Mark McAleer

Mark’s experience includes advising:

• Rio Tinto on a large number of projects and strategic transactions, including almost all of its iron ore joint ventures in the Pilbara, the successful defence of the USD107 billion BHB Billiton takeover offer, the proposed USD100 billion Western Australian iron ore production joint venture with BHP, the proposed USD20 billion strategic alliance with Chinalco, the USD1.6 billion divestment of its Corumba iron ore project in Brazil, associated river logistics in Paraguay and potash assets in Argentina and Canada to Vale, the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in Mongolia and the Simandou iron ore project in Guinea, amongst many others.

• MidOcean Energy and Brookfield on their proposed acquisition, by scheme of arrangement, of Origin Energy Limited for $18.7 billion and MidOcean Energy/EIG on the predecessor transaction for the acquisition of 10% of APLNG’s shares for USD1.592 billion.

• ExxonMobil in relation to the Gorgon LNG project, including joint venture, unitisation and associated project documentation and LNG off-take arrangements with PetroChina and Petronet, and on its joint venture arrangements, decommissioning issues and multiple divestment processes relating to its joint venture interests in the Gippsland Basin, including the recent proposed operatorship transfer arrangements with Woodside and proposed South East Australian CCS Project.

• Evolution Mining on a large number of strategic acquisitions and divestments, including its $880 million synthetic joint venture with Glencore in relation to the Ernest Henry copper-gold mine and subsequent 100% acquisition of that mine from Glencore for $1 billion and associated copper concentrates offtake arrangements, the USD400 million acquisition of an 80% interest in the Northparkes copper-gold mine from CMOC and associated copper concentrates offtake arrangements, the $400 million acquisition of Northern Star’s Kundana gold projects and the divestment of Evolution’s Pajingo, Edna May and Mt Carlton gold mines.

• Woodside in relation to the development of its $12 billion Scarborough LNG Project, including equity alignment, JOA issues, the suite of project development agreements to process Scarborough gas through a brownfield expansion of Pluto LNG’s midstream infrastructure and domestic gas arrangements with the WA government.

• Liontown Resources on its Kathleen Valley lithium project, including bespoke offtake and financing arrangements with LG Energy Solutions, Tesla and Ford.

• Oil Search on its $22 billion merger with Santos by way of PNG scheme of arrangement.

• Wesfamers on its $776 million acquisition of Kidman Resources by scheme of arrangement.

• Iluka Resources on its minerals, sands and rare earths projects in Western Australia and Sierra Leone, including offtake and associated logistics arrangements, and mineral sands and rare earths interests and assets in Western Australia, Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan.

• Tianqi Lithium Corporation on the $1 billion joint venture between Tianqi and Rockwood (now Albemarle), and associated lithium offtake, distribution and logistics arrangements, and the sponsors on Australian aspects of Tianqi’s USD1.7 billion HKSE listing.

• Triple Flag Precious Metals Corp. on numerous royalty and streaming transactions, including its USD200 million acquisition of AuRico Metals Inc, from Centerra Gold, royalty financing arrangements in respect of the Dargues and Henty Gold Projects and Australian aspects of its USD606 million merger with Maverix Metals Inc, a transaction that resulted in Triple Flag becoming the fourth largest pure play metals and streaming company in the world.

• INPEX in relation to various aspects of the Ichthys LNG Project, including equity sell-downs with various LNG buyers and the USD1.6 billion acquisition of additional equity from Total.

• JERA Co., Inc on Australian aspects of the formation of JERA, a 50/50 joint venture between Chubu and TEPCO, on, amongst other assets, their respective LNG assets in Australia (including the Bayu-Undan/Darwin LNG, Wheatstone, Ichthys and Gorgon LNG projects and on its abandoned investment in the Port Kembla FSRU LNG receiving terminal.

• Osaka Gas on its interests in the Sunrise, Evans Shoal and Crux Projects, including arrangements with Shell and Nexus Energy for a Shell-led integrated gas and liquids development to commercialise the Crux asset and FLNG tolling arrangements with the Prelude LNG project.