Cristian Blumm

Partner, Singapore

Biography

Overview

Cristian Blumm is a partner in the Project Development and Finance group in Singapore. He also has worked in the Houston and New York offices of White & Case.

He advises on a range of transactions involving large-scale energy projects, including project development, joint ventures, financing and M&A matters. He represents developers, investors, offtakers/marketers, suppliers, lenders and other stakeholders in complex cross-border transactions across the energy industry, particularly in the oil & gas and petrochemical sectors, and also in connection with the energy transition.

Cristian is described by clients as an "excellent resource" who "understand[s] the energy and petrochemical sector well" and "never fail[s] to deliver practical, actionable advice for clients", in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 – Singapore: Projects & Energy (Foreign Firms).

Bars and Courts
New York State Bar
Texas State Bar
Education
JD
University of Texas School of Law
BA
Dartmouth College
Languages
English

Experience

Downstream Oil & Gas / Petrochemicals:

  • Saudi Aramco - China Refinery/Petrochemical Project: Advising Saudi Aramco in connection with its joint venture with North Huajin Chemical and Panjin Xincheng to develop and finance a US$10 billion refining and petrochemical complex in Liaoning province, China.
  • Saudi Aramco - China Refinery/Petrochemical Acquisition: Advising Saudi Aramco in connection with its proposed acquisition of an interest in Zhejiang Petrochemical's refining and petrochemical complex in Zhejiang province, China.
  • Sponsor - Uzbek Gas-to-Chemical Complex: Advising the sponsor in connection with its proposed development and financing of a gas-to-chemical complex in Uzbekistan.
  • Global Financial Institutions - Uzbek GTL Plant: Advising the lenders in connection with the financing and proposed restructuring of a US$3.6 billion gas-to-liquids (GTL) project in Uzbekistan.
  • Saudi Aramco - Base Oils Business / Valvoline Acquisition: Advising Saudi Aramco in connection with the restructuring of its global base oils business, including its US$2.65 billion acquisition of Valvoline's base oils products business and related supply arrangements, and sales/marketing arrangements for the base oil products produced by its various subsidiaries.
  • Global Petrochemical Company - U.S. Methanol Plant: Advising one of the world's largest petrochemical companies in connection with its proposed joint venture to develop and finance a US$2.2 billion methanol plant on the U.S. Gulf Coast.
  • Motiva - Texas Chemical Plant Acquisition: Advising Motiva Enterprises in connection with its acquisition of a Texas chemical plant owned by Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, including negotiation of offtake, supply and pipeline arrangements.
  • EIG - St. Croix Refinery/Terminal: Advising EIG Global Energy Partners in connection with multiple additional rounds of financing, totalling US$1.1 billion in preferred equity, senior debt and sponsor subordinated debt financings on top of the existing US$1.7 billion financing, to Limetree Bay Ventures, LLC to modernize and restart a refinery and oil storage terminal in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
  • Saudi Aramco - Indonesia Refinery/Petrochemical Facility: Advising Saudi Aramco in connection with its proposed US$6 billion joint venture with Pertamina to acquire, expand and upgrade Pertamina's refinery and petrochemical facility in Cilacap, Indonesia.

Upstream and Midstream Oil & Gas / LNG:

  • Noble Energy - Equatorial Guinea Gas Monetization/LNG: Advising Noble Energy on the implementation of the Alen gas monetization project in Equatorial Guinea, including upstream development, access to natural gas processing and liquefaction services and LNG sales.
  • Pan American Energy - Mexico Upstream Acquisition: Advising Pan American Energy on the first-ever combined transfer of operatorship of an offshore oil block approved by Mexico's National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH) and of an interest in a Mexican Exploration and Extraction Contract, including negotiation of a farmout agreement, joint operating agreements and arrangements for the swap of participating interests in two offshore oil blocks.
  • Global Oil & Gas Company - Middle East Concession: Advising a global oil & gas company in the negotiation of its concession rights in the Middle East.
  • Deutsche Bank - Texas Gas Gathering/Processing Project: Advising Deutsche Bank as sole arranger/underwriter of US$350 million in financing for the development of a gas gathering and processing system in Texas's Permian Basin by the joint venture Salt Creek Midstream.
  • Global Financial Institutions - Brazil FPSO: Advising the lenders in connection with the US$800 million term loan and bridge loan financings for the conversion/construction of the floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) Pioneiro de Libra, owned by a 50/50 joint venture between Odebrecht and Teekay Offshore, and chartered to Petrobras for operation in the Libra pre-salt oil field off the coast of Brazil.
  • Freeport LNG - Texas Liquefaction Projects: Advising Freeport LNG in connection with the US$14 billion of third-party cash equity, mezzanine debt and senior secured debt financings for the initial three liquefaction trains (each train to be separately owned and financed) of the multi-train natural gas liquefaction and LNG export facility to be constructed at Freeport LNG's existing regasification facility in Texas.

Energy Transition:

  • NGO - Amazon Rainforest Carbon Credits: Advising Conservation International, a leading NGO working on carbon credit transactions, in connection with its proposed development and financing of a project to generate carbon credits by implementing reduced-impact forestry/logging practices in the Amazon rainforest, including concession rights and offtake arrangements.