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Christopher B. Strong
Christopher B. Strong
Partner — Energy Transactions & Projects
Partner — Energy Transactions & Projects

Christopher B. Strong

Christopher B. Strong
London

20 Fenchurch Street
24th Floor
London EC3M 3BY
United Kingdom

Dubai

Gate Village 10, Office 211
P.O. Box 504945
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

start quote symbolWe try not to be the lawyers who get hung up on technicalities. Because we are steeped in our clients’ businesses we can focus on the issues that are most important to them.end quote symbol
Christopher B. Strong

Experience Highlights

  • Funds managed by Apollo in the $2 billion sale by New Fortress Energy Inc. of 11 LNG infrastructure vessels to a newly formed venture owned approximately 80% by Apollo funds and 20% by NFE

  • KKR in connection with the investment, alongside OTPP, in Caruna Oy, Finland’s largest electricity distribution company. The transaction, which represented the second deal undertaken under KKR’s core infrastructure strategy, involved the acquisition of First Sentier Investors’ 40% stake in Caruna Oy as well as the separate acquisition of OMERS’ 40% stake

  • Equinor (formerly Statoil) in its successfully completed $2.9 billion acquisition from Petrobras of a 25 per cent interest in the Roncador field, located in the Campos Basin in Brazil. The purchase price consists of an initial payment of $2.35 billion, plus additional contingent payments of up to $550 million

  • The Republic of Iraq Ministry of Oil in connection with the $17 billion Basrah Gas Project to capture the large volume of natural gas currently being flared in oil fields in Iraq’s southern region and process it for both domestic power generation and LNG export; the project involves a 25-year development joint venture agreement with Royal Dutch Shell plc and Mitsubishi

  • ShaMaran Petroleum Corp. on the signed acquisition of 100% of the shares of TEPKRI Sarsang A/S, the holder of an 18% participating interest in the Sarsang Block located in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, from TotalEnergies for a potential total value of $170 million

  • A subsidiary of a Middle Eastern national oil company on a series of transactions spanning the acquisition or newbuild construction of multiple jack-up drilling rigs and fast-moving desert rigs for a combined consideration of $1.4 billion

  • The Republic of Iraq Ministry of Oil in connection with a project to develop a 200,000 bpd oil refinery in central Iraq under the Government of Iraq’s statutory framework for the promotion of refinery investments

  • Merrill Lynch and BSEC – BEMO Securitization SAL in relation to the issuance of $165.67 million Sukuk backed by producing oil and gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico for East Cameron Partners, a Texas-based independent oil and gas exploration and production company

  • An international oil and gas company in relation to its proposed farm-in to three exploration blocks in the Republic of Chad

  • A large international energy company in relation to its re-entry into Libya following the lifting of U.S. sanctions

  • Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC and BP plc in connection with the development and financing of the Hydrogen Power Abu Dhabi project, which is the first of its kind globally, involving the splitting of a natural gas stream into hydrogen and carbon dioxide

  • A major international oil trading concern in connection with the acquisition of a refinery and tank farm in the United Arab Emirates

  • Sponsors of a $5 billion integrated LNG project in Qatar, including assistance in structuring and negotiating joint venture arrangements and other matters related to project development

  • An independent oil and gas company in relation to its operations in Tanzania

  • The developer of an aluminum smelter in relation to the negotiation of a long-term agreement for the supply of natural gas from Sonatrach in Algeria

  • An international oil and gas company in connection with the negotiation of production sharing contracts in Oman and Yemen

  • A Middle Eastern investor in connection with its proposed acquisition of a FTSE 250 oil and gas company

  • An international oil and gas company in connection with the acquisition of a gas field in Oman 

  • An international oil and gas company in connection with the acquisition of an undivided interest in two offshore exploration blocks in Gabon

  • An international oil and gas company in connection with the disposition of its Argentinean subsidiary

  • An international oil and gas company in connection with its proposed acquisition of a major Latin American energy company

  • A major international energy company in connection with the disposition of an interest in a gas field in the Philippines

  • Sponsors on the development and financing of a wind farm project in North Africa

  • An investor in connection with the acquisition of an interest in an independent power project in Pakistan

  • A host government on the development of an independent power project in the Middle East

  • Sponsors in connection with the development of power projects in the Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico, and Brazil

  • Sponsors in connection with the development and financing of polyethylene and normal alpha-olefins facilities in Qatar

  • A Middle Eastern investor in connection with the development and financing of a refinery project in Pakistan

  • A consortium of international oil companies in connection with the development and financing of a cross-border pipeline in Southeast Asia

  • An international oil company in connection with the development of a cross-border pipeline in Central Asia

  • An energy trading company in relation to the proposed medium term supply of LNG to the Natural Gas Public Company of the Republic of Cyprus utilizing a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU)

  • Sponsors in connection with the development of an LNG project in Peru

  • An international oil and gas company in connection with its proposed disposition of an interest in a development-phase LNG project and associated upstream assets in Yemen

  • EMAL in connection with phase II of the development and construction of a $10.2 billion aluminium smelter in the United Arab Emirates  

Credentials

  • The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1995 (Texas Law Review; Chancellors; Order of the Coif)
  • The University of Texas, B.A., 1992
  • Attended University College London, 1994
  • Chris was previously resident in the firm’s Middle East, Texas and Asian offices
  • Chambers Global, “Expert Based Abroad” in General Business Law (Iraq), 2016−2022; Projects: Middle East-wide, 2016; “Foreign Expert” in Projects (UK), 2016
  • Legal Media Group’s (Euromoney’s) Expert Guide to Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers, 2013 and 2016; Project Finance, 2016
  • Legal 500: UK, Projects, Energy and Natural Resources: Oil & Gas, 2015 and 2017
  • Best Lawyers UK (BL Rankings, LLC), Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2014, 2017–2019, 2023, and 2024; Oil and Gas Law, 2014, 2017−2019, 2023 and 2024
  • Who’s Who Legal (Law Business Research Ltd.), Energy, 2016, 2017, and 2020; Energy: Oil & Gas, 2022-2023
  • Legal 500 EMEA, Foreign Law Firms: Iraq, 2018, 2020, and 2021
  • Chambers UK, “Leader in their Field,” Projects (UK-Wide), 2014
  • Chambers UK, Projects (UK-Wide), 2014
  • Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, corporate/commercial law, United Arab Emirates, 2008–2013
  • UK Best Lawyers (BL Rankings, LLC), nominated as a “UK Best Lawyer,” Financial Services, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Oil & Gas, 2013
  • Legal Media Group’s (Euromoney’s) Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Banking Finance & Transactional (Project Finance) Lawyers, 2013
  • Corporate INTL Legal Awards, Natural Resources Law Lawyer of the Year in England, 2013
  • The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), oil and gas law, 2011
  • Who’s Who Legal UAE (Law Business Research Ltd.), Oil and Gas, Project Finance, 2008 and 2013
  • Legal Media Group’s (Euromoney’s) Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Energy and Natural Resource Lawyers, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011
  • Selected to the 500 Leading Energy Lawyers, Lawdragon, 2023 and 2024
  • Texas
  • “Iraq Petroleum Conference 2017,” May 22-23, 2017 (speaker)
  • “Lebanon Announces First Offshore Licensing Round,” V&E Middle East Energy Update E-communication, February 7, 2017 (co-author)
  • The Oil and Gas Law Review,” The Law Reviews, November 2013, (editor)
  • “A Template for Infrastructure Investment in Iraq,” E&P Magazine, October 2013 (author)