OIL AND GAS, ENERGY AND MINERALS
Attorneys within this practice are counsel to a wide range of interests in the energy field, including those of oil and gas producers and operators, pipeline companies, and landowners and royalty owners. In addition, we provide counsel in the areas of energy lending, regulatory oversight and proceedings (Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation, Louisiana Public Service Commission and Minerals Management Service), wetlands regulation, and all related litigation matters. Our representation covers virtually every aspect of legal and regulatory matters affecting energy exploration, production, sale, transmission, refining and use.
Oil and Gas Producers and Operators
We represent producers and operators active in South Louisiana and in Gulf of Mexico waters offshore Louisiana. We counsel these clients in connection with such matters as the negotiation and drafting of asset purchase agreements, voluntary unit agreements, farmouts, joint operating agreements, gas contracts, and energy litigation. We have been particularly active in advising independents in the acquisition of properties from major oil companies. We routinely review abstracts of title and issue title opinions on mineral properties for both onshore and offshore Louisiana properties, as well as lease blocks situated on the Outer Continental Shelf. We also represent a major petroleum company regarding NORM litigation in Mississippi.
Pipeline Companies
Our energy attorneys also counsel natural gas and liquids pipelines. We handle matters such as the acquisition of rights-of-way, the construction of pipeline facilities and their Louisiana and offshore Louisiana gas purchases. We also represent petroleum products pipeline operators. Many of our clients are also common carrier pipelines, which are regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, where we have an active practice. We also represent numerous interstate pipelines before the Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation. Furthermore, our practice includes advising major developers of Louisiana salt domes in regard to the storage of natural gas.
Landowner and Royalty Owners
We counsel major landowners in matters relating to the development of their properties for the production of oil, gas, sulphur and salt. Our work involves drafting mineral leases, rights-of-way, timber leases, surface leases, and other agreements relating to mineral exploration and land use. We also handle real estate transactions and the financing of land and improvements.
Energy Lending
Our energy attorneys additionally counsel banks and financial institutions with regard to project financing and mineral-based financing transactions for onshore and offshore Louisiana properties.
Wetlands Regulation
Wetlands regulation continues to be a growing area of our practice. We recently negotiated with federal and state agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency and Corps of Engineers on the federal side and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources on the state side, to construct a major wetlands mitigation area agreement for a landowner client. We also counseled another client participating in a shoreline project in coastal South Louisiana. This area is a growing one which commands an increasing amount of our time.
Litigation
We handle all manner of energy and mineral law disputes, including gas contract disputes, title and royalty actions, waterbottom disputes, gas balancing actions, deferred production claims and actions to enforce mineral liens and NORM removal. We also handle onshore and offshore Louisiana royalty audits, and have an active practice involving the Minerals Management Service and other agencies of the Department of the Interior.
