Earlier this week, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee approved the draft of a new statute entitled the Texas Real Property Transfer on Death Act (Senate Bill 462). You can review a draft of the bill here. This bill would create a procedure for a non-testamentary transfer of real property.…
An interesting case that involved easements was recently decided by the Texas Supreme Court. The case is David Hamrick, et al. v. Tom Ward and Betsy Ward and the issue presented to the Court was whether an implied easement of necessity by prior use continues after the necessity has ended.…
Parsley Energy Inc., based in Midland, Texas, has been buying undeveloped and productive land in Reagan County. Parsley Energy is an independent oil and natural gas company founded in 2008 with operations in the Permian Basin. The company develops unconventional oil and gas reserves. It has grown exponentially in the…
Steve Lipsky and his wife Shyla became famous as Texas landowners who claimed they could set their water on fire–and they alleged this was due to methane contamination from nearby hydraulic fracturing. The couple sued Range Resources who operated a well near their house in Weatherford, Texas. The Lipskys claimed…
The number of U.S. refineries and petrochemical production plants that have been subjected to United Steelworkers strikes has now reached eleven locations in California, Kentucky, Texas and Washington. It’s hard to imagine a more outrageous case of bad timing. Let’s see: oil and gas are at their lowest prices in…
Good news for T exas veterans who want to buy land! In his first act as chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board (TVLB) Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush increased the land loan limit . The previous land loan limit was $100,000. Texas veterans are now eligible for low-interest…
A federal appellate court decision demonstrates some lessons for Texas mineral owners. That decision was issued by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Breton Energy, L.L.C., et al. v. Mariner Energy Resources, Inc., et al. The Plaintiffs in this case own and operate an off-shore lease…
This blog frequently shares news regarding developments in the oil and gas industry, particularly in Texas, and how growth in that industry effects Texas mineral owners. As the industry grows, increased opportunities arise for Texas land owners, such as the opportunity to negotiate oil and gas leases. (for more information…
The Permian Basin is on its way to becoming the most productive oil play in the United States. In the next few years, the Wolfcamp Shale in this basin could by itself overtake the Bakken Shale in North Dakota and Montana in the amount of money spent for exploration and…
When the news discusses Texas‘ big oil and gas shale plays, they usually mean the Eagle Ford and the Barnett shale. The University of Texas at San Antonio produced a study recently, the “Economic Impact of Oil and Gas Activities in the West Texas Energy Consortium Study Region”, that highlights…