The EPA has once again overestimated the amount of pollution that comes from an oil and gas source — with potentially grave consequences for the industry. This time, the EPA has overestimated the amount of methane gas that comes from shale gas wells. A new report from the IHS Cambridge…
Articles Posted in Oil and Gas Law
Self-Serving Political Posturing Prevents Real Energy Independence
As is no doubt true of most Texas oil and gas attorneys, I’m always interested in reading about new developments in the oil and gas industry, although they often seem to attract more than their share of political wrangling. Of course, energy independence is a hot-button issue these days (see…
Oil and Gas Pipeline Easements and Texas’ New Eminent Domain Law
There is a new arrow in the quiver of Texas September 1, 2011. Oil and gas companies can still acquire easements across private property to build pipelines. If the pipeline is a private pipeline, the pipeline company must obtain the voluntary agreement of the property owner. If the pipeline is…
Texas Comptroller Targets Systemic Flaws of Federal Regulations
As a Texas oil and gas attorney, I have followed with great interest the tumultuous relationship that seems to perpetually exist between Texas and its landowners on one hand, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the other. Unfortunately, some misguided policymakers are under the mistaken notion that…
Texas Mineral Owners: Don’t Waste Your Potential Royalties
When a Texas mineral owner asks me to review or negotiate an oil and gas lease offer they have received, one of the first things I do is to determine who the proposed operator, or lessee, will be. Many people do not realize how important it is to know just…
Texas Supreme Court Decision Impacts Texas Oil and Gas Pipeline Negotiations
I spend a significant amount of time as a Texas oil and gas attorney assisting landowners with negotiation of easements and rights-of-way for oil or gas pipelines. As my client and I work through the negotiation process, it is vital to understand the various options available to the pipeline company…
Texas Supreme Court Sheds Light on Duty of Owner of Oil and Gas Leasing Rights
It is incumbent upon a Texas oil and gas lawyer to keep abreast of all relevant decisions from appellate courts and the state’s highest court. Proper advocacy demands that attorneys understand changes in the law and be able to incorporate those changes in their legal representation. Lawyers must have an…
Several Panels to Study Effects of Fracing
Practicing oil and gas law in Texas competently also requires being aware of the “bigger picture” in which I work. One component of that bigger picture these days is the issue of energy independence. Energy independence has become a major political issue in recent years, and has resulted in increased…
Additional Offshore Workplace Safety Regulations Proposed by DOI & BOEMRE
An experienced oil and gas lawyer understands how politics influences the rules and regulations placed upon those working in the energy industry. Unfortunately, that political influence means that decisions about how the industry is regulated are often not guided by common sense, logic, and fair-minded decision-making. Instead, oil and gas…
The Oil and Gas Depletion Allowances and the Effect of Obama’s Proposed Cancellation of Percentage Depletion Allowance
Texas oil and gas attorneys are watching with trepidation as Obama seeks to cripple domestic mineral production with his ill-conceived policies. In our previous post, we discussed the Obama administration’s push to eliminate some of the tax subsidies that oil and gas producers in the United States currently enjoy. One…