The Pipeline & Energy Authority
Pipeline
  • Purchase of Oklahoma gas gathering systems and processing facilities by an independent pipeline company.
  • Structure, financing, acquisition and construction of Texas gas gathering systems.
  • Vintage system evaluation and determination of return-to-service and conversion-of-service requirements, including regulatory, jurisdictional, and permitting/authorization aspects.
  • Acquisition financing of significant gas gathering, processing and transportation facilities in West Texas and Louisiana.
Longhorn Partners Pipeline, L.P.:
  • System Acquisition, including due diligence, negotiation and contracting
  • System construction from Crane to El Paso
  • Environmental Assessment: Lead counsel for all system, operational, integrity, regulatory, and mitigation matters addressed in a contentious, two-year National
  • Environmental Policy Act review
  • Mitigation construction to implement system-related mitigation measures and ready the system for startup
  • Development of policies and procedures to implement O&M-related mitigation measures
  • Permitting and authorizations for mitigation construction
  • Final authorization to startup, and advice in the commissioning stage
  • Operational permitting
  • ROW management
  • Liaison with local, state and federal agencies and officials regarding all aspects of the pipeline system
  • Post-startup regulatory counseling, including mitigation measure compliance and reporting
  • Expansion planning, including regulatory counsel, contracting, and agency liaison
  • Ongoing operational contracting, including terminalling, transmix, MSAs, connections, land, construction, and the like
  • System sale and transition of sale to new owner, including agency liaison
Major and MLP Systems
  • Regulatory enforcement matters before PHMSA, including integrity/hazardous facility determinations, jurisdictional determinations, and new construction, along with more routine enforcement-related matters
  • Non-enforcement-related interpretive and jurisdictional matters reaching the Congressional intent of the Pipeline Safety Act
Upstream Exploration and Production
  • Numerous sales and purchases of producing and nonproducing properties across the United States and offshore, including contracting, due diligence, transfers, regulatory matters, and the like.
  • Numerous financings of oil and gas assets, for both borrower and lender.
  • Numerous contracts for operators, including drilling, services, processing, production sale, and the like.
  • Advice, contracting, contractual interpretations, and operational support for the operator of Chinese Production Sharing Contracts.
  • Numerous sales and purchases of foreign-based interests, including in Viet Nam, Philippines, and Indonesia.
In the area of Sensitive Security Information, Murchison Law Firm maintains current knowledge of the federal security apparatus, and we have advised clients in managing related information and processes. Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards also are within our expertise. Further, we have researched and advised clients on the FOIA exception for confidential business information (5 U.S.C. 552(b)) and prepare submissions.