Lexpert
Lexpert
  • SPECIAL EDITIONS
    • Energy and Mining
    • Finance
    • Infrastructure
    • Litigation
    • Technology
    • Health Sciences
    • Insolvency and Restructuring
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • RANKINGS
    • Lawyers
    • Firms
    • Lexpert 500 Cross Border
    • Who's Who
    • Methodology
  • LARGEST FIRMS
    • Toronto
    • Montreal
    • Ottawa
    • Vancouver
    • Calgary and Edmonton
    • Regina & Saskatoon
    • Winnipeg
    • Halifax
    • Atlantic Canada
  • NEWS
    • Legal Insights
    • Features
    • Cross Border
    • In House Lawyer
    • Big Deals
    • Premium
    • Lexpert TV
  • AWARDS
    • Lexpert Rising Stars
    • Canadian Law Awards
  • DIGITAL EDITIONS
  • Lawyers
  • Firms
  • Rankings
  • Largest
  • Who's Who
Digital Shellcharts
Canadian Legal Talent
Methodology
Category Definitions
What is Energy (Oil & Gas)?

Best Oil and Gas lawyers in Canada as ranked by Lexpert

Oil & Gas lawyers are defined in the widest sense in order to identify those firms capable of providing a full service to industry clients. As such, the practice area encompasses:

  • all manner of upstream and downstream work including exploration and drilling agreements;
  • infrastructure, engineering and service contracts; production, licensing, leasing, operation and royalty agreements;
  • joint ventures and syndications;
  • taxation;
  • environmental approvals, compliance and site abandonment;
  • federal and provincial regulatory applications;
  • financing including project financing, structured financing, debt and secured financings, capital markets and private placement financing;
  • storage, processing, refining, marketing, pipelines and distribution;
  • acquisitions, mergers and takeovers;
  • international concessions, exploration and development.

 

Please note that the Lexpert directory has separate practice areas for:

  • Energy lawyers - Electricity
  • Environmental lawyers
  • Corporate lawyers

 

What is the definition of oil and gas law?

Oil and gas law is the set of local and national legislative statutes, together with its accompanying administrative regulations, which regulates the exploration, processing or production, transportation, marketing of crude oil and natural gas to become viable energy sources for the consumption of the public. It may be considered as part and parcel of energy law, which is more general as it covers all possible kinds or sources of energy.

 

There are three known stages of oil and gas law, where different laws and regulations may apply respectively.

 

Upstream

The “upstream” is first stage which includes the actual exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas. Exploration is where surveys and information gathering happens to locate possible locations of oil and gas. Production, on the other hand, is where these oil and gas are brought up to the surface.

 

Midstream

After the exploration and production of oil and gas, it goes through the “midstream” which deals with the gathering, processing, storing, and transporting, of produced oil and gas. There are many ways to transport oil and gas, such as the use of pipelines, tank trucks, rail tank cars, and transcontinental tankers.

 

Downstream

Lastly, the “downstream” is the refining of the oil and gas from the midstream to become usable products. Once refined, downstream also deals with the actual selling and distribution of these products to the public.

 

Oil and Gas Lawyers

Oil and gas lawyers ensure that their clients, which are companies and corporations engaged in the business of crude oil and natural gas, faithfully comply with numerous government regulations to prevent the unduly hampering of their operations. Because there may be different laws and regulations which may cover the three “streams” mentioned above, oil and gas lawyers familiarize themselves with its application, including the recent developments of applicable common law or case law which may affect the operations of their client. Oil and gas lawyers are also knowledgeable with the actual operation of these companies and corporations, from the upstream until the downstream stage.

 

They are engaged with even at the beginning, where part of upstream is the overall drafting and negotiations of joint exploration and production contracts, which may be between the government, or other private companies, or both. These contracts which may include until the downstream stage, may even be a different contract for midstream and downstream, depending on the parties and their agreement.

 

Broad focus for oil and gas lawyers

Oil and gas lawyers do not only focus on oil and gas law per se, since it will most likely overlap with other branches of law, such as environmental law or Indigenous Peoples law, where the former’s certain operations will have great impacts on the latter, having its own set of laws and regulations. It may also overlap with torts and damages, which is applicable when unfortunate events happen during any of the “streams” and when litigations ensue.

