Insight and Analysis of Legal Issues Impacting the Energy Industry
United States Senators have introduced three new bills that may impact offshore drilling:
Senators Byron Dorgan, D.-N.D., and Larry Crais, R-Idaho, have introduced the Security and Fuel Efficiency Energy Act 2007, S. 875. The legislation would allow offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to as close as 45 miles off the coast of…
By: Clare Bienvenu
On January 3, 2007, EPA promulgated a final rule amending 40 C.F.R. part 63, Subpart HH, “NESHAP (National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants) for Source Categories from Oil and Natural Gas Production Facilities” to include the regulation of area sources. See 72 Fed.Reg. 26 (January 3, 2007). The final rule is…
On January 30, 2007, a class action settlement was approved in Turner v. Murphy Oil U.S.A., Inc., 05-4206 (E.D. La). The Turner case asserted claims for property damage resulting from a release of oil from tanks located at Murphy’s Meraux, Louisiana refinery after Hurricane Katrina. The $330 million settlement includes a $55 million buyout program, a $120…
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources has issued a proposed amendment to Statewide Order 29-B that details the procedures the Department will follow in implementing oilfield clean-up plans referred to the Department under Act 312 of 2006. The Legislature passed Act 312 in 2006 to address the problem that damages awards in oilfield remediation litigation were not required…
The Oil & Gas Journal’s Annual Forecast & Review will be available as a live webcast on 1:30pm, CST Thursday, January 25. To watch the webcast of this valuable industry information:
1. Click on www.ogjonline.com
2. Scroll down to webcasts
3. Click on "Annual Forecast & Review " to go to the registration page.
The…
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. The case is noteworthy in that it was brought as a False Claims Act case by Bobby Maxwell, an auditor with the Mineral Management Service, who alleged that…
On January 8, 2007, a Louisiana trial judge held Act 312 of 2006 to be unconstitutional. The Louisiana Attorney General’s office immediately filed notice that it will take a suspensive appeal directly to the Louisiana Supreme Court. M.J. Farms, Ltd v. ExxonMobil Corporation 24,055 (La. 7th J.D.C. Jan. 8, 2007). Act 312, which became effective June…
Two developments this week will increase protections for South Louisiana’ s Port Fourchon and Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP). Port Fourchon handles more than 75% of the oil and gas production from the Gulf of Mexico, while LOOP is the only port in the U.S. capable of offloading the deepest draft tankers. First, the Department of…
In 1988, FERC, pursuant to the Natural Gas Act of 1938, issued Standards of Conduct to regulate natural gas pipelines’ interactions with their marketing affiliates. The Standards required pipelines and ther marketing affiliates to function independently and imposed restrictions the the sharing of information between them. In 2004, FERC extended the reach of the Standards so…
In Waterfowl Limited Liability Co. v. United States, No. 05-30219 (5th Cir. Dec. 12, 2006), the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted the petition for panel rehearing, withdrew its earlier panel opinion, and held that Louisiana law did not apply to a settlement agreement that arose out of earlier litigation…
