The Energy Law Blog

Recent Posts from The Energy Law Blog

• Louisiana Supreme Court Holds that Act 136 of the Mineral Code is Inapplicable to Remediation Suits

  By Matt Simone In Broussard v. Hilcorp Energy Co., the Louisiana Supreme Court held that a plaintiff is not required, pursuant to Article 136 of the Louisiana Mineral Code, to provide a defendant with pre-suit…

• Fifth Circuit Holds that Individual Citizens Have Standing to Sue Energy Companies for Global Warming

  By April Rolen-Ogden In Comer v. Murphy Oil, the Fifth Circuit left open the possibility that the oil and gas industry may be privately sued for alleged contributions to global warming. In this putative class…

• Fifth Circuit Royalty Decision Stands -- Supreme Court Denies Cert

  The United States Supreme Court has denied the Petition for Certiorari filed by the United States Department of the Interior in Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp. v. U.S. Dep't of the Interior, 554 F.3d 1082…

• New Permit Requirements for Hydraulic Fracturing of the Haynesville Shale

  By Stephen Weigand The Shreveport Times reports that federal authorities have added additional permit requirements for companies who pump water from the Red River for hydraulic fracturing of the Haynesville Shale. The requirements were added…

• Caddo Parish Commissioners Approve Ordinances Affecting Oil and Gas Operations

  By Matthew Simone After seven months of discussion and postponement, Caddo Parish Commissioners approved new regulations affecting oil and gas operations. These regulations involve three directives. First, loud operations within five hundred feet of hospitals,…

• White House Wants to End Royalty-in-Kind Program

  by Elisabeth Lorio Baer Interior Secretary Ken Salazar informed Congress on September 17, 2009 that he would kill a controversial program, currently in effect, that allows energy companies to pay the government royalties for drilling…

• The Tiber Prospect Well: BP Makes Giant Oil Discovery Deep in the Gulf

  By Kerry Murphy On Wednesday September 2, BP drilled the world’s deepest oil well – the Tiber Prospect Well – and discovered a huge pool of crude oil. The Tiber well is located in the…

• Local Louisiana tax assessor files 29 additional lawsuits against "big oil" companies alleging underpayment of millions in ad valorem taxes

  By Emma J. Hinnigan This entry updates an earlier blog entry posted on May 4, 2009, discussing two lawsuits filed by the tax assessor for Terrebonne Parish against Burlington and LL&E for alleged underpayment of…

• First Circuit Holds That Common Carrier Cannot Expropriate Private Property to Perform Routine Service and Maintenance on its Ethylene Pipeline

  By Emma J. Hinnigan In ExxonMobil Pipeline Co. v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., 08-2347 (La. App. 1. Cir. 5/13/09), the First Circuit held that ExxonMobil was not entitled to expropriate land owned by Union Pacific…

• Caddo Parish Commissioners Postpone Decision on Oil and Gas Ordinances

  by Elisabeth Lorio Baer Despite the urging of Caddo Parish property owners to pass regulating ordinances and appeals from the oil and gas industry to leave regulation to other governing bodies, Caddo Parish commissioners decided…