Close

Oil and Gas Lawyer Blog

Updated:

Winter Storm Uri: The causes of the massive Texas power failure detailed in UT report

We’ve seen much posturing and finger-pointing from politicians on who is to blame for power failures during Winter Storm Uri last February. UT’s Austin Energy Institute has issued a report: The timeline and Events of the February 2021 Texas Electric Grid Blackouts, laying out the facts on what happened. The…

Updated:

Nettye Engler Energy v. Bluestone Natural Resources: Texas Supreme Court affirms ruling against royalty owner

Last week the Texas Supreme Court handed down its opinion in Nettye Engler Energy, LP v. Bluestone Natural Resources II, LLC, No. 20-0639, affirming the lower court’s ruling that Engler’s royalty interest bears its share of gas gathering and processing costs. Engler owns a royalty interest in a section of…

Updated:

Texas Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Hlavinka v. HSC Pipeline – Important Eminent Domain Issues

The Texas Supreme Court agreed to decide Hlavinka v. HSC Pipeline, about which I have written before. The Court’s summary of the issues: The primary issues in this case are whether (1) Texas law grants eminent domain authority to a pipeline owner shipping polymer grade propylene; (2) a pipeline shipping…

Updated:

Fallout from February 2021 Freeze Continues

With the recent cold snap, we’re all remembering what we were doing last February when the lights went out. Repercussions continue. As reported by Michell Ferman at Texas Tribune, Vistra corporation is in a dispute with Energy Transfer over its bill to Vistra for $21.6 million, for gas sold to…

Updated:

New Industry Group Forms to Promote Texas Geothermal Energy

A friend alerted me to a new organization formed to promote geothermal energy, The Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance (TxGEA). TxGEA is an interdisciplinary group of entities engaged in geothermal resource exploration, drilling, construction and production, for producing electricity from geothermal resources. Membership includes:  Baker Hughes Blade Energy Partners Causeway GT…

Updated:

Two Texas Federal District Courts Weigh In On Post-Production Costs

Two recent decisions from two federal judges in the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, dismissed suits alleging class actions against Apache and Hilcorp for failure to pay royalties on gas used in gas processing plants. Both construed identical lease provisions. In Carl v. Hilcorp Energy, No. 4:21-CV-02133, Judge Keith…

Contact Us