On January 14, 2015 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced that it will release a draft rule aimed at curbing emissions of methane. This new rule will directly target new oil and gas production sources and natural gas processing and transmission. The EPA wants to reduce current emissions of…
I tell all my Texas clients (and anyone else who will listen) never to sell their mineral interests. There are a number of reasons why: 1. About 99.9% of the companies who claim to buy mineral interests are scams. What often happens is that they send you a solicitation letter…
Kinder Morgan, based in Houston, Texas, is in the process of obtaining commitments from oil and gas companies who want to use its Utica Marcellus Texas Pipeline (“UMTP”) project. This pipeline will transport natural gas and mixed natural gas liquids produced from the Utica and Marcellus shale areas to delivery…
Texas royalty owners have sure taken a licking this year. Unfortunately, it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. Moody’s Investor’s Service recently lowered its estimates for future average 2015 prices of Brent crude to $55 per barrel, and of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude to $50 per barrel.…
A recent oil and gas pipeline rupture demonstrates how important it is to have an experienced pipeline attorney review the document to make sure your land is protected to the full extent of the law. In this case, a 24-inch crude oil pipeline owned by Plains All American Pipeline LP…
The ownership of oil and natural gas companies may not be what people commonly think it is or expect it to be. The fact is that over 80% of the ownership of oil and gas companies in America is held by private individuals, either in their individual names or through…
There is no denying the importance of the Texas oil and gas industry to the Texas economy. A less obvious impact is the effect of oil and gas prices on Texas land values. Texas A&M University’s Real Estate Center released an econometric model positing a powerful correlation and interdependence between…
There is a new technology developed by Texas Tech University called “zipper frac.” It is a hydraulic fracturing process, which serves to fracture the subterranean rock formations by using pressurized liquid. Texas Tech University modified the original technique. As the zipper frac process commences, it creates the fractures, or splintering,…
The Texas legislature sent a new bill, HB 1436, to Texas Governor Greg Abbott on May 28, 2015. The new bill aims to provide those dog owners who have been notified by animal control that their dog has been determined to be dangerous the opportunity and ability to appeal the…
There are some relatively new operators in the Texas oil and gas industry. One of these is Parsley Energy, Inc. which was founded in 2008. Run by a relatively young management team, Parsley Energy appears to be establishing a good reputation in an industry which is typically dominated by more…