On Friday, March 31, 2023, Representative Larry Bagley of Louisiana’s District 7 proposed amendments to Louisiana Revised Statutes § 30:10. The bill, HB 590, extends a prior substantive change in the law that was affected by the 2012 amendments to La. R.S. 30:10. In the 2012 amendment, operators of force-pooled drilling units were required
The Louisiana Legislature’s 2023 Regular Session begins on April 10th, and last Friday, Louisiana Senator Allain of District 21 filed SB 154 proposing to enact a statutory framework directly governing the rights and obligations of parties to renewable energy leases.
The bill defines a “renewable energy lease” as a lease entered into for the purpose
The Texas Supreme Court recently released its opinion in Devon Energy Production Company, L.P. v. Sheppard, — S.W.3d —, No. 20-0904, 2023 WL 2438927 (Tex. 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
As a key component of most batteries, lithium is ubiquitous in our daily lives. From the moment your alarm on your cell phone goes off in the morning, to using your battery-powered toothbrush, to reading this blog post on your laptop or tablet, lithium makes it all work. Thus, it shouldn’t surprise you to hear
The Texas Supreme Court recently released its opinion in Van Dyke v. Navigators Grp., No. 21-0146, 2023 WL 2053175 (Tex. Feb. 17, 2023), in which it re-affirmed the axiomatic principle that a text retains the same meaning in the present day as when it was drafted. In the context of antiquated oil and gas
In its February 23, 2023 ruling in Mexican Gulf Fishing Co. v. United States Dep’t of Commerce, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a National Fisheries Management Services (“NFMS”) rule requiring owners and operators of charter boats in the Gulf of Mexico to equip their boats with approved GPS tracking devices that
The Safer Seas Act was passed and enacted into law in December 2022 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The Act includes many changes for the maritime industry, specifically for owners and operators of vessels. The below checklist, current as of March 3, 2023, summarizes the required operational and onboard changes. It is
In Crooks v. State of Louisiana through the Department of Natural Resources, 22-0625 (La. 1/1/23), ___ So. 3d ___, 2023 WL 526075, the Louisiana Supreme Court rejected a writ of mandamus that would have compelled the LDNR to satisfy a $4.7 million judgment for reimbursement of mineral royalties. In doing so, the Court further
Stay tuned for fireworks coming from the Louisiana legislature this year on CCUS. The legislative session begins April 10, and one bill has already been filed to remove expropriation authority from all CCUS activity.[1] Many more bills are expected to be filed. A lot of media attention has focused on a CCUS project related