Thomas E. Hirst, Q.C.
Tom’s principal areas of focus are in oil and gas, banking, project financing and commercial matters. He also has extensive experience in petro-chemical and mining joint ventures.
In the oil and gas area, Tom represents numerous junior and large oil companies in respect of acquisitions and dispositions of property, property exchanges, the creation of joint ventures and strategic alliances, structuring projects for exploration and development of reserves, and petro-chemical faculties and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. Tom has also represented several Canadian banks, as well as borrowers, in routine financing transactions and complex project financings related to forestry, petro-chemical and other areas of business. He has a good understanding of the commercial, financial, environmental and other issues involved in commercial transactions.
Tom also has extensive experience in international energy-related transactions, including projects located in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain (North Sea), Indonesia, Papua-New Guinea, The Netherlands, Sudan and Norway (North Sea).
Tom has been a partner with Macleod Dixon LLP since 1976. Previously, Tom spent two years in the capacity of vice president and general counsel of a small oil company with extensive North American and international holdings.
The LEXPERT Legal Directory recognizes Tom as a leading lawyer in energy (oil and gas) law.
- University of Calgary, B.A. Economics, 1966
- University of Alberta, LL.B., 1968
- Alberta, 1969
- Member, Law Society of Alberta
- Member, Calgary Bar Association
- Course Instructor, Department of Education–Commercial Law
- Course Instructor, Association of Certified General Accountants–Commercial Law
Petrochemical and Upgrading Projects
- acted and continues to act throughout the construction, startup, development and operation of a large MTBE petrochemical plant (including its recent conversion to iso-octane production) located in Edmonton, including the creation of a complex joint venture structure amongst the co-owners of the project;
- participated in the initial set up of the Syncrude Canada oil sands project, a sale transaction involving the purchase of a working interest in that project, and currently represents one of the Syncrude owners;
- numerous transactions involving Empress, Alberta gas plants as well as downstream ethylene and other facilities;
- acts for the supplier and owner/operator of numerous sulphur processing and handling facilities installed under various purchase and sale, owner/operator and joint venture arrangements with refineries located variously in Russia, The Netherlands, the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere;
- acted for purchaser of Redwater fractionation facility (production of ethane, propane, butane and condensate) including establishing co-ownership joint venture structure and documentation;
- acted in numerous plant construction projects, EPC and EPCM contracts and negotiations (both national and international);
- acted for a major Canadian oil company in establishing complex partnership with another industry participant for the ownership and development of extensive heavy oil assets; and
- acted for an international client in the acquisition of plastics manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, Canada.
Oil and Gas International and Offshore Projects
- formulation of 3 or 4 joint ventures in Australia (Timor Sea) for the exploration, development and production of oil and gas;
- formulation of joint ventures in New Zealand, Malaysia and Algeria (offshore) for the exploration, development and production of oil and gas;
- acquisition of interest in joint venture in Papua New Guinea (offshore) for the exploration, development and production of oil and gas;
- review and advising client with respect to interests in North Sea joint venture for the exploration, development and production of oil and gas;
- acted for a client in a large exchange of Canadian offshore oil and gas properties, developed and undeveloped, for producing North Sea oil and gas properties;
- acted in the creation of several (3 or 4) limited partnership joint ventures in the Beaufort Sea (Canada) for the exploration, development and production of oil and gas. In the course of these transactions (involving Dome Petroleum and Canterra Energy), he developed considerable familiarity, at that time, with the Canadian regulatory environment for exploration of federal offshore properties. He also participated in an industry review and commentary on proposed Canadian offshore oil and gas regulations;
- acted in advising client with regard to interests in the Wild Rose project and several other joint ventures offshore Nova Scotia for the exploration, development and production of oil and gas;
- acted for a major Canadian company in the exchange of offshore Canadian oil and gas properties for North Sea properties and the establishment of a Strategic Alliance between the participating companies; and
- acted for a private Canadian company involved in the first non-regulated gas storage project in Ontario, a project recently approved by the Ontario Energy Board and now in operation.
Mining Transactions
- has acted for an Alberta coal producer in relation to its coal mining leases and related royalty matters;
- has assisted in structuring and documenting various uranium mining projects in Canada; and
- has acted in purchases, sales and royalty transactions in several gold mining projects.
Financial Transactions
- acted for consortium of Canadian and foreign lenders in the long-term financing (U.S. $660 million) of a very complex Alberta pulp mill project -- Alberta Pacific Forest Products, a Cdn. $1.2 billion project.
- acted for lenders in complex leveraged buyout of Manitoba paper mill;
- acted in numerous loan transactions financing Canadian oil and gas projects or acquisitions for both lenders and borrowers;
- acted for various U.S. lenders providing project financing for various oil and gas and petrochemical projects; and
- acted in various Eurodollar financings of Canadian lenders.
Major Domestic and International Energy Projects
- currently acting for an owner-sponsor in a large Russian-Canadian LNG project involving joint ventures for construction and operation of liquefaction facilities in Russia and regasification facilities in Canada;
- terminaling projects -- Vancouver, Kitimat (Methanex) and Rotterdam;
- acted for UTS Energy Corporation in connection with acquisition of interests from TrueNorth Energy Ltd. (KOCH Subsidiary) in the Fort Hills oil sands project;
- acted for one of two joint venture participants in forming a large Alberta “midstream” partnership to own and operate gas processing, upgrading and transportation facilities;
- acted in numerous large purchases, sales, mergers and acquisitions of oil and gas and mining businesses, including major corporate acquisitions in the last several years of Amerada Hess Canada and Quintana Exploration.
- Designated as a "Best Lawyer in Canada", 2007 & 2009
- Natural Resources Law
- Director, YMCA Canada
- Director and Past Chair, Calgary YMCA
- Director, Alberta River Conservation Foundation
- Co-Founder, Providence Community Furnishings, a charitable organization
