The Firm has extensive experience in matters relating to the international petroleum and petrochemical industries, much of which has been in the representation of national oil and petrochemical companies. Examples of this practice include the following:

• Drafting of model term contracts for the sale of crude oil and petroleum products, and general terms and conditions for use in connection with spot sales.
• Drafting of model risk contracts for crude oil and natural gas exploration, and operating agreements for joint petroleum operations under oil concessions and risk contracts.
• Drafting of term contracts and general terms and conditions for the sale and transportation of natural gas.
• Drafting of model contracts for the sale of a wide range of petrochemical products, including acetaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, cumene, cyclohexane, ethylene, ethylene oxide, methanol, monoethylene glycol, polypropylene, polyethylene, propylene, styrene and vinyl chloride monomer.
• Development of model turnkey construction contracts for use in international tenders for the construction of refineries, terminals and related facilities.
• Development of model turnkey drilling contract for use in international tenders for the drilling of offshore oil wells.
• Development of model integrated services contract for use in international tenders for natural gas exploration services.
• Drafting and negotiation of transnational acquisition, sale and joint venture agreements relating to interests in refining assets in the United States and Europe.
• Drafting of documentation for an international tender for the construction and 15-year time charter of a floating crude oil storage and offloading system.
• Advice in connection with a wide range of maritime matters, including charter parties, contracts of affreightment, and joint venture agreements for maritime transportation, as well as litigation and arbitration of disputes relating to the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products.
• Participation in various international financings, including financings relating to the acquisition of drilling rigs and transactions involving securitization of accounts receivable arising from the sale of crude oil.
• Structuring of build, own and operate transaction through an international public bidding process for the design, construction and operation of the world’s largest nitrogen plant and the transportation and sale of nitrogen to be produced by the plant.
• Structuring and drafting of new forms of public works contracts forming the basis for the project financing of a US$5 billion multirefinery reconfiguration and modernization program.
• Drafting and negotiation of project management agreements for the engagement of project managers in connection with large petroleum infrastructure projects.
• Structuring of proposed privatization of petrochemical plants and related assets through international public bidding processes.
• Structuring of partial privatization and joint venture with respect to finished lubricant and greases business, including drafting of joint venture agreement, supply contracts and related documents.
• Drafting of risk assessment contracts for petrochemical facilities, distribution systems and storage facilities.
• Drafting of agreements used in the distribution and sale of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products to gasoline stations.
• Drafting of documentation related to the construction, installation and performance of gas compression services on offshore platforms.
• Advice concerning the acquisition of technology for use in refinery and petrochemical plants.
• Registration of trademarks used by petroleum companies in the marketing of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products.
• Negotiation of software licensing agreements for the acquisition and development of back and middle office functions, trading systems and SCADA.
• Advice in connection with full range of environmental issues relevant to oil and petrochemical companies, including coordination of due diligence reviews and assessment of remediation obligations and other environmental liabilities, and advice in connection with international oil pollution regimes.
• Participation in major international oil spill litigation, including litigation arising out of the grounding of the Amoco Cadiz off the coast of France and the blowout of the Ixtoc I oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Participation in several important international arbitrations involving disputes under concessions, production sharing contracts and related agreements.
• Litigation involving disputes relating to international petroleum contracts, including several leading cases involving sovereign immunity, the act of state doctrine, and issues arising under the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.
• Coordination of international litigation in several countries arising out of disputes under international petroleum contracts.
• Litigation involving trading in the physical forward and futures crude oil and petroleum product markets.
• Tax structuring of international oil trading activities and oil holdings, and advice in connection with applicability of transfer pricing rules to international oil transactions between affiliates.