EnergySource, Issue 15: July 2015
We are delighted to introduce this fifteenth issue of EnergySource, our biannual publication in which we cover a range of legal and transactional issues relevant to the energy sector from our offices across the globe.
In this issue, we will be looking at:
Such a long journey: Evaluating the UK’s Electricity Market Reform
In past issues of EnergySource, we discussed the UK’s Electricity Market Reform (EMR) as the policy proposals gradually took shape. Now that EMR has been finally implemented, Antony Skinner and Justyna Bremen discuss the outcomes of the recent Contracts for Difference allocation round and the Capacity Market auction.
The Mexican upstream sector: Change and opportunity
Mexico used to have one of the world’s most closed oil and gas sectors, but this has changed following recent opened up to international oil and gas companies.
Mining and community development in Africa: Agreements and principles
Community development agreements can play an important role in balancing the interests of companies in the natural resources sector and the local communities affected by natural resources projects. Martin Kudnig and Mary Seely explore the features of such agreements and recent trends in their development in the context of project development in Africa.
Resources projects and communities: The principle of “free, prior, informed consent”
Continuing the themes of natural resources projects and their impact on local communities, Gavin Scott and Clare Lawrence take an in-depth look at the principle of free, prior, informed consent and its implications for companies operating in the natural resources sector.
Turning waste into power: Opportunities and developments in the GCC
Waste-to-energy (WtE) projects offer a solution to two problems faced by governments globally – managing waste and providing alternative sources of power. Cameron Smith and Jennifer Moore, together with Alice Cowman from the Clean Energy Business Council, consider the role of WtE projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
Investing in India: Lessons learned from major energy projects
The Indian energy sector offers significant investment opportunities for international companies. Ben Rollason, together with Gopika Pant from Indian Law Partners, highlight some of the key legal issues that foreign investors need to be aware of when investing in India.
Oil and gas indemnities: Interpretation revisited
The Transocean Drilling -v- Providence Resources case provides a reminder to the upstream sector of the importance of clearly expressing in contractual provisions how different potential losses and liabilities are to be allocated between the parties. Tom Cummins and Fiona Tsung consider the court’s judgment and its implications.
Infrastructure Act 2015: One step forward and one step back for UK shale gas?
The Infrastructure Act 2015 introduces a new land access regime for shale gas developers, as well as a number of shale gas “safeguards”. Michael Burns and James Prescott discuss the relevant provisions and their implications for the UK’s bourgeoning shale gas industry.
We hope that you find EnergySource useful and enjoy reading this issue. Please let us know if you have any feedback or if there are any topics that you would like us to cover in future editions
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