 

They also have to be experts on corporate law and taxation, since their clients are these large intra- or inter-national corporations, where they may also have to deal with its internal and external disputes. Hence, oil and gas lawyers are both transactional and litigious in their practice, across numerous branches of law and government regulations.

 

Who regulates oil and gas in Canada?

 

Canada Energy Regulator (CER)

As a whole, the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) is the federal agency which regulates the energy sector in its objective of providing utilities for Canadians. The laws mentioned above, Canadian Energy Regulator Act and Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act, enforced and is under the responsibility by the CER. The agency ensures the safe operations of these pipelines and other energy infrastructures with regards to the public and the workers.

 

In line with this, the CER regulates pipelines especially its life cycle, in addition to provincial and territorial regulations on pipelines. This also includes pipelines within Canada (inter-provincial) and those crossing borders (Canada-U.S. borders).

 

Is oil and gas federally regulated in Canada?

 

Federal legislations

Mentioned above, the CER is the main agency responsible in federally regulating the oil and gas industry in Canada, applying the numerous regulations of the CER Act and Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act. Notably, there are also considerations in federally regulating the oil and gas industry, such as Canada’s environmental statutes policies such as the Water Act.

 

Provincial and territorial regulations

However, in addition to federal regulations, provincial and territorial approvals are also required. As such, each province and territory have their own regulators which the best oil and gas lawyers must be aware of. In Alberta, laws such as the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, the Public Lands Act, the Oil Sands Conservation Act, and Oil & Gas Conservation Act may apply to the oil and gas industry.

 

What is the oil and gas law in Canada?

The federal law regulation the oil and gas industry in Canada is the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act) which establishes the Canadian Energy Regulator (CER). Overall, the CER is the agency tasked with the licensing, regulation, and enforcement of laws regarding interprovincial and international matters of the oil and gas industry.

 

It effectively replaced the previous National Energy Board after the passage of Bill C-69 (The Modernization of the National Energy Board and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency) in June 2019. However, regulations imposed or released by the National Energy Board are still binding and are still in force.

 

The CER has promulgated numerous regulations which generally governs pipelines, processing plants, authorizations and obligations of permit and certificate holders, import and export, and penalties for its violations.

 

What is the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act?

Specifically applicable to the marine areas under the management of the federal government, the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act is the federal law governing the upstream, midstream, and downstream of oil and gas resources found in said marine areas, which includes the licensing and authorization for these projects.

 

These marine areas referred to are the territorial seas and continental shelf belonging to the federal government Canada, with the exclusion of those belonging to the provinces or territories. The Act aims in promoting safety across oil and gas operations, including the mitigation of negative environmental impacts it may produce, and the conservation of these non-renewable resources.

 

Interested in finding the best oil and gas lawyers and their roles in the energy industry of Canada? Head down below and see the list of the best Lexpert Ranked oil and gas lawyers.

