A recent ruling by the Fifth Circuit has caused a big controversy in the oil and gas industry. In Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. v Hewitt, the Fifth Circuit decided that Helix owed an offshore tool pusher time-and-a-half overtime pay because he was compensated on a day-rate basis and not with an annual salary. The […]
A Texas federal judge granted a motion for summary judgment filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in a suit against two oil and gas promoters. The two were found to have set up a Ponzi scheme over the course of two years which bilked 70 investors out of millions of dollars. The two were […]
The South Texas College of Law/Houston recently announced the launch of the Oil & Gas Law Institute. The goal of the program is to give students comprehensive training in oil and gas law, turning out practice-ready graduates with cutting-edge knowledge of the field. The Institute plans to ensure that graduates are practice-ready by making the […]
The slide in oil prices has continued into December, but Texas oil companies and boom towns say they aren’t too concerned. According to reports in USA Today and the Texas Tribune, many in the oil and gas field feel that Texas is prepared to weather the ups and downs of oil prices. Texas has experienced […]
On August 20, a team of three Texan oilfield workers were removing a pump jack when one of its cables struck a power line overhead. The connection electrocuted Laban Robokoff, 24, and Harvey McKinney, 36, killing them both. CPR was performed, but they were pronounced dead enroute to the hospital. Steven McKinney, 32, Harvey McKinney’s […]
The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear a long-running oil royalties dispute. The case in question concerns a landowner’s claim of fraud — and how that claim might affect the statute of limitations for bringing claims against a driller. Charles Hooks III’s land lease required Samson Lone Star LP to pay him if it […]
The United States is experiencing an oil boom. As with every boom, hucksters are busy designing clever schemes to steal money from eager oil and gas investors. Federal officials recently accused Halek Energy, LLC with swindling 300 investors out of nearly $22 million in a Texas oil and gas project. The company’s CEO, Jason Halek, […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a list of U.S. employers with severe and/or repeated violations of safety regulations: the Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP). A major investigation by the Houston Chronicle revealed that several Texas oil companies with repeat violations and multiple fatal accidents in recent years have somehow avoided inclusion in […]
A Texas court of appeals has ruled that expert testimony is not needed to prove that seismic blasting activity caused damage to a water well. In Seitel Data, Ltd. v. Simmons, Opinion No. 06-11-00041-CV, 362 S.W.3d 783 (Tex.App.—Texarkana, 2012), 2012 WL 129766, 2012 Tex. App. LEXIS 1446, the plaintiffs testified that their freshwater well began […]
Chesapeake Energy has joined other major natural gas producers in announcing that it will slash its budget for drilling new wells due to low gas prices. Many producers entered into long term day-rate contracts for drilling rigs and now find themselves with no need for the rigs. Look for increased litigation over the meaning of […]