Section 50102 of the OBBBA makes changes affecting what Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act calls the Five-Year Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Although the program is accompanied by thousands of pages of analysis, it is a one-page...more
A division order is a statement executed by all owners of interests in an oil and gas well. The division order’s essential purpose is to “authorize and direct to whom and in what proportion to distribute” proceeds from the...more
Producers disappointed by the Supreme Court’s holding in Devon Energy Production v. Sheppard might have reason to feel vindicated. The question in HL Hawkins Jr., Inc. v. Capitan Energy Inc. et al. was whether producer...more
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
The Supreme Court of Texas has ruled that oil and gas leases under consideration in BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC v. Walker Murray Randle, et al. did not permit deduction of postproduction costs from sales proceeds...more
In the recent decision of Onslow Salt Pty Ltd v Buurabalayji Thalanyji Aboriginal Corporation [2018] FCAFC 118 (‘Onslow v BTAC’) the full bench of the Federal Court dismissed an appeal regarding the Federal Court’s first...more
Harrison v. Rosetta Resources Operating LP presents a wacky? time-wasting? clever? unsuccessful attempt to expand reinvent the Texas accomodation doctrine....more
You’ve secured the right leases. You’ve drilled nice wells in the right locations. Now, will you pay the right royalty owners? Follow Devon Energy Production Company, L.P. v. Apache Corporation, to be sure that you do....more
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court continues to expand the reach of the Environmental Rights Amendment to the state Constitution. Adopted in 1971, the Environmental Rights Amendment recognizes that the people have a right to...more
Do you think that what you say when negotiating a mineral lease does not matter once the agreement is inked and contains boilerplate language declaring it to “supersede all prior negotiations” and “be the complete agreement...more
There may be a sign that last year’s dire consequences for a freehold oil and gas lessee who does not quickly respond to a default notice by commencing legal proceedings may be moderating somewhat, at least in certain...more