On May 29, 2025, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition et al. v. Eagle County, Colorado et al. This decision held that agencies are afforded substantial deference in National...more
Alas, we might never know. Opiela v. Railroad Commission of Texas and Magnolia Oil & Gas Operating, was a challenge to the Commission’s authority to issue permits for allocation wells and wells drilled under Production...more
In April of 2024, the Railroad Commission of Texas (“RRC”) posted a year-end review of production for the year of 2023. According to the RRC, Texas oil and gas production reached record highs in the year of 2023....more
The real takeaway from Pruett v. River Land Holdings LLC is the reminder that the Texas Railroad Commission cannot adjudicate questions of title. ...more
In Ammonite Oil & Gas Corp. v. R.R. Comm’n of Tex., the Texas Supreme Court held that the Railroad Commission (the “RRC”) did not abuse its discretion in denying a “muscle in” application under the Texas Mineral Interest...more
As oil and natural gas are produced, brine and other wastewater are brought to the surface. This waste is then disposed of by Class II injection wells, categorized into three subclasses: saltwater disposal wells, enhanced...more
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signaled in mid-February 2024 that they plan to release a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to issue $1 billion through financial...more
The modern producing gas well is a sophisticated and complex piece of equipment. The basic well head itself consists of several meters, valves and other components, each of which is under constant stress and pressure. In...more
Day One of the 24th World Petroleum Congress kicked off in Calgary today as 5,000 delegates from more than 100 countries have come together to help define realistic, workable paths to a net zero future....more
The Biden administration is making available $20 billion from a federal "green bank" for clean energy projects such as residential heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations, and community cooling centers....more
In U.S. technology news, Heliogen, Inc., a renewable energy technology company, recently announced its selection to receive a $4,100,000 award from the U. S. Department of Energy’s “Solar Energy Technologies Office” to...more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 11, 2022, announced at COP27 its plans to strengthen proposed standards to reduce methane emissions and other air pollutants. While the proposed regulation is complex and...more
Nearly a year ago, the Government of Alberta announced its new Liability Management Plan. Through this plan, the Alberta Government provided the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) with additional tools to ensure that sites are...more
In our March 2021 blog on the difference between Alberta and Saskatchewan's approach to Oil and Gas liability management, we commented on the differing approaches to liability management introduced in each province following...more
Following the Redwater decision (Orphan Well Association v Grant Thornton Ltd., 2019 SCC 5), and the steadily increasing number of orphaned oil and gas sites, governments have been evaluating opportunities to modify their...more
Find out what may be causing “dead” DUCs, including why some of them may have never actually hatched....more
On September 18, 2020, the British Columbia government announced that the first half of a $100-million fund earmarked for cleaning up dormant wells has been disbursed. The Dormant Sites Reclamation Program is dedicated to...more
This is the first in a two-part series on wellsite repurposing projects in the Canadian oilpatch. Part one provides background and context to the emergence of repurposing projects. Part two will look at challenges,...more
Are the methodologies used by government agencies and data analytics companies to track DUC counts in Texas comprehensive enough to draw accurate conclusions? ...more
- Industry analysts are forecasting that the surplus of oil produced over oil needed may soon exceed available storage. Producers that were already reducing production due to low prices are now feeling pressure to completely...more
A recent case out of the Court of Appeals of Ohio has provided further clarification as to how the method of measurement of oil and gas production affects a production in paying quantities analysis in the state. ...more
Pennsylvania, CNX Reach $1.48M Settlement on Abandoned Wells - "The order covers 141 conventional wells and five shale gas wells in Allegheny, Washington, Greene and Westmoreland counties." Why this is important: The...more
A key factor in the economic development of unconventional resources is determining optimal well spacing. As development of unconventional play progresses, wells naturally become spaced closer together. Operators are...more
On July 22, 2019, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court invalidated a natural gas well site restoration requirement set by the Department of Environmental Protection in 2016, ruling it is unenforceable. ...more
The number of drilled but uncompleted wells (DUCs) continues to build across the U.S., rising nearly 60% over the past two years. Consequently, this is creating an unprecedented backlog of oil and gas production that could...more