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 ,
Popular ,
Railroads ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Shale Gas
In a case that has been closely watched by the oil and gas industry and its insurers, the Supreme Court of Texas issued its opinion in In re Deepwater Horizon on February 13, 2015, and settled the debate concerning whether a...more
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
On Thursday, December 4, 2014, in Texas Oil and Gas Assoc. v. City of Denton, Cause No. 14-08933-431, 431st District Court, Denton County, Texas, the Denton Drilling Awareness Group and Earthworks filed a Joint Petition in...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
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 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
A citizens group named Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany has filed applications for temporary restraining orders in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District Court of Louisiana in New Orleans and the Louisiana 19th...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
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
Operators’ ability to develop previously untapped oil reserves through horizontal drilling techniques has led to a record 1,443 oil rigs currently in operation in the U.S. according to a report released last week by Baker...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
In a year where overall upstream oil-and-gas transactions were down significantly from the previous year, the Eagle Ford shale formation in South Texas proved to be an active region for companies looking to make a deal....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
A bill introduced on Thursday, November 21 in the Senate by Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and in the House of Representatives by Keith Ellison, D-Minn., is designed to remove an estimated $110 billion in existing tax subsidies for...more
On November 20, 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1965 (“Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act”) by a vote of 228 to 192. H.R. 1965 is primarily aimed at accelerating the oil and gas permitting process....more
Amidst impressive crude oil production numbers from U.S. shale fields, investors are driving up the stock of companies in a strategic position to capitalize on the growth of shale exploration. Through the end of...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
The American Association of Professional Landmen is expected to release a revised Form 610-1989 Model Form Operating Agreement within the next few days. It is our understanding that the revised Form will include language...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