By Jake Bartlett on Posted in Energy,EnvironmentAs discussed in an earlier post, found here, the Council of Environmental Quality (“CEQ”) recently published proposed amendments to update the procedural regulations used to implement the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). The proposed amendments were published in the Federal Register on January 10, 2020 and can be found here. Public comments on the proposed… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov on Posted in EnergyOn January 22, 2020, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania decided Briggs v. Southwestern Energy Prod. Co. The issue before the Court was whether the rule of capture applies when a developer drains oil and gas from an adjacent property by drilling a well “using hydraulic fracturing solely within the developer’s property.” (emphasis in original). The… Continue Reading
By Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyOn January 21, 2020, the Supreme Court of Ohio accepted an appeal from the Seventh District Court of Appeals’ decision in West v. Bode, Case No. 18-MO-0017. The issue accepted for review by the Court is whether, due to a perceived conflict between the statutes, the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act (R.C. 5301.56), being the specific… Continue Reading
By Jake Bartlett on Posted in Energy,EnvironmentThe Council for Environmental Quality recently published proposed amendments to update the procedural regulations used to implement the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). The proposed amendments were published in the Federal Register on January 10, 2020 and can be found here. The main goal of NEPA is to assure that federal agencies adequately consider the… Continue Reading
By Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyIn Pavsek v. Wade, 18 MO 0024, Ohio’s Seventh District Court of Appeals considered whether a lessor must serve notice upon its lessee demanding that the lessee drill additional wells on the leasehold prior to seeking a partial forfeiture of the lease due to the lessee’s breach of the implied covenant of reasonable development. The… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov on Posted in EnergyOn November 26, 2019, the Supreme Court of Ohio clarified that a declaratory judgment claim that an oil and gas lease terminated for lack of production is subject to the 21-year statute of limitations for recovery of title to or possession of real property in R.C. 2305.04. See Browne v. Artex Oil Co., Slip Op.… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov on Posted in EnergyIn July, we wrote about Gerrity v. Chervenak (5th Dist., Guernsey County), involving the level of due diligence that the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act requires surface owners to use when notifying mineral holders of abandonment proceedings. On October 15, 2019, the Supreme Court of Ohio agreed to hear Gerrity. The Court will consider the following… Continue Reading
By Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyThe Seventh District Court of Appeals reaffirmed that claimants can use both Ohio’s Marketable Title Act (“MTA”) and Dormant Mineral Act (“DMA”) to extinguish and abandon, respectively, mineral interests. In West v. Bode, 2019-Ohio-4092, the appellant-surface owners attempted to extinguish a severed oil and gas royalty interest under the MTA. The holders of the royalty interest… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov on Posted in EnergyThe Marcellus and Utica Shales contain around 214 tcf of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment. “This is a significant increase from the previous USGS assessments of both formations. In 2011, the USGS estimated a mean of 84 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Marcellus… Continue Reading
By Ryan Elliott on Posted in EnergyOn September 24, 2019, U.S. EPA proposed amendments to the 2012 and 2016 New Source Performance Standards for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry under 40 CFR Part 60, Subparts OOOO and OOOOa. For details regarding U.S EPA’s proposed amendments to NSPS OOOO and NSPS OOOOa, see our recent Client Alert.… Continue Reading
By Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyThe Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing issued new guidance for Ohio’s Oil and Gas Land Professionals (“Land Professionals”). First, the Division updated its Land Professional Disclosure Form. Ohio law requires Land Professionals to provide this disclosure form to landowners prior to or at its first meeting with landowners. Second, the Division is requesting… Continue Reading
By Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyThe Fifth Appellate District recently addressed whether an internet search to identify / locate the holders of severed mineral interests is always required under Ohio’s Dormant Mineral Act (“ODMA”). See, Gerrity v. Chervenak, 2019-Ohio-2687. In 1965, Jane Richards obtained title to certain severed mineral interests located in Guernsey County, Ohio (“Gerrity Minerals”). In 1997, Ms.… Continue Reading
