Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Total on its agreement signed on November 25, 2016 regarding the feasibility and, in case of positive final investment decision, the development and operation of an LNG import and re-gasification infrastructure project with a capacity of 3 million tons per year.

The project will be developed and operated by a special purpose company (CI-GNL) with Total as majority shareholder (34%), local companies – Petro CI (11%) and CI-Energies (5%) – and international companies – SOCAR (26%), Shell (13%), Golar (6%) and Endeavor Energy (5%).

The project involves the construction of a terminal with a floating storage and re-gasification unit in the Abidjan area, and a pipeline connecting it to power plants. The project is expected to become operational by 2018. It will enable Ivory Coast to become the first regional LNG import hub in West Africa.

The Norton Rose Fulbright team was led by energy and projects corporate partner Christophe Asselineau, assisted by Marie Guis, senior associate. Marta Giner Asins, partner, and Arnaud Sanz, senior associate, were in charge of the competition aspects of the project.

Christophe Asselineau says “We are delighted that Total retained us to assist them on this project. Because of the pressing energy needs identified by the Government of Ivory Coast the timetable was one of the most challenging we had ever encountered on such a project. The fact that it was possible to finalize a multipartite agreement on such a complex project in such a short time span is yet another indication of the major changes which have occurred in the African business environment in recent years.”

Other Counsel : Petro CI and CI-Energies were advised by Gide Loyrette Nouel (Michel Pitron, Francois Krotoff and Julien David, partners, with Adama Kamara – ADKA law firm –, assisted by Nicolas Jean and Magueye Gueye), Golar was advised by Orrick (Yves Lepage, partner, Guillaume Vitrichet, senior associate, and Didier Boua Doux).