2026 Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law eConference

Case Law Update: Part One (May 2026)

Review the latest decisions dealing with oil and gas leases, royalties, mineral conveyances, joint operating agreements, state regulation, and related topics.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Owen L. Anderson, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

State Regulatory Agencies Refresher for an Oil and Gas Attorney (May 2026)

Discuss recent and ongoing regulatory developments for energy lawyers at the Railroad Commission of Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Olga Kobzar, Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP - Austin, TX
J. Amber Ahmed, Beveridge & Diamond - Austin, TX
Kelli Tieken Kenney, McElroy, Sullivan, Miller & Weber, LLP - Austin, TX
Rachel Seshan, Public Utility Commission of Texas - Austin, TX

Texas Legislative Update (May 2026)

Discuss energy-related legislation that passed, and didn’t pass, during the 2025 Texas legislative sessions.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Gregory S. Mathews, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. - Houston, TX

Royalty Overpayments, Self-Help Recoupment, and Division Order Pitfalls (May 2026)

What happens when an operator overpays royalties — and what happens when it tries to get them back? Survey the recoupment toolkit available to Texas operators and zeroes in on the division order issues that can complicate recovery. Drawing on DDR Weinert v. Ovintiv (5th Cir. 2025), Perdido Properties v. Devon Energy (Tex. App.—Eastland 2023), and Samson v. Bordages (Tex. 2024), address self-help recoupment, the risks of paying without a signed division order, and the impact of the Supreme Court's new simple-interest default rule on royalty disputes.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Austin W. Brister, McGinnis Lochridge - Houston, TX

Agreeing to Agree: Mutuality of Obligation in Modern Oil and Gas Contracts (May 2026)

Modern oil and gas contracts often contemplate future cooperation between the parties and negotiation of additional agreements, which can lead to enforceability problems. Discuss essential contract formation concepts for complex oil and gas transactions, specifically regarding consideration and mutuality of obligation. The presentation will also include a review of recent cases and suggestions for avoiding common pitfalls.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Jared DeFelice, Jackson Walker LLP - San Antonio, TX
Brandon Durrett, Jackson Walker LLP - San Antonio, TX

Keynote Luncheon Presentation (May 2026)

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Kenneth B. Medlock III, Ph.D., James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University - Houston, TX

Joint Operating Agreements: Best Practices and Emerging Legal Issues (May 2026)

Explore key legal principles and practical considerations in structuring and negotiating JOAs in oil and gas operations. This session covers various pressing issues, including operator and non-operator rights and obligations, risk allocation, indemnity provisions, and contract modifications in the context of evolving regulatory and market conditions. 

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Monika U. Ehrman, SMU Dedman School of Law - Dallas, TX

Lost profits damages following ETC Texas Pipeline v. XTO Energy (May 2026)

Look at the court of appeals’ decision in ETC Texas Pipeline v. XTO Energy and similar cases in Texas and across the United States. Discuss drafting ideas for agreements in light of those decisions. 

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Christopher Michael Hogan, Hogan Thompson Schuelke LLP - Houston, TX

Lessons Learned on Contract Construction Disputes (May 2026)

Guidance for drafting and interpreting oil & gas leases based on recent Texas Supreme Court decisions.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Douglas R. Hafer, Curnutt & Hafer, LLP - Arlington, TX

Gas Trading Contracts: Force Majeure and the Fallout from Uri (May 2026)

Cover the basics of NAESB gas trading contracts, the legal issues that arose following Winter Storm Uri, and the NAESB Special Provisions that can make or break your case. 

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

J. McLean Bell III, McGinnis Lochridge - Austin, TX

Generative AI in Litigation: Practical Uses, Pitfalls, and Guardrails (May 2026)

Generative AI is rapidly reshaping litigation for attorneys and experts—from discovery and expert analysis to drafting and research. This session explores current AI trends, provides concrete real-world use cases, and discusses the legal, ethical, and evidentiary risks that need to be managed.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Kristofer Buchan, StoneTurn Group, LLP - Houston, TX

Business Court Update (May 2026)

(Almost) two years in, how goes the Court?

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Hon. Grant Dorfman, Texas Business Court, Eleventh Division - Houston, TX

Case Law Update: Part Two (May 2026)

Review recent decisions dealing with oil and gas leases, royalties, mineral conveyances, joint operating agreements, state regulation, and related topics.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Christopher S. Kulander, The University of Texas School of Law - Austin, TX

Lithium Mining in Texas (May 2026)

An overview of the nascent field of lithium mining law in Texas, from leasing, to the governing statutes, to permitting projects under the Railroad Commission’s new rules.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

John H. H. Bennett, Osborn & Bennett LLP - Austin, TX

From Cimarex to Cromwell: A Course Correction on Lease Survival for Non-Operating Interests  (May 2026)

Analyze the Texas Supreme Court’s decision in Cromwell v. Anadarko and its rejection of the “washout” theory applied in Cimarex v. Anadarko, focusing on how passive-voice habendum clauses affect lease continuation beyond the primary term.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Lad Z. Stricker, Vartabedian Hester & Haynes LLP - Fort Worth, TX

Recent Developments in Federal Permitting of LNG and Natural Gas Projects (May 2026)

Survey recent developments at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy and in federal courts, focusing on the difficulties LNG and other natural gas project developers have historically faced due to environmental challenges raised in the regulatory permitting process and on new initiatives to accelerate federal administrative agency review when permitting energy projects.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Brett A. Snyder, Blank Rome LLP - Washington, DC

Natural Gas Storage in Texas: Under-Investment, Stakes, Challenges and Solutions (May 2026)

Underground natural gas storage, the shock absorber for the natural gas system, has not kept pace with the meteoric rise in Texas natural gas production, transportation and consumption. This presentation will survey natural gas storage facilities, the rising need for additional capacity, the stakes of continued under-investment, challenges to new investment, and solutions.

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Edmund Knolle, Gulf Coast Midstream Partners - Houston, TX

Ethics Involved in Using a Landman (May 2026)

What ethics rules govern a lawyer’s use of landmen? What can landmen do, and what does the law prohibit landmen from doing?

Originally presented: Apr 2026 Oil, Gas and Mineral Law Institute

Keith B. Hall, Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center - Baton Rouge, LA