Eversheds Sutherland helps CNPC land USD1.76 billion concession in Abu Dhabi

Eversheds Sutherland (International) lawyers in Beijing, Abu Dhabi, Doha and London advised China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on its investment in a major multi-billion barrel concession project in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

In February 2017, CNPC and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) announced the signing of an agreement to award CNPC International Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNPC, an 8 per cent stake in the USD22 billion Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations (ADCO) concession. ADNOC has taken a 60 per cent stake and invited a shortlist of leading foreign oil companies to bid for stakes within the remaining 40 per cent. British energy company BP and French energy company TOTAL have each previously signed a deal for a 10 per cent stake while Japan’s Inpex and South Korea’s GS have each previously signed a deal for smaller interest with ADNOC.

This new 40-year onshore concession currently covers 15 oilfields (including the Bab, Asab and Bu Hasa) which are collectively estimated to hold resources of between 20 to 30 billion barrels of oil equivalent over its term. This concession is significant in the context of global oil resources – being currently responsible for more than half of Abu Dhabi’s production of 3.1 million barrels of oil per day. Abu Dhabi represents 6 per cent of the world’s oil reserve. ADCO is the concession operator.

The Eversheds Sutherland team was led by Ingrid Zhu-Clark (managing partner, Beijing), Tim Armsby (managing partner, Abu Dhabi) and Greg Hammond (partner, London). The full team included partners Geraldine Ahern (Abu Dhabi), Dani Kabbani (managing partner, Qatar), Paul Fontes (London), Adrian Toutoungi (London) and Alex Doughty (London), legal director Jubilee Easo (London), senior associate Sara Elmatbouly (Abu Dhabi), Atif Taher (Abu Dhabi) and Marianne Fonteyn (London), and associates Qiao Kang (Beijing), Richard Tan (Beijing) and Victoria Clissold (London).