Allen & Overy is advising SINOPEC Engineering (Group) Co., Ltd. (“SINOPEC Engineering”) on its landmark (approximately) USD2 billion initial public offering (IPO) and listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hong Kong’s largest IPO so far in 2013.  The firm’s Hong Kong office has a strong track record in advising on sizeable IPOs for Chinese state-owned enterprises, having advised Agricultural Bank of China on its USD22.1bn IPO in 2010.

Ashurst has advised Drillsearch Energy Limited (Drillsearch) on its US$125m offer of senior, unsecured, guaranteed convertible bonds.

Drillsearch Energy is an oil and gas explorer and producer, focused on the highly-prospective Cooper-Eromanga Basin, which is located in Central Australia and spans the north-eastern region of South Australia and the south-western region of Queensland.

Watson, Farley & Williams Asia Practice LLP (“WFW”), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised SapuraKencana Petroleum Berhad (“SapuraKencana”), a major oil & gas services company headquartered in Malaysia, on the debt and equity financing of its acquisition of the entire issued share capital in Seadrill Tender Rig Ltd (“Seadrill”) and certain other related businesses and assets. The acquisition included purchasing 18 tender drilling rigs from Seadrill (6 semi-tenders, 9 tender barges and 3 newbuilds.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised OGX Petróleo e Gás Participações S.A. ("OGX") on the sale of a 40% stake in two blocks in the Campos Basin, offshore Brazil to Malaysian state oil and gas company PETRONAS.

Under the agreement signed on 7 May 2013, PETRONAS will acquire 40% of OGX's interest in each of Blocks BM-C-39 and BM-C-40 for a total consideration of US$850 million. The blocks are located in the shallow waters 95 km offshore the state of Rio de Janeiro and contain the Tubarão Martelo field which is currently under development.

Herbert Smith Freehills has advised long-standing Chinese oil and gas client, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) on the acquisition of additional interests in the Queensland Curtis LNG project, Australia (QCLNG) and new exploration acreage in the Bowen Basin and CNOOC on the purchase of increased volumes of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG).

Allen & Overy LLP advised KCA Deutag on the issue of high-yield bonds with a total volume of USD 500 million.

The issue consisted of a USD-tranche with a term of five years and bearing interest of 9.625 per cent.

Global law firm Eversheds has advised National Grid on contracts with Balfour Beatty and an unincorporated joint venture between Morrison and Skanska, for a £3.1 billion programme of works on National Grid’s gas distribution networks in the UK.

Watson, Farley & Williams (WFW), a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has advised PNE WIND AG on the acquisition of a 54 per cent stake in WKN AG, Husum, from the majority shareholder Volker Friedrichsen Beteiligungs GmbH. The completion of the contract is still subject to customary closing conditions. The purchase price is based on an enterprise value of EUR93 million, paid by PNE WIND AG in cash and shares.

Simmons & Simmons Advises FTSE-listed Ukrainian oil & gas company on asset disposal

International law firm Simmons & Simmons has advised new client Cadogan Petroleum Holdings Ltd. on its disposal of two gas processing plants to Global Process Systems LLC.

The disposal marked the closure of litigation between the two parties and a full and final settlement of all claims and liabilities between them. The transaction completed on 19 April 2013.

Slaughter and May advised Drax Group plc and its subsidiaries (the 'Drax Group') on its agreement with Friends Life for a £75 million amortising guaranteed loan note facility maturing in June 2018 (the 'Facility').