pacific LNG

Advised in relation to the negotiation and drafting of an agreement with QGC Pty Ltd and the participants in the QCLNG project for the long term supply of natural gas.

Base Resources

Advised in relation to the project structuring for the construction and procurement contracting on the Toliara project (Madagascar).

Beach Energy

Advising in relation to an agreement with Senex Energy Limited for Beach to acquire all of Senex’s oil and gas assets located in South Australia.

Coking Coal One

Advised a subsidiary of ASX listed Bowen Coking Coal Limited on all aspects of the Farm-In Agreement and associated joint venture arrangements with Sumitomo in connection with the Hillalong coking coal project.

Enerven

Advised on the negotiation of an umbrella construction contract for installation of photovoltaic generating systems and battery systems at up to 73 SA water sites.

Gas Market Reform Group

Advised on the information access and arbitration arrangements for non-scheme pipelines, now implemented as Part 23 of the National Gas Rules.

GB Energy

Advised in the negotiation and drafting of a gas sale and a storage agreement with Origin Energy.

Infrastructure Capital Group

Advised on all legal aspects of the acquisition, including due diligence on the distinct business units comprising the Enwave Australia group, negotiation of transaction documentation and multi-layered buy-side W&I insurance.

Lukin Resources

Advised on a farm-in agreement with Aurum Pacific in connection with the Ebagoola gold project.

Macmahon Holdings Ltd

Advised on its $101.5 million acquisition of the GBF Underground Mining Group.

NewGen Kwinana Partnership

Supreme Court (WA) proceedings for declaratory relief in relation to ancillary services in the WA Wholesale Market under long term contract with Electricity Generation & Retail Corporation trading as Synergy.

Novo Resources Corp.

Advised on its acquisition of gold producer Millennium Minerals from IMC Resources for total cash and scrip consideration of approximately A$150 million, and on Australian aspects of associated equity and debt raisings.

OZ Minerals

Advising in relation to a range of issues relating to the future supply of power to OZ Minerals' Prominent Hill and Carrapateena mines in South Australia.

Peabody

Advised on the sale of the Broadmeadow East coking coal project to Bowen Coking Coal Limited.

Peabody

Advised on the sale of the Millennium coal mine to MetRes, a JV between Stanmore Coal Limited and M Resources Pty Ltd.

Peabody and CITIC

Advised on the sale of the Capricorn coal project to Magnetic South Pty Ltd.

Perenti Global Limited

Advised on its A$697 million acquisition of Barminco from Gresham Private Equity (and associated A$250 million equity raising).

Santos

Advising on the design and construction contracts for the Barossa Project, including the long term lease tender for floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO).

Senex Energy

Assisting with the negotiation and drafting of a Gas Supply Agreement, and a Raw Gas Supply and Water Transfer Agreement, both with the participants in the Gladstone LNG Project.

Silver Lake Resources

Advised on the power purchase agreement with Zenith Energy for 18.3 MW Gas Fired Power Station at Daisy Milano Gold Mines and associated LNG supply agreement.

South East Australia Gas

Advising on negotiation of haulage agreements for the use of Port Campbell to Adelaide Pipeline.

Total S.A

Advised on its divestment of its interest in the Ichthys Project to operating partner INPEX.

People

Recognition

Related insights Read more insight

JWS advises Bowen Coking Coal Limited (ASX: BCB) on sale of minority stake in Broadmeadow East mine

JWS has advised ASX-listed Bowen Coking Coal Limited (ASX: BCB) on the sale of a 10 per cent stake in the Broadmeadow East mine to Formosa for A$13 million plus royalties.

More
Scheme or non-scheme? Australian Energy Regulator’s review of gas pipeline regulation

The Australian Energy Regulator will review the form of regulation – a ‘scheme’ or ‘non-scheme’ – of gas pipelines around Australia (excluding Western Australia). The outcome of a review has the...

More
JWS appoints Isaac Evans, further deepening the firm’s corporate advisory, M&A, ECM and PE expertise

Leading independent Australian law firm Johnson Winter Slattery (JWS) has appointed Isaac Evans as a Special Counsel in its Corporate team. Isaac is based in Brisbane and joins JWS from Baker...

More