Category: Oil & Gas

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Congress Repeals Crude Oil Export Ban, a Legacy of 1970s Oil Embargo

By Eric Martin on Posted in Fracking, Legislation, Oil & Gas, Pipelines, Regulation
Before leaving Washington, D.C. for the holidays, President Obama signed H.R. 2029 (Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016), which repealed the ban on U.S. exports of crude oil.  The repeal occurred just few days before today’s 40th anniversary of President Ford signing the ban into law.  According to historical data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, when … Continue Reading

Court Denies Move For Final Judgment On Order Delaying BLM Hydraulic Fracturing Rule; Environmental Groups Proceed Anyway

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas, Permitting
Following a Wyoming federal court’s order temporarily halting the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on public lands, Sierra Club and several other environmental groups requested the court enter final judgment and delay proceedings while they pursue an appeal through the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.  (Our complete coverage of this case … Continue Reading

New Law Streamlines Federal Permitting and Environmental Review Processes

By Jared Wigginton on Posted in Legislation, Natural Gas Storage, Oil & Gas, Permitting, Pipelines
Major infrastructure developers received a notable holiday gift from Capitol Hill and the White House earlier this month with the December 4, 2015 enactment of the Highway Authorization Act. Title XLI of the Act promises to streamline both the authorization (license, permit, approval, etc.) and environmental review processes for covered projects. Who Benefits? To benefit … Continue Reading

Presidential Memo Imparts “Moral Obligation” on Agencies to Mitigate Impacts of Natural Resource Development

By Ryan Steen on Posted in Mining, Oil & Gas, Regulation
On Tuesday, November 3, the White House released a Presidential Memorandum: “Mitigating Impacts on Natural Resources from Development and Encouraging Related Private Investment” (“Memorandum”).  The Memorandum was sent to the Secretaries of Defense, Interior and Agriculture and the administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and purports to establish … Continue Reading

Sierra Club Issues Notice of Intent to Sue over Frackquakes in Oklahoma

By Mike Mills on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas
On Monday, November 2, the Sierra Club issued a Notice of Intent to Sue (“Notice”) four oil companies, alleging ongoing violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”).  Specifically, the Notice states that the injection and disposal of hydraulic fracturing waste fluids into the ground is a “past and present handling and disposal of … Continue Reading

Activists Make Good on Promise to Sue DOT over Pipeline Regs.

By Mike Mills and Eric Skanchy on Posted in Oil & Gas, Pipelines
On October 8, the National Wildlife Federation (“NWF”) fulfilled its promise to sue the U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”). The lawsuit alleges that for 20 years the DOT has allowed pipelines to operate illegally by failing to issue regulations under section 311(j) of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”), which requires pipeline operators to submit plans … Continue Reading

BREAKING: Wyoming Federal Court Halts Implementation Of Public Lands Hydraulic Fracturing Rule

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas, Permitting
Late yesterday, Judge Scott Skavdahl of the federal district court in Wyoming issued a much-anticipated order granting a series of preliminary injunction motions filed in litigation challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on public lands.  (Our full coverage of the litigation is available here.)  In a detailed 54-page opinion … Continue Reading

With Latest Filings, Decision On Preliminary Injunction Motions In Litigation Against BLM Fracking Rule Expected Soon

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas, Permitting
In June, a Wyoming federal district court temporarily delayed implementation of the Bureau of Land Management’s (“BLM”) new final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on federal public lands, while it granted the BLM an extension to lodge its administrative record and permitted the parties more time to file citations to that record in support of their … Continue Reading

Pipeline Operators Take Heed – Threatened Enviro Lawsuit May Lead to Greater Regulatory Requirements

By Mike Mills and Eric Skanchy on Posted in Oil & Gas, Pipelines
On July 28, 2015, the National Wildlife Federation (“NWF”) filed an intent to sue notice against the Department of Transportation (“DOT”), arguing the DOT has not properly approved pipeline projects for more than 20 years. The legal action carries nationwide implications: Every U.S. oil pipeline that intersects a navigable water may soon be subject to additional … Continue Reading

Activists Threaten to Sue if EPA doesn’t Update RCRA Regs to Cover Oil & Gas Industry

By Mike Mills and Eric Skanchy on Posted in Oil & Gas
On Wednesday, August 26, a coalition of environmental groups threatened to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) if the regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”) are not updated to restrict the disposal of waste associated with oil and gas production. The coalition specifically asked the EPA to review and revise the … Continue Reading

U.S. EPA Proposes New Rules to Curb Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Sector

By Mike Mills and Parissa Florez on Posted in Oil & Gas
On August 18, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released proposed regulations aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from oil and gas facilities. These first-ever proposed standards are a key part of a broader strategy, under the President’s Climate Action Plan, to cut methane emissions in the sector by 40% … Continue Reading

