Oil & Gas

Blakes and our lawyers are recognized as energy leaders in the most recent editions of the following publications: 

• Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business – Thanks to the recognition of our clients and peers, Blakes has been named 2024 Projects & Energy Law Firm of the Year. 

• Chambers Canada ranks Blakes in Band 1, its top tier, for Energy: Oil & Gas nationwide in Canada. Client comments include: “Blakes provide a superb client service and have incredibly high-skilled lawyers” and “Blakes has a very strong team with strong expertise.” 

• Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business – Blakes and members of our Energy & Energy Infrastructure group have been recognized for their expertise in energy law since 2003. Client comments include: “They stand out for the depth of partners who are active participants in the field. They are at the forefront of cutting-edge work” and “We model our group on Blakes — they are extremely entrepreneurial and extremely outward-focused.” 

• The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada – Since 2002, our energy lawyers have been recognized as top-tier legal practitioners. 

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – Blakes and our lawyers are consistently selected as leaders in energy law by their peers. 

• The Best Lawyers in Canada – Our energy lawyers have been consistently ranked as leaders in their field since the inaugural edition published in 2006. 

• The Special Committee of Veren Inc. in its C$15-billion business combination with Whitecap Resources Inc.

• National Bank of Canada as agent for a syndicate of lenders in the C$150-million reserve-based syndicated credit facility to Saturn Oil & Gas Inc.

• Strathcona in its strategic partnership with Canada Growth Fund Inc. to develop carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) infrastructure on Strathcona's steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) oil sands facilities in Saskatchewan and Alberta​ 

• Pembina Pipeline Corporation in the acquisition of the remaining 14.6% interest in Aux Sable's U.S. operations from certain subsidiaries of The Williams Companies, Inc. for US$160-million.

• The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Hammerhead Energy Inc. in its proposed C$2.55-billion acquisition by Crescent Point Energy.

• Enerplus Corporation on its US$11-billion merger with Chord Energy Corporation.

• Pembina Pipeline Corporation on its acquisition of Enbridge Inc.’s joint-venture interests in Alliance Pipeline, Aux Sable and NRGreen for C$3.1-billion and its concurrent C$1.1-billion bought deal offering of subscription receipts.  

• Strathcona Resources Ltd. in its proposed all-share transaction to acquire Pipestone Energy Corp. creating a combined entity with an approximate C$11.5-billion enterprise value. 

• Suncor Energy on its C$1.468-billion acquisition of TotalEnergies EP Canada Ltd., which holds a 31.23% working interest in the Fort Hills oil sands mining project.

• The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Hammerhead Energy Inc. in its proposed C$2.55-billion acquisition by Crescent Point Energy.

• TC Energy Corporation in respect of its proposed separation into two independent, investment-grade, publicly listed companies through the spinoff of TC Energy’s Liquids Pipelines business with anticipated completion in the second half of 2024. 

• Ovintiv Inc. in its US$4.3-billion acquisition of core Midland Basin assets through the acquisition of three portfolio companies from private equity firm EnCap Investments LP. 

• Pembina Pipeline Corporation in its offering of C$500-million of senior unsecured medium-term notes.  

• Cenovus Energy Inc. on its C$711-million acquisition of warrants from Hutchison Whampoa Europe Investments S.à r.l. and L.F. Investments S.à r.l.  

• Ridgeback Resources Inc., a private equity portfolio company, on its C$525-million sale to Saturn Oil & Gas Inc.  

• The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Hammerhead Resources Inc. on its C$1.39-billion business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation IV, a U.S. SPAC, with the merged company to be listed on Nasdaq.  

• Pembina Pipeline Corporation on the C$662.5-million sale of its 50% stake in the Key Access Pipeline System (KAPS) to Stonepeak Partners. 

• Imperial Oil Resources Limited and ExxonMobil Canada Ltd. on the disposition of their interest in XTO Energy Canada to Whitecap Resources Inc. for C$1.9-billion.  

• Methanex Corporation on its large-volume, long-term natural gas procurement and hedging program for its "G2" methanol production, storage and handling facilities at Geismar, Louisiana.  

