News & Analysis as of

Royalties Contract Terms Mineral Leases

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Sixth Circuit Rules That Driller Must Establish Marketability of Each Gas Product Under Market Enhancement Clause

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Let’s assume you own 105 acres in Greene County, Pennsylvania. In 2020, you signed an oil and gas lease with ABC Exploration. During the negotiations, you agreed that only those post-production costs which actually...more

McGinnis Lochridge

Affirmative Defenses Are Insufficient to Rebut the Van Dyke Presumption

McGinnis Lochridge on

Under Van Dyke, deeds with double-fraction royalty reservations referencing “1/8” are presumed to reserve a floating royalty interest unless clearly contradicted. Defenses like waiver, ratification, and limitations cannot...more

Gray Reed

Ratifications, Stipulations, and Fixed vs. Floating Royalty Interests

Gray Reed on

After four stops at the lower courts, Kenneth Hahn v. ConocoPhillips has been resolved by the Supreme Court of Texas. The Court opined on the effect of two instruments often used to clarify land titles in Texas: ...more

Oliva Gibbs

Happiness is Setting Clear Boundaries — Especially in Overriding Royalty Assignments

Oliva Gibbs on

Assignments of interests in oil and gas leases often incorporate by reference outside agreements. This can be a helpful shortcut to avoid including every lengthy and confidential provision that was drafted during negotiations...more

Oliva Gibbs

The Texas Division Order Statute: How It Works and Who It Serves to Protect

Oliva Gibbs on

A division order is a statement executed by all owners of interests in an oil and gas well.  The division order’s essential purpose is to “authorize and direct to whom and in what proportion to distribute” proceeds from the...more

Gray Reed

Federal Court Distinguishes Devon v. Sheppard

Gray Reed on

Producers disappointed by the Supreme Court’s holding in Devon Energy Production v. Sheppard might have reason to feel vindicated. The question in HL Hawkins Jr., Inc. v. Capitan Energy Inc. et al. was whether producer...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

The Strip and Gore Doctrine - Who Really Owns The Oil and Gas Under Roads and Highways?

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Let’s assume your grandfather owned 99 acres in Washington County. In 1955, he sells a small portion of the farm to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in order to facilitate the construction of new State Route 39. This acreage...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Texas Supreme Court Rules That 1924 Deed Conveyed One Half Of The Oil and Gas Estate

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

The calculation of production royalties and the deduction of post-production costs remains a controversial topic here in Pennsylvania. As we have written before, there is another frustrating and often confusing...more

Houston Harbaugh, P.C.

Texas Supreme Court Rules That Post-Sale Costs Must be Added Back to Gross Proceeds Calculation

Houston Harbaugh, P.C. on

Let’s assume you own 185 acres in Washington County. In 2020, you negotiate a new oil and gas lease with ABC Drilling. During the negotiations, you insist on a “gross royalty” which prohibits the deduction of post-production...more

Gray Reed

Texas Supreme Court Rules on “Bespoke” Add-Back Royalty Clause

Gray Reed on

In Devon Energy Production Company, LP et al v. Sheppard et al, the Supreme Court of Texas construed what it referred to as a “bespoke” and “highly unique” royalty clause in several oil and gas leases to prohibit the...more

Gray Reed

Texas NPRI Not Diminished by Pooling Ratification

Gray Reed on

The takeaway from Hahn v. ConocoPhillips Company is that in Texas a NPRI holder may not diminish his rights by ratifying pooling of an oil and gas lease unless there are provisions explicitly purporting to do so....more

Holland & Knight LLP

A Closer Look at Nettye Engler Energy, LP, v. BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC

Holland & Knight LLP on

The Supreme Court of Texas has once again tackled the heavily contested issue of postproduction costs in royalty calculations. In Nettye Engler Energy, LP, v. BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC, No. 20-0639, the Court was...more

Alston & Bird

Is “Into the Pipeline” the Equivalent of a Wellhead Valuation? Not So Fast, Says Texas Supreme Court

Alston & Bird on

Our Oil & Gas Team parses a ruling from Texas that reminds courts to look at the entire contract, not just a favorite word or phrase. The parties disagreed about where along the pipeline royalty valuation should occur. The...more

Gray Reed

Statute of Frauds Torpedoes an Overriding Royalty Sale

Gray Reed on

Here we go  again, in Gary and Theresa Poenisch Family Ltd. P’Ship v. TMH Land Servs., Inc., learning that a purported Texas land transaction will not be enforced if the parties fail to comply with the Statute of Frauds....more

Gray Reed

Texas Court Addresses Anti-Washout Clause and Rule Against Perpetuities

Gray Reed on

Yowell v. Granite Op. Co. and Apache Corp. v. Peyton Royalties, L.P. is another Rule Against Perpetuities case. Keep reading. The anti-washout protection for your reserved overriding royalty could be at risk....more

Bracewell LLP

Texas Supreme Court Expands Upon the Rights of Oil and Gas Producers to Deduct Post-Production Costs in Burlington Resources Oil &...

Bracewell LLP on

To the relief of oil and gas producers, the Texas Supreme Court ruled on March 1, 2019, in Burlington Resources Oil & Gas Company, L.P. v. Texas Crude Energy, LLC (No. 17-0266), that post-production costs were rightfully...more

Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard,...

Frac Sand: U.S. District Court Addresses Whether Quarry Operation Commenced Within the Terms of the Mining Lease

A United States District Court addressed in an August 15th opinion a dispute between parties to a mining lease involving frac sand. See Pronschinske Trust v. Kaw Valley Companies, Inc.and KC Proppants, LLC, 2017 WL 3498712...more

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