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Considerations in Gas Contracts Using LNG Supply. Texas Utility Lawyers Association October 13, 2005 Craig Enochs Jackson Walkter L.L.P. . Introduction Times they are a changin.’ . II. Basic Differences between LNG and traditional North American Gas Supplies. Transportation
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Considerations in Gas Contracts Using LNG Supply Texas Utility Lawyers Association October 13, 2005 Craig Enochs Jackson Walkter L.L.P.
II. Basic Differences between LNG and traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • Scheduling • Force Majeure • Remedies
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. Regasification Ship Liquefaction
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies A. Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline • Scheduling
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline • Scheduling • LNG – Scheduling based on the timetable for a ship to travel to a gas import facility.
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline • Scheduling • LNG – scheduling based on the timetable for a ship to travel to a gas import facility • Traditional – scheduling based on pipeline capacity
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline • Scheduling • LNG – scheduling based on the timetable for a ship to travel to a gas import facility • Traditional – scheduling based on pipeline capacity • Force Majeure
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline • Scheduling • LNG – scheduling based on the timetable for a ship to travel to a gas import facility • Traditional – scheduling based on pipeline capacity • Force Majeure • Risk calculations are altered, with some risks increased and some decreased
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline • Scheduling • LNG – scheduling based on the timetable for a ship to travel to a gas import facility • Traditional – scheduling based on pipeline capacity • Force Majeure 1. Risk calculations are altered, with some risks increased and some decreased • Remedies
II. Basic Differences between LNG and Traditional North American Gas Supplies • Transportation • LNG – liquefaction to ship to degasification. • Traditional – pipeline • Scheduling • LNG – scheduling based on the timetable for a ship to travel to a gas import facility • Traditional – scheduling based on pipeline capacity • Force Majeure 1. Risk calculations are altered, with some risks increased and some decreased • Remedies 1. The remedies available if seller fails to deliver may be inadequate
III. Analysis • Transportation • Scheduling • Force Majeure • Adequacy of Remedies
III. Analysis • Transportation 1. Traditional gas assumes pipelines will be used.
III. Analysis • Transportation • Traditional gas assumes pipelines will be used. • LNG uses ships and no pipelines if delivery point is the tailgate of the regasification facility.
III. Analysis • Transportation • Traditional gas assumes pipelines will be used. • LNG uses ships and no pipelines if delivery point is the tailgate of the regasification facility. • Mixed bag.
III. Analysis • Scheduling 1. Traditional Gas – scheduling flexibility
III. Analysis • Scheduling • Traditional Gas – scheduling flexibility • LNG – limited ability to change scheduling
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG • Decreased risks from use of LNG
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG • Decreased risks from use of LNG • Obligation to replace
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG • Additional governmental regulation from country of export
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG • Additional governmental regulation from country of export • Isolation of supply due to concentration of supplies in a single ship
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG • Additional governmental regulation from country of export • Isolation of supply due to concentration of supplies in a single ship • Inability to reroute transportation if the ship becomes unavailable
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG • Additional governmental regulation from country of export • Isolation of supply due to concentration of supplies in a single ship • Inability to reroute transportation if the ship becomes unavailable • Uncertainty as to which ship a certain transaction is sourced from
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Increased risks from use of LNG • Additional governmental regulation from country of export • Isolation of supply due to concentration of supplies in a single ship • Inability to reroute transportation if the ship becomes unavailable • Uncertainty as to which ship a certain transaction is sourced from • Expanded geography
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure 2. Decreased risks
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Decreased risks a. Immune to pipeline breakdowns, ruptures, or malfunctions
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Decreased risks • Immune to pipeline breakdowns, ruptures, or malfunctions • Immune to many weather events affecting traditional supplies
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure 3. Obligations to replace • If the delivery point is a pooling point or hub and an event of force majeure affects a seller’s supply away from the pool or hub, is the seller obligated to replace the volumes cut by the force majeure?
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure 3. Obligations to replace • If the delivery point is a pooling point or hub and an event of force majeure affects a seller’s supply away from the pool or hub, is the seller obligatedto replacethe volumes cut by the force majeure? • NAESB is unclear as to whether the seller is obligated to replace.
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure 3. Obligations to replace • If the delivery point is a pooling point or hub and an event of force majeure affects a seller’s supply away from the pool or hub, is the seller obligatedto replacethe volumes cut by the force majeure? • NAESB is unclear as to whether the seller is obligated to replace. • May be prudent to specify whether the seller has the obligation to replace.
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Adequacy of remedies a. Traditional gas – relatively easy to obtain alternate supplies at a pool or hub.
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Adequacy of remedies • Traditional gas – relatively easy to obtain alternate supplies at a pool or hub. • LNG – If the delivery point is the tailgate of the regasification facility, it will be appreciably more difficult to obtain alternate supply.
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Adequacy of remedies • Traditional gas – relatively easy to obtain alternate supplies at a pool or hub. • LNG – If the delivery point is the tailgate of the degasification facility, it will be appreciably more difficult to obtain alternate supply. • Specific performance.
III. Analysis C. Force Majeure • Adequacy of remedies • Traditional gas – relatively easy to obtain alternate supplies at a pool or hub. • LNG – If the delivery point is the tailgate of the degasification facility, it will be appreciably more difficult to obtain alternate supply. • Specific performance. 1.) Without specific performance, the buyer may not have an adequate remedy if the LNG seller fails to deliver.