International Oil, Gas and Energy Law

Entry requirements

The standard entry requirements for the programme are either a degree in law or another discipline from a UK university or a relevant professional qualification or an equivalent international qualification which indicates an ability to study at the postgraduate level. Whilst some background knowledge of law is useful, a degree in law is not essential.

Your degree should be a minimum of second class, with honours, and above, or the overseas equivalent.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The Postgraduate Diploma in International Oil, Gas and Energy Law is a course created in response to the growing demand for legal education in this field and specifically in the areas of:

• The regulation of oil, gas and energy law transactions
• Upstream oil, gas and petroleum contracting
• Arbitration and dispute resolution
• Energy processing and distribution law
• The legal financial matrix of the oil, gas and energy sectors
• Environmental and sustainability issues

While primarily focused on the law, the modules of study touch on other disciplines such as finance and policy. Both national and international law are covered, with appropriate attention given to cross-border aspects. The aim of the course is to train professionals in a solid working knowledge of relevant national and international law, as it applies in practice. The qualification will be of benefit to anyone currently pursuing, or wishing to pursue a career in the oil, gas and energy industry, or in the renewable energy sector.

The course focuses on the practical aspects of oil and gas law and is set in the broader context of contemporary energy regulation, law and policy. It seeks to develop a deep understanding of how to resolve the challenges posed by national authorities to oil, gas and energy production. Those working in the oil and gas sectors increasingly want and need to understand the legal principles that underpin many of their activities, from the drafting of basic contracts to the intricacies, controversies and complexities of the international regimes covering such matters as oil pollution from ships and delimitation of continental shelf reserves between adjacent and opposite states. This course seeks to introduce students to the fundamental precepts of English commercial law; to the institutional legal framework of the oil and gas economies; to contracts; regulations and treaties relating to oil and gas exploration and exploitation (including those relating to environmental issues); and to matters of finance, including investment, insurance and taxation.

The programme will look at the upstream and downstream sectors of oil, gas and energy law: The upstream oil sector is a term commonly used to refer to the searching for and the recovery and production of crude oil and natural gas. The upstream oil sector is also known as the exploration and production (E&P) sector. The upstream sector includes the searching for potential underground or underwater oil and gas fields, drilling of exploratory wells, and subsequently operating the wells that recover and bring the crude oil and/or raw natural gas to the surface.

The downstream oil sector is a term commonly used to refer to the refining of crude oil, and the selling and distribution of natural gas and products derived from crude oil. Such products include liquified petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline or petrol, jet fuel, diesel oil, other fuel oils, asphalt and petroleum coke. The downstream sector includes oil refineries and petrochemical plants, petroleum product distribution, retail outlets and natural gas distribution companies. The downstream industry touches consumers through thousands of products such as petrol, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil, asphalt, lubricants, synthetic rubber, plastics, fertilizers, antifreeze, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, natural gas and propane.