In a recent entry on the blog Exxon Perspectives, the huge producer presents a number of reasons why relying on compressed natural gas as a transportation fuel might be misplaced, at least for the near future. Among the obstacles:
So said the lessor-plaintiffs in Walker v. Chesapeake Louisiana, L.P. The lessee-defendant, the trial court, and the court of appeals said “Yes, but . . .”. The lessors accused the lessee of breaching six leases and sought cancellation. The court invoked the doctrine of “judicial control” that allows a court to avoid cancellation when equity
Invoking the spirit of Emily Litella, the Environmental Protection Agency offered a govenmental “never mind” when it withdrew its emergency order that attempted to hold Range Resources responsible for contamination of drinking water on Parker County, Texas, well sites under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
Those who have followed this case know that
Remember the Wilford Brimley character in The Firm? “I get paid to be suspicious when I’ve got nothing to be suspicious about.” Shell Oil Company v. Ross commands you to think like Mr. Brimley. If you suspect your lessee is not paying proper royalties, do not wait to investigate. Even if you don’t suspect anything
A lessee, operator, and contract driller were found to be a “single business enterprise” for the purpose of imposing statutory penalties and attorney fees for failure to pay royalties. The principle is that if one corporation is wholly under the control of another, the fact is it is a separate entity does not relieve the
With apologies to Click and Clack, from time to time I will post “puzzlers”, questions about title and similar issues that have no apparent answer. Here is the first one:
Joe Bob Joiner owns a non-participating royalty interest under a tract. The amount of interest he owns is tied to the amount of royalty stated
If you were wondering whether the debate over the safety and effectiveness of hydraulic fracturing has entered our national conciousness, check this out:
In a serious approach to the issue, the opinion magazine National Review recently joined in the conversation in a piece by Kevin Williamson, The Truth About Fracking – What the Protestors Don’t
In a vindication of landowners’ rights, the Texas Supreme Court prohibited a pipeline owner from using eminent domain to take private property. In Texas Rice Land Partners, Ltd. v. Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas, LLC, the court said that a pipeline must show that it satisfies the requirements for common-carrier status before it will be allowed
Maybe you’ve been there. All signals are “go” for closing on your PSA. Then the buyer chooses not to complete the transaction. What to do? A question your lawyer will think about when asked to enforce a purchase and sale agreement: Does it describe the property well enough to comply with the statute of frauds?
The Dallas Gas Drilling Task Force has issued recommendations for regulation of hydraulic fracturing. The task force focused on zoning requirements, permitting requirements, air quality issues, and water-related issues. A few highlights: