Norman Wisely

Practice Areas

Norman Wisely is a partner and head of the oil and gas team, and specialises in all areas of oil & gas law, and in particular oil & gas mergers and acquisitions work. Norman is ranked as a leading lawyer in Chambers, Legal 500 and Who's Who - Energy and is a Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyer.

Norman has extensive experience in advising clients on oil & gas matters including leading numerous acquisitions and disposals of offshore and onshore oil & gas assets, advising on oil & gas related share transactions, on transportation and infrastructure projects, decommissioning and decommissioning security, licensing, production sharing and joint venture matters, product sales arrangements and all matters relevant to the exploration, production and sale of hydrocarbons.

Norman’s recent international experience includes leading on various oil and gas deals and projects from and based in Norway, UAE, Russia, Namibia, Trinidad and various other countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Australasia and North and South America.

Professional Memberships

Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN)

Associate, Centre for Energy Law, University of Aberdeen

Trustee of the Energy, Petroleum, Mineral and Natural Resources Law and Policy Education Trust (University of Dundee)

Work Highlights

bp on the sale of its operated Cashima, Flamboyant, Ahmerista, Immortelle and Parang fields in Trinidad and Tobago, to Perenco (USD 260m).

Shell on the joint sale with Exxon of operated interests in the Bacton Gas terminal, the North Walsham Condensate Disposal System, and various Southern North Sea gas fields (Barque, Brigantine, Caravel, Carrack, Clipper, Corvette, Cutter, Galleon, Leman, Shamrock, Skiff) and the Selene exploration prospect to RockRose/Viaro, via a hive-down and corporate sale.

TAQA on the forfeiture and transfer of the Brae fields from Fujairah Oil & Gas to TAQA Bratani, NEO Energy and Spirit (the first such process in the UK) (TAQA Bratani Ltd v Fujairah Oil and Gas UK LLC [2023] EWHC 1297 (Comm)).

Equinor on various joint venture, acquisition and financing matters in respect of the development of the Rosebank field.

HitecVision / NEO Energy on its production farm-in to Greater Buchan area from Jersey Oil & Gas via a hive-down, its assumption of operatorship, and on the associated purchase of the Western Isles FPSO from Dana (USD 250m).

HitecVision / NEO Energy on the acquisition of JX Nippon Exploration and Production UK, holding interests in the Culzean, Mariner and Brae fields (USD 1.65bn).

MOL on the sale of its UK oil and gas business, via a sale of its 5 UK subsidiaries to Waldorf, including interests in the Catcher, Scolty/Crathes and Scott/Telford fields and various infrastructure (USD 305m).

Equinor on the sale of interest in the Corrib gas field (Republic of Ireland) via a sale of Equinor Energy Ireland to Vermilion (USD 434m).

HitecVision / NEO Energy on the acquisition of over 15 oil and gas fields from Exxon (including Gannet, Penguins, Shearwater, Elgin/Franklin, ETAP (Mirren, Madoes), Kingfisher, Strathspey, Nelson and interests in the SEAL, GAEL and Brent pipeline systems and the Sullom Voe terminal), via a hive-down and sale of ExxonMobil CNNS Limited (USD 1.35bn).

Kerogen Capital on the sale of the Zennor Petroleum group of companies (incorporating Zennor Petroleum and 6 subsidiaries including interests in Finlaggan, Britannia, Bacchus, Cormorant East and ETAP fields) to NEO Energy (USD 625m).

SSE on the sale of its entire offshore UK gas business through sale of SSE E&P UK Limited to RockRose, including interests in over 15 gas fields and various other infrastructure, involving retention of decommissioning liability, vendor loan and security.

EnQuest on the purchase of a 26% interest in the Golden Eagle Field from Suncor Energy, via an acquisition of its subsidiary, North Sea (Golden Eagle) Resources Limited (USD 375m).

Repsol on its disposal of the Blane, Enoch and Tartan satellite fields to Bridge Petroleum.

TAQA on the acquisition and contested assumption of operatorship of the Brae field from RockRose (TAQA Bratani Ltd v. RockRose UKCS8 LLC [2020] EWHC 58 (Comm)).

SSE on its purchase of a stake in Laggan, Tormore, Edradour and Glenlivet Fields together with interests in the Shetland Gas Plant and other ancillary interests from TotalEnergies (GBP 565m).

bp on various projects, including its sale of its Alba and Britannia fields to Mitsui and sale of Draugen field (Norway) to Shell, its Erskine Field to Serica, the sale of its NW Hutton interest to Fairfield (as a joint sale with Shell, Exxon and Cieco) and its acquisition of an interest in the Culzean field from JX.

BG (now Shell) on the sale of its entire interest in the CATS pipeline via a sale of its subsidiary, BG CATS Limited, to Antin Infrastructure Partners (GBP 572m).

SSE on its purchase from Hess of 19 offshore fields in the Southern North Sea gas basin including interests in the Everest/Lomond, Bacton and ECA areas together with interests in the Bacton terminal (USD 423m).

Shell on the sale of Sakhalin II to, and entry into various arrangements with, Gazprom (USD 8bn) (Russia).

Premier Oil on its acquisition of a 100% interest in Solan Field from Chrysaor and associated financing arrangements in respect of USD 2bn field development, its subsequent restructuring of same, and its USD 100m forward production sale to Flowstream.

TAQA on its purchase of seven North Sea oil and gas fields together with interests in the Brent pipeline system and Sullom Voe terminal from Shell and Exxon (USD 628m).

Sintezneftegas on its investment into Namibia, associated petroleum agreement and in-country JOA negotiations.

EnQuest on its acquisition of interests in the Kittiwake area from Centrica.

Equinor on the disposal of the Alba field to Verus and the acquisition of an operated interest in Rosebank from Chevron.

Zennor Petroleum on the purchase of an interest in the Britannia field from Mitsui.

Various oil and gas field development and infrastructure projects including development of the Broom (DNO), Helvellyn (bp), Don (EnQuest), Ivar Aasen (Apache) and Finlaggan (Zennor Petroleum) fields.

Apache on the sale of the Seagull field to Neptune, the purchase of the Nelson field from TotalEnergies and various farm-outs.

BP on in-country restructuring various infrastructure in Trinidad as part of a sales process with Repsol and on drilling contracts in Iraq.

Led CMS teams supporting CNOOC, Saudi Aramco, Repsol and TotalEnergies on various key projects.

Education