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Oil and Gas Lawyer Blog

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Texas GLO Commissioner Jerry Patterson Weighs in on Exxon v. Emerald

Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, has weighed in on the side of the O’Connors in their fight against ExxonMobil. The General Land Office has filed an amicus brief urging the Texas Supreme Court to reconsider its decision in Exxon v. Emerald; Commissioner Patterson issued a press release ( press…

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What Landowners Should Know About Groundwater Rights in Texas

Until fairly recently, there has been little governmental regulation of the drilling of and production of groundwater in Texas. Texas historically followed the common-law “rule of capture,” which holds that, unless the groundwater rights have been severed from the surface, the surface owner is the owner of all groundwater he/she can…

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Lots of Energy Behind Use of Natural Gas as Vehicle Fuel

Momentum appears to be gaining to increase use of compressed natural gas in vehicles in the U.S., both to decrease the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and as a “bridge fuel” to fight global warming. Last Week, the Potential Gas Committee issued a report estimating that the toal U.S. natural…

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Bill to Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing of Wells Introduced in Congress

Four legislators from Colorado, New York and Pennsylvania have introduced a bill making hydraulic fracturing subject to regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Water Drinking Act.  Dubbed the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, or FRAC Act ( FRAC Act.pdf), the bill would amend the Safe Drinking Water…

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Texas Supreme Court asked to take up duty of holder of executive rights in Lesley v. Veterans Land Board

The Texas Supreme Court has been asked to review a case decided by the Eastland Court of Appeals, Lesley v. Veterans Land Board, that raises important questions about the duty of a mineral owner to owners of non-executive mineral interests. If the Court decides to take the case, the outcome…

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