Current practice
Rob is a partner in Freehills' Corporate Group and chair of our national Energy Focus Group. He specialises in oil & gas, energy and mining law.
Experience
Rob advises on acquisitions and divestments, joint ventures, project development and financing and commodity sales and transportation in the energy and resources sectors. Recent experience includes acting for:
- AGL Energy on several transactions, including the sale of the Berwyndale to Wallumbilla Gas Pipeline to APA Group; the sale of its shareholding in Queensland Gas Company to BG Group and on options to acquire coal seam methane and power station assets; the acquisition of the Enertrade merchant energy and pipeline businesses from the State of Queensland; the sale of the North Queensland Gas Pipeline to Victoria Funds Management; the acquisition of the Moranbah Coal Seam Gas Project from BHP Coal; the development of the QSN Pipeline Link; and its geothermal energy alliance with Torrens Energy
- APA Group on the proposed expansion of the Mondarra Underground Gas Storage Project
- BHP Billiton on the long-term sales of Olympic Dam uranium to Asian, North American and European customers
- CalEnergy on the development and financing of its Yolla and Otway Gas Projects, and on the subsequent sales of interests in Yolla to AWE and in Otway to Origin Energy
- CNOOC in relation to its acquisition of interests in BG Group’s Queensland Curtis LNG Project
- ConocoPhillips on the development of the Bayu-Undan Gas Recycle and Darwin LNG Project
- LinQ Resources Fund on a series of mezzanine and subordinated financing arrangements for CopperCo, including the sale of the subordinated debt following CopperCo’s entry into receivership
- JFE Steel on the establishment of the Western 4 Iron Ore Joint Venture with BHP Billiton, Mitsui and Itochu and on associated iron ore offtake agreements
- MEO in relation to its proposed Tassie Shoal LNG and Methanol Project
- Mt Gibson Mining on the sale of its magnetite iron ore project to Sinom and the development of its Koolan Island and Extension Hill iron ore projects
- Murchison Metals on the sale of 50% of the Jack Hills iron mine to Mitsubishi, the establishment of the Oakajee Port and Rail Joint Venture, and on the development and financing of the Oakajee Port and Rail Project and expansion of the Jack Hills mine
- Renewable Energy Holdings on the sale of its wave power technology to, and acquisition of a substantial shareholding in, Carnegie Corporation
- Roc Oil on the development and financing of the Cliff Head Oil Project (offshore Australia) and the Chinguetti Oil Project (offshore Mauritania)
- Santos on project agreements for PNG LNG, particularly LNG and liquids lifting and off-take arrangements
- Woodside on the sale of its 51.55% participating interest in the Otway Gas Project to Origin Energy and Benaris, and on the handover of operatorship, and
- Woodside in relation to Browse LNG.
Professional background
Rob holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Murdoch University.
He is currently the National President of AMPLA (The Resources & Energy Law Association). He is also a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators and a member of the Energy & Resources Committee of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WA).
He is named as a leading lawyer in the current editions of Chambers Global (energy & resources), The Best Lawyers in Australia (energy, oil & gas, natural resources and water) and PLC Which Lawyer? (energy & resources).