BLM Responds To Ute Indian Tribe’s Injunction Motion In Fracking Rule Litigation

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas, Permitting
Following a court hearing and order temporarily delaying the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on federal public lands, the BLM submitted its response brief opposing the Ute Indian Tribe’s preliminary injunction motion on July 1.  Among the BLM’s arguments, it asserted four primary points: First, the BLM contends that the Indian … Continue Reading

BREAKING: Wyoming Federal Court Delays Implementation Of BLM’s Final Fracking Rule

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas, Permitting, Uncategorized
On the heels of yesterday’s day-long hearing on several preliminary injunction motions in litigation challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (“BLM”) new final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on federal public lands, the Wyoming district court has temporarily ordered a delay of the rule’s implementation for at least several weeks. (See our prior coverage of the preliminary injunction briefing … Continue Reading

More Injunction Arguments In BLM Fracking Rule Litigation Prior To Major Court Hearing Tomorrow

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas, Permitting, Uncategorized
Several more key filings have come into the federal litigation challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on public lands in advance of the June 23 consolidated preliminary injunction hearing. These briefs are summarized below: BLM’s Opposition To The Preliminary Injunction Motions Filed By The States Of Wyoming And Colorado … Continue Reading

Preliminary Injunction Arguments Pour Into Litigation Against BLM’s Final Fracking Rule

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas, Permitting
Since our last update on federal litigation in Wyoming challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing on public lands, the flurry of activity continues in advance of the June 23 preliminary injunction hearing. We’ve summarized several key filings below: BLM’s Opposition To Preliminary Injunction On June 1, the BLM … Continue Reading

EPA Finds No Systemic Threat to Drinking Water from Fracking

By Mike Mills and Eric Skanchy on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas
On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) released a long awaited, and congressionally mandated, study detailing the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water. The EPA found no signs of “widespread, systemic” drinking water pollution from hydraulic fracturing. “It is the most complete compilation of scientific data to date,” says Dr. Thomas Burke, with the EPA’s … Continue Reading

Wyoming, Colorado Seek To Halt BLM’s Fracking Regulations; Environmental Groups Intervene

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Permitting
On the heels of a preliminary injunction motion filed in the action by two industry groups challenging the federal Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on public lands, the states of Wyoming and Colorado likewise filed a preliminary injunction motion in their related case last Friday. In their brief, the states … Continue Reading

States Show Their True Colors on Fracking – One Enacts a Ban, While Two Others Prohibit All Local Bans

By Mike Mills and Eric Skanchy on Posted in Fracking, Legislation, Oil & Gas
Three states have recently taken a stand for or against controversial bans on hydraulic fracturing. Oklahoma, Texas, and Maryland have all passed laws within the past month relating to hydraulic fracturing bans. Oklahoma Last Friday, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed Senate Bill 809, which prohibits local governments from choosing whether to have oil and gas … Continue Reading

Preliminary Injunction Motion Filed To Stop BLM’s Final Fracking Rule

By Andrew Pieper on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas
Last Friday, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the Western Energy Alliance (WEA) opened their arguments on a preliminary injunction motion to halt the federal Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final rule regulating hydraulic fracturing on public lands until resolution of the litigation. In its supporting memorandum, the IPAA and WEA detail the process … Continue Reading

New Federal Oil-By-Rail Regulations Published

By Mike Mills and Eric Skanchy on Posted in Oil & Gas
Today, May 8, 2015, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration published a final rule for rail transport of crude oil in the Federal Register. These rules come after several high-profile oil train derailments, including one recently in North Dakota that caused the evacuation of a nearby town. The final rule applies to “high-hazard flammable … Continue Reading

New Rules on MLPs & Qualifying Income: What Oil Services and Exploration Companies Need to Know

By Mike Mills and Eric Skanchy on Posted in Mining, Oil & Gas
On Tuesday, May 5, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) released proposed regulations defining qualifying income for Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”). MLPs are publicly traded partnerships that are taxed as a partnership rather than a corporation. Being taxed as a MLP has many advantages. While shareholders in a corporation face double taxation  ̶  paying taxes … Continue Reading

Department of Energy Report Calls for U.S. to Modernize Energy Infrastructure, Invest in Natural Gas Pipelines

By Mike Mills on Posted in Natural Gas Storage, Oil & Gas, Pipelines
On Tuesday, April 21 the Obama Administration released the first Quadrennial Energy Review (“QER”) as a component of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan.  The extensive report analyzes energy infrastructure in the United States, and “identifies the threats, risks, and opportunities for U.S. energy and climate security, enabling the federal government to translate policy goals into … Continue Reading

USEPA Releases Proposed Rule on Fracking Wastewater Treatment; Says There Will be No Costs to Industry

By Mike Mills on Posted in Fracking, Oil & Gas
On Tuesday, April 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register for regulation of wastewater from unconventional oil and gas operations (“UOG”), which includes hydraulic fracturing.  The rule, titled “Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Oil and Gas Extraction Point Source Category,” is a Clean Water Act … Continue Reading
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