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In April, MDN told you that the West Virginia Supreme Court was scheduled to hear oral arguments in two important oil and gas royaltycases (see WV Supremes Hear Oral Arguments in 2 Important O&G RoyaltyCases). Earlier this week, MDN reported the WV Supreme Court had ruled on the first of the two cases,
In April, MDN told you that the West Virginia Supreme Court was scheduled to hear oral arguments in two important oil and gas royaltycases (see WV Supremes Hear Oral Arguments in 2 Important O&G RoyaltyCases). BB Land LLC, a case we were not previously aware of. One of those two was Kaess v.
The West Virginia Supreme Court was scheduled to hear two significant oil and gas royalty disputes during a morning session today. Both cases center on whether natural gas companies can deduct post-production costs from royalty payments and, if so, under what circumstances. The first case,
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided an interesting case involving recoupment of overpaid oil and gas royalties. in royalties since 2016. in royalties since 2016. Equitable recoupment is a commonly accepted remedy in the oil and gas industry. In DDR Weinert, Ltd. Ovintiv USA, Inc. ,
Another case interpreting a royalty reservation in an old conveyance has been decided by the 11th Court of Appeals in Eastland: Boren Descendants and Mabee Descendants v. Fasken Oil and Ranch, Ltd. , The deed reserves “an undivided one-fourth (1/4th) of the usual one eighth (18th) royalty.”
(World Oil) – Elk Range Royalties has announced a landmark acquisition of a significant mineral and royalty position spanning approximately 250,000 net royalty acres (NRA) in the DJ Basin from affiliates of Occidental Petroleum (Oxy). In February 2025, NGP and the Elk Range team established Elk Range Royalties III.
In Fasken Oil and Ranch, Ltd. 04-23-00106-CV, the San Antonio Court of Appeals was asked to construe a royalty reservation in a 1960 deed: There is saved, excepted and reserved, in favor of the undersigned, B.A. Said interest hereby reserved is Non-Participating Royalty. Puig, Jr., as his own property free of cost forever.
Our firm represented the Opielas in two cases involving a Magnolia horizontal well in Karnes County: a suit against Magnolia in Karnes County, and a suit against the Texas Railroad Commission in Travis County. In both cases the Opielas contended that Magnolia had no right to drill a horizontal well located partly on their land.
It also owns a 1/8 th royalty on oil, gas and other minerals produced from the land. Underground Services Markham , No. 22-0878, the Texas Supreme Court removed any doubt that pore space is owned by the owner of the surface estate, not the mineral estate. Myers Woodward owns the surface estate of 160 acres in Matagorda County.
2023), in which it held that lessees owed royalties in excess of their gross proceeds, specifically “adding back” costs incurred by third-party buyers that were enumerated in the sales contract and subtracted from the sales price. The lessees owned working interests in certain oil and gas leases that were executed in 2007.
Sheppard is a royalty dispute between several lessees, Devon Energy Production Co., concerning a novel royalty term that may have a huge impact on the way oil and gas royalties are paid in the future. The royalty clause at issue required the lessees to pay to the lessors 1/5th of the “gross proceeds” as a royalty.
The Associated Press reported today that a federal jury found Kerr McGee liable for additional royalties on crude oil produced from federal properties and sold through Texon. Kerr McGee had denied the allegations and claimed that no additional royalties were owed. Kerr McGee has indicated that intends to appeal the verdict.
The Texas Supreme Court is going to hear a case in which the issue is whether the interest to be paid on past due royalties is simple or compound interest. In the case of Samson Exploration, LLC v. granted September 1, 2023) , the lessors executed a number of oil and gas leases with Samson. Bordages, 662 S.W.3d
Whether a royalty granted or reserved in a deed is a “fixed” or “floating” royalty has resulted in a lot of litigation in Texas. The Plaintiff sold land to a third party and reserved a 1/8 royalty nonparticipating royalty interest (fixed royalty language). ConocoPhillips Co.,
In the context of antiquated oil and gas conveyances including a double fraction that includes “one-eighth,” the Court affirmed this principle by holding that such language gives rise to a rebuttable presumption that “one-eighth” refers to the entire mineral estate. Dils Co. , 2d 904 (Tex.
