Oil & Gas Law
Oil and gas law is the body of law that controls oil and gas production. Oil and gas laws establish who owns the right to mine for oil and gas. It determine the conditions that mines have to follow when they extract oil and gas.
The area of oil and gas law is a combination of common law, statutory law, and administrative regulations that controls the mining and harvesting of these natural resources in the US.
Attorneys at SBEMP (Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney) law firm provides professional legal advice and services to clients in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Inland Empire, Orange County, Coachella Valley, Costa Mesa, San Diego, New Jersey, New York, and surrounding locations.
What are oil and gas rights?
Oil and gas rights are an element of the wider topic of mineral rights. A segment of real property may be rich in natural resources, such as precious metals or water. Energy-producing substances such as oil and gas can be lucrative for those who capture them for consumption.
A majority of oil and gas laws are state laws. The federal government has relatively little control over oil and gas law. However, it is involved in leasing and permitting on federal lands. In addition, the federal government also controls offshore drilling.
Oil and gas laws establish who may mine for oil and gas, how they may mine, and what occurs when a dispute happens.
Who can own oil and gas?
Oil and gas rights can be owned by any entity that can own property in the US. An individual may own oil and gas rights. Stemming from this, federal, state, and local can be owners as well. A significant amount of oil and gas mining is undertaken through lease agreements to third-party oil and gas production firms.
Who practices oil and gas law?
Oil and gas lawyers represent people and entities who are involved in various aspects of oil and gas production. As many oil and gas corporations have significant legal needs, they are likely to hire lawyers as in-house counsel to manage all of their legal work.
Similar to the companies that drill, landowners require lawyers to help them negotiate and draft agreements.
While oil and gas law is mainly transactional law, oil and gas disputes may also involve litigation. In case of disputes, litigation may be necessary to resolve these issues. Attorneys may draft pleadings, conduct discovery and present cases in contested hearings. Oil and gas attorneys may be both litigators and transactional lawyers, depending on their client’s needs.
The law of natural resources
Oil and gas law is a form of energy law. Oil and gas lawyers represent energy-producing companies and landowners. The body of law provides attorneys with the opportunity to work in various settings.
A majority of oil and gas law is state law. However, federal law may apply. Oil and gas attorneys must understand various regulations, permitting needs, contract laws, and property laws that may be in their client’s case.
Lawyers at the SBEMP law firm serve clients from Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Inland Empire, Orange County, Coachella Valley, Costa Mesa, San Diego, New Jersey, New York, and nearby locations for a range of legal practice areas.
For more information or to request a consultation please contact the law offices of SBEMP (Slovak, Baron, Empey, Murphy & Pinkney) by clicking here.
SBEMP LLP is a full service law firm with attorney offices in Palm Springs (Palm Desert, Inland Empire, Rancho Mirage), CA; Indian Wells, CA; Costa Mesa (Orange County), CA; San Diego, CA; New Jersey, NJ; and New York, NY.
DISCLAIMER: This blog post does not constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading it. This blog post may be considered ATTORNEY ADVERTISING in some states. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Additional facts or future developments may affect subjects contained within this blog post. Before acting or relying upon any information within this newsletter, seek the advice of an attorney.
