News & Analysis as of

Mineral Rights Mineral Leases

Jackson Walker

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

Jackson Walker on

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

Holland & Knight LLP

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

Holland & Knight LLP on

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

Pillsbury - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real...

From Shale to Salt: Texas Supreme Court Applies Uniform Rule for Ownership of Subsurface Caverns

In a closely watched opinion issued on May 16, 2025, the Texas Supreme Court in Myers-Woodward, LLC v. Undergrounds Services Markham, LLC, — S.W.3d —, No. 22-0878, 2025 WL 1415892 (Tex. May 16, 2025) resolved a long-uncertain...more

Gray Reed

Who Owns the Subsurface Pore Space in Texas?

Gray Reed on

In a word, the surface estate owner. If that’s all the learning you are up for today, proceed directly to the musical interludes. If you want to know why the Supreme Court of Texas had to say this again, read on....more

Baker Botts L.L.P.

Write it Down or Forever Hold Your Peace: Texas Supreme Court Rejects Fraud Claims Based on Oral Representations in Mineral Deals

Baker Botts L.L.P. on

On Friday, May 9th, the Supreme Court of Texas addressed important issues regarding the enforcement of written contractual representations in its per curiam opinion styled Roxo Energy Co., LLC et al. v. Baxsto, LLC, ---...more

McGinnis Lochridge

Affirmative Defenses Are Insufficient to Rebut the Van Dyke Presumption

McGinnis Lochridge on

Under Van Dyke, deeds with double-fraction royalty reservations referencing “1/8” are presumed to reserve a floating royalty interest unless clearly contradicted. Defenses like waiver, ratification, and limitations cannot...more

McGinnis Lochridge

Texas Supreme Court Rules on Modification of NPRIs

McGinnis Lochridge on

In this recent case, the Texas Supreme Court resolved whether ratification of a lease or signing of a stipulation agreement could transform a fixed non-participating royalty interest (NPRI) into a floating NPRI....more

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

Supreme Court of Ohio Dismisses Appeal Seeking to End Senterra’s “Rolling Analysis”

In Senterra Ltd. v. Winland, 2019-Ohio-4387, Ohio’s Seventh District Court of Appeals held that an examiner, after identifying the root of title and finding that an exception to marketable record title applies, should review...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Ohio Appeals Court Rules that Horizontal Shale Well Was “On” the Leased Premises

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Let’s assume you own a 175 acre farm in Washington County. Your grandfather acquired the farm back in 1948 from Farmer Brown (the “1948 Deed”). Your grandfather always said that he bought both the surface and oil and gas. In...more

Gray Reed

Ratifications, Stipulations, and Fixed vs. Floating Royalty Interests

Gray Reed on

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

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Pennsylvania Superior Court Reaffirms the Dunham Rule

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Let’s assume you inherited a 150 acre farm in Lycoming County that has been owned by your family since 1909. In 2020, you are approached by ABC Drilling about a new oil and gas lease for the farm. You retain counsel and...more

Gray Reed

Louisiana Operator Survives Forfeiture of Right to Recover Drilling Costs

Gray Reed on

In Mistretta v. Hilcorp Energy Company, unleased mineral owner Mistretta sued Hilcorp alleging failure to provide requested production and well cost information pertaining to an oil well operated by Hilcorp. The well was in a...more

Gray Reed

Choice of Words Matters in an Override Assignment

Gray Reed on

The question in Rock River Minerals, LP and Carr v. v. Pioneer Natural Resources, et al.: Did an assignment of overriding royalty interests in Texas oil and gas leases include a depth limitation? No....more

Gray Reed

Federal Court Gives a Primer on Oil and Gas Lease Maintenance

Gray Reed on

In re: EP Energy E&P Company, LP considered three lease maintenance provisions in several oil and gas leases. The federal district court ruled that the leases were maintained in force after cessation of production despite...more

Oliva Gibbs

“After Acquired Title” to Remain a Caged-Bird after Dellit v. Schleder, 2022 MT 196, 518 P.3d 830

Oliva Gibbs on

Introduction - “No one has a vested interest in any rule of common law.” Meech v. Hillhaven W., 776 P.2d 488, 494 (Mont. 1989). Luckily the Montana legislature has codified the common law rule of after-acquired title as a...more

Oliva Gibbs

No Standing, No Sale: What Cardinal Minerals, LLC v. Miller Means for Ohio Mineral Transactions

Oliva Gibbs on

Who has standing to challenge abandonment of a mineral interest under the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act (“DMA”)? Earlier this year in two cases, both styled Cardinal Minerals, LLC v. Miller, the 7th District Court of Appeals of...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Buyers and Sellers of Pennsylvania Real Estate Should Use Caution

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

If you have bought or sold property in Pennsylvania, you have likely encountered the Oil, Gas and/or Mineral Rights/Interests Disclosure© form prepared by the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors as part of the sales...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Landowners Should Ensure that Solar Farm Payments Retain Their Value Over Time

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Leases for solar energy facilities offer property owners the potential for a predictable, long-term revenue stream. But, because of the potential decades-long duration of a lease for solar energy facilities, things like...more

Gray Reed

Louisiana Supreme Court Issues Major Post-Production Cost Opinion

Gray Reed on

In Self v. BPX Operating, a case with significant implications for Louisiana operators and royalty owners, the Supreme Court of Louisiana ruled that the doctrine of negotiorum gestio in La. Civil Code art. 2292 does not allow...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

Gray Reed on

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

Gray Reed on

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

Gray Reed

Fraud in an Oil Deal Revealed after Nine Years

Gray Reed on

In the Estate of Larry Wayne Ewers is a reminder of a few guidelines for oil and gas investing:   Think twice before giving money to your scripture-spouting friend from church....more

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

District Court Dismisses Challenge to West Virginia Unitization Act

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC on

On March 20, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia dismissed Sonda v. West Virginia Oil and Gas Conservation Commission for lack of standing. The lawsuit was brought by mineral interest owners...more

Oliva Gibbs

If the Lease Requires Notice, Then Provide Notice: Simple Enough?

Oliva Gibbs on

I. Background In the case of Kirkbride v. Antero Res. Corp., the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is faced with a novel argument on the interpretation of a condition precedent within an oil and gas lease. The case comes to the...more

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