01
Upstream arrangements
Advising on upstream interests, participation arrangements, farm-in and farm-out structures and related commercial documentation.
Practice Areas
Oil, Gas& Energy
Technical sectors, commercial judgement
Energy businesses operate with long horizons, heavy capital commitments and a regulatory environment that shapes every decision.
Our oil, gas & energy practice
Legal support across the energy value chain.
Paraphoenix Solicitors advises operators, investors, contractors, offtakers, financiers and service providers on transactions and arrangements across the oil, gas and wider energy sector.
Energy work combines commercial structuring with technical and regulatory context. Interests, licences, long-term contracts, joint arrangements, infrastructure access and compliance obligations all influence how value is created and how risk is allocated.
We help clients approach these matters with clarity — structuring transactions, negotiating contracts that can survive long operating periods, and anticipating the issues most likely to arise between the parties over time.
Key capabilities
What we advise on
02
Midstream and infrastructure
Advising on processing, transportation, storage, access and throughput arrangements and the contracts that govern them.
03
Gas and power
Advising on gas supply, aggregation, generation, distribution and offtake arrangements, including long-term contracting structures.
04
Energy transition and renewables
Advising on renewable generation, distributed energy and transition-related projects, including development and offtake arrangements.
05
Joint operating and participation arrangements
Structuring and documenting joint arrangements, including governance, contributions, defaults, transfers and exit mechanisms.
06
Energy services and procurement
Advising on drilling, engineering, technical services, equipment and procurement contracts and the associated risk allocation.
07
Regulatory and compliance matters
Advising on the regulatory framework applicable to energy operations, approvals, licensing and ongoing compliance obligations.
08
Disputes and contract management
Supporting clients where energy contracts come under pressure, including claims, variations, suspension and termination.
How we support an energy matter
Structured support through a long project life
- 01
Understand
Establishing the commercial objective, the technical context and the legal and regulatory framework that applies.
- 02
Structure
Identifying the transaction or contracting structure and the approvals, interests and dependencies it requires.
- 03
Negotiate
Negotiating terms that reflect the commercial bargain and allocate operational, regulatory and market risk clearly.
- 04
Execute
Managing conditions, approvals, registrations and deliverables required to reach completion or commercial operation.
- 05
Support
Advising through the operating period on variations, compliance, contract management and emerging issues.
Long-term energy contracts
Contracts built for long operating periods
Energy contracts often outlast the circumstances in which they were signed.
We focus on drafting that anticipates change — in price, in volume, in regulation, in counterparties and in operating conditions — so that the parties have a clear mechanism rather than a dispute when circumstances move.
That includes attention to performance standards, measurement, force majeure, change in law, interface risk between contracts, and the practical remedies available to each party.
Selected energy contracting capabilities
- Supply, offtake and sales arrangements
- Transportation, processing and access agreements
- Joint operating and participation agreements
- Engineering, procurement and construction interfaces
- Technical services and equipment contracts
- Operation and maintenance arrangements
- Change in law, force majeure and price review mechanisms
- Decommissioning and transition considerations
Cross-border energy matters
Nigerian requirements within international structures
Energy transactions frequently involve international investors, contractors, lenders and offtakers. Paraphoenix can act as the central legal point for Nigerian aspects of such matters and, where appropriate, coordinate with carefully selected independent local counsel and professional advisers in other jurisdictions.
Our international perspective is informed by substantial experience working within multinational business environments and on matters involving stakeholders across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and the Americas.
Sector perspective
Our energy work supports clients across the sectors where resources, infrastructure, capital and regulation converge.
Related perspective
Read practical perspectives on the legal and commercial developments affecting business in Nigeria and across borders.
Integrated support
Bringing the relevant disciplines together
Mandates in this practice frequently engage other areas of law. Depending on the matter, our Oil, Gas & Energy practice works alongside the firm’s other practices so that clients receive a coherent view of the issue rather than fragmented advice.
Why Paraphoenix
Sector understanding
We approach energy mandates with an appreciation of how the sector actually operates and where value and risk sit.
Senior involvement
Important mandates receive close senior attention, supporting continuity and accountable decision-making.
International experience
Our experience of multinational environments informs our approach to cross-border energy transactions.
Clear execution
We emphasise practical recommendations, careful drafting and disciplined transaction management.