Vinson & Elkins has been advising on North Sea transactions for more than 30 years. Our clients include major and independent operators and non-operators, oil service companies and financiers of North Sea projects. We have significant experience in the commercial and regulatory environment affecting the UKCS, as well as the legal and structural issues that affect transactions in the region.

The vast experience of our lawyers includes:

• Advising in connection with licence applications, joint venture bidding arrangements, and AMIs
• Drafting and negotiating JOAs and unitization agreements
• Representing major and independent oil companies on the acquisition and disposal of equity interests in North Sea oil and gas fields, whether by way of asset or share transactions
• Advising both borrowers and lenders in connection with the financing of asset acquisitions and project developments in the North Sea
• Advising on the contractual arrangements for the development of North Sea oil and gas fields and their integration with other field facilities, including FPSO production services arrangements, transportation and processing agreements and tie-in contracts
• Advising in connection with 'alliancing' arrangements between oil companies and contractors for the development of North Sea oil fields
• Advising in connection with North Sea decommissioning (abandonment) requirements and the associated security for costs arrangements
• Representing gas producers and purchasers on their long-term transportation and sales arrangements (including the renegotiation and restructuring of such arrangements)
• Advising on the negotiation and documentation of design and build construction contracts for North Sea drilling and production platforms, and associated pipelines
• Advising on the charter, sale, and lease-back of FPSOs
• Representing investors in connection with equity investments in independent oil companies active in the North Sea
• Advising in connection with the transportation and sale of North Sea gas to onshore power generation projects