By Ryan Elliott on Posted in Energy,EnvironmentOn June 24, 2019, Ohio EPA issued a draft Vapor Intrusion Sampling and Evaluation Guidance (Guidance). The draft Guidance, which is intended to update the 2010 version of Ohio EPA’s Vapor Intrusion Guidance, is applicable to sites subject to CERCLA, RCRA, and Ohio Voluntary Action (VAP) oversight. Comments on the draft Guidance must be submitted… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov on Posted in EnergyOn June 19, 2019, Ohio’s Seventh District Court of Appeals decided a case involving the interplay of a private oil and gas lease and Ohio’s statutory unitization law. See Paczewski v. Antero Resources Corp., 18 MO 0016. When signing an oil and gas lease, the original contracting parties struck a voluntary unitization clause. Unable to… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov on Posted in EnergyFour years after the Supreme Court of Ohio struck down the City of Munroe Falls’ attempt to regulate oil and gas development through zoning, a lower appeals court held that the City and its law director could not sanctioned for attempting to enforce ordinances that required Beck Energy to obtain a zoning certificate and/or variance… Continue Reading
By Ryan Elliott on Posted in EnergyOn April 10, 2019, President Trump issued two Executive Orders (EOs) to facilitate the construction of primarily energy-related infrastructure, including pipelines. EO 13867, Issuance of Permits with respect to Facilities and Land Transportation Crossings at International Borders, was issued to expedite permitting of facilities crossing the international border, such as oil and gas pipelines to… Continue Reading
By Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyOhio’s Seventh District Court of Appeals recently held once again that fee oil and gas interests are subject to possible extinguishment under Ohio’s Marketable Title Act (MTA). See Stalder v. Bucher, 2019-Ohio-936. In Stalder, the mineral owners advanced two arguments against extinguishment. First, they claimed that the MTA no longer applies to mineral interests. In… Continue Reading
By Ryan Elliott on Posted in Energy,EnvironmentOn March 29, 2019, U.S. EPA finalized a New Owner Clean Air Act (CAA) Audit Program for new owners of upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production facilities – i.e. well sites, tank batteries, and vapor control systems (the “Program”). The Program encourages new owners voluntarily to conduct a self-audit of newly acquired facilities,… Continue Reading
By Michael Vennum on Posted in EnergyOn March 15th, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court issued its opinion in Anadarko Petro. Corp. v. Pennsylvania, No. 60 C.D. 2018 (Pa. Commw. Ct. March 15, 2019), holding that the Pennsylvania Attorney General could file action for unfair lease negotiations under Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (the “Unfair Trade Law”), but could not… Continue Reading
By Ryan Elliott on Posted in Energy,EnvironmentOn February 21, 2019, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a petition for review of air permits issued by Ohio EPA for two compressor stations to be constructed along the NEXUS pipeline in Ohio. The Court dismissed the petition for review for lack of jurisdiction, holding the environmental groups that filed the petition for… Continue Reading
By Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyOhio’s Seventh District Court of Appeals was recently asked to analyze whether a fee oil and gas reservation can be extinguished under Ohio’s Marketable Title Act (the “MTA”). In Miller v. Mellott, 2019-Ohio-504, two different groups claimed ownership over the oil and gas. The surface owners claimed title under the MTA. The mineral owners claimed… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov on Posted in EnergyLast week, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court decision upholding the constitutionality of Ohio’s statutory unitization procedures. See Kerns v. Chesapeake Exploration, L.L.C., 6th Cir. No. 18-3636 (Feb. 4, 2019). Read more about that decision in our Client Alert.… Continue Reading
By Ilya Batikov and Jay Carr on Posted in EnergyOn December 13, 2018, the Supreme Court of Ohio clarified the preservation of interests under the Ohio Marketable Title Act (OMTA). See Blackstone v. Moore, Slip Opinion No. 2018-Ohio-4959. In its decision, the Court held that under the OMTA, a deed reference to a previously reserved royalty interest is sufficiently-specific to preserve that royalty interest where the… Continue Reading
By Ryan Elliott on Posted in Energy,EnvironmentOn December 11, 2018, USEPA and the Army Corps of Engineers proposed a new rule defining “water of the United States” (WOTUS) subject to USEPA/Army Corps jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. The proposed rule would replace the 2015 WOTUS rule, which has been the subject of litigation across the country, with a more narrow… Continue Reading
