Liquefied Natural Gas

Greenberg Traurig has decades of experience in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry. Our team of skilled attorneys support clients with interests in LNG matters, including regulatory, environmental, financings, corporate transactions, and litigation. We have represented LNG project developers, governmental authorities, equity investors, and other clients on LNG-related matters.

Our attorneys advise clients on virtually all issues associated with LNG project development, including: negotiation of LNG purchase and sale agreements, tolling agreements, joint venture and joint development agreements, and equity funding agreements. We also have experience regarding associated regulatory and permitting issues, including obtaining authorizations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to construct LNG terminal facilities, authorizations from the Department of Energy to export and import LNG, and other necessary regulatory approvals.

Representative Experience:

• Representation of a sovereign state and state corporation concerning the full range of transactional and other project development issues relating to efforts to develop a $40B LNG export project, including FERC/DOE permitting and numerous project agreements, such as LNG/gas sales/purchase agreements, tolling agreements, and joint venture/development agreements.
• Representation of a company developing an LNG export project on the Texas gulf coast on all commercial agreements and other project development issues, including project financing.
• Representation of companies on small-scale LNG project development issues, including DOE and FERC permits.
• Representation of an LNG marketing and trading company on federal certificate matters, corporate issues and contracts.
• Advised a Middle Eastern energy company regarding LNG and gas pipeline import opportunities from Qatar.
• Represented a country on the acquisition of ownership interests in an LNG export facility, a gas facility, and a methanol facility with associated marketing infrastructure.
• Served as counsel to a country on contract matters concerning its LNG export terminal, a proposed Integrated Petrochemical Complex, and a proposed FLNG Project.°
• Represented an LNG export company in its joint venture negotiations with major IOC.°
• Served as commercial and regulatory counsel for LNG company regarding its terminal in Mississippi, and obtaining authorization to construct and operate greenfield LNG marine terminal facilities.◦
• Served as counsel for a client in its assessment of constructing an LNG import terminal at Corpus Christi, Texas.°
• Represented a client in relation to a long-term supply agreement concerning supplies of LNG from Qatar.
• Represented a state-owned power authority concerning the proposed expansion of an LNG terminal.°
• Negotiated LNG throughput arrangements at LNG terminal in Maryland and downstream gas pipeline capacity agreements.°
• Drafted a new, long-term master LNG export sales contract for national oil company.°
• Served as commercial and regulatory counsel for a gas company regarding LNG terminal, guiding the facility through initial start-up as one of the first LNG terminals in the United States in the 1970s, handling subsequent price renegotiations in the 1980s, exploring potential supply options throughout the 1990s, and reactivating and expanding the terminal in the 2000s concerning long-term contractual commitments from IOC and a major marketer of LNG.°
• Representation of an LNG company as project development counsel for all aspects of a proposed $1.4 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Brownsville, Texas, including LNG sales agreements, procurement contracts, land siting issues, and financing.
• Advised a private U.S. company brokering spot LNG sales into China.
• Represented various natural gas pipeline transportation companies in the renegotiation of several multibillion-dollar transportation service agreements executed with Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission (CFE); matter related to the reorganization of the Mexican gas supply market to prepare for upcoming LNG regasification terminals to be developed in some Mexican ports.
• Represented multiple lenders, including Mizuho, CitiBank, N.V., Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, La Caixa Bank, and Banco de Sabadell, led by ING Bank, N.V. in the US$300 million acquisition financing to purchase the Altamira II LNG facility in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, owned by Shell Gas B.V., Mistui and Co., Ltd. and Total Gaz Electricite Holding France and sold to Vopak LNG Holdings, B.V. of The Netherlands and EneGas, S.A. of Spain.
• Provided consulting services for Repsol in connection with the long-term natural gas supply contract executed with CFE, for the Manzanillo LNG plant’s operations start-up.
• Represented a joint venture in the planning of a LNG project in Baja California, Mexico.°
• Advised PGNiG S.A., the largest Polish gas corporation, in relation to a supply agreement with Qatargas concerning supplies of liquid natural gas from Qatar to the LNG terminal in Świnoujście for 20 years, with a total contract value of approx. USD 11 billion.°

°Some of the matters cited above were handled by our lawyers prior to joining Greenberg Traurig.