Austin represents Texas operators and non-operators in complex issues and disputes. He seeks practical solutions to avoid litigation, but adopts aggressive courtroom strategies when necessary.
In a watershed ruling, the El Paso Court of Appeals extends "waste" liability under the Nat. Res. Code to commercial disposal well operator—potentially increasing exposure for this critical wastewater industry—while preserving the reasonably prudent operator defense.
Winter Storm Uri sent shockwaves through Texas, freezing gas supplies at a time of critical need and plunging the state into widespread power outages. In the aftermath, the courts have been flooded with force majeure claims, many of them hinging on widely used contracts like the NAESB model form.
Assignments of oil and gas leases often consist of broad and abstract granting clause in the body, which then points to an exhibit for a listing of the specific interests being assigned, and it is not uncommon for...
Saltwater disposal wells rarely fail, but when they do, a complex web of legal issues can arise, such as potential regulatory matters, and potential claims for surface or subsurface damages, among other related operational concerns. A recent SWD failure case dives into critical questions of...
In this case, the Texas Supreme Court affirmed the Railroad Commission’s rejection of 16 applications to force pool a narrow winding tract of riverbed minerals with neighboring horizontal wells pursuant to the Texas Mineral Interest Pooling Act (“MIPA”).
Purchase and sale transactions often progress through several stages of instruments, like layers of an onion, before they reach the final definitive purchase agreement, and perhaps even more layers before they reach the final assignment and post-closing items.
