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International

 

BSA's International Energy Assignments

 

SUMMARY

BSA has provided consulting services in the field of energy markets, natural gas transportation and storage, and related economic strategies to clients in 27 countries, including Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, the UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Bulgaria, Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Israel, Ghana, Oman and Algeria.

ENERGY TRANSACTIONS AND REGULATIONS

Gas companies.  BSA has advised top management of major U.S. and international gas, utility and storage companies in understanding emerging market and regulatory developments, articulating strategies for dealing with changing commercial mechanisms, negotiating/reworking gas supply purchase/sales contracts, and instructing senior staff in new operating and marketing policies and tactics.  Examples of firms for whom we have conducted these assignments include:

bulletBP
bulletBG Transco
bulletBulgargaz
bulletDansk Naturgas
bulletElectricitie de France
bulletExxonMobil
bulletGas Natural
bulletGaz de France
bulletGaz Metropolitaine
bulletRAO Gazprom (VNIIGAZ)
bulletHunt Oil
bulletMitsubishi (including Diamond Energy and SES)
bulletMoldovagaz
bulletNV Nederlandsie Gasunie
bulletNigeria LNG
bulletOsaka Gas Co., Ltd.
bulletPanAlberta Gas
bulletPDVSA
bulletPhilippine National Power Corp. (NPC)
bulletPolish National Oil and Gas Company (PGNIG)
bulletRepsol
bulletRuhrgas AG
bulletShell
bulletStatoil
bulletToho Gas Co., Ltd.
bulletTokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
bulletTransCanada
bulletTrinidad NGC
bulletWestcoast (Union Gas, Ltd.)

INTERNATIONAL TRAINING

Dr. Schlesinger has actively participated since 1990 as a course instructor and lecturer on energy markets and gas contracting mechanisms in the unique "Alphatania" series of courses hosted by EconoMatters of London. Course participants include the leadership of most major gas pipeline and producing concerns, and many major industrial energy users as well.

For Alphatania, Schlesinger and Dr. John Neri recently led in the preparation and delivery of two 2-day courses, the Capacity Trading Seminar (CTS) and Gas Utilities: Finance, Regulation and Tariff Design (FRT), and developed a 2-day US market course as well.

EXAMPLES OF BSA’S INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

bulletLNG. BSA prepared in 2001-2006 quantitative assessments of North American (including in northern and central Mexico) markets for liquefied natural gas (LNG) on behalf of major lenders and for international gas suppliers in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. These analyses included forecasting price drivers, evaluating basis differentials in North America to determine suitable regasification sites/price risks, explanation and evaluation of relevant Federal regulatory oversight concerns, analysis of emerging federal policies toward LNG, examination of economics, competition and market risks at alternative LNG terminal locations, and one-on-one client briefings.  BSA worked with a number of other consulting firms in many of these assignments.
 
bulletMajor European Gas Pipeline Companies. For four major Western European national gas companies from 1990-2006, BSA prepared analyses of gas sales, pipeline transportation, and related opportunities, including comparisons of European and North American energy industry structures, gas purchase contracting mechanisms, pricing and indexation, and commodity trading.
 
bullet Republic of Ireland.  For Forfas, the National Policy and Advisory Board for Enterprise, Trade, Science, Technology and Innovation, BSA assessed in 2001 the proposed Gas (Interim) (Regulation) Bill in terms of potential effectiveness and likely impacts on the nation's industrial fuel costs and competitiveness.
 
bulletMexico.  For potential LNG suppliers in 2002-2006, BSA assessed potential markets in Baja California and Central Mexico, and provided due diligence services in a major project finance involving sales of LNG into Central Mexico.  BSA worked with licensors of the North American Regional Gas model (NARG) to extend the usefulness of this sophisticated tool to analyze Mexican gas supply, demand and price developments.  For an international fuel supplier, BSA assessed the Mexican natural gas transmission network, and developed an analysis of flows and constraints in the Pemex system serving the northern portion of the country.  For  the New Mexico State Lands Office, BSA developed a conceptual level gas pipeline project designed to serve Cuidad Juarez industrial markets.  For Pemex, BSA outlined proposed gas transportation regulations at the federal level, and set forth the role, composition, functions and staffing plan for a newly proposed Mexican energy regulatory commission.
 
bulletColombia. Under private assignment with Chase Manhattan in 1992-1995 and then under assignment with KMR Power in 1997-1999, BSA negotiated gas supply and transportation agreements, prepared power supply competition analysis, and helped articulate a set of rate and transit policies which later became part of Colombian gas regulation.
 
bulletCanada. BSA has worked continuously with clients in Canada since 1984.  In 1999, BSA was engaged as lead market advisors to the Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI) in a multi-client analysis of the consequences for gas pricing and basis in the U.S. Northeast and Eastern Canada of major new gas pipeline developments, including from Sable Island. Earlier, in 1996-97, BSA co-authored with CERI a special report entitled Facilitating Major Additions to Gas Pipeline Capacity: Innovative Approaches to Financing, Contracting, and Regulation. As part of this research project, BSA drew upon our own extensive work with the international finance community in the area of gas supply contracting and policy, and we formed and consulted with a group of energy project finance managers from Barclays Bank, Chase, Banque Paribas and the World Bank.
 
bulletJapan. For the Japan Gas Association and, individually, for major Japanese gas utilities and industrial firms for the past 15 years, BSA prepared assessments and comparative reviews of regulatory and commercial business practices in U.S., Canadian and Japanese natural gas industries.
 
bulletUnited Kingdom. In an assignment for British Gas in 1994-1995 in conjunction with Gas Strategies of London, BSA prepared an analysis of alternative natural gas contracting and regulatory mechanisms aimed at extracting appropriate elements of US, Canadian and state-level experience in North America to Great Britain.
 
bulletRussian Federation. Under assignment with the United Nations Development Office (New York) in 1995, BSA advised a group of experts within the Ministry of Industry and Energy preparing a report on the Russian gas industry, aimed primarily at the financial and investment communities. Earlier, under contract with the World Bank, BSA prepared gas supply-demand projections for four Russian cities under alternative assumptions regarding capital improvements of local gas distribution facilities.
 
bulletPhilippines. For the National Power Corporation (NPC), BSA acted in 1995-96 as fuel advisor in negotiations resulting in a long-term contract with Shell/Oxy for the purchase of domestic natural gas supplies. Earlier, under subcontract to USAID in 1995, BSA prepared a set of regulatory initiatives, documents and an Action Plan for Department of Energy and other governmental agencies, identifying the activities and plans needed in order to enable gas-based pipeline and utility industries to develop on Luzon. This work included setting out the needed regulatory structures and drafting appropriate rules implementing gas transportation and delivery policies recommended by BSA.

BSA’s credentials as an independent fuel advisor are unquestioned within the international merchant power development and private banking and investment communities involved in project finance.

 

Benjamin Schlesinger and Associates, Inc.
The Bethesda Gateway
7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 740
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 951-7266
Fax (301) 951-3381