3d 544 (2024) , the Texas Supreme Court addressed a case where the Plaintiff claimed that two leases had terminated because a shut in royalty payment was made late. The leases in question had a pretty standard shut in royalty clause that allowed a payment of $50.00 In Scout Energy Management, LLC v. Taylor Properties, 704 S.W.3d
Court Interprets “Free of Cost Forever” Royalty Language Broadly In this case ( Fasken Oil & Ranch, Ltd. Background: 1960 Deed and Royalty Dispute The dispute arose from a 1960 deed where B.A. Hyder , which also addressed a royalty provision with “cost-free” language.
In a recent case, the Texas Supreme Court considered whether interest on late royalty payments was supposed to be simple or compound interest. When Samson paid previously unpaid royalties to the Plaintiff, it included simple interest. In Samson Exploration, LLC v. Bordages, 662 S.W.3d 3d 501, 2024 (Tex.
In 2002 Hahn conveyed the tract to William and Lucille Gips, reserving an undivided one-half non-participating interest in and to all of the royalty [Hahn] now owns (same being an undivided one-half of [Hahn’s] one-fourth or an undivided one-eighth royalty) … Continue reading
The lease royaltycase Carl v. The lease provided for a royalty calculated based on the “market value at the well.” First, the lessor relied on a portion of the royalty clause indicating that royalty was due “on gas … produced from said land and sold or used off the premises.”
The lease royaltycase Carl v. The lease provided for a royalty calculated based on the “market value at the well.” First, the lessor relied on a portion of the royalty clause indicating that royalty was due “on gas … produced from said land and sold or used off the premises.”
While 30:10 was amended during the 2022 legislative session, the amendment preserved the limited obligation of remitting the royalty and overriding royalty burdens to the nonparticipating owner for the benefit of the royalty and overriding royalty owners.
With the prevalence of cases involving royalty disputes in Texas, the state’s Supreme Court has never hesitated to address these issues. But the Court’s sporadic holdings regarding royalty clauses, each so specific to the particular language of the lease, have left lessees on unsteady footing. Oil & Gas Co.
While the Court is no stranger to interpreting (and often muddling) the familiar royalty clause interpretation questions surrounding the first issue, in a case of first impression, the Court also analyzed the breadth of a lease’s free-use clause. after deductions), resulting in lower royalty payments for the royalty owners.
Whether you own a single royalty interest or manage a large mineral portfolio, title curative work is essential to ensuring your ownership is properly documented and revenue flows without delay. Without it, operators may not pay royalties, you may not receive tax notices, and your asset’s value could be diminished.
On September 2, 2016, the Texas Supreme Court agreed to review three oil and gas cases involving issues pertinent to the industry and land and mineral owners. is another top-lease case from the Amarillo Court of Appeals. BP America Production Company v. Red Deer Resources, LLC In BP America Production Company v. Laddex, Ltd.
15, 2008), the Texas Supreme Court again addressed the propriety of class actions for gas royalty claims. The class affirmed the denial of two subclasses, but reversed the denial of a third subclass of royalty claimaints. Phillips Petroleum Co. , 03-0824 (Feb.
The Court will also hear arguments on the applicability of the discovery rule and fraudulent concealment to claims by oil and gas lessors. Liskow & Lewis attorney Butch Marseglia submitted an amicus curiae brief on behalf of The Texas Oil & Gas Association. Emerald Oil & Gas v. Emerald Oil & Gas Company, L.P.,
In a straightforward application of Louisiana’s prescriptive principles, the Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit affirmed the trial court’s grant of exceptions of prescription, finding plaintiff’s claims for fraud, under the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act (LUTPA), and for unpaid royalties all prescribed in Karen May v.
