Are unpaid royalty payments for oil-and-gas leases subject to simple or compound interest? Simple, the Texas Supreme Court said in Samson Exploration, LLC v. Bordages on June 7, 2024....more
The Pennsylvania Act 85 of 2019 amended the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Lease Act to add a section permitting cross-unit drilling. On Jan. 24, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania upheld Act 85...more
In July 2023, the El Paso Court of Appeals held that produced water created in the fracking process is considered an oil and gas waste rather than water — meaning it belonged to the mineral lessee, not the surface owners. See...more
On June 5, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania denied Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Co. LLC’s (Transco) attempt to enjoin an administrative appeal proceeding before the Pennsylvania...more
Land rights and interests continue to be a prominent fixture in the legal landscape. Among other things, the ownership of highly sought-after pore space has been at the center of multiple property rights cases and legislation...more
On Dec. 2, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its final rule titled “Standards of Performance for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Oil and Natural Gas Sector...more
Regulatory interest in securing the nation’s energy infrastructure continued in 2023. On July 26, 2023, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced significant updates to its security directive aimed at...more
On April 2, the Pennsylvania Superior Court held that hydraulic fracturing that results in the extraction of natural gas from adjoining land may constitute a claim for trespass.
In Briggs v. Southwestern Energy Production...more
A recent trial victory for Range Resources – Appalachia LLC and Columbia Energy Ventures LLC (CEV) fills gaps left by the prior leading decisions on “dual purpose” storage and production leases, and cements the rights of...more
The explosion of natural gas production in the Appalachian Basin in recent years has led to litigation involving landowners trying to get out of existing oil and gas leases to take advantage of the fierce competition among...more