People across the country recognize that Texas is a land rich oil and natural gas. Landowners in Texas can make a lot of money by entering oil and gas leases with a company that wants to extract these resources from the landowner’s ground. The oil and gas lease is a...
Gas And Mineral Law
Abandoned wells and setback rules in Texas
After a gas or oil company drills a well in Texas, some of those wells decrease in production to the point they aren’t profitable. Some of these wells can be repurposed to enhance oil recovery in other wells nearby, but others may be abandoned and plugged by the oil...
What is the difference between mineral rights and surface rights in Texas?
There are property owners in Texas who may not know that there are two types of land ownership they may possess. There are many properties in Texas that may contain mineral rights as well as surface rights. Knowing the difference between these types of rights can be...
An overview of mineral and surface rights
Typically, when a person buys a home in Texas, he or she is granted surface and mineral rights to the property. If a homeowner has surface rights, it means that this person controls the land and any structures that are built on it. If a person has mineral rights, it...
When someone contacts you about leasing your mineral rights
As a landowner who has recently been contacted about leasing the mineral rights to your property, you may be excited about signing the contract and enjoying the profits. At Kelsey, Kelsey & Hickey, PLLC, we often work with property owners who want to enter into...
What is the difference between surface and mineral rights?
If you wish to take advantage of fertile land and possibly make some money off the oil flowing underneath it, then you need to understand the difference between surface and mineral rights. You very well could have both, but if you just have surface rights, your dreams...
Will an oil well damage your land?
You may be eager to sign the lease with the oil and gas operator so drilling can begin on your Texas property. However, before you sign anything, you should consider adding one or more clauses within the lease to address surface damage. MineralWeb.com explains a few...
What could I do if I found oil on my property?
It is one of the great American dreams: striking oil on your own property. However, if you were to discover valuable minerals beneath your land in Texas, it would often be both wise and profitable to slow down and look at the details. The reason behind this...
Understanding oil rig blowouts
With the enormous oil industry in Texas, oil rig blowouts pose a continuing problem. The State of Texas keeps track of such potentially catastrophic events and reports that Texas saw 46 blowouts over the past three years, 11 in 2018, 14 in 2017, and 24 in 2016....
Arbitration often used in oil and gas disputes
As many business owners know, disputes between companies can get contentious and costly, both in terms of time wasted and money spent. In Texas, where the oil and gas industry dominates a large share of the market, disputes are not uncommon. There are many ways to...