Jan 12, 2024) concerns how three related provisions in an oil and gas lease interact: (1) a royalty clause; (2) a free-use clause; and (3) an off-lease clause. Related to royalty provisions are “free-use clauses” and “off-lease clauses.” Lessees often use gas produced from a leased premises to power those processes.
This article discusses a couple more cases in 2024. In each of these cases, one side successfully argued that the Van Dyke presumption applied, and the other side unsuccessfully argued that it was rebutted. Many anticipate that double-fraction cases will continue to steadily flow through Texas courts for the foreseeable future.
In 2022, in a case decided by the Corpus Christi Court of Appeals , the issue was who owns the right to use underground salt caverns: the mineral owner or the surface owner? In this case, Myers-Woodward, LLC v. 30, 2024), the Court also considered how a salt royalty should be calculated. granted (Aug. granted (Aug. 2d 686 (Tex.
While the Court is no stranger to interpreting (and often muddling) the familiar royalty clause interpretation questions surrounding the first issue, in a case of first impression, the Court also analyzed the breadth of a lease’s free-use clause. after deductions), resulting in lower royalty payments for the royalty owners.
Ohio’s Seventh District Court of Appeals recently held that an “anti-washout” provision found in multiple assignments of overriding royalty interests covering leases that subsequently expired was not binding on the original lessee’s assignees, which had taken new leases to those same lands, as there was no privity of contract.
Free-Use Clause and Further Interprets Conflicting Royalty Clause Provisions The Texas Supreme Court recently issued its anticipated decision in BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC v. For almost a decade, the original lessee to the agreements never subtracted post-production costs from the royalty owners’ royalty payments.
The Case In this recent case, the Texas Supreme Court resolved whether ratification of a lease or signing of a stipulation agreement could transform a fixed non-participating royalty interest (NPRI) into a floating NPRI. " The Gipses later leased the minerals to ConocoPhillips for a 1/4 royalty. ."
The Texas Supreme Court heard oral arguments last week in a case that could substantially clarify, or even fundamentally reshape, the characterization and ownership of underground storage rights in Texas. The case was Myers-Woodward v. The case remains pending before the Texas Supreme Court on petition for review.
The Oil Industry of Nigeria If anyone asks Chevron or Shell, for example, how they feel about Nigeria, the response would probably be that they were tired of problems, at least if they were honest. History of oil in Nigeria Oil was first discovered in Nigeria in the mid-1950s after decades of fruitless exploration.
In this case, the lessee, Underground Services (“USM”) owned the mineral estate, and Myers owned the surface and a 1/8 royalty in all the minerals. USM sued Myers, seeking declaratory relief regarding the royaltys calculation and the right to use the underground salt caverns. May 16, 2025).
In a straightforward application of Louisiana’s prescriptive principles, the Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit affirmed the trial court’s grant of exceptions of prescription, finding plaintiff’s claims for fraud, under the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act (LUTPA), and for unpaid royalties all prescribed in Karen May v.
We're excited to announce the launch of ProducersEdge.law , our new consolidated digital platform that brings together the best of McGinnis Lochridge's oil and gas law publications. This consolidation allows us to deliver content more efficiently, with enhanced security and improved formatting.
hands a victory to financiers of oil and gas operations and settles a long-running controversy over the amount of damages available for failure to pay mineral royalties. in unpaid royalties, plus an additional double damages penalty of $484,058.52. in unpaid royalties, plus an additional double damages penalty of $484,058.52.
the Third Circuit addressed the question of whether or not a mineral lessee must pay its lessor full lease-basis royalties for production undertaken during the effective period of a conditional allowable but prior to the effective date of a unit order. [1] Anglo-Dutch Energy, L.L.C. , Anglo-Dutch Energy, L.L.C. , Anglo-Dutch Energy, L.L.C. ,
May 16, 2025), the Texas Supreme Court resolved two significant issues affecting mineral owners and surface owners: (1) who owns the empty caverns created by salt mining operations, and (2) how to calculate royalty payments on produced salt. Despite this substantial production, USM did not pay Myers any royalty. Can a Cavern Be Owned?
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