Paula Kidd

Practice Areas

Paula is a partner in the Oil and Gas Department.

With more than 450 energy and climate change lawyers, including over 100 partners, the CMS Energy and Climate Change practice is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Led from its centres of excellence such as London and Aberdeen, the practice works across 75 offices globally. Building on 40 years of experience advising on power, oil & gas and renewables through to energy disputes, emerging areas and Energy Transition, CMS is uniquely placed to ensure clients receive advice best suited to their commercial needs and to our collective future.

Work Highlights

Decommissioning Fairfield Energy Limited in relation to establishment of decommissioning joint venture with Hereema (Netherlands) and AF Gruppen (Norway) as a proposed ultra-late life operator and decommissioning contractor.

bp on an innovative sale and purchase agreement in respect of the transfer of assets to a contractor for removal and decommissioning.

Orkney Islands Council on the council's decommissioning rights and obligations in respect of the Flotta oil terminal vis-a-vis the terminal owners.

Supporting Offshore Energies UK on joint industry project in respect of research to develop environmental solutions for decommissioning of man-made structures in the North Sea (INSITE).

Participation in the Offshore Energies UK working group regarding the industry standard DSA and the changes required in relation to decommissioning tax relief, and drafting various amendments required to the industry standard DSA.

Wide range of experienced in decommissioning security arrangements (both field wide and bi-lateral arrangements).

Advising on a number of transactions including retention of seller decommissioning liability and associated decommissioning agreements including: • bp on its proposed sale of the Erskine and Bruce, Keith and Rhum fields and associated decommissioning agreements; • Equinor on its sale of the Alba field and associated decommissioning agreements; • SSE on the sale of its upstream business including associated decommissioning arrangements; and • Neo Energy on its acquisition of the Britannia field and associated decommissioning agreements

Upstream M&A and Projects  Humber Gathering System Limited on innovative and collaborative Tolmount Project Agreements including decommissioning security agreements, joint development agreement, pipeline construction agreements and transportation agreements (FID achieved September 2018). This project was the recipient of an award for Maximising Economic Recovery at the Oil & Gas UK Awards November 2018.

Education