Several of the currently producing oil fields in the United States have been producing for approximately one hundred years while many other fields have long since ceased production having reached the end of their economic life. As the domestic oil and gas industry matures and many of the once productive fields become depleted, the industry faces what is arguably its most significant challenge ...
In this article, the authors address state-level law on water use and its possible effect on land use decisions. They then examine how federal water-related laws are increasingly impacting land use. Land use regulation, particularly zoning, has traditionally been considered a matter to be handled not by state or federal government but by local government— towns and counties ...
The European Commission's January report on the energy sector competition made uncomfortable reading for the European Union's Council of Energy Ministers, who were presented with it in February and considered its proposals at the EU summit in March.The clear message from the Commission is gas and electricity is too expensive ...
February 2007 UK retail sales rose 0.6% on a like-for-like basis against a weak comparative in February 2006, when sales had fallen. The three-month trend rate of growth weakened in February to 0.9% from 1.1% in January for like-for-like sales, but rose to 4.2% from 3.6% for total sales, reflecting the continued growth of retail space.Clothing and footwear were still difficult but food sales improved, helped by Valentine’s Day, after a flat January ...
The U.S. Department of Justice’s revised corporate charging policy, which was named after deputy attorney general Paul McNulty, was unveiled in December 2006. In the wake of its predecessor document, the 2003 Thompson Memo, we have seen a steady increase in the resolution of corporate criminal investigations without indictments or trials ...
Advocate General Sharpston has recently expressed her opinion in the Commission v Republic of Finland case that ensuring a sufficient degree of transparency for the award of sub-threshold procurements should be determined by national law, rather than Community law. If these views were to be followed by the ECJ, it would provide renewed impetus to create national rules on low value awards and represent a meaningful evolution of the ECJ's past case law ...
In our July 2006 legal update, we reported on a ground-breaking agreement (Agreement) signed by the Hong Kong and Mainland China Governments, under which they agreed to recognise and enforce judgments made in each others courts. Legislative changes are now underway in Hong Kong in order to implement the Agreement ...
This paper was presented at The Canadian Institute’s 2nd Annual Oil & Gas Law Summit Overcoming the Regulatory Challenges and Uncertainties to Keep Your Project on Track on January 22 – 23, 2007 in Calgary, Alberta. Oil and gas exploration in Canada’s North has a long history that dates back to the oil well drilled in Norman Wells in 1920. The North is recognized as holding a significant portion of Canada’s potential for undeveloped oil and gas ...
The Federal Trade Commission yesterday published its long awaited revisions to the FTC’s Franchising Rule. The new disclosures may be used effective July 1, 2007 and must be used for all franchises offered or sold after July 1, 2008. The Amended Rule prescribes a disclosure format which largely mirrors the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular ("UFOC") format, and modifies it in certain places by adding new disclosures ...
A record number of companies applied for petroleum licences during the latest and 24th Licensing Round. As a result, it is envisaged that the much-awaited announcement of the successful applicants will kick-start the next phase of the development of the already mature UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) sector ...
In November 2005, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks was asked by the Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson to lead a Review of the Government's energy policy ...
Broadband providers will be required to ensure that their ten million UK customers can more easily take advantage of cheaper broadband deals in an increasingly competitive market, under new regulations proposed by the UK communications industry watchdog OFCOM on 17 August 2006 ...
Canada’s Clean Air ActWhat it is notThe new federal strategy respecting greenhouse gas reduction was finally unveiled on October 19, 2006 with the presentation of Bill C-30 on air quality(1) and the release of the brochure entitled Canada’s Clean Air Act(2). A few days later, on October 21st, the Government published its Notice of Intent which outlines the measures that it intends to develop and implement to reduce air emissions 3) ...
A spectacular smash-up always draws a crowd. In the outsourcing world, where the wreckage is nearly always kept under wraps, that’s even more true. When a problem deal does break into view, it’s always worth watching for lessons in how to manage – or how not to manage – these complex transactions ...
The cause of an action in defamation exists to provide some recourse and remedy to victims of falsehoods which can and do cause injury to reputation. In a classic formulation, recently adopted and approved by Geopel J ...
For the many players in the oil and gas industry awareness of the regime for decommissioning offshore installations is increasingly important. Decommissioning is fundamental to petroleum operations and needs to be considered early, due to the various complexities involved. Many offshore installations in the North Sea have been operational well beyond their expected 25 year lifespan and are now up for decommissioning, although the recent high oil price granted a temporary postponement ...
The issue of coalbed methane (CBM) ownership, frequently disputed between coal rights holders and holders of mines and minerals rights other than coal, has been the subject of numerous recent applications to the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (AEUB). The AEUB recently announced that it will hold a hearing relating to legal entitlement of CBM on split-title freehold mineral lands in Alberta ...
This paper was first published by the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Volume XXIII, Number 2, 2006. Chris Baldwin, Canada mining reporter for the Mineral Law Newsletter, is a partner and Megan Kaneen is an articled student with Lawson Lundell LLP In Vancouver, British Columbia; Behn Conroy and Laurel Petryk are associates with Lang Michener in Toronto, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia, respectively ...
On 14 July 2006, the Hong Kong and Mainland China Governments signed a ground-breaking agreement, rather lengthily entitled "An Arrangement on Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region pursuant to Choice of Court Agreements between Parties Concerned" (Arrangement), under which they agreed to recognise and enforce judgments made in each others courts ...
Although the United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this guide relates only to the current position in England and Wales because Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own individual legal systems. The rules and procedure of the Civil Courts in England and Wales are contained in the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) which were introduced in 1999 and which lay down the framework within which all civil litigation must be conducted ...
On February 28, 2006, Michigan enacted water management legislation giving the State greater control over large quantity water withdrawals. The laws create for the first time a waterextraction permit system and user fees for largescale withdrawals from inland and Great Lakes water sources. They also impose special requirements on water bottlers ...
Aboriginal rights, title and treaty issues are one of the most significant legal issues currently facing the oil and gas industry in Western Canada. This paper provides an overview of the current legal context respecting aboriginal rights, title and treaty issues in Western Canada and its impact on the oil and gas industry. It also includes some comments on one commonly used means to reduce uncertainty in relation to consultation issues, namely, impact and benefit agreements ...
In 2005, 24 oil and gas sector companies floated on the London Stock Exchange, five of which operated in oil services and the remainder in exploration and production (E&P). A similar number of sector flotations are expected in 2006, despite a slow start to the year. Investor appetite for oil services and E&P flotations remains buoyant against the background of continued positive outlook for oil and gas prices ...
Supreme Decree No. 28701 of May 1st, 2006 (the “SD”), has a legitimate basis that rests on the 2004 binding Referendum by which a majority of the Bolivian population approved the nationalization of hydrocarbons. Also, the SD was created in order to comply with campaign promises made to the various social sectors that ultimately brought the current government to power ...
