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Contract Terms TX Supreme Court

McGinnis Lochridge

When Force Majeure Isn't Enough: The Causation Trap That Cost Kinder Morgan $100 Million

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In case you somehow forgot, the 2021 Valentines Day storm coined “Snovid,” “Snowmageddon,” or officially labeled Winter Storm Uri, blanketed Texas in snow and ice, even bringing snowfall to Galveston Beach. As temperatures...more

Jackson Walker

Texas Supreme Court Clarifies Default Ownership of Produced Water in Oil & Gas Leases – Key Questions Remain

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On June 27, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court issued a pivotal decision in Cactus Water Services, LLC v. COG Operating, LLC, holding that under the language of the granting clause found in the standard oil and gas lease, produced...more

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Texas Supreme Court answers Fifth Circuit’s question on loans in ruling

On May 23, the Supreme Court of Texas ruled that the maximum permissible interest on a loan must be calculated using the declining principal balance rather than the initial total principal amount. This decision was in...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Texas Supreme Court: Subsurface Storage Rights Generally Belong to Surface, Not Mineral Owner

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The Supreme Court of Texas has provided helpful guidance as to ownership of subsurface storage rights and pore space. In the recent holding in Myers-Woodward, LLC v. Underground Services Markham, LLC, the court held that "the...more

McGinnis Lochridge

Tackling Free-Use and At-The-Well Royalties

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This lease royalty case involved a dispute over whether the lessee was permitted to deduct volumes of gas used off the premises to power post-production activities on other gas produced from the same well. Carl v. Hilcorp...more

Gray Reed

Texas Supreme Court Allows Enforcement of a JOA Debt After Foreclosure

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In Steelhead Midstream Partners, LLC v. CL III Funding Holding Company, LLC, the Texas Supreme Court authorized a pipeline owner’s breach-of-contract claim—alleging a co-owner used foreclosure to avoid cost-sharing...more

Gray Reed

Ratifications, Stipulations, and Fixed vs. Floating Royalty Interests

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After four stops at the lower courts, Kenneth Hahn v. ConocoPhillips has been resolved by the Supreme Court of Texas. The Court opined on the effect of two instruments often used to clarify land titles in Texas: ...more

Hicks Johnson

SCOTX Ruling Confirms Individual Liability for Corporate Owners Who Commit Torts

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In Texas, as most other states, it is long settled that corporate agents are personally liable for their own tortious or fraudulent conduct—even if the conduct was done in their capacity as a corporate agent. Section 21.223...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

The Texas Supreme Court Holds Interest Must Be Simple Absent an Express, Clear, and Specific Provision for Compounding

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The Texas Supreme Court has clarified Texas law concerning how to calculate interest that is being paid pursuant to an agreement or statute. Samson Exploration, LLC v. Bordages, No. 22-0215, 2024 WL 2869049 (Tex. June 7,...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Texas Supreme Court Addresses Fuel Gas Question

Many oil and gas leases across Pennsylvania allow the driller to divert and use volumes of raw gas to power and fuel production operations both on and off the leasehold. Is a driller obligated to pay a royalty on that volume...more

Gray Reed

Supreme Court of Texas Sorts Out Complicated Assignment of Oil and Gas Leases

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In Occidental Permian, Ltd. et al v. Citation 2002 Investment LLC  the Supreme Court construed a 1987 assignment from Shell Western E& P Inc. to Citation of a large number of properties. The instrument contained these...more

Gray Reed

Supreme Court of Texas Decides Another Post-Production Cost Dispute

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In Carl v. Hillcorp Energy the Supreme Court of Texas addressed the relationship between the lessee’s use of gas off-premises under a free-use clause and the lessor’s burden to share post-production costs (PPCs) under the...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Texas Supreme Court to Address the Obligation to Calculate Royalty on Gas Used to Fuel Off-Lease Operations

