Articles Posted in Unconventional Resources

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Paul Yale and Brooke Sizer, lawyers at Gray Reed & McGraw in Houston, published an article in the most recent Section Report of the Oil, Gas & Energy Resources Law Section of the State Bar, “ A Brief Look at the Law of Hydraulic Fracturing in Texas and Beyond.” It…

Here are two good websites providing information about shale plays all across the world, from the worldwide law firm Norton Rose Fulbright: Its Hydraulic Fracking Blog gives commentary on legislation across the country affecting drilling and operations in shale plays. Its Shale Gas Handbook explains how the technology works, and…

Aubrey McClendon, the founder of Chesapeake Energy, died in a car crash last Wednesday, a day after he was indicted on federal charges of conspiring to rig the price of oil and gas leases. Numerous articles have reviewed his life and legacy. Russell Gold, senior energy writer for the Wall…

An article by Jim Malewitz in The Texas Tribune, “As Oil Prices Plunge, Questions about Big Tax Credit,” sheds light on an arcane and technical issue not well understood even by most oil and gas lawyers – classification of wells as “oil wells” or “gas wells” by the Texas Railroad…

Here is a chart I came across estimating what oil price is necessary to achieve a 20% after-tax rate of return on wells in various shale plays. Not pretty in light of current oil prices.

The Texas Tribune has created an unusual interactive website with stories about life in the oil patch and the effect of the boom on the lives of those who live and work in the areas affected. Take some time and explore it.  http://apps.texastribune.org/shale-life/eagle-ford-air/ 

There are always nay-sayers who predict that the current boom, whatever it may be, will soon be a bust. Recently, however, some pretty prominent voices have cautioned that all of the rosy predictions about the future of the shale boom, US energy independence, and the continued growth of US oil and…

I ran across an article in the New York Times about a new publication, “The Boom,” becoming popular with oil field workers in the Eagle Ford. It’s a good read. And it’s free online. Check out the article in the August publication, “Eagle Ford Shale Takeaways.” It’s a reprint of an…

Here are two emerging technologies that could change how we might use natural gas to fuel our cars and electrify our homes and offices. A company called Redox Power Systems is building a plant in Florida to produce The Cube, a dishwasher-sized system that generates electricity from natural gas using electro-chemical…