• Simpson Oil Limited on the sale of 25% of SOL Investments SEZC for 20-million common shares of Parkland Fuel, valued at approximately C$700-million.  

• Pembina Pipeline Corporation on its C$11.4-billion joint venture with KKR & Co. Inc. to merge their western Canadian natural gas processing assets.  

• Prairie Storm Resources Corp. on its C$50-million acquisition by InPlay Oil Corp.  

• Shell Canada Energy on the sale of its Duvernay shale light oil assets to Crescent Point Energy Corp. (CPEC ) for total consideration of C$900-million, including C$700-million in cash and 50-million shares in CPEC. 

• Waterous Energy Fund on its initial acquisition of a 45 per cent stake and subsequent US$94.8-million acquisition of an additional 40 per cent stake in Osum Oil Sands Corp.  

• Enerplus Corporation on its US$465-million acquisition of Bruin E&P HoldCo, LLC and related debt and equity financings. 

• Jupiter Resources Ltd. and Apollo Infrastructure in its C$626-million acquisition by Tourmaline Oil Corp.  

• Strath Resources Ltd. and Cona Resources Ltd., portfolio companies of Waterous Energy Fund, on the amalgamation of both companies to form Strathcona Resources, Ltd. 

• Cenovus Energy Inc. on its public offering of US$1-billion in 5.375 per cent senior unsecured notes due 2025. 

• TC Energy Corp. on its sale of a 65 per cent equity stake in the Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project to KKR and AIMCo and the concurrent execution of a credit agreement providing non-recourse project-level financing to fund the majority of construction costs for the project.  

• Cona Resources Ltd., a portfolio company of Waterous Energy Fund, on its C$740-million acquisition of Pengrowth Energy Corporation. 

• Encana Corporation and PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. in connection with the transfer of fee simple oil and gas and related assets by Encana to PrairieSky and subsequent C$1.67-billion initial public offering of PrairieSky by Encana.  

• TC Energy Corporation on the sale of an 85 per cent equity interest in Northern Courier Pipeline to AIMCo and, in conjunction with the sale, the financing of long-term, non-recourse debt, with approximate aggregate gross proceeds to TC Energy of C$1.15-billion. 

• Suncor Energy Inc. on its acquisition of an additional five per cent interest in the Syncrude joint venture from Mocal for C$920-million. 

• Kinder Morgan Canada Inc. on its joint venture with Keyera Corp. to build Base Line Terminal, a crude oil storage terminal located in Keyera’s Alberta Enviro Fuels facility in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Together with associated arrangements including numerous long-term storage agreements, land use and access agreements, various interconnection agreements, and EPC agreements.  

• PetroLama Energy Canada Inc. in connection with its crude oil storage joint venture with Keyera Energy Inc. in Cushing, Oklahoma. 

• Trinidad Drilling Inc. in its proposed acquisition by Ensign Energy Services Inc. 

• Strath Resources Ltd. on the acquisition of Montney assets from Paramount Resources Ltd. for total consideration of C$340-million, paid 50 per cent in cash and 50 per cent in common shares of Strath. 

• Suncor Energy Inc. on the sale of its Petro-Canada lubricants division to HollyFrontier Corporation for C$1.13-billion. 

• Cenovus Energy Inc. on the sale of its Palliser crude oil and natural gas assets in southeastern Alberta to Torxen Energy and Schlumberger for C$1.3-billion. 

• Cenovus Energy Inc. on the sale of its Suffield crude oil and natural gas assets in southern Alberta to International Petroleum Corporation for C$512-million.  

• Imperial Oil on the sale of its retail gas stations for approximately C$2.8-billion. 

• Pembina Pipeline Corporation on its C$556-million acquisition of natural-gas processing assets from, and related gas-processing arrangement with Paramount Resources.  

• Jupiter Resources Inc. in connection with its C$2-billion acquisition of the Bighorn upstream assets from Encana Corporation.  

• YPF SA in connection with its US$550-million joint venture with Petroliam Nasional Bhd. (Petronas) for the development of a 72-square-mile shale oil concession in the Vaca Muerta region of Argentina.  

• Husky Energy Inc. and Suncor Energy with respect to development of the Terra Nova project and the development of the White Rose oil field off the shore of Newfoundland and Labrador.