The landmark deal is among the biggest infrastructure deals in Australia for 2020
Top global firms Allens and Clifford Chance have played roles in a massive US$2.5bn LNG investment involving Shell Queensland’s common facilities.
Allens assisted international infrastructure investment manager Global Infrastructure Partners Australia (GIP), while Clifford Chance advised GIP’s financiers. Under the terms of the deal, GIP secures a 26.25% interest in Shell’s Queensland Curtis LNG common facilities, which covers LNG storage tanks, jetties and operations infrastructure servicing Queensland Curtis LNG's trains.
“The investment is part of GIP's broader strategy of targeting high-quality assets in sectors where it has deep knowledge, with a focus on complex transactions and strategic joint ventures,” Allens lead partner Igor Bogdanich said.
Clifford Chance lead partner Richard Gordon, who is also the firm’s Australia managing partner, said that the deal is “one of Australia's largest infrastructure deals of 2020.”
“The LNG industry will play an increasingly prominent role in meeting growing energy demands of the Asia Pacific as countries rollout their clean energy plans. The team was delighted to work on such a critical energy project,” he said.
Gordon spearheaded Clifford Chance’s team on the transaction with partners Chad Bochan and Nadia Kalic. They were supported by senior associate Dean Bao; associates Kellie Grubb, Dale Straughen and Samantha Wong; and graduate lawyers Amelia Hirst and Evan Thomson.
Meanwhile, Bogdanich headed up a massive team at Allens that included partners Tom Story and Charles Ashton; managing associates Adrian Amer and Anne Nguyen; counsel Andrew Wong; senior associates Rob Merriam, Zac Kedgely-Foot and Anne Beresford; senior overseas practitioner Patrick McGregor; and senior energy and resources lawyer Sarah Birrell. Partner James Kanabar handled the funds aspect of the deal.
Banking and finance partner Tim Stewart also lent a hand along with senior associate Nick Koutsoukos, overseas practitioner Alex Cutting, lawyer Lucinda Campbell and associate Claudia Gherman-Buzas.
Following the deal, Shell will continue to run the facilities. The oil and gas giant received legal advice from global firm Norton Rose Fulbright.
