Category: Energy

​​The Supreme Court of Texas recently reaffirmed well-established law for determining the value of royalties to be paid according to the terms of a Texas mineral lease. The main issue in Carl vs. Hilcorp Energy and for similar lease owners was the proper allocation of post-production costs when calculating the gas production on which to…

​​Methane is considered a small player compared to carbon dioxide in the total volume of greenhouse gases emitted each year in the United States. In late 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule intended to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. The rule contains some of the most restrictive…

​​Not everything is as big as it needs to be in Texas. Few Texans will soon forget the winter of 2021, with temperatures plunging as low as six degrees. The state’s electric power grid could not handle the increased demand for power. Rolling blackouts were initiated to prevent a complete failure of the system. Much…

​​A recent ruling by the El Paso Court of Appeals decided the issue of produced water as a mineral vs. a water right between two lessees on 37,000 acres of land in Reeves County. The decision is of particular significance given the transition of produced water from liability to asset. COG Industries (COG) had been…

​​The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has recently completed its decade-long rulemaking exercise that increases regulation of onshore natural gas pipelines. As a result, pipeline operators will now face new legal issues that could pose challenges to their businesses. PHMSA’s new Final Rule on Valve Installation and Minimum Rupture Detection Standards may also…