Energy News Alert

January 2012

• North Dakota Federal Court Issues Significant Ruling Dismissing Attempted Criminal Prosecution of Oil and Gas Companies Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act - view
• New NMOCD Horizontal Well Rules Appear Parallel with Industry Horizon - view
• North Dakota’s New Pit Requirements and Hydraulic Fracturing (“HF”) Regulation to Be Effective April 1, 2012 - view
• North Dakota State Leases to Carry a Higher Royalty Rate of 3/16ths (18.75%) - view
• Supreme Court of Wyoming Issues Significant Decision Regarding Custody Transfer Meters - view
• NDIC - Modifications to North Dakota Administrative Code Title 43-02 - view

December 2011

• Controversy to Compromise: Colorado Adopts New Hydraulic Fracturing Regulations - view
• Significant Expansion of Exploration in the Pinedale Anticline Project Area in Western Wyoming Upheld by the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals - view
• North Dakota’s Definition of "Engaged in Drilling or Reworking Operations" - view

October 2011

• The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals Issues Landmark Decision Regarding Roadless Land Designations by the U.S. Forest Service - view
• Produced Water Decision Issued - view
• NDIC Proposes New Rules for 2012 for Pits, Hydraulic Fracturing, Commission Procedure and Other Matters - view
• BLM changes policy on Commingling and Off-lease Measurement Approval - view

August 2011

• EPA Proposes New Clean Air Act Requirements for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry Affecting Extraction, Transmission and Storage - view

• U.S. District Court in Montana Sides with BLM on Monument RMP Challenge - view 

July 2011

• Court Grants Motion for Fees and Expenses Against Grynberg - view
• Court Strikes Down Local Inspection Fee - view
• Utah Supreme Court Issues Significant Condemnation Decision - view
• Case of First Impression Addresses Wellbore Ownership - view

June 2011

• Obtaining a Temporary Restraining Order to Access a Well Site, Pipeline or Facilities - view
• Supreme Court Decision in Climate Change Lawsuit: A Short Term Win For Power Companies; Potential Long Term Win For the EPA - view

• Wyoming Governor Issues Updated Executive Order for Sage-Grouse Core Areas: A Recognition of Existing Rights and Cooperative Development - view

May 2011

• IBLA Reverses BLM Attempt to Retroactively Change Lease Terms - view
• When Working Interest is 50/50: First to Permit Gets to Drill in North Dakota - view

• New Mexico Governor’s Task Force Recommends Rule Changes to Foster Business Friendly Environment - view

April 2011

• Water Issues Flow in Mountain West - view
• North Dakota Supreme Court Issues “Stranger to Title” Decision - view

• Montana Eminent Domain Bill Passage May Keep Transmission Project on Track - view

March 2011

• Stepping Closer to Federal Regulation: EPA Studies the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracking on Drinking Water Resources - view
• Recent IBLA Decision Holds that BLM Cannot Automatically Terminate a Lease Once Held by Production or for Reasons of Noncompliance - view

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Draft Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines Poised to Impact the Wind Industry and Markets that Depend on the Wind Industry – Comments Due May 19, 2011 - view

February 2011

• Federal Lessees Get Burned, Then Rights Extinguished; Recent Leasing Decision has Potential Broad Ramifications for Valid Existing Rights - view
• Proposed Montana Bills Bode Well for Oil and Gas - view
• White Paper: Natural Gas in a Smart Energy Future - view

January 2011

• Interior Gone Wild - view
• Troubleshooting Uncertain Mineral Ownership in Montana - view
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Proposal to List the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard as an Endangered Species Threatens Energy Development in Southeast New Mexico - view
• Ninth Circuit Expands Right to Intervene in NEPA Cases - view

Archives

2010 Archive

2009 Archive

Other News

• Beatty & Wozniak, P.C. is excited to add new associates to our team.  Craig Gleaton, Tom RuBane, Dante Tomassoni and Eric Vinton join Beatty & Wozniak in the Denver office bringing additional title and transactional experience to our existing practice areas. › read more

• Beatty & Wozniak is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Gallaway joined the firm as an associate on January 17, 2011. Liz's practice focuses on local, state, and federal permitting and regulatory issues, as well as natural resources development on federal lands. Prior to joining the firm, Liz practiced for four years at the Mountain States Legal Foundation, handling a wide range of litigation and administrative cases involving oil and gas and property rights. She is licensed in Colorado and Pennsylvania.

• Beatty & Wozniak is pleased to announce that Jamie Jost became a shareholder of the firm on January 1, 2011.  Jamie's practice will continue to focus on Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico oil and gas commission matters, local government regulatory and permitting issues, and pipeline infrastructure construction and operations matters.

• B&W ACHIEVE $26MM ARBITRATION AWARD FOR SOURCEGAS.  SourceGas Distribution, jointly owned by General Electric and Alinda Investments, was awarded $26,572,618 in damages, attorney fees and expenses in an arbitration judgment against Bitter Creek Pipelines, LLC, a subsidiary of MDU Resources, which was issued Friday, October 15th. SourceGas was represented by a legal team from Beatty & Wozniak. - read more

• Mike Wozniak has been named “Denver Oil & Gas Lawyer of the Year” for 2011 by Best Lawyers in America. › read more

• Robert S. Thompson III has been selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Native American Law.

• Fred MacDonald has been selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Oil & Gas Law.

Events

• Carol Leach will speak on voluntary pooling at a seminar in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on February 11, 2011.  Colorado attorneys may earn 7 CLE hours and New Mexico attorneys may earn 6 CLE hours for attending the program titled "New Mexico Conservation, Capture, Pooling and Unitization"  You may register by calling (715) 835-5900 or online at www.halfmoonseminars.com

• Carol Leach now chairs the Legislative Affairs Committee for the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA).  The first meeting of the 2011 legislative session is January 25 at 11 a.m. at the NMOGA Offices.  Meetings will take place every Tuesday through the session at the same time and location.  You may contact Carol if you have questions about proposed legislation in New Mexico.

• Jamie Jost and Gina Matero will be speaking at the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation's Special Institute on "Oil & Gas Agreements:  Midstream and Marketing" in Houston, Texas on February 23-24, 2011.  The topic of their discussion is "Building Infrastructure - Gathering Systems, Central Facilities, and Processing Plants."

• Rob Thompson and Kelly de la Torre will be speaking at the RMMLF Special Institute: Natural Resources Development on Indian Lands to be held March 3-4 in Albuquerque, NM.