The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP is a free-trade agreement among the members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States.On Nov. 5, the full text of the TPP trade agreement was released to the public for the first time. While, as reported, an agreement on the TPP was reached Oct. 5, each of the members must still enact it.An important component is the chapter on investments, which protects investors ...
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (“TPP”) is a free-trade agreement among Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the United States (the “TPP Members”). While, as reported, an agreement on the TPP was reached on October 5, 2015, each of the TPP Members must still enact the TPP. On November 5, 2015, the full text of the TPP trade agreement was released to the public for the first time ...
Quebec mining, oil and gas companies are heceforth subject to the imposing disclosure regime under theact respecting transparency measures in the mining, oil and gas industries(the "act"), which came into force last October 21. This statute echoes theExtractive Sector Transparency Measures Act(Canada),1which took effect on June 1, 2015, and follows a global trend to increase the transparency of mining, oil and gas exploration and development ...
Signing the transatlantic free-trade agreement could increase Europe’s energy security. The trick is how to compete with American companies that are already using cheaper energy and don’t have to comply with the same restrictions on CO2 emissions. The 10th round of negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement, or TTIP as it is known, was held in Brussels in July 2015 ...
The Interior Board of Land Appeals (“IBLA”) has issued its long awaited decision on an appeal by an offshore service contractor challenging the authority of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (“BSEE”) to issue a citation directly to the service company for a violation of federal offshore regulations. As the first formal opinion issued by any appellate body on the issue, the IBLA decision has widespread implications for the offshore services industry ...
Under Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 23 of 2015 dated 31 July 2015 on the Delegation of Authority to Issue Oil and Gas Business License in the Framework of One-Stop Integrated Services to the Head of BKPM (“Regulation 23/2015”), the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources has delegated its authority to issue oil and gas business licenses for capital investment to the Head of BKPM ...
As is commonly held by energy sector experts, the game-changing development of the shales and the resurgence of natural gas as a virtually new, huge, versatile, long-term fuel, with a shrinking environmental footprint, is based upon the synergistic deployment of several key technologies ...
The issue of decarbonisation of the economies of EU member states, and in particular Poland, generates a lot of heat. Decarbonising the economy was named as one of the EU’s five energy priorities in the Commission communication entitled “A Framework Strategy for a Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy.” In European Union documents, decarbonisation means elimination of CO2 emissions because of their harmfulness to the environment ...
In Esso Australia Pty Ltd v The Australian Workers' Union [2015] FCA 758, the Federal Court upheld the validity of some, but not all, orders made by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) against industrial action at Esso's Longford Plant in Victoria ...
It is common knowledge that electricity is a main driver of the economy and a country’s electricity strategy will largely determine the long-term sustainability of an economy. The relationship between the Chinese economic miracle and the science behind the development of its electricity strategy is inseparable. Africa, as the centrepiece of development in the world, will require a practical strategy for electricity in order to guarantee the stable development of its economies ...
Under longstanding regulations governing its risk management program, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (“BOEM”) may require an offshore oil and gas lessee or operator operating on the Outer Continental Shelf (“OCS”) to provide additional security, over and above standard security requirements, if BOEM determines that the security is necessary to ensure compliance with OCS lease obligations ...
In a decision involving claims of underground trespass and tortious interference, the San Antonio Court of Appeals held that a surface owner could grant permission to a third-party to drill through the mineral estate underlying the surface and that the lessee “has no right to exclude others from the earth surrounding the oil and gas hydrocarbons” on the lease. Lightning Oil Co. v. Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC, No. 04-14-00903-CV, 2015 WL 4933439, --- S.W.3d --- (Tex ...
As reported in the July 2015 IOGA News, on June 24, 2015, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (“WVDEP”) filed a proposed legislative rule amending the Horizontal Well Development Rule, 35 C.S.R. 8 (the “Horizontal Well Rule”), which established a public comment deadline on July 27, 2015. Then on June 25, 2015, WVDEP filed three proposed legislative rules implementing the Aboveground Storage Tank Act, as amended, W. Va. Code § 22-30-1, et seq. (“AST Act”) ...
Argentina has thwarted debt security holders’ attempts to collect on their bond default judgments stemming from the nation’s 2001 economic collapse and subsequent repayment moratorium.EM Ltd. and NML Capital, Ltd ...
The federal securities laws require public companies to make and keep detailed and accurate “books, records, and accounts.” One might assume that a securities law relating to books and records covers materials used in the preparation of financial statements. But in practice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission applies a much broader definition that seems to encompass every piece of paper and data in a company’s possession ...
When not conducted carefully, internal investigations cancause more harm than good. Deciding to investigate a suspected problem is onlythe first of several key determinations. The responsible executive must planand execute the investigation deliberately to avoid self-inflicted harm. Anorganization can protect itself—while still conducting an investigation that isconfidential, full and fair—only by carefully thinking about how best touncover the alleged wrongdoing or compliance issues ...
The New England Patriots may play the first quarter of the 2015-16 season without quarterback Tom Brady, as he was suspended for failing to cooperate with an investigation related to footballs deflated below league standards being used in the 2014-15 season AFC championship game with the Indianapolis Colts ...
When one thinks of resolving disputes in Serbia, the first thing that comes to mind is the long, costly, inefficient dispute before a court, in a dusty court-room in a socialist architecture grey building. Even though these conditions still are reality, Serbia is making efforts in recent years to achieve higher efficiency in resolving disputes through various types of judicial reform including arbitration as one of dispute resolution mechanisms ...
Entrepreneurs are a special breed. The good ones have that special blend of vision, timing and risk tolerance most others lack. The really good ones find a way to use their special talents to make their communities a better place to live and work. Mike John is a really good entrepreneur. As we all know, the shale plays across the United States have been game changers ...
Following Cuba’s removal from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism on May 29, 2015, the United States and Cuba took an additional step towards normalizing relations by announcing the reopening of embassies after more than five decades of their closure. The announcement of an agreement to reopen embassies, which was made today, is the first step in converting each country’s present “Interests Section” into formal embassies ...
In keeping with trends in other jurisdictions, Canada has brought into force federal rules requiring businesses in the extractive sector to publish annual reports on payments of $100,000 or more made to governments in Canada and abroad. Payments to Aboriginal governments will be covered by these rules starting in 2017 ...
In a decisive victory for the Plaintiffs in class actions against the three Canadian leading tobacco companies1, the Québec Superior Court ordered the Defendants to pay more than 15 billion dollars in moral damages2 and punitive damages. There were more than 253 hearing days3 and 16 years of proceedings. THE ACTIONS In February 2005, Justice Pierre Jasmin authorized two class actions against JTI-Macdonald (JTM), Imperial Tobacco (ITL) and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH) ...
As part of the implementation of the Mexican Energy Reform, the Mexican government has selected certain fields that will gradually be tendered to foreign and domestic companies for hydrocarbon exploration and production projects. Round One includes 109 blocks for exploration and 60 blocks for production, and covers new areas of different sizes and types of resources, including (i)deepwater, (ii)shallow water, and (iii)onshore fields ...
Following the gradual selection of areas and fields that will be tendered for foreign and domestic companies (including Mexican government production companies), pursuant to the Mexican Energy Reform enacted last year, the National Hydrocarbons Commission (Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos, “CNH”) published a formal call for the third bid of Round 1, “CNH-R01-L03/2015” in the National Federal Gazette on May 12, 2015 ...
