Bob Thomas is a former Co-Chair of the firm’s Energy Section. His practice principally consists of representing domestic and international oil and gas companies in all phases of the energy business, with emphasis on the upstream and midstream segments.
Although Bob is principally involved in energy transactions, his practice includes representation of energy companies involved in disputes, whether mediation, arbitration, or litigation, including serving as an expert witness in complex energy cases.
His practice also includes the following:
- Acquisition, divestiture, and financing of midstream and upstream assets
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Acquisition and development of gas storage facilities
- Upstream and midstream agreements including drilling agreements, marketing agreements, gas, liquids and crude oil purchase, transport, and gathering agreements
- Farm out and participation agreements, farmout of general and limited partnership agreements, seismic shoot agreements, data acquisitions and seismic licenses, executive compensation agreements, surface and subsurface easements, and oil and gas leases
- Drop-down transactions for upstream and midstream master limited partnerships
Prior to joining Porter Hedges, Bob was Division Attorney for Mesa Petroleum Co. in Houston, Texas and in-house counsel for Gulf Oil Corporation in Midland, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Honors & Recognitions
Chambers USA, Leading Lawyer in Energy: Oil & Gas Transactions
The Legal 500, Recommended Lawyer in Oil and Gas Transactions
Best Lawyers in America, Energy Law and Oil & Gas Law
Texas Super Lawyers, Energy & Natural Resources
Houston Business Journal, "Who's Who in Energy"
Credentials
Education
J.D., Tulane University, 1974
B.A., Tulane University, cum laude, 1971
Admissions
Texas
Louisiana
Experience
Bob’s representations have included the following:
- Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. and Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. in the sale of 36.75% of the Bakken Pipeline Project, which includes the Dakota Access pipeline and the Energy Transfer Crude Oil pipeline to MarEn Bakken Company LLC, an entity jointly owned by Enbridge Energy Partners, L.P. and Marathon Petroleum.
- Noble Energy in a $3.2 billion acquisition of 50% of a company’s Marcellus oil and gas development leases and the related joint venture development agreement with CONSOL Energy.
- The management group of Azure Midstream Energy in the $910 million acquisition of TGGT Holdings, a joint venture between EXCO Resources Inc. and BG Group PLC, with the backing of Energy Spectrum Capital.
- Master limited partnership in sale of $110 million divestiture of pipeline and gathering assets.
- Enbridge Energy Partners in the $160 million acquisition of Eaglebine Shale assets.
- Eagle Ford Minerals, LLC in the sale of leasehold and producing interests in the Eagle Ford Shale to Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. for $250 million.
- A Special Committee of the Gulfport Energy Corporation Board of Directors in the $372 million and $220 million acquisition of Utica Shale Acreage from Windsor Ohio.
- A management group and minority investors in the $1 billion TPG Capital-backed formation of Maverick American Natural Gas.
- PetroQuest Energy, Inc. in acquiring certain shallow water Gulf of Mexico producing properties for approximately $193 million in cash.
- Endeavour International Corporation in its sale of 50% of its upstream and midstream assets in the Pennsylvania Marcellus and formation of a joint venture with Samson Exploration, LLC.
- EPL Oil & Gas in purchasing oil and gas assets in the Gulf of Mexico from Hilcorp Energy Co. for $550 million.
- Hupecol LLC in the $281 million sale of Colombian oil and gas assets to Sinopec, a $ 564 million sale to CEPSA, and a $75 million sale to GeoPark Holdings Limited.
- Chevron USA in acquiring 246,000 net leasehold acres in the Delaware Basin in New Mexico from Chesapeake Energy Corporation.
- A Houston based oil and gas exploration and production company in selling an undivided participating interest in a Production Sharing Contract for the Exploitation of Coalbed Methane Resources in Linxian and Xingian Counties, Shanxi Province, the People's Republic of China to ChevronTexaco China Energy Company.
- A public oil and gas exploration and production company in a $1.3 billion merger to acquire outer continental shelf assets.
- Financial advisors to the U.S. Department of Energy in the sale of Elk Hills Naval Petroleum Reserve for $3.5 billion.
- A private oil and gas company in a $265 million sale of the company involving Egyptian assets.
- A major independent in its formation of development drilling funds involving third party investments exceeding $1 billion.
- Expert witness testimony in Australian royalty arbitration.
- A buyer in acquiring producing oil and gas properties in Texas and Louisiana for $120 million.
- A major independent international energy company in gas sales in Cote d'Ivoire.
- A participant in an Azerbaijan joint venture arbitration.
- An energy utility's oil marketing subsidiary in a petroleum pipeline joint venture with a major international energy company.
- A private energy finance company in providing equity infusion to a petroleum pipeline company.
Affiliations
State Bar of Texas, Member
State Bar of Louisiana, Member
Houston Bar Association, Member
Houston Bar Foundation, Fellow
