Ryan Keays
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Ryan Keays practises primarily in the area of energy and resources, but also focuses on business law and corporate and commercial law. He advises clients on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, with a specific focus on the energy sector, both domestically and internationally.
His practice has included representing clients in oil and gas asset acquisitions and divestitures, share acquisitions and divestitures, negotiation of production sharing contracts and other host government contracts, gas marketing arrangements, pipeline transportation arrangements, midstream asset monetization transactions, negotiation of farm-in agreements and other joint venture agreements, oil and gas lease negotiation and interpretation matters, royalty matters and other contractual and operational matters in the oil and gas industry.
Ryan's international experience includes advising oil and gas companies entering and operating in many jurisdictions in North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Professional experience
-Alle schließenLL.B., Dalhousie University, 2005
Business Law Certificate, Dalhousie University, 2005
B.ASc., Acadia University, 2001
C.A.S., Acadia University, 2001
- Alberta 2006
Ryan has acted in the following matters:
- Brookfield Asset Management Inc. on gas transportation service contracting, land tenure and operations services matters in connection with its acquisition of a 90% interest in the Nova Transportadora do Sudeste SA (NTS) pipeline system in Brazil
- Brookfield Infrastructure on its acquisition of Enbridge's Canadian natural gas gathering and processing business in the Montney, Peace River Arch, Horn River and Liard basins in BC and Alberta for C$4.3 billion
- Black Swan Energy, a Calgary-based private energy company with operations in the northeast British Columbia Montney resource play, in a joint venture arrangement with AltaGas Ltd. and certain of its subsidiaries. The transaction included the sale to AltaGas of 50% ownership in certain existing and future natural gas processing facilities of Black Swan and the parties entering into a long-term processing agreement and transportation and marketing agreements. Black Swan will continue to operate the facilities. AltaGas's investment in the facilities is estimated to be approximately C$186 million
- Wolf Midstream Inc. on its acquisition from MEG Energy Corp. of a 50% ownership interest in Access Pipeline and a 100% ownership interest in the Stonefell Terminal for C$1.5 billion, including capital commitments of approximately C$90 million. As a result of this acquisition, Wolf Midstream owns 100% of Access Pipeline in addition to being its sole operator. This transaction includes an initial 30-year commitment from MEG pertaining to transportation services on Access Pipeline and the use of Stonefell Terminal
- Paramount Resources Ltd. on its purchase of Apache Canada Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of US public company Apache Corporation, for approximately C$460 million. The acquisition added significant reserves, production and landholdings within Alberta and British Columbia to Paramount's portfolio. The transaction was complex due to the dispositions by Apache Canada of approximately $450 million of other assets not being acquired as part of the acquisition of Apache Canada by Paramount
- A Canadian subsidiary of a state-owned enterprise from the Middle East on the establishment of a Canadian partnership with a joint venture partner and the acquisition of C$1.5 billion of primarily natural gas producing assets through two separate transactions. This mandate included advising on all aspects of establishing our client's business in Canada, the transaction agreements, production marketing arrangements and operational issues, as well as its eventual disposition of its interest in the partnership
- Serafina Energy Ltd., a Calgary-based private energy company with thermal heavy oil operations in Saskatchewan, on its completion of an asset exchange transaction with Husky Oil Operations Limited involving C$116 million in aggregate asset value. This transaction was strategic to Serafina's land positioning for the development of future thermal oil production projects
- The special committees of the board of directors of Enbridge Income Fund Holdings Inc. and the board of trustees of Enbridge Commercial Trust in connection with (i) the acquisition by an indirect subsidiary of Enbridge Income Fund from Enbridge Inc. of its Canadian liquids pipelines business and certain renewable energy assets for $30.4 billion, together with the issuance of certain incentive/performance rights; (ii) the acquisition of a 50% interest in the US portion of Alliance Pipeline and an interest in the Southern Lights Pipeline for $1.8 billion; and (iii) the acquisition of the Amherstburg and Tilbury Solar and Greenwich Wind energy projects and the Hardisty crude oil storage facilities for $1.7 billion
- Brookfield Americas Infrastructure Fund in the acquisition of a 90% partnership interest in a Canadian limited partnership that operates a 40Bcf natural gas storage facility and associated infrastructure in a deal valued at C$90 million
- Best Lawyers in Canada: Oil and Gas Law, 2019-2024; Energy Law, 2022-2024; Corporate Law, 2024
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2023-2024: recommended in Energy (Oil & Gas)
- Chambers Canada, Nationwide: Oil & Gas (Transactional), Chambers and Partners, 2020-2023
- International Financial Law Review 1000, Canada: Mergers and acquisitions; Project Development, 2018-2023
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2019, 2021: Leading Lawyer to Watch in Energy (Oil & Gas)
- Alistair Fraser Scholarship, Dalhousie University, 2003
- Bernard N. Cain Memorial Scholarship, Acadia University, 2001
- Harry F. Patterson Memorial Scholarship, 1998-2001
- Governor General’s Medal, 1998
- Lexis Practice Advisor Canada - Joint Ventures, 2014 - present
- Canadian Bar Association
- Law Society of Alberta
- Association of International Petroleum Negotiators
- Canadian Energy Law Foundation
- Co-instructor, international petroleum transactions, University of Calgary Faculty of Law, 2011-2013
- Co-Instructor, international petroleum joint ventures, CWC School for Energy (Istanbul, Turkey), 2011
- Co-instructor, seminar on rights of first refusal, Canadian Association of Petroleum Land Administrators, 2008-2011
- English
- French