Oil & Gas.
Navigating sovereign interests, commercial complexity, and operational risk across the world's most significant energy-producing regions.
The oil and gas industry operates at the intersection of sovereign interests, multi-billion-dollar capital expenditure, and complex regulatory frameworks that differ fundamentally between producing nations. A production sharing agreement in Egypt bears little resemblance to a concession in Abu Dhabi or a service contract in Saudi Arabia — yet many international operators need counsel who can navigate all three.
GSDA Legal Consultants advises international oil companies, national oil companies, oilfield service providers, and investors on the legal dimensions of upstream exploration and production, midstream transportation and processing, and downstream refining and marketing. Our work spans production sharing agreements, joint operating agreements, farmout arrangements, unitisation agreements, and the full range of EPC contracts that support facility construction.
Our Paris headquarters and Gulf offices place us at the crossroads of European energy regulation and Middle Eastern hydrocarbon policy. We advise on government relations, regulatory licensing, and the commercial negotiations that shape concession terms — while our dispute resolution team handles the high-value arbitrations that inevitably arise in this capital-intensive sector.
In an industry increasingly shaped by the energy transition, we also advise traditional oil and gas clients on carbon capture, hydrogen, and LNG projects that straddle conventional and renewable energy frameworks.
Industry challenges
Problems We Solve.
Sovereign Risk & Government Relations
Navigating the political dynamics of host-government negotiations where concession terms, fiscal regimes, and local content requirements can shift with changes in administration.
Joint Venture Deadlocks
Disputes between JOA partners over work programmes, budget approvals, operatorship changes, and sole-risk operations that can paralyse multi-billion-dollar projects.
EPC Cost Overruns & Delays
Facility construction projects that exceed budget by hundreds of millions of dollars, triggering complex claims involving engineering changes, force majeure, and concurrent delay.
Decommissioning Liability
Allocating the costs and legal obligations of decommissioning ageing infrastructure, including environmental remediation requirements that vary by jurisdiction.
Farmout & Asset Transfer Complexity
Structuring asset transactions that require government consent, partner pre-emption rights, and complex tax planning across multiple jurisdictions.
International Sanctions Compliance
Navigating US, EU, and UK sanctions regimes that affect trade, financing, and the movement of personnel and technology in producing nations.
Our expertise in oil & gas.
Production Sharing Agreements
Negotiating PSA terms including cost recovery mechanisms, profit oil splits, ring-fencing provisions, and dispute resolution clauses with host governments.
Joint Operating Agreements
Drafting and negotiating JOAs based on AIPN model forms, addressing operatorship, voting mechanisms, sole risk provisions, and default remedies.
Farmout & Asset Transactions
Structuring farm-ins, farm-outs, and asset acquisitions including due diligence, government consent, and pre-emption right management.
EPC & Facility Contracts
Advising on the construction contracts that underpin upstream and downstream facility development, including LSTK, reimbursable, and hybrid pricing structures.
Energy Arbitration
Representing clients in ICC, LCIA, and ad hoc arbitrations arising from concession disputes, JOA conflicts, and EPC claims in the energy sector.
Regulatory & Licensing
Advising on the regulatory frameworks governing exploration and production licences, environmental permits, and operational compliance across producing nations.
LNG & Gas Sales
Structuring gas sales agreements, LNG offtake contracts, and pipeline transportation agreements for conventional and emerging LNG markets.
Energy Transition & Carbon
Advising traditional hydrocarbon clients on carbon capture, hydrogen projects, and the regulatory and contractual frameworks bridging conventional and clean energy.
Frequently asked questions.
Do you advise national oil companies or only IOCs?
We advise both. Our experience includes representing host governments and NOCs in concession negotiations, as well as advising IOCs and service companies on the same transactions. This dual perspective gives us insight into both sides of the negotiating table.
Can you handle arbitrations arising from oil & gas concessions?
Yes. Our dispute resolution team has experience with investment treaty arbitrations, ICC arbitrations, and ad hoc proceedings arising from concession disputes, including stabilisation clause claims, expropriation allegations, and fiscal regime changes.
Do you advise on oilfield services contracts?
We advise drilling contractors, well services companies, and integrated service providers on their master service agreements, call-off contracts, liability and indemnity regimes, and disputes with operators.
What is your experience with Gulf-based oil & gas projects?
We have advised on projects in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, including upstream concessions, offshore facility construction, refinery expansions, and gas processing plant disputes.
Do you advise on sanctions compliance for energy companies?
We advise on the impact of US, EU, and UK sanctions on energy transactions, including trade restrictions, financing limitations, and the practical implications for personnel deployment and technology transfer.
Can you assist with energy sector joint ventures?
We structure JVs for exploration and production, pipeline development, LNG terminals, and petrochemical projects. Our approach integrates corporate structuring, regulatory compliance, and the underlying operational agreements.
Do you handle gas pricing disputes?
Yes. We advise on gas price review mechanisms, take-or-pay disputes, and the arbitration of pricing disagreements under long-term gas sales agreements.
What about decommissioning and environmental liability?
We advise on the contractual allocation of decommissioning costs, regulatory requirements for site remediation, and the structuring of decommissioning security arrangements across multiple jurisdictions.
GSDA navigated a concession renegotiation with a Gulf sovereign that three other firms had failed to resolve. Their understanding of both the legal and political landscape was decisive.
VP Legal, International Oil Company
The GSDA advantage
Why clients choose GSDA for oil & gas.
Offices in Paris, Dubai, and Riyadh — at the crossroads of European energy regulation and Gulf hydrocarbon policy.
Direct experience with national oil companies and sovereign entities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Egypt.
Integrated EPC and dispute resolution capability — we handle the contracts that build facilities and the arbitrations that resolve disputes.
Trilingual team operating in English, French, and Arabic — essential for negotiations with North African and Gulf host governments.
Combined upstream, midstream, and downstream expertise, including emerging work in LNG, hydrogen, and carbon capture.