Federal Oil & Gas Leasing

Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP attorneys have a long history of advising clients about the exploration and development of oil and gas resources owned by the federal government. We have experienced public lands lawyers who work with our oil and gas lawyers on federal leasing issues. Our public lands team includes lawyers who have served in legal positions responsible for public lands issues within federal and state government entities and who maintain excellent relationships with relevant agencies throughout the Rocky Mountain West and in Washington, DC.

Our attorneys have worked extensively with the federal laws related to oil and gas leasing, exploration, and development, particularly the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the Right of Way Leasing Act of 1930, and the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947. We have advised clients on federal lease issues concerning:

• Lease issuance, competitive bidding process, federal lessee qualifications, and acreage limitations
• Assignments of federal record title or operating rights and lease segregation issues
• Lease extension issues and rights to suspension and reinstatement
• Formation and interpretation of federal exploratory units, secondary recovery units, and communitization agreements
• Federal royalty payments and royalty audits conducted by the Office of Natural Resources Revenue
• Operational issues related to drilling permits, designation of operators, and multiple mineral development
• Mature wells, including bonding, plugging and abandonment liability, and reclamation obligations

The firm’s in-depth knowledge of these issues provides us with greater capabilities when handling acquisitions, divestitures, and financings that affect federal oil and gas leases.

Our oil and gas attorneys also have significant experience in the examination of title and the preparation of title opinions covering federal leases and lands. Our extensive title experience enables us to provide a skilled and efficient title due diligence team when dealing with oil and gas acquisition and divestiture transactions involving federal lands.