Fundamentals of Oil, Gas and Mineral Law

An overview of the process of finding oil and gas and bringing it to the surface, as well as some of the needed agreements.

Frank N. Cusimano III, Chevron North America Exploration and Production Company - Houston, TX

An examination of the effects of the Rule of Capture, as well as a discussion of well spacing, production limitations, pooling and unitization and related environmental regulation. Agency rules and regulations, rule-making and adjudication procedures are described, as well as judicial review of agency actions including the concepts of collateral attack, exhaustion of administrative remedies, primary jurisdiction and standards of deference.

Patrick H. Martin, Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center - Baton Rouge, LA

An overview of the general types, characteristics and classifications of oil and gas interests.

Laura H. Burney, St. Mary's University School of Law - San Antonio, TX

An in-depth focus on how an oil and gas lease is classified in law and on the key clauses of the lease.

Owen L. Anderson, The University of Oklahoma College of Law - Norman, OK

Included in Fundamentals registration.

A look at the use of Title Examination Standards to address common defects, exceptions and errors found in the chain of title to land plus the language of the standards, times when they are applicable and the commentary of applicable law for each standard. Included are a few practical examination exercises using actual instruments pulled from public records.

Allen D. Cummings, Law Offices of Allen D. Cummings - San Antonio, TX

In Texas, the calculation of the royalty obligation created under an oil and gas lease is determined by looking at the specific language contained in the royalty clause. This session focuses on some of the principal phrases used to describe such obligations and how the Texas courts have interpreted them, and takes a look at how that same language has been interpreted differently in other jurisdictions. The impact of division and transfer orders are analyzed to determine how such instruments may affect the royalty obligations contained in the lease.

Bruce M. Kramer, Of Counsel, McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, L.L.P. - Houston, TX

An outline of the law of implied covenants, including duties imposed, standards applied and remedies available.

Elizabeth N. Miller, Scott, Douglass & McConnico, L.L.P. - Austin, TX

A review of other clauses in an oil and gas lease, including surface use clauses and riders, retained acreage and proportionate reduction clauses and savings clauses such as continuous operations, dry hole, force majeure and shut-in gas royalty clauses.

Gina S. Warren, Texas Wesleyan School of Law - Fort Worth, TX

Coverage of the typical pooling clause in an oil and gas lease which allows the lessee to combine acreage under one lease with acreage underlying adjacent tracts, as well as the voluntary unitization statute in Texas under which the Railroad Commission approves field-wide units which may combine acreage from hundreds of different tracts and landowners for the purpose of second recovery or repressuring.

Jacqueline L. Weaver, University of Houston Law Center - Houston, TX

Description of the terms used to convey mineral and royalty interests and the issues that arise in drafting and interpreting these conveyances.

Laura H. Burney, St. Mary's University School of Law - San Antonio, TX

An overview of the important components of a JOA, completion of and additions to the form JOA and issues that arise in the application of the JOA provisions to exploration and production activities.

John S. Lowe, SMU Dedman School of Law - Dallas, TX