Alberta

Calgary Leading Firms
Most Frequently Recommended
Bennett Jones LLP
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
Dentons Canada LLP
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Torys LLP
Consistently Recommended
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Repeatedly Recommended
Gowling WLG
MLT Aikins LLP
Calgary Leading Practitioners
Most Frequently Recommended
George Antonopoulos
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Simon C. Baines
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Chris Christopher
Calgary, Alberta
Torys LLP
Martin Ignasiak
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Patrick T. Maguire
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Alicia K. Quesnel
Calgary, Alberta
Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
Vivek T.A. Warrier
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Consistently Recommended
Sean R. Assié
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Michael J. Bennett
Calgary, Alberta
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Brian J. Bidyk
Calgary, Alberta
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Randall W. Block
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
John A. Brussa
Calgary, Alberta
Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
Janice Buckingham
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Keith R. Byblow
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Leland P. Corbett
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
John R. Cusano
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Luigi A. (Lou) Cusano
Calgary, Alberta
Torys LLP
Donald G. Davies
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Sander Duncanson
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Laura K. Estep
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Wayne W. Fedun
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Robert J. Froehlich
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Bradley S. Gilmour
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Christopher R. Harris
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Maureen E. Killoran
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Dennis P. Langen
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
KayLynn G. Litton
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Shawn M. Munro
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Daron K. Naffin
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Terri-Lee Oleniuk
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Chrysten E. Perry
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Miles F. Pittman
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
R. Ben Rogers
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Bernard J. Roth
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Katie Slipp
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Lawrence E. (Laurie) Smith
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Carolyn A. Wright
Calgary, Alberta
Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP
Repeatedly Recommended
Colleen Abel
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Marcus W. Archer
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Bradley Ashkin
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Jeremy Barretto
Calgary, Alberta
Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Richard Bell
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Richard P. Borden
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Peter A. Bryan
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Courtney Burton
Calgary, Alberta
Blue Rock Law LLP
Gordon Cameron
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Sandy Carpenter
Calgary, Alberta
P2 Regulatory Solutions
Keith R. Chatwin
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Julie D'Avignon
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Nav Dhaliwal
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
David A. Eeles
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
G. Frederick Erickson
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Justin E. Ferrara
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Gavin S. Fitch
Calgary, Alberta
McLennan Ross LLP
Sony Gill
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Alyson F. Goldman
Calgary, Alberta
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Alan S. Harvie
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Kerri L. Howard
Calgary, Alberta
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Kimberly J. Howard
Calgary, Alberta
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Benjamin S. P. Hudy
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Brenden Hunter
Calgary, Alberta
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Michael A. Hurst
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
William K. Jenkins
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Xiaodi Jin
Calgary, Alberta
Xiaodi Jin Professional Corporation
Joel B. Jones
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Ryan W. Keays
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Jennifer K. Kennedy
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Jessica L. Kennedy
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Peter C. Keohane
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Kevin Kerr
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Kent D. Kufeldt
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Ky Kvisle
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Ravi Latour
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Bruce A. Lawrence
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Matti Lemmens
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Jonathan Liteplo
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Kirk A. Litvenenko
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
David J. Macaulay
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Alexander G. MacWilliam
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Thomas W. McInerney
Calgary, Alberta
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Duncan M. McPherson
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Lucas (Luke) J.C. Morrison
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Tim Myers
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Kevin Myson
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Paul M. Negenman
Calgary, Alberta
Lawson Lundell LLP
Christopher W. Nixon
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Thomas P. O'Leary
Calgary, Alberta
Blue Rock Law LLP
Lars Olthafer
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
J. Jay Park
Calgary, Alberta
Park Energy Law
John E. Piasta
Calgary, Alberta
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Laura Poppel
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Kurtis Reed
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Alan L. Ross
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Jason D. Roth
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
Hazel Saffery
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Karen A. Salmon
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Sonya Savage
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Allison M. Sears
Calgary, Alberta
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Deirdre A. Sheehan
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Craig N. Spurn
Calgary, Alberta
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Michael P. Theroux
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
David Tupper
Calgary, Alberta
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Thomas E. Valentine
Calgary, Alberta
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Ashley M. White
Calgary, Alberta
Bennett Jones LLP
M. Scott Wilson
Calgary, Alberta
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Christopher M. Wolfenberg
Calgary, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Janel Young
Calgary, Alberta
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Edmonton Leading Firms
Consistently Recommended
Dentons Canada LLP
Repeatedly Recommended
McLennan Ross LLP
Edmonton Leading Practitioners
Consistently Recommended
Ronald M. Kruhlak
Edmonton, Alberta
McLennan Ross LLP
Repeatedly Recommended
Robert R. Roth
Edmonton, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
Grant Vogel
Edmonton, Alberta
MLT Aikins LLP
Barry Zalmanowitz
Edmonton, Alberta
Dentons Canada LLP
  • PRIVACY
  • COOKIE POLICY
  • CONSENT PREFERENCES
  • TERMS OF USE
  • TERMS & CONDITIONS
  • ABOUT US
  • METHODOLOGY
  • TEAM
  • ADVERTISE WITH US
  • CONTACT US
  • SITEMAP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • AUTHORS
  • EXTERNAL CONTRIBUTORS
  • TOP LAWYERS
  • LEGAL FAQ
  • PREMIUM
Lexpert Twitter
Copyright © 2025 KM Business Information Canada Ltd.