Managing Oil and Gas Contracts and Negotiations Training Course

Course overview

Contracts are where an oil and gas project's value is either protected or quietly given away. Every agreement, from the license that grants access to the resource through to the service deals that build the asset, allocates money, risk, and control between parties whose interests only partly overlap. This course treats contracting and negotiation as one continuous discipline, not two separate skills.

Participants learn to read the commercial intent behind contract language, spot where risk has been shifted onto them, and negotiate terms that hold up when a project runs late or a price collapses. The emphasis throughout is on judgment that commercial managers, engineers, and counsel can apply together on live deals.

The commercial and legal context

Upstream agreements come in recognizable families, and knowing how production sharing contracts (PSC/PSA), concessions and service contracts differ is the starting point for any negotiation. Layered on top are joint operating agreements (JOA) between partners, host-government agreements that set the fiscal terms, and a compliance overlay that keeps growing. Teams now negotiate against a backdrop of anti-corruption compliance under the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act 2010, and transparency initiatives such as EITI that shape what can and cannot be agreed.

Because a contract's real test comes when something goes wrong, negotiators pay close attention to risk allocation, indemnity and liability clauses, and to force majeure and termination provisions. Strong contract work also depends on the wider discipline of oil and gas project management and risk mitigation, so that what is promised on paper can actually be delivered in the field.

What you will be able to do afterwards

By the end of the course, participants should be able to:

• Distinguish PSC/PSA, concession and service contracts
• Compare the commercial logic behind each contract type
• Allocate risk through indemnity and liability clauses
• Draft and challenge force majeure and termination clauses
• Prepare for negotiation using interest-based methods and a BATNA
• Structure JOAs and host-government agreements that align partners
• Build anti-corruption compliance into contracting and vendor selection
• Manage agreements across their lifecycle and resolve disputes

Course outline

Unit 1: Introduction to oil and gas contracts

• Production sharing (PSC/PSA), concession, service contracts
• Parties, phases and money flows in upstream deals
• Role and fit of host-government agreements
• Commercial intent versus legal form in contracts

Unit 2: Risk allocation and contract drafting

• Risk allocation, indemnity and liability clauses
• Force majeure and termination provisions
• Warranties, caps, and consequential-loss exclusions
• Common drafting traps in a stalled project

Unit 3: Negotiation strategies in oil and gas

• Interest-based negotiation and a defined BATNA
• Positions versus underlying commercial interests
• Concessions, anchoring and issue sequencing
• Documenting terms to match actual intent

Unit 4: International contracts and joint ventures

• Joint operating agreements (JOA) and partner alignment
• Stabilization clauses in host-government agreements
• Currency, tax and local-content terms abroad
• Decision-making across multi-party ventures

Unit 5: Compliance and regulatory frameworks

• Anti-corruption compliance: FCPA and UK Bribery Act 2010
• Transparency and EITI in reporting and disclosure
• Sanctions, due diligence, and vendor screening obligations
• Audit rights and compliance representations in agreements

Unit 6: Dispute resolution in oil and gas contracts

• Arbitration forums and rules under ICC and UNCITRAL
• Enforcement across borders under the New York Convention
• Escalation, mediation and expert determination
• Evidence preservation and relationship management

Unit 7: Best practices in contract management

• Contract lifecycle management, award to close-out
• Obligations, variations and claims before escalation
• Performance metrics and counterparty governance
• Lessons learned for stronger future negotiations

How the course is delivered

The course is expert-led and grounded in documented case studies, worked examples of real clauses, and guided walkthroughs of negotiated agreements. Participants debate contract language in small groups, compare how different terms would play out, and pressure-test positions with the instructor instead of working from theory alone.

Who should attend

It is aimed at professionals who negotiate, draft, or manage agreements across the oil and gas lifecycle.

• Contract and commercial managers in upstream and midstream operations
• Legal counsel and contract advisers supporting energy projects
• Procurement, supply chain, and joint-venture coordinators
• Project and business development professionals who own commercial terms

About EuroQuest International Training

Founded in 2015, EuroQuest International Training has delivered over 1,000 courses to more than 15,000 participants. The organization is headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, and operates training hubs in Dubai, London, Barcelona, Istanbul, Vienna, Paris, and Geneva, giving delegates access to a genuinely international peer group.

Frequently asked questions

Is prior legal training required to benefit from the course?

No. The material is written for commercial and technical professionals as much as for lawyers, so anyone who negotiates or manages agreements can follow the drafting and negotiation content and apply it immediately.

Will the course tell me how a specific clause applies to my contract?

No. The course is educational and is not legal advice; contract terms vary by jurisdiction and should be reviewed by qualified legal counsel. It equips you to ask sharper questions and brief your advisers more effectively.

Does the course include live software or drafting-tool sessions?

No. Sessions are discussion and case-study based, using guided walkthroughs of documented agreements and group exercises instead of a live drafting platform, which keeps the focus on negotiation judgment you can reuse anywhere.

Related courses

• Regulatory Compliance in Energy and Oil Markets
• Strategic Partnerships in the Energy Sector
• Financial Risk Management in Oil and Gas Projects
• Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for the Oil and Gas Industry

Register for this course

If you would like to secure a seat or explore dates and host cities, reach out to EuroQuest International Training and register today. Our team will guide you to the session that matches your role and the deals you are working on.