Leviathan, Marathon and Shell Consummate Significant Offshore Pipeline Joint Venture

Houston, TX -- Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. recently represented Leviathan Gas Pipeline Partners, L.P., a publicly traded limited partnership, in connection with the formation of Nautilus Pipeline Company, L.L.C. and Manta Ray Offshore Gathering Company, L.L.C., joint ventures that are indirectly owned by Leviathan, Marathon and Shell. The joint ventures will acquire, construct, own and operate approximately 300 miles of jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional natural gas pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico with a capacity of approximately 600 MMCF of natural gas per day. The transaction also involved the construction of separation facilities, the acquisition of processing rights and significant natural gas commitments from Marathon and Shell.

Akin Gump represented Leviathan.  Marathon was represented by George H. “Chip” Rothschild in its Houston office and Phillip Haffenden and Larry Whiteleather in its Findlay, Ohio office. Shell was represented by Kathy Puckett in its Houston office and Liskow & Lewis’ New Orleans office.

Founded in 1945, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., a leading international law firm, numbers 625 lawyers with offices in Washington, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, New York, Philadelphia, Brussels and Moscow. The firm has a diversified practice and represents regional, national and international clients in a wide range of areas, including antitrust; banking and financial institutions; bankruptcy, reorganization and creditors’ rights; communications; corporate and securities; employee benefits; energy; environmental; food and drug; government contracts; health care; insurance; intellectual property; international; labor and employment; litigation; public law and policy; real estate; and taxation.