Photo of Charles Sartain

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.

In a 1947 mineral deed Myers retained the surface estate in a 160-acre tract.

As in every year, in 2024 the grinches of law enforcement brought financial and corporal misery to bad guys in energy. Here is a review of the crimes of only a few of the convicted, admitted and alleged bribsters, swindlers and liars who plagued the industry during last year. These acts came with a pronounced

Co-author Gunner West

In In re Pearl Resources LLC, a Houston bankruptcy court rejected the Texas General Land Office’s attempt to partially terminate state oil and gas leases in Pecos County, despite finding the operator had breached offset well obligations.

The court describes the difference between “drilling operations” and “drilling”, explains when failure to

The category is “terms that confuse us” for one hundred dollars. Without resorting to your favorite legal dictionary or lawyer, explain the difference between a reservation and an exception in a Texas warranty deed. Stumped? Valence Operating v. Davidson answers the question.

The deeds

1956: Myrtle and grandson Jackie Ray Briggs conveyed to Edmond and Mildred

Co-author Gunner West

In Bush v. Yarborough Oil & Gas, LP a decades-old tax foreclosure judgment did not affect a previously severed mineral interest not owned by the delinquent taxpayer. The mineral owners were neither named nor served in the foreclosure suit, and the judgment and sheriff’s deed expressly limited the scope to the taxpayer’s

Co-author Gunner West

We begin with a word from your sponsor. After enduring several generative AI tutorials, we urge you to keep on reading Energy and the Law. Why? Our blog is more accurate, at least a little “fun”, offers insightful musical interludes to distract you from your daily burdens, it’s free, and we “hallucinate”

Co-author Gunner West

The growling and barking presented by a claim for tortious interference is often far worse than the bite. Consider Segundo Navarro Drilling, Ltd. v. Chilton , which is a good example of that phenomenon in an oil and gas transaction. The Dallas Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for defendants, holding that: