Stikeman Elliott's oil and gas practice spans the breadth of the Canadian energy sector encompassing both transactional and regulatory matters.

Transactions

Lawyers in our Energy Group participate in a broad range of transactions in the oil and gas industry. Our work in this area includes mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, debt, equity and project financings, restructurings, marketing arrangements for oil, gas and other petroleum substances and derivative products related to those marketing activities.

Our clients include the developers, owners and operators of oil and gas properties and midstream and downstream facilities as well as investors in and lenders to participants in the oil and gas industry. We act in connection with many current arrangements to support large industrial purchasers of gas. We also represent marketers of petroleum substances and entities providing oil and gas field services including seismic, drilling and well fractionation services.

Our oil and gas practice has a significant international dimension. We frequently advise on foreign investment in the Canadian energy sector, cross-border trade in energy resources and participation in international energy projects.

We have:

• Advised on the exploration for and the development, production, processing, extraction, storage and transportation of petroleum substances.
• Designed processes to sell oil and gas properties, pipelines and midstream facilities and participated in the negotiation and completion of purchase and sale transactions resulting from those processes.
• Represented buyers and sellers of oil and gas properties.
• Represented developers, owners and operators of energy projects involving conventional oil and gas properties, oil sands assets, pipeline systems, upgraders, refineries, extraction facilities, facilities to store natural gas and liquefied natural gas and other required infrastructure.
• Structured partnerships, joint ventures, trusts and other commercial arrangements to facilitate investments and financings in the energy sector.
• Prepared commercial and other agreements for participants in the energy sector including construction contracts, supply contracts, transportation agreements, marketing contracts and derivatives.
• Provided advice on environmental, corporate governance, tax and employment law aspects of transactions involving participants in the energy sector.

The Energy Group works closely with both our Corporate and Competition/Antitrust Groups in these transactions.

Regulatory

Lawyers in our Energy Regulatory Group have extensive experience in energy regulatory matters throughout Canada. We have represented energy producers and pipeline interests in proceedings before the National Energy Board, many of which involved constitutional, jurisdictional and environmental issues. Cases have included:

• Applications for approval of projects and facilities including oil sands projects.
• Licensing of natural gas exports.
• Utility cost of capital, determination of pipeline tolls and tariffs, assessment of energy supply and requirements, and pipeline bypass.

At the provincial level, our Energy Regulatory Group has extensive experience as counsel before the Energy Resources Conservation Board and the Alberta Utilities Commission representing various producer, transporter and consumer interests. We have appeared in proceedings relating to:

• The permitting of oil and gas pipelines, gas processing facilities, petrochemical plants, and oil sands developments, often involving application and interpretation of environmental legislation.
• The setting of gas utility rates and tariff provisions.
• The removal of gas from Alberta and the determination of energy supply and requirements.

In Ontario, we regularly appear before the Ontario Energy Board representing marketer and large volume user interests. Our Energy Regulatory Group has participated in proceeding relating to:

• The deregulation of natural gas sales, unbundling of utility transportation and distribution services, affiliate relations and industry code of conduct matters.
• The construction of supply pipelines by end-users.
• The setting of gas utility rates and tariff provisions.

Lawyers in our Energy Regulatory Group also often represent clients before the British Columbia Utilities Commission and the Manitoba Public Utilities Board.

Recognition for Our Work

Stikeman Elliott's oil and gas practice has been endorsed by Chambers Global's Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers for Business as a leader in the Canadian and international energy sector. Several of our practitioners are also cited as leaders in the field by distinguished domestic and international legal directories. The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory cites our lawyers as leading practitioners in oil and gas matters, including one who are also listed in the Lexpert/American Lawyer Media's Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada. Further, one of our lawyers are recognized by The Best Lawyers in Canada in the area of Energy Regulatory Law.