RBN Advisory Services

With decades of experience, RBN’s Advisory Services team is a leading regulatory and strategic advisor to the energy industry. Led by Rick Smead, one of the most respected names in natural gas and oil regulatory matters, our team has the resources and experience to help the regulatory process serve your market needs and to complement RBN’s many other market offerings. We have deep comprehensive knowledge of the regulatory side of the natural gas and oil industry, and provide services in general regulatory affairs such as rulemakings, rate case filing, litigation and settlement negotiation, fundamental market analysis to support regulatory pleadings, civil litigation in federal or state courts, and more. Learn more about Rick Smead and our areas of expertise as well as the types of clients we have supported in the past. If you’d like more information or setup a call with our team, please fill out the form below or call 281-819-1983

Rick Smead

Rick Smead

Mr. Smead has over 30 years of experience as a natural gas industry executive, including senior management roles for the largest pipeline groups in North America. His regulatory background is equally extensive, and he was one of the industry’s leaders in formulating today’s structure of services under FERC Order 636 . He became an active and sought-after consultant to the industry in 2004 for Navigant Consulting Inc., then joined RBN in 2013. He has also been at the forefront of the shale revolution, being the co-author and project manager for the first comprehensive analysis of the ultimate potential of shale gas, in 2008. Overall, he has been his firm’s primary representative (at both RBN and Navigant) for over 60 clients, in over 20 different subject-matter areas.

Areas of Expertise Include (Click Headings For More Details)

Economic Regulation of Natural Gas and Oil Pipelines
  • Participation in and advice on FERC meetings and settlement strategies
  • Rate issue analysis
  • Cost-based rates for liquids pipelines
Civil Litigation Support
  • Expert reports and testimony in civil and state regulatory arenas
  • Application of cost-of-service principles in non-regulatory situations (e.g. gathering netback)
  • Expert explanations of regulatory policies as they affect civil litigation
Regulatory Strategy and Advice
  • High-level pipeline strategic advice
  • Natural gas market fundamentals analysis
  • Application of regulatory principles in emerging regimes such as privatization of state assets
  • Bridging of gas-electric coordination issues
  • Impact of FERC regulation in investment and civil legal arenas
  • Industry background, corporate history, and context for business and regulatory decisions
  • Liaison to RBN’s industry-leading market analytical capabilities in gas, oil, and NGLs
  • Coaching and Mentoring
Networking to Find Other Experts
  • Use of broad and deep industry relationships to build networks
  • Energy-focused speeches for boards, customer meetings, etc.
  • Stakeholder and regulator outreach
  • Communication between business sectors--"putting it in English"
Policy Guidance Related to Oil & Gas Abundance
  • Integration of gas-fired generation into evolving portfolios
  • Examination of resilience of gas supply for security and reliability purposes
  • Examination of LNG exports and relationship to domestic prices
  • Optimization of environmental benefits of natural gas

Recent Customers and Experience

Types of Clients Served
  • Asian gas and electric utilities
  • Asian heavy industry
  • Canadian provinces
  • Electric independent system operator
  • Gas pipeline companies
  • Government agencies
  • Independent gas storage concerns
  • Independent power generators
  • Local gas distribution companies (LDCs)
  • Major electric and combination utilities
  • Major integrated oil companies
  • Major petrochemical companies
  • National oil and gas companies
  • Natural gas marketers
  • Oil pipeline companies
  • Private equity firms
  • Producer shippers on pipelines
  • Producers in royalty disputes
  • Trade Associations (Producer, Pipeline, Local Distribution Companies)
Areas of Experience
  • Ad valorem and franchise taxation
  • Alaskan gas options
  • Bankruptcy
  • Breach of contract
  • FERC certificate cases
  • FERC enforcement proceedings
  • FERC policy advocacy
  • FERC rate cases
  • Gas-electric interaction
  • International Arbitration
  • Investor due diligence
  • LNG exports
  • LNG importation
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • NEB tolls proceedings
  • New technology assessment
  • Non-US gas quality review
  • Oil pipeline rates
  • Provincial regulatory proceedings
  • Resilience of the gas grid post-9/11
  • Royalty netback pricing
  • State regulatory proceedings
  • Shale gas abundance

Please fill out the form below for to learn more about RBN's Advisory Services.