Oil And Gas Law Outline

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BUAD 420 Oil and Gas Law Outline 5/4/2011 Conrad Johnson Chapter 1: History, Accumulation, and Ownership C. Ownership 1. Ownership prior to extraction * Generally property interests will be defined by a grant or reservation of a stated interest within a tract of land that is described by some form of surface description * Most lands in the U.S. are described in accordance with a federal rectangular surveying system mandated by congress in the Land Ordincance act of 1785. * Areas not subject to this system are the original 13 states, Florida, Texas, and some portions of the southwest settled under Spanish or Mexican rule. * Range lines run North to south, and are drawn at six mile intervals east and west of the…show more content…
* Once reduced to dominion and control substances become an object of absolute ownership 2. Rule of Capture and Ownership at Extraction * Kelly v. Ohio Oil Co. (Ohio 1897) * Whatever gets into a well belongs to the owner, no matter where it came from * As long as operations are legal on own property nothing can be done to stop or limit landowners use * Oil or gas belongs to the person who can reach and draw it out of the ground as long as it is reached through their property. 3. Ownership of oil and gas after extraction * Chamblin exploration Inc. v. Western Bridge and Steel CO., Inc. * Does refiner lose title to refined hydrocarbons when they escape from him into the ground, are refined hydrocarbons subject to the law of capture when they escape into the ground * Owner does not lose title unless it is shown that he has abandoned…show more content…
* State conservation agency or local government may require a permit to engage in geophysical exploration * Regulations typically address the need to notify affected surface owners, the clean up of work sites, and the reclamation of shot holes * Under rule of capture landowner could drill wells at will * Now, state conservation acts prohibit drilling of O&G well without a permit * Drilling permit: * Specifies location of the well, maximum depth of the well, and targeted geological formations, operator may also need to post a bond to assure the proper plugging and abandonment of the well * Holder of permit must drill in strict compliance with regulations aimed at preventing waste * Well Spacing and Density * The most significant limitations on drilling are regulations that govern well spacing and density * Modify rule of capture by limiting # and location of wells that may be drilled into a reservoir * Well Spacing Rules – Regulate how close can you be to adjacent boundary/lease line and how close you can be to an already built well * Mandate minimum distances between wells & minimum distances between wells and spacing unit boundary
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