Offshore

The offshore energy sector has rapidly transformed over the last few years, in line with changing energy demands and sustainability goals. Whilst traditional oil and gas are still a key feature, renewables and their supporting maritime infrastructure have evolved. At Penningtons Manches Cooper, our expertise and dedicated team enable us to provide comprehensive services to the industry, with shipping remaining an essential component in its continued development.

Legal expertise for the offshore sector

Our offshore practice covers projects, shipping and disputes across the sector, including the construction and management of offshore assets and the complex disputes that can arise in this area.

We provide legal advice based on the practical aspects of how the industry operates, and within the relevant legal frameworks to mitigate potential risks. With offices in key jurisdictions across Europe and Asia, our maritime specialists work with a vast number of clients covering oil and gas, renewable energy, shipping (ship construction and repair, owners, operators, charterers), P&I and insurance, ports and infrastructure, logistics and drilling, and the supply of services to the offshore sector.

Our expertise includes the construction and operation of ports and terminals, transshipment of commodities, chartering arrangements, shipbuilding, offshore oil and gas, and maritime and commodities related disputes. The team advises across different cargo types such as oil and petroleum products, and covers areas such as trading/commodities brokering, financing, insurance, flagging, and customs brokering. We have considerable experience of handling spills and pollution incidents spanning Europe, North America, China and Singapore, and regularly work alongside environmental experts.

Offers knowledge in a vast array of areas including sizeable infrastructure projects for high profile clients in the energy sector.

Our regulatory team has market-leading expertise in the commercial and litigious aspects of regulation. We regularly advise clients on the effect of compliance on decarbonisation initiatives such as EU ETS, Fuel EU, CII, EEXI, and UK ETS. Our experts also often act on sanctions issues and on sanctions clauses incorporated into charterparties and other contracts.

Increasingly, we are speaking to companies on commercial wind farm projects, and receiving a growing number of requests for guidance on the associated regulatory and contractual matters.

We are one of the few specialist firms which undertake maritime employment law and act for numerous shipowners and crew management businesses in relation to matters such as seafarer employment agreements, territorial jurisdiction issues, harassment, employment arbitrations, and the Maritime Labour Convention.

How we help our clients

Construction contracts for offshore units

Drafting and negotiating drilling contracts

Advice on offshore projects

Sale and purchase of offshore units

Contracts for the hire of vessels and other specialist equipment

Resolving disputes under the common charterparties used in the offshore sector

Decommissioning of offshore assets

Gas and pipeline disputes

Legal and regulatory frameworks for deep-sea mining

Compliance and regulation including sanctions

Port State Control procedures

Commercial disputes, including arbitration and ADR

Recent work highlights

Tender bid advice for drilling campaigns

Assisting a major Chinese owner of jack-up and semi-submersible rigs with tender bids for multi-year drilling campaigns, designed to take place in the Caspian Sea.

Offshore construction contract arbitrations

Handling arbitrations which were commenced in relation to offshore construction contracts for offshore support vessels, as well as design contract disputes on lifeboats.

Contract negotiations support for rig owner

Advising a major Singapore tender rig owner, providing support during the negotiations for an extension to a construction contract, and on special delivery terms.

Regulatory frameworks and standard contracts

Assisting clients with the requirements and implications of legal contracts frequently used in the offshore and energy markets, including BIMCO and Crine-Logic contracts.

Serious pollution incident response

Advising clients on how to respond to oil spills in the Spanish jurisdiction waters following major casualties to vessels, such as the Aegean Sea and the Prestige.

With an international reach, the team is ‘well known in the sector for its shipping and trade knowledge and expertise’ and ‘regularly punches above its weight’.