Clik here to view.
Is it Me or Does the EPA’s Draft Methane Rule Smell Funny?
On January 14, 2015 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced that it will release a draft rule aimed at curbing emissions of methane. This new rule will directly target new oil and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Getting Accurate Data on the Connection between Hydraulic Fracturing and...
Currently, there is a coordinated effort underway by a number of organizations to study and identify a possible connection between hydraulic fracturing (fracing) and a recent increase in seismic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Short Term Problem? Oil and Gas Prices and Industry Contract
Last year was a tough year for oil and gas companies. Houston based Schlumberger announced that it was laying off 9,000 workers. Range Resources cut its 2015 capital budget to $870 million. Other oil...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do Texas Oil and Gas Fracing and Disposal Wells Cause Earthquakes?
Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust when two sections of the crust slip past each other.The size of an earthquake is determined by the Richter magnitude scale,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act Recently Amended
The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act was amended recently, with changes going into effect on February 17, 2016. Previously, when a foreign person or entity sold real property in the United...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Property Survey Standards
The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) and the American Land Title Association (ALTA) recently issued new minimum standards for surveys that you can access here. The NSPS and ALTA each...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Oil Prices Decline As Stockpiles Increase
Brent crude oil closed below $30 on Friday, January 15, 2016. This is the first time Brent crude has traded below $30 in over twelve years. Oil prices have plunged recently despite reports of Mideast...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Declines Predicted for Texas Oil & Gas Shale Production
Over the years I have negotiated many leases for mineral owners in the Texas Permian basin and the Eagle Ford Shale. Historically, production in these two areas has set records. These two shale plays,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
U. S. Oil Rig Count Falls to Lowest Number Since Records Kept
A rather depressing milestone was announced this week. The number of oil well drilling rigs in the United States has reached its lowest count since records began to be kept in the 1940s. Drilling rig...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Supreme Court Defines Requirements for Easement of Necessity
Occasionally, a Texas landowner will own a piece of property that lacks access, or sufficient access, to a public road. Usually, the first thing the landowner should do is to negotiate with an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Supreme Court Interprets Bequeathed Double Fractional Oil and Gas Interest
The Texas Supreme Court recently addressed how a bequest in a will of a double fractional oil and gas interest should be interpreted in Hysaw v. Bretton et al in an opinion entered on January 29,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Changes in the Cost Basis for Mineral Interests
Up until recently, to the frustration of the IRS, the cost basis for mineral interests and other assets for estate tax purposes did not have to be the same as the basis used for income tax purposes. In...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Notary Rules Effect Texas Real Estate Documents
There has been a new development in Texas law regarding notary seals and this development affects any document in Texas that has to be notarized. This includes deeds, wills, trusts, oil and gas leases...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Supreme Court Grants Review in Landmark Oil & Gas Pipeline Case
The Texas Supreme Court recently granted a petition for review in the case of Denbury Green Pipeline-Texas LLC v. Texas Rice Land Partners. The review will focus on how the courts are to apply a test...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Earthquakes and Fracing in Texas
Fracing, or hydrofracturing, is a natural gas extraction technique by which a liquid solution (primarily made up of water) is pumped into the ground at high pressures to fracture rock formations....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Landlords Liability for the Criminal Acts of Tenants Gets Muddier
Most Texas landlords realize that when they rent to a tenant with a criminal history, the landlord may be held liable for criminal acts committed by that tenant. Texas Property Code Section 92.025...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Building A Pond On Your Own Property and the EPA Will Get You!
You wouldn’t think that building a stock pond on your own property would be something that requires the approval of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would you? One unsuspecting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Trial Courts Can Decide on Jurisdiction During Condemnation Proceedings
The Texas Supreme Court recently decided an important eminent domain case in In Re Lazy W District No. 1, Relator. Specifically, the Court decided that the trial court must consider whether the court...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Texas Supreme Court Holds Harris County Did Not Take Homeowners’ Property...
In a case that many Texas landowners have been following closely through the courts, the Texas Supreme Court recently published a decision concerning whether a county can be held liable for an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Alleged Fraud on Texas Oil & Gas Investors
Earlier this week, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Chris Faulkner, his company, Breitling Energy Corporation and several other parties for defrauding investors. The complaint filed by...
View Article