Equitable Liens and Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contracts in the Oil and Gas Industry

Abstract

This article considers the judgment of Colman J, sitting in the Commercial Court in London, in the case of International Finance Corporation v DSNL Offshore Limited and Others.1 The decision is important in itself, since it represents the first time that an English court has recognised the existence of an equitable lien in relation to a contract for work and materials. However, it also represents an interesting case study of the way in which the English courts are willing to apply pragmatic solutions to disputes arising in the context of international energy projects.