There has been concern within the agricultural industry for some time the race to achieve carbon net-zero is leading to the loss of productive agricultural land to forestry purchasers. Another perceived threat is from investors, both private and institutional, looking to invest in natural carbon, for example, by way of peatland restoration and rewilding projects ...
The President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has passed an executive order whereby he proposed the creation of the “Logistic Center for the Distribution and Transportation of Petroleum Products” (the “Center”), as a decentralized administrative entity separate from the Ministry of Energy, with technical, operational and management autonomy ...
The Ministry of Home Affairs (“MHA”) issued an order on April 15, 2020 containing the revised consolidated guidelines on the measures to be taken by the Central and State Governments for containment of COVID 19 (“Revised Guidelines”). The order/ Revised Guidelines specify the economic activities which will be permitted after April 20, 2020 (except in containment zones) ...
On 1 September 2023, the legal framework for seed farming in Russia will take effect. At present, lawmakers are preparing highly controversial regulations, which essentially aim to limit foreign investments in the Russian seed farming sector. The central idea is to implement a set of rules that require Russian companies involved in the production of agricultural plant seed varieties and hybrids to localize their activities (“Localization Rules”) ...
On November 8, 2011, three municipalities in western Pennsylvania put direct democracy to the test with referendums that would essentially ban natural gas drilling in their communities. Two of the referendums were overwhelmingly defeated while one succeeded with overwhelming support ...
On January 15th, Resolution DGA N° 3,438 was published. It contains a list of water rights subject to the payment of a fine for lack of use. The fine must be paid during the month of March, 2015. The term to contest such resolution is 30 days, as counted from the date of publishing. To review the list of water rights affected by the payment of fines for non-use click here ...
Offsite drilling is becoming increasing prevalent in the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas. Consequently, many in the industry were closely following a dispute between two neighboring operators in the Eagle Ford Shale area in which one operator opposed a neighboring operator’s plans to use offsite drilling. On October 29, 2014, the San Antonio Court of Appeals ruled that the plaintiff lease owner, Lightning Oil Co ...
As the Czech government signed off on the EU “Green Deal”, which aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2050, the Czech Republic needs to find ways to achieve this goal, or at least to get close to it ...
A recent decision by a federal court of appeals found a New Orleans’ city code limiting short-term rentals of residential properties (such as AirBnB, Vrbo, Vacasa, etc.) to only landlords who lived inside the city was unconstitutional.In Hignell-Stark v. City of New Orleans, 46 F.4th 317 (5th Cir. Aug. 22, 2022), the Court held the city ordinance was an undue burden on interstate commerce ...
A little known provision contained in the EU’s internal energy market directives requiring Commission approval for ‘level playing field measures’ could prove to be a headache for policy makers looking to correct perceived imbalances between incumbent energy players and new entrants ...
by Andrew B. McCallisterAs the West Virginia Legislature passes the midway point of the 2011 Regular Session, oil and gas issues remain hot topics with several bills having the potential to directly impact Marcellus Shale operators. Perhaps most significantly are two bills (SB 258/HB2878 and SB 424/HB 3042) that would substantially alter the current regulatory regime for Marcellus Shale permitting in West Virginia ...
by Ronald W. SchulerAccording to insiders, with regard to a Pennsylvania severance tax, Governor Corbett will be holding firm on “no state tax, no local fee,” although it is likely that the legislature will nevertheless offer up a “local impact assessment” bill ...
The 2011 Session of the West Virginia Legislature promises to be one of the most interesting in the state's history. The passing of U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd in 2010 has led to a series of corresponding leadership changes in West Virginia's state and federal delegations. Further, perceived incongruities between state succession laws and West Virginia's Constitution have led interested parties to seek input and clarification from the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ...
In the 2011 legislative session, Pennsylvania's new Republican governor, Tom Corbett, and its largely Republican legislature are likely to pick up where the last session left off with regard to Marcellus Shale issues ...
as published in West Virginia Executive magazine, June 2011The past few years have been an exciting time for oil and gas operators. The Marcellus Shale, previously uneconomical to produce, has been unlocked through the deployment of advanced drilling techniques, namely horizontal drilling and large-volume hydraulic fracturing ...
Mining companies investing for the first time in Canada’s North may find the experience unlike any other. This holds true not only for foreign corporations, but also for companies familiar with mining in the Canadian south. This article provides an orientation around some of these unique challenges. Aboriginal groups and mining companies in the North – A multi-faceted relationship The relationship between Aboriginal groups and mining companies in Canada’s North has many facets ...
Earlier this year, and five years after being presented before the National Congress, Law 21,064 that “Introduces modifications to the regulatory framework that rules water on inspection and sanctions matters”, was enacted and published in the Official Gazette (Bulletin 8149-09) (the Law). The main modifications introduced by the Law to the current regulatory framework are the following: 1 ...
On November 21st 2022, Law No. 21,505 that promotes electric energy storage and electromobility (hereinafter, the "Law") was published, which is a relevant element for Chile to reach the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The Law, approved unanimously by the National Congress of Chile, promotes the participation of NCRE in the electric matrix, allowing its storage and avoiding the dumping of production ...
On August 2, Law No. 21,472 was published, which creates a tariff stabilization fund and establishes a new transitional electricity price stabilization mechanism for customers subject to price regulation. This new law complements the stabilization mechanism established in Law 21.185 (known today as PEC 1), whose stabilization fund of US$1.35 billion was exhausted ahead of schedule ...
Law No. 20,500 about Associations and Community Participation in Public Management was published on the Official Gazette on February 16th, 2011, and it is a great progress in order to materialize the right of free association and the participatory principle, both established in the Chilean Political Constitution ...
On June 17, 2021, Law 21,348 (hereinafter, the " Law ") was published in the Official Gazette, the purpose of which is to legally guide the powers of the President of the Republic (hereinafter, the " President ") regarding the state of constitutional exception of catastrophe due to public calamity, in order to guarantee, in situations of pandemic, health crisis and natural disasters, the access and availability in sufficient quantities of water to the affected population ...
Thanks to Houston's leading role in energy, the exotic names of former Soviet Republics forming the Commonwealth of Independent States -- entities such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- are familiar to locals active in oil and gas. They are also well known to Houston law firms that serve energy interests. Serving Russia and the Caspian region, Haynes and Boone LLP opened a Moscow office last year ...
