One of the largest offshore oil spills in history occurred when the massive Deepwater Horizon semi-submersible oil drilling platform suffered a drilling-related explosion, was engulfed in flames, and sank. The economic and environmental effects of this event are still not fully understood, so studies are ongoing to determine the impact…
A recent decision by a Texas Court of Appeals may be helpful to Texas property owners who are negotiating an oil and gas pipeline right of way or easement on their property. In its opinion rendered in LaSalle Pipeline LP v. Donnell Lands LP, the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals…
It is important for all of us to keep informed about proposed legislation related to energy issues. Even if you aren’t an oil and gas attorney or involved directly in the energy industry in some way, all of us are affected by energy independence (or lack thereof) and prices. Local,…
Assisting royalty owners in locating lost oil and gas royalties, and getting royalty owners paid their rightful royalty payments, is one of the parts of my practice as a Texas oil and gas attorney that I enjoy the most. However, many of my clients are suprised to learn that there…
There are a number of misguided environmental “activists” who characterize efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as some kind of a “David vs. Goliath” struggle between forward-thinking environmentalists who love the planet, on one hand, and greedy energy companies who want to plunder the planet, on the other. While this…
Property transfers involving mineral rights can be complex. As a Texas oil and gas attorney, I help my clients navigate these difficult legal issues. Mineral rights and potential royalties from those minerals can have a significant impact on the value of a property. Therefore, whether you are buying or selling…
I’ll bet that most Texas oil and gas attorneys (and, I’m sure, everyone in the oil and gas business) often hear the myth repeated that someday there will be a peak in oil production, followed by a rapid decline which will cause the collapse of human civilization as we know…
The EPA has once again overestimated the amount of pollution that comes from an oil and gas source — with potentially grave consequences for the industry. This time, the EPA has overestimated the amount of methane gas that comes from shale gas wells. A new report from the IHS Cambridge…
As is no doubt true of most Texas oil and gas attorneys, I’m always interested in reading about new developments in the oil and gas industry, although they often seem to attract more than their share of political wrangling. Of course, energy independence is a hot-button issue these days (see…
There is a new arrow in the quiver of Texas September 1, 2011. Oil and gas companies can still acquire easements across private property to build pipelines. If the pipeline is a private pipeline, the pipeline company must obtain the voluntary agreement of the property owner. If the pipeline is…