Both houses of the Idaho Legislature unanimously approved House Bill 301a last week following a seven-hour negotiation and two days of hearings earlier this month. Supported by Governor Otter, this bill will (among other things) amend the forced pooling provisions enacted just 12 months ago. In fact, House Bill 301a is the latest in a … Continue Reading
The Oregon Legislature’s 2017 session officially kicked off last week. A variety of mineral-related bills have been introduced. Here are some of the ones to follow: Mining SB 3 – SB 3 is primarily focused on suction dredge mining. It would build on the 2013 enactment of a moratorium, currently in effect until 2021, on … Continue Reading
Ready or not, California’s new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) is here and mine operators should be vigilant in monitoring and actively participating in developments under the law. Previously, the use of groundwater was largely unregulated. Now local agencies are in the driver’s seat when it comes to addressing a very complex problem: managing groundwater … Continue Reading
Two lawsuits were filed within days of each other in Oklahoma, claiming that energy companies engaged in hydraulic fracturing and underground disposal of produced water are causing earthquakes throughout the state. These lawsuits probably come as no surprise to the industry after the Sierra Club recently threatened to sue four oil companies for contributing to … Continue Reading
In late-January, the North Dakota Petroleum Council’s task force on natural gas flaring released its much-anticipated recommendations to the North Dakota Industrial Commission, the administrative body that regulates oil and gas wells in the state. The task force made several proposals with the aim to increase the amount of natural gas captured at wellheads, including … Continue Reading
The North Dakota Supreme Court issued an opinion last week resolving a constitutional question of public vs. private ownership of mineral interests in the area between the high and low water marks along navigable waters (commonly known as the “shore zone”). Ultimately, the court found that the state’s interest in minerals begins at the high … Continue Reading
The North Dakota Supreme Court recently issued its second opinion in Van Sickle v. Hallmark & Associates, a case that has tested the boundaries of a mineral interest holder’s right to royalties when well operators go bankrupt. The Van Sickles own interests in oil and gas produced from a well in McKenzie County that’s operated … Continue Reading
Mining operations are often conducted on leased lands. As with any lease, disputes may come up between the landowner/lessor and the mining company/tenant. Over the last few years I’ve dealt with multiple situations in which the landowner either made, or threatened to make, complaints about the mining operation to regulatory agencies. In some situations the … Continue Reading
