In This Issue:

- Argentina: A Step-by-Step Walk on the Road toward the Shale Miracle?

Although with caution, investors are responding to shale oil and gas projects in the "Vaca Muerta" play located in the Province of Neuquén...

- UK Introduces New Brown-Field Tax Allowance:

A new allowance, intended to support investment in developed oil fields, reduces the amount of adjusted ring fence profits subject to a Supplementary Charge for fields that are to undergo additional development...

- East Africa: Tanzania introduces new model Production Sharing Agreement and Mozambique prepares to enact new Petroleum Law:

Tanzania and Mozambique are in the process of developing new legislation and regulations for their emerging oil and gas sectors. The potential of these countries as new suppliers in the global natural gas market is attracting significant interest from a wide range of oil and gas companies...

- Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Statutes May Invalidate Some Contract Provisions:

Almost every oilfield services contract will contain some type of indemnity

provision. Yet several oil-producing states have enacted statutory provisions that will, at times, render unenforceable an indemnification provision that purports to require indemnification for the indemnitee's own negligence...

- Louisiana Court of Appeal Rejects Plaintiff's Attempt to Join Claims of Contamination of Separate Parcels with Different Lessees in a Single Action:

A recent ruling could provide the oil and gas industry with a much-needed advantage with respect to how and where contamination-related claims from historic oil and gas exploration and production operations in Louisiana are to be litigated...

- FERC Order No. 790: Rulemaking Addressing Construction and Maintenance Activities of Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines:

FERC recently issued a rulemaking order clarifying and modifying the regulations applicable to interstate natural gas pipelines' minor construction and maintenance activities...