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Let’s assume you own 165 acres in Tioga County. In 2019, you sign a new oil and gas lease with ABC Drilling. You negotiate an 18% net royalty. The royalty clause, however, requires ABC Drilling to calculate the royalty on...more

Gray Reed

PSA Well Permit Dispute Makes its Way to the Texas Supreme Court

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Contacted at his seaside villa, Captain Renault said he was shocked that Elsie and Adrian Opiela are asking the Texas Supreme Court to review questions surrounding the Railroad Commission’s approval of a drilling permit for a...more

Winstead PC

Arbitration for All: Texas Supreme Court Hands Down Two Big Wins for Developers and Builders Seeking to Enforce Arbitration...

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While it may seem evident that household members and subsequent purchasers bringing a construction defect claim are bound by the arbitration provision contained in the purchase and sale contract for the home, that was not the...more

Winstead PC

Texas Supreme Court Holds That Law Firm Could Not Redeem A Departing Partner’s Shares For No Value Under The Parties’ Shareholder...

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In Skeels v. Suder, a departing shareholder of a law firm sued regarding the firm’s decision to redeem his shares for no consideration. No. 21-1014, 2023 Tex. LEXIS 578 (Tex. June 23, 2023). ...more

Jenner & Block

Client Alert: A Minimum is Not a Maximum: The Texas Supreme Court Rejects a Common Insurer Tactic to Reduce Additional Insured...

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It is an all-too-common scenario for insurance practitioners. Company A hires an independent contractor to perform work on its premises. Their agreement specifies that Contractor will procure liability insurance—often...more

Gray Reed

Texas Supreme Court Rules on Suspension of Proceeds of Oil and Gas Production

Gray Reed on

Freeeport-McMoRan Oil and Gas, LLC and Ovintiv USA Inc. v. 1776 Energy Partners LLC  presented a recurring question faced by Texas oil and gas producers:  When can proceeds of production be withheld by the operator without...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Texas Supreme Court Rules That 1924 Deed Conveyed One Half Of The Oil and Gas Estate

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

The calculation of production royalties and the deduction of post-production costs remains a controversial topic here in Pennsylvania. As we have written before, there is another frustrating and often confusing...more

Maron Marvel

Contractual Additional Insureds – What Coverage? The Texas Supreme Court Weighs In

Maron Marvel on

Primary and excess insurance carriers and their counsel need to pay close attention to a new Texas Supreme Court case Exxon Mobil vs. National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Starr Indemnity &...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Contextual “Construction” of Force Majeure Clauses

The Texas Supreme Court recently provided new guidance in interpreting force majeure language in an oil and gas drilling dispute. In Point Energy Partners Permian, LLC v. MRC Permian Company, the court held that the oil and...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Texas Supreme Court Rules That Post-Sale Costs Must be Added Back to Gross Proceeds Calculation

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Let’s assume you own 185 acres in Washington County. In 2020, you negotiate a new oil and gas lease with ABC Drilling. During the negotiations, you insist on a “gross royalty” which prohibits the deduction of post-production...more

Gray Reed

Texas Supreme Court Rules on “Bespoke” Add-Back Royalty Clause

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In Devon Energy Production Company, LP et al v. Sheppard et al, the Supreme Court of Texas construed what it referred to as a “bespoke” and “highly unique” royalty clause in several oil and gas leases to prohibit the...more

Gray Reed

Long-Running Texas Boundary Dispute Continues

Gray Reed on

Ellison v. Three Rivers Acquisition LLC et al., on remand from the Texas Supreme Court, is the third round of a boundary dispute between mineral lessees in Irion County.   For the history of Ms. Ellison’s odyssey from...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

It’s a Family Affair: SCOTX Compels Non-Signatory Minor Children to Arbitrate Their Construction Defect Claims with Signatory...

A novel question arose over the past few years in residential construction law as to whether minors were subject to the contractual provisions in their parents’ purchase or construction contract. The contract typically has a...more

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