Oil, Gas and CCS

The oil and gas industry, including carbon capture and storage (CCS), remains Norway’s most vital sector and is expected to continue its prominence for many years. We work closely with authorities and various stakeholders on the Norwegian continental shelf and in the supplier industry, and have in-depth knowledge of all facets of the industry.

Our lawyers are recognised leaders in the field, combining high professional quality with a practical and commercial approach tailored to our clients’ needs.

Wiersholm is a firm which provides excellent legal services within most fields of business and has good expertise within oil and gas. Generally easy to cooperate with and sufficient resources to handle the cases expediently.
Legal 500

The oil, gas, and CCS industry is continually evolving, and also highly integrated with the EU and the UK. Understanding both Norwegian regulations and EU legislation is crucial for industry players.

Our team provides legal assistance to authorities and various stakeholders across all areas of law in the oil, gas, and CCS industry. Our services include regulatory advice, contract drafting and negotiations, development projects, dispute resolution, financing, tax advice, and regulatory follow-up. Our lawyers bring industry experience, ensuring our advice is practical and solution-oriented. Our experts have been involved in the largest development projects on the Norwegian continental shelf, major disputes in both ordinary courts and arbitration, and numerous significant transactions. Wiersholm has also played a pivotal role in developing CO2 transportation and storage on the NCS.

We work closely with our dispute resolution team and our teams specialising in EU law, financing, and tax.

Our Services

Regulatory advice, including assessments relating to petroleum regulation issues, CO2 storage regulations, safety and infrastructure regulations, cooperation agreements, unit agreements, and other collaborative agreements

Agreements and issues relating to operations and maintenance, seismic activities, drilling contracts, hiring of tonnage, transportation, lifting, and marketing of petroleum, including agreements relating to the sale of gas, LNG, and NGL

Agreements and issues relating to the transportation and storage of CO2

Assistance relating to major development and modification projects, including negotiation and drafting of coordination and tie-in agreements, supplier agreements, and ongoing support during the construction phase

Dispute resolution through ordinary courts, arbitration, and mediation

Assistance with regulatory approvals, prequalification, and other government relations

Tax advice relating to the general tax rules and the petroleum tax regime, including acquisition structures, financing, and notifications/applications to the Ministry of Finance

Transactions related to licenses, infrastructure, and licensee companies, including planning and execution of transaction processes, legal reviews of assets and company structures (due diligence), and assistance relating to the drafting and negotiation of sales agreements and other transaction documents

Financing options, including exploration financing, reserve-based lending (RBL), project financing, and bond loans

Assistance relating to tax treaty issues, tax liability/permanent establishment issues, and other international tax matters in connection with cross-border transactions

Advice on and resolution of disputes relating to transfer pricing for intra-group sales of petroleum products, services, IP transactions, financing, etc.