“Uisdean Vass has been advising Standard Field Development since we first successfully applied for License P2451 which covers the Central North Sea Block21/28b, upon which is located the Fyne Field and other prospects. He is a very experienced and commercially oriented oil and gas lawyer, who has a strong understanding of the UKCS regulatory system. Uisdean has always been very accessible and flexible regarding the service to us as a client. He has a strong client focus and is very easy to work with. Our experience working with Uisdean has been very good and I am happy to give him my best recommendations.”
Geir Aune, CEO, Standard Field Development Limited
“As someone heavily involved in African oil and gas deals, I have worked closely with Uisdean on several occasions. A few years ago we worked on Senegal and Liberia deals and very recently, we have worked on Benin and Namibia projects. Uisdean is a very knowledgeable international oil and gas counsel. He knows how to thread PSCs, Farmouts and JOAs together to make deals happen. His long international experience gives him an instinct for dealing with the rules of African Host Governments. He is very responsive.”
Peter Elliott, CEO, PVE Consultants Limited
“Caithness Petroleum has used Uisdean Vass for oil and gas legal support for nearly ten years. In that time, we have done the following types of projects: concluding a Farm-in for an oilfield in Egypt and agreeing on the terms of a waterflood project, raising debt finance for Caithness Petroleum, negotiating a legal settlement on favourable terms of a UKCS Farm-in dispute leading to North Sea asset transfers, litigation with a major drilling company, the divestment of our UKCS operating company to IGAS, and the divestment of our Moroccan operating company to Gulfsands. We are now looking at new international deals. Whether our projects were UK-based or international, Uisdean did a splendid job. He combines legal excellence with a deep understanding of the oil and gas business. He is a pleasure to work with and is very accessible.”
Robert Kennedy, CEO Caithness Petroleum Limited
“I have been working with Uisdean on deals for over 15 years. We have done things like an AIM flotation of a UKCS new entrant, the financing of a Farmout arrangement onshore California, an asset acquisition in Azerbaijan and others. Most recently, we have been working on two UKCS deals, one for gas in the Southern North Sea and another for oil in the Central North Sea. I regard Uisdean as being a superb oil and gas lawyer, who is prompt, commercial and who really understands his industry. He is the best oil and gas lawyer that I have come across.”
Zac Phillips, CEO, Oil & Gas Advisors Limited
“This year [2020], Uisdean has advised us on three separate onshore UK oil and gas deals. The first was the divestment of our interest in West Newton field (PEDL 183) to Reabold Resources plc and the second was the divestment of our interest in Wressle field (PEDLs 180 &182) to Union Jack Oil plc. The third was the divestment of part of our own interest in Biscathorpe field (PEDL 253) to Union Jack plc. All three deals, including drafting and negotiation of transaction documentation, were quickly and efficiently handled by Uisdean. Wressle, in particular, barely took ten days from agreement in principle to execution of the asset sale and purchase agreement. Uisdean has been highly responsive and we are happy to commend his work.”
Frazer Lang, CEO, Humber Oil & Gas Limited
“I regard Uisdean Vass as a well-informed and thoughtful commentator on the MER system of offshore regulation in general and the decommissioning system in particular.”
Jim Christie, ex-Head of Worldwide Decommissioning, Marathon Oil Company, ex-Head of Decommissioning, Oil & Gas Authority
“Earlier this year [2019], my company Elephant Oil entered into an option to a farm-in agreement with United Oil & Gas regarding our onshore Production Sharing Contract over Block B in Benin. Under the deal, United commit themselves to fund certain passive seismic studies in return for the right to subsequently enter into a farm-in which would, if exercised, earn them a 20% interest in the PSC and commit them to fund us for certain drilling and non-drilling costs which are required under the PSC Work Programme. We are excited about the potential on the Block B PSC. Our legal advisor who assisted us in drawing up the option to farm-in documentation was Uisdean Vass. Uisdean has a long track record in international oil and gas deals and provided excellent legal documentation. He was also very responsive to developing requirements.”
Matt Lofgran, CEO Elephant Oil Limited
“Some years ago, I had the chance to work with Uisdean very intensively over an extended period in connection with a complex farmout of acreage located in the Senegal/Guinea-Bissau joint development zone. Ultimately four private oil companies were involved with widely divergent interests as well as the state regulatory authority. Uisdean and his team provided us with excellent representation. His legal ability and complementary understanding of the upstream oil business were most impressive.”
Thor Magnus Rovik, CEO, Rovikep AS
“In the period before the divestment of our interest in the West Newton field (PEDL 183) to Reabold Resources plc, Uisdean provided us with very valuable strategic advice on the interpretation of our PEDL 183 joint operating agreement.”
Frazer Lang, CEO, Humber Oil & Gas Limited