At RashChapman, our team of attorneys works diligently to simplify the complex regulatory scheme governing oil and gas operations, frequently representing our clients before the Railroad Commission of Texas in litigation related to permitting, environmental compliance, groundwater protection, and enforcement. We offer our clients daily guidance on statewide and special field rules, and work closely with the commission’s management and technical staff to settle disputes and promote our clients’ projects. We also share strong relationships with a pool of select consulting engineers and geologists, ensuring our clients have access to the right resources for successful projects.

Our team’s regulatory work begins before an oil and gas well is drilled, and continues long after a well starts producing. For example, we:

• counsel clients on statewide Rules 37-40 and 86, which govern drilling permits and completions, well spacing and proration, acreage allocation, and horizontal wells;
• help clients navigate rule exceptions whenever necessary;
• assist our clientele with production-sharing agreements and allocation wells as options to traditional pooling; and
• advise clients on the interplay between field rules, proration units, and retained acreage clauses in oil and gas leases.

Our attorneys understand the necessities and challenges with oilfield waste management, groundwater protection, and environmental remediation. We litigate cases at the Texas Railroad Commission involving saltwater disposal wells and Rule 8 oilfield waste facilities in Texas’ various geologic environments. And we provide legal analysis and representation for other surface and subsurface operations, including brine mining and recycling.