Lease and Royalty Disputes
Oil and gas leases contain a number of express and implied obligations that often are the source of a variety of legal disputes between oil companies and landowners. WattBeckworth’s experience in lease and royalty litigation is extensive and covers the full spectrum of issues including:
- claims involving post-production deductions from royalties
- breach of the duty to develop the leasehold
- failure to protect the leasehold from drainage
- bad faith pooling issues
- breach of drilling obligations
- breach of the implied covenant to market
- blowout-related claims
- lease termination issues, including claims for cessation of production and/or operations
- surface use issues
We have handled cases before the Texas Supreme Court, all Texas Courts of Appeal, various federal courts, and numerous state district courts, both urban and rural, all over the state. Some of these cases have shaped and defined the law in this area. Successful legal representation in these matters often requires a well-rounded understanding of the operational, geological, geophysical and engineering issues involved in the exploration and development of oil and gas, and the firm collectively has over 100 years of oil and gas experience.