Full-Time LL.M. in Petroleum Law and Policy
This degree is aimed at petroleum industry professionals, both in government and industry, who wish to gain a grounding in the legal and regulatory aspects of the international petroleum industry.
Structure
| The LL.M. is made up of 200 credits as follows: | |
|---|---|
| Induction Programme | 20 credits |
| Core Modules: Compulsory | 40 credits |
| Core Modules: Optional | 40 credits |
| Elective Modules | 60 credits |
| Dissertation, Internship or extended PhD Proposal | 40 credits |
200 credits |
|
Note: The Diploma and Certificate are available as exit qualifications.
To find out everything you need to know about the programme, please click on the headings above. Additional useful information about the LL.M. can be found using the links in the table below:
Induction Programme (20 credits)
The Induction Programme provides students with vital knowledge and skills before they embark of the main components of CEPMLP's taught Masters and Diploma programmes. CEPMLP students have a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds and the Induction Programme provides each student with a basic introduction to all the main disciplines included in the degrees programmes, namely law, economics, finance and geology. It also provides training in research methods.
Core Modules: Compulsory
Candidates should choose a minimum of 40 credits from the list below:
International Petroleum Law and Policy (20 credits)
The main objective of the module is to provide an understanding of the main law and policy issues in the international petroleum industry, with an emphasis upon transactional agreements concluded between host government and oil company/investors.
Common and diverging objectives between the two parties and indeed among the international corporate and financial investors themselves are faced in a candid and practical way, with an emphasis upon ways of accommodating the interests of diverse stakeholders in the development of petroleum resources.
A brief introduction is provided to petroleum taxation issues. The module focuses upon problem-solving techniques in a variety of settings, noting the inputs of lawyers, economists, accountants, engineers and geologists.
National and Comparative Oil and Gas Law (20 credits)
The module aims to provide an understanding of the regulatory and contractual mechanisms required to make a single jurisdiction work in relation to petroleum law. The emphasis is on providing the student with knowledge and understanding of the differences (and similarities) between regimes based on licences, and those based on production sharing contracts.
All oil and gas law throughout the world is the same at a basic level – international law determines which state is entitled to the resource; the entitled state grants rights to individuals to extract the resource; the individuals agree amongst themselves as to how to split the costs and benefits; there is unitisation if necessary; the production is taxed; pipelines etc are built to move the production; the production is sold; and the facilities are ultimately decommissioned. This module aims to show the different models states adopt to facilitate petroleum production, including showing the role for state companies.
Core Modules: Optional
Candidates should choose a minimum of 40 credits from the list below:
Downstream Energy Law and Policy (20 credits)
The primary objective of the course is to provide an introduction and background to the way in which legislation and regulation can be used to implement policy decisions in the downstream energy industries. The emphasis is on understanding the way in which policy decisions to restructure the (electricity and gas) industries lead to changes in both legislation and the approach of regulators. The skill is to identify what makes particular approaches successful in particular legal environments. This course is not aimed only at lawyers, but also at those influencing the policy debate who must have an understanding of the implementation of policy changes.
International Developments in Energy Policy (20 credits)
The main aim is to equip the students with an understanding of how economic analysis can help inform and understand energy policy issues. This requires the students to be familiar with the relevant economic analysis the technical dimensions of energy and the policy making process. In addition the course enables the student to become familiar with current issues in energy policy.
Oil and Gas law - Commercial Contracts Matrix (20 credits)
On successful completion, a candidate will:
(1) have an understanding of the structure and purpose of a range of commercial oil and gas agreements
(2) have an understanding of the process of creation of the agreements and differences caused by the relative size of the parties
(3) have an understanding of the standard forms and master drafting styles for the agreements
(4) have an understanding of the linkage between the agreements - the flow of risk and reward
Petroleum Policy and Economics (20 credits)
The main aim is to equip the students with an understanding of how economic analysis can help inform and understand the international oil and gas industry. This requires the students to be familiar both with the relevant economic analysis and technical dimensions of the industry. In addition the course enables the student to become familiar with current issues in the industry.
Transnational Investment Law and Policy (20 credits)
The main objectives of this course are to provide a survey of international investment law and policies, and to set the various approaches to regulating foreign investment in a social, economic and political context. In addition the course will provide students with an understanding of current and emerging developments in investment laws and policies.
Elective Modules
Candidates are advised to choose additional modules from what is available on the academic timetable subject to any restrictions that may apply.
Together with the core modules above, excluding the Induction Programme they should add up to 140 credits for the LL.M..
Full list of available modules.
Dissertation, Internship or extended PhD Proposal
Compulsory Core Choice Modules - choice of 40 credits from:
Dissertation (40 credits)
The dissertation contributes to the achievement of the aims of the Masters degree namely:- to promote a deeper and critical understanding of selected areas relating to the specialisation of the student; to develop originality of thought and skills of research, analysis, argumentation and expression; to build upon, develop and integrate the knowledge and skills acquired in the taught modules.
A dissertation of up to 15,000 words on a topic approved by an academic supervisor
Extended PhD Proposal (40 credits)
The Extended PhD proposal contributes to the achievement of the aims of the Masters degree namely:- to promote a deeper and critical understanding of selected areas relating to the specialisation of the student; to develop originality of thought and skills of research, analysis, argumentation and expression; to build upon, develop and integrate the knowledge and skills acquired in the taught modules. In addition, the PhD proposal should provide the basis for significantly more specialised and detailed research to be undertaken as part of the PhD programme.
Students who propose to follow up their degree with a PhD may, with the approval of an academic supervisor, submit a 10,000 word PhD proposal.
Internship (40 credits)
The internship provides the student with the opportunity to apply in the workplace the knowledge and skills learnt at CEPMLP and to learn how professionals in the field perform their tasks.