2011 saw steady increases of production throughout the Marcellus Shale play, a heavy emphasis on strengthening and expanding pipeline infrastructure, and a boom in the level of activity in the Utica Shale play ...
The Supreme Court of Canada confirms that only those modern practices that maintain a reasonable degree of continuity with the practices, customs or traditions that were integral to an Aboriginal group’s pre-contact dist inctive culture will be protected as an Aboriginal right under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. On November 10, 2011, in the case of Lax Kw’alaams Indian Band v ...
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On 6 February 2012 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine amended its Resolutions No. 1297 and No. 1298, dated 30 November 2011 (the "PSA Resolutions"), which determine tender terms for conclusion of production sharing agreements ("PSA") on exploration and production of hydrocarbons, in particular non-conventional gas, in Oles'ka and Yuzivs'ka subsoil blocks. These amendments (the "Amendments") are apparently made to address some of the foreign investors' concerns ...
President Obama has renewed his proposal to cut over $40 billion in tax breaks for oil, gas and coal producers over the next decade in an attempt to spend more for alternate energy and conservation. The $3.8 trillion budget proposal represents a 29% increase in renewable energy funds in 2013, as compared to 2012 ...
On February 21, 2012, in Anshutz Exploration Corp. v. Town of Dryden, a New York court upheld a municipality’s effort to restrict production of oil and natural gas within city limits. The case arose from the Town of Dryden’s effort to ban horizontal-well fracking by amending a zoning ordinance to prohibit all activities related to exploration for, production and storage of oil and natural gas. Anshutz challenged Dryden’s ordinance, arguing that it was preempted by state law ...
The Energy Act 2011 deals with securing energy supplies and the regulation of renewable energy resources. It also sets out the framework to facilitate the "Green Deal" to be launched, with the support of secondary legislation this coming Spring. The Green Deal offers “no upfront cost” in respect of the installation of energy saving measures ...
On February 1, 2012, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) and its Office of Oil and Gas (“OOG”) conducted what it named the “Natural Gas Horizontal Well Control Act Industry Workshop” at the Marriott Town Center in Charleston, West Virginia (“Workshop”). For those of you who may have missed all or a portion of the Workshop, the following is a summary of the presentations by the various DEP speakers ...
The Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 is an instrument that contains an approximate of 70 different provisions on labor-related matters in the maritime industry, which was approved by the International Labor Organization (ILO), in view of the absence of minimum standards that offered labor security and decent living conditions to the seafarers. The Maritime Labor Convention is expected to take effect before the end of 2013 ...
At the end of 2011 the Polish utility sector received a present from the government in the form of a long-awaited package of proposed energy legislation. How could it change the rules of the market? February was the deadline for public comment on a legislative package including the proposed new Energy Law, Gas Law and Renewable Energy Sources Act ...
In the 2012 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature, several resolutions were passed with potential future impact on the shale gas industry. Below is a summary of those significant resolutions. Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 52 This resolution requests the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the viability of increasing severance tax rates on shale gas ...
With the spotlight recently cast upon it by the burgeoning Marcellus and other shale reserve developments, the oil and gas (“O&G”) industry has found itself increasingly the object of regulatory scrutiny ...
The proposed new Renewable Energy Sources Act would significantly change the system of support for electricity produced in Poland from renewable resources. If the bill is enacted, companies in the power industry in Poland will have to make major revisions to their business plans ...
International anti-corruption conventions to which international anti-corruption conventions is your country a signatory? Chile is a signatory to and has ratified the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, and the United Nations Convention against Corruption ...
In January, the Secretary of State for Transport announced the project for the construction of HS2, a second high speed rail network. It is to be constructed in two phases forming a “Y” shape: the first phase between London and Birmingham and the second from Birmingham, to Manchester and to Leeds. Phase 1 will link to Europe via the high speed rail line in London, HS1 and the Channel Tunnel ...
In the last issue we discussed the proposed new Energy Law. Now it is time to turn to the second element in the package of energy legislation presented in December 2011 by the Polish Ministry of Economy. The proposed Gas Law would regulate activity involving transmission, distribution, sale, storage, precipitation and regasification of natural gas. The greatest strength of the bill is to separate and clarify the regulations governing the gas sector ...
On 29 March,the Ministerial Order No. 84/2012 that declared the Tribunal for Competition,Regulation and Supervision (“TCRS” or “Tribunal”) operational was finally published in the Official Journal. Said Ministerial Order constitutes the final phase of the legislative procedure initiated with Law No. 46/2011, of 24.6.2011, and further developed by Decree-Law No. 67/2012, of 20.3.2012 ...
North America - Where does private equity find its energy? While the energy industry has always enjoyed the attention of investors and speculators alike, a confluence of global events has lead to an even greater focus on the industry and, in turn, is driving M&A activity globally ...
Earlier this month the new Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC), Rosemary Agnew, took up her position. Since Kevin Dunion finished his second term at the end of February his Head of Enforcement, Margaret Keyse, was Acting Commissioner until Ms Agnew was able to take up her new post. As you would expect the SIC’s team has carried on the work that Mr Dunion set in place but only time will tell what Ms Agnew’s approach to the role will be ...
On 21 February 2012, the Government issued Government Regulation No 24/2012 on the amendment to Government Regulation No. 23/2010 on the Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Activities (“GR 24/2012”). Previously, under Government Regulation No. 23/2010 on the Implementation of Mineral and Coal Mining Activities (“GR 23/2010”), the divestment of foreign shareholdings amounting to at least 20% of total shares in mining companies was required ...
On January 3, 2012, the Ontario Superior Court ordered that Solid Gold Resources Corp. ("Solid Gold"), a junior mining exploration company, be enjoined from carrying on any further mineral exploration activity for 120 days on a parcel of land claimed by the Wahgoshig First Nation ("Wahgoshig") as its traditional territory ...
Buying natural gas assets from financially distressed companies is an inherently risky proposition. Even when an attractive prospect is identified, the purchaser has to overcome a number of issues such as clearing up title, including mechanic and materialman liens and getting assignments of contracts and lessor consents ...
The Czech Customs Authority announced that Croatia and Turkey will accede to the Convention on a Common Transit Procedure between EU Member States and EFTA countries (the “Convention”) as of 1 July 2012. As a result, the forms listed in the supplements to the Convention are to change. The Czech Customs Authority adds, however, that the currently applicable forms shall continue to be in force and effect at least until 30 June 2013 ...
Florida transportation officials and the private sector have fine-tuned a financing structure that allows the state to use private-sector financing to advance projects to build roads and bridges and fulfill other essential infrastructure needs. The timing is right. The infrastructure of Florida, like the rest of America, is in critical need of maintenance and overhaul ...
