People

Michael Walton
Michael Walton
Senior Associate

Overview

Michael Walton represents energy companies in respect of a broad range of corporate and commercial matters worldwide, with a particular focus on upstream and midstream oil & gas project development and operations, including energy transition.

Mr. Walton advises clients in relation to the drafting and negotiating of commercial contracts across the full E&P cycle (from licensing instruments to decommissioning agreements) as well as in relation to joint venture arrangements, M&A transactions and asset level acquisitions and divestments.

Mr. Walton also advises conventional power and renewable energy clients on project development and transactional work, with particular experience in CCGT, wind, solar and biomass projects.

Mr. Walton has also spent time on secondment to Qatar Energy where he advised on various upstream matters including asset acquisitions and joint venture arrangements and to the North Sea Transition Authority (the UK's oil & gas industry regulator) where he advised on a range of licensing and consent matters as well as assisting with the delivery of various energy transition initiatives, including CCUS developments.

Admission & Affiliations

  • Qualified Solicitor, England & Wales, 2015
  • Committee Member of the Young Negotiator's division of the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN)
  • Legal Practice Course, The University of Law 2013
  • Bachelor of Laws, English Law with Spanish, University of Dundee 2011

Experience

Hydrogen, Ammonia & CCUS

  • Air Products: Advising the EPC contractor and offtaker in relation to the construction and development of the world’s largest green hydrogen project in NEOM, Saudi Arabia
  • Neom Green Hydrogen Company: Advising the owner of the NEOM green hydrogen project in relation to various project development matters including project financing, joint venture arrangements and contracting

Oil & Gas (M&A/A&D)

  • Qatar Energy: Five month secondment to Qatar Energy's upstream team advising on various acquisitions, joint venture arrangements and regulatory matters
  • Petrogas: Advising on the acquisition of interests from Cornerstone in the Abbey and Baker prospects on the UKCS
  • Total S.A: Advising on the acquisition of Anadarko's 26.5% operated interest in the Mozambique LNG project for a purchase price of US$3.9 billion*
  • Petronas LNG Sdn. Bhd: Advising on the sale of its 50% shareholding in the Dragon LNG facility at Milford Haven to Ancala Partners LLP*
  • Independent E&P Company: Advising in relation to the 100% share acquisition of a joint venture party in West Africa*
  • Total S.A: Advising on the acquisition of assets from Tullow Oil plc in Uganda*
  • Independent E&P Company: Advising on a pipeline project to support delivery of natural gas from the Leviathan and Tamar fields, including the purchase of a 10% interest in Eastern Mediterranean Gas Company*
  • Independent E&P Company: Advising on its acquisition of a stake in the Ghasha concession alongside the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company*
  • Petronas LNG Sdn. Bhd: Advising on the sale of Petronas Energy Trading's entire shareholding in Humbly Grove Energy Limited and related interest in the gas storage facility and onshore oilfield at Humbly Grove*
  • Chrysaor Holdings: Advising on the oil and gas aspects of its US$3 billion acquisition of a package of UKCS assets from Shell*
  • Serica Energy: Advising on its purchase of BP's interests in the Bruce, Keith and Rhum Fields*
  • ONGC Videsh Vankorneft Pte Ltd on its proposed acquisition of FAR Limited's entire interest in the RSSD oilfield development offshore Senegal. Assisted OVVL with purchaser due diligence, including attending management meetings in Delhi, as well as with negotiating and entering into the farmout agreement with FAR (Project Baobab)*
  • National Oil Company on its proposed acquisition of interests in Nigeria from Total, including purchaser due diligence and negotiating the sale and purchase agreement*
  • National Oil Company on its proposed acquisition of Sierra Oil & Gas' assets in Mexico, including carrying out purchaser due diligence and assistance with submission of a bid*
  • National Oil Company on its proposed acquisition of Premier Oil's assets in Mexico, including carrying out purchaser due diligence and assistance with submission of a bid*
  • ExxonMobil on its proposed sale of its entire interest in the ACG field, including preparing a data room draft of the sale and purchase agreement*
  • Petroliam Nasional Bhd on its proposed c.$2 billion sale of its entire 15.5% stake in the Shah Deniz natural gas project in Azerbaijan. Advice related to the preparation of a vendor due diligence report as well as preparing a data room draft of the sale and purchase agreement*

Oil & Gas (Commercial)

  • Independent Gas Producer: Advising on the drafting and negotiation of an LNG sale and purchase agreement for the supply of LNG to Asia.
  • Leading Independent Oil & Gas Company: Advising on the unitisation of a giant oil field offshore Mexico, including negotiating the UUOA with Pemex*
  • Energy Trading and Refining Company: Advising the client on the development of a new combined heat and power plant at the Grangemouth refinery*
  • Hurricane Energy: Advising in relation to a farm-out of North Sea interests to Spirit Energy, including drafting and negotiating the farm-in agreement, JOA and decommissioning trust deed*
  • Integrated Energy Company: Advising in relation to a gas aggregation project in Mozambique, including drafting and negotiating a gas storage and processing agreement*
  • Energy and Commodities Trader: Advising in relation to the development of a crude oil export terminal in Nigeria, including the negotiation of a crude oil lifting agreement and SPAs*
  • Centrica Storage Limited: Advising on a range of commercial matters relating to the Easington gas terminal, including drafting and negotiating a TPOSA and CTIA for the tie-in of the Tolmount field*
  • Super-major: Advising on the drafting and negotiation of drilling rig contracts for use on an oil development project in Uganda*
  • Energy Trader: Advising in relation to a bid for capacity at a gas storage facility, including providing advice on title and security issues*
  • Total E&P UK: Advising on the negotiation of a suite of commercial agreements regarding its development of the Culzean gas field*
  • Independent E&P Company: Advising on various inter-affiliate asset transfers on the UKCS as part of a wider company reorganization*
  • UK Government (Department of Energy and Climate Change): Advising in relation to its temporary management of Iranian Oil Company's interests in the Rhum Field, including negotiating various commercial agreements*

Power & Renewables

  • Statkraft AS: Advising on its £120m acquisition of a global portfolio of solar assets from Solarcentury with a 6GW pipeline*
  • International Financial Institution: Advising on its support of the local power utility in the development of 250MW of solar photovoltaic projects in Ethiopia, including the negotiation of PPAs*
  • National Government and Electricity Commission: Advising on the drafting and negotiation of an Implementation Agreement and long-term PPA to support two country-first 100MW solar projects.
  • Independent Power Producer: Advising in relation to the development of several windfarm projects across Europe with a pipeline of 1GW, including negotiating shareholders’ agreements and offtake arrangements under PPAs*
  • Independent Power Producer: Advising in relation to the joint venture arrangements (including multiple shareholders’ agreements) and development of three onshore windfarm projects in Romania*
  • Independent Power Producer: Advising a client in relation to the acquisition of eight development stage anaerobic digestion plants, including advising on the joint venture and co-development arrangements*
  • National Utility Company: Advising in relation to a portfolio of assets which included a CCGT plant, water distribution system and several hydroelectric plants and wind farms*
  • National Electricity Regulator: Assisting an electricity regulator in its review of its existing regulatory framework and advising on modifications to allow for bilateral trading to be introduced into the national market*

Telecommunications

  • 2Africa Consortium: Advising the cable owners in relation to various aspects of the deployment of the 2Africa cable system, the largest subsea fiber-optic cable system in the world

*Prior to joining Baker Botts