On October 14, 2015, the Texas Supreme Court heard argument in a case styled Coyote Lake Ranch, LLC v. The City of Lubbock, which dealt with the question of whether the accommodation doctrine should apply when a groundwater...more
On September 10, the Texas Railroad Commission absolved a second oil and gas company of causing a series of earthquakes in northern Texas finding that the seismic activity was due to “natural tectonic processes.” The...more
Earlier this week, the Texas Railroad Commission held its first “show cause” hearing under the rule amendments adopted last October to address issues related to disposal wells located in potential high-risk seismic areas....more
On Tuesday, March 11, 2015, the Texas Legislature’s 84th Session gained another bill directed at combating future local and municipal fracking bans. State Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo), Chairman of the Texas House Energy...more
Once again, shale oil and gas production dominated energy headlines in 2014, with a number of key economic, political, and legal developments making news across the country.
Bolstered by technologies like hydraulic...more
3/2/2015
/ Energy Policy ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Horizontal Wells ,
Keystone XL Pipeline ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Methane ,
Oil & Gas ,
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Railroads ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Shale Gas
With the opening of the 84th Session of the Texas Legislature on January 13, 2015, two of the more closely watched bills in the energy arena will be House Bill 539 (HB539) and House Bill 540 (HB540). HB539, filed on December...more
After the first municipal ban on hydraulic fracturing in Texas went into effect on December 2in Denton, residents of other Texas cities are considering whether to pursue bans in their own backyards. Residents from disparate...more
At a November 6 event, Texas Railroad Commission Chairwoman Christi Craddick unequivocally stated that the Commission would continue to issue drilling permits to operators in Denton, despite the November 4 vote making it the...more
On Tuesday, October 28, 2014, the Texas Railroad Commission unanimously adopted amendments to rules concerning disposal wells in areas that have experienced or are likely to experience seismic activity. As covered by the...more
Ahead of the November 4th vote that could make it the first city in Texas to ban hydraulic fracturing, the City of Denton has been sued by a group of royalty interest owners claiming that the city’s current temporary ban...more
Following the Texas Railroad Commission’s recent proposal for additional rules related to disposal wells in “high-risk” seismic areas, on Monday, August 25, members of the Texas House Subcommittee on Seismic Activity heard...more
On Tuesday, amidst claims that hydraulic fracturing could be causing earthquakes in some parts of Texas, the Texas Railroad Commission proposed amendments to permitting regulations for injection wells. The proposed rules...more
On July 11th, Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Barry Smitherman sent a letter to the mayor and city council members for Denton, Texas asking that the council reject a proposal to ban hydraulic fracturing in Denton. Chairman...more
Amidst what the National Drought Mitigation Center has classified as abnormal to severe drought conditions, operators in Texas’ Eagle Ford Shale formation are taking steps to increase their ability to recycle wastewater...more
Amidst complaints from citizens, the Denton, Texas city council unanimously enacted a drilling moratorium, which will be in effect until September 9th. The ordinance, which was adopted by the council at its May 6th meeting,...more
On April 22, 2014, a Dallas County, Texas jury awarded a family $2.9 million dollars for personal injury and property damages arising out of their suit against Aruba Petroleum, Inc. The jury’s verdict includes damage awards...more
Research and Markets, a leading international market research and market data firm, has released its report on Global Trends and Forecasts for Fracking Chemicals and Fluid Markets. The report estimates that the global...more
On February 11, 2014, the EPA released its long awaited revised permitting guidance for wells that use diesel fuels during hydraulic fracturing activities. The guidance details the EPA’s view on how to implement provisions of...more
Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and Southern Methodist University are currently monitoring seismic activity around Azle, Texas amidst claims that a series of small earthquakes that occurred in the area in late...more
After the recent release of a new drilling productivity report, some energy industry observers are calling on the U.S. to learn from the missteps of other oil-dependent economies, while other analysts have expressed doubts...more
Regulators from the California Coastal Commission have opened an investigation into hydraulic fracturing after a recent Associated Press report that the practice has occurred offshore for the past two decades....more
The Department of Energy (“DOE”), after a year-long study at a western Pennsylvania drilling site, has concluded that there is no evidence that chemicals used during the hydraulic fracturing process have contaminated drinking...more