Ben H. Welmaker, Jr. practices in the area of oil & gas law. He was named in The International Who’s Who of Oil & Gas Lawyers 2007; and Who’s Who Legal: Texas (Oil & Gas) 2007 – present. Mr. Welmaker is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Florida Bar and Houston Bar, and currently serves as co-chair of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators committee tasked to revise the 2004 AIPN Model Form International Accounting Procedure.
Practice Focus
Mr. Welmaker's practice covers acquiring oil and gas exploration and production rights (participation/joint bidding agreements, bid rounds, famin/farmout agreements); joint operations (international operating agreements, accounting procedures); drilling operations (rig purchase and sale agreements; onshore and offshore drilling contracts; rig sharing agreements); master service agreements; natural gas purchase and sale agreements.
Representative Legal Matters
- ANGOLA: Draft and negotiate production sharing contracts with the government. Represent a party to a production sharing contract cancelled by the government.
- BRAZIL: Prepare joint bidding and operating agreements for operations in Brazil; prepare and submit qualifications in two ANP bid rounds.
- COLOMBIA: Qualify a US company to hold concessions in Colombia; negotiate farmin agreements for existing concessions; prepare drilling and seismic acquisition contracts.
- EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Draft and negotiate a production sharing contract and operating agreement with the government for operations in Equatorial Guinea.
- INDONESIA: Negotiate revisions to a production sharing contract with Pertamina and advise on the rights under the Pertamina model form production sharing contract.
- NIGERIA: Prepare farmin agreements, operating agreements and technical service contracts for operations under onshore and offshore oil prospecting licenses.
- SIERRA LEONE: Advise the government of Sierra Leone on hydrocarbon policy.
- US: Represent a national oil company in a farmin of MMS oil and gas leases over shelf and deep water blocks in the US Gulf of Mexico.
- US: Handle prospect development agreements and dispute resolution in the Eagle Ford area of South Texas.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Texas - Member of the Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Law and International Law Sections
- Florida Bar - Member of the International Law Section
- Houston Bar Association - Member of the Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Section
- Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) - former co-chair of AIPN committee to revise the 1999 Model Form Intl Confidentiality Agreement
- Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) - Co-Chair of AIPN committee to revise the 2004 AIPN Model Form Intl Accounting Procedure
Admission
Texas (1967)
Florida
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
Education
University of Texas School of Law
(LL.B.)
(1967)
University of Texas at Austin
(B.A.)
(1964)
Baker & McKenzie LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership organized under the laws of the State of Illinois (USA) and is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.