The COVID-19 pandemic has created a “new normal” for employers operating in these uncertain times. In the realm of employer-provided medical plans (“plans”), several COVID-related mandates apply, and opportunities are available for employers to expand coverage and provide cost-saving opportunities to employees. If not done already, employers should work...
It takes a talented team to successfully lease and operate over 160,000 acres of land across the Eagle Ford, Buda, Pearsall, Olmos, and San Miguel Basins. San Antonio-based BlackBrush Oil & Gas not only does this well, but also runs its integrated network of wells and tank batteries in...
One of the benefits of being in charge of the Energy Law program at the law school at Texas Tech is being able to invite energy superstars to speak in our Energy Law Lecture Series. I recently hosted noted author and lecturer Robert Bryce, who is one of the...
Most of the time it is difficult, if not impossible, to recognize that a major sea change is taking place — especially when it is just getting started. The Barnett Shale seemed to burst on the scene around the 2004-2005 timeframe as an instant success. Like most every overnight...
Associated natural gas continues to be an issue for producers in North Dakota. While the Bakken’s rich natural gas is a valuable commodity, even at current prices, the geography and logistics in western North Dakota make gas capture and processing complicated and expensive. Direct costs related to natural gas...
Private mineral owners think more rationally than your average protester
Pipelines are lifelines! The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced that the U.S. has set yet another new record for proved reserves of both crude oil and natural gas. “Proved reserves” are those volumes that are believed to be recoverable in...
I became a fan of shale when I leased my property in rural Pennsylvania to a gas drilling company over a decade ago. I became an advocate when I saw how much shale was doing for counties unlike my own where the Delaware River Basin Commission has yet to...
Bakken Shale – North Dakota/Montana
Production continues to increase from the Bakken Shale play, even though the rig count has remained essentially unchanged since July 2017. This increase in production can largely be attributed to the opening of the Dakota Access Pipeline during the third quarter of 2017, which allows...
The Texas oil and gas boom kicked off in 1901 following the discovery of the Spindletop field near Beaumont, Texas. Referred to as the “Lucas Gusher,” it presaged the rapid expansion of a young industry that has shaped the state’s economy for more than a century, with the ups...
The sixth annual Eagle Ford Consortium conference was held June 7–8 at The University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus. Long gone are the heady days, when the first conference in 2012 sold out and then oversold, ultimately to more than 500 attendees. By the third year, it...
