Texas court: Pipeline assignment without written consent was 'void,' destroying entire chain of title and $2.5M judgment. One broken link meant all downstream transfers fail.
Mineral owners are often subject to general oil and gas lease forms that include provisions benefitting the surface estate. But, when they own no interest in the surface, who, if anyone, has the right to enforce those provisions?
The Texas Supreme Court ruled that ratifying a lease doesn't change a fixed NPRI to a floating one. However, a subsequent stipulation between parties can modify the NPRI, rejecting the argument that an unambiguous deed cannot be altered by a later stipulation.
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.
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.
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...
