Decommissioning Oil and Gas Assets: Regulatory Issues, Liability, Managing Disputes, Disposal of Structures and Waste
Recording of a 90-minute premium CLE webinar with Q&A
This CLE course will provide counsel an analysis of critical legal challenges that arise in the decommissioning of energy assets. The panel will discuss both federal and state regulations of the decommissioning process and significant difficulties, liability transfers, the ownership and disposal of removed structures and hazardous waste, and other problems stemming from decommissioning energy assets.
Outline
- Regulation of decommissioning energy assets process
- Managing and allocating risk
- Ownership and disposal of removed structures and hazardous waste
- Disputes surrounding decommissioning and key preventative measures
- Best practice for counsel
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- What are the key federal and state regulatory challenges for decommissioning energy assets?
- What methods are available to manage and allocate decommissioning risks?
- Analyzing prior contract provisions impacting the decommissioning process
- Abandonment and site remediation techniques for legal compliance
- Legal perils of deconstruction, decontamination, waste management and other environmental issues
- Methods to avoid or limit potential litigation throughout the decommissioning process
Faculty
Ruth A. Brenton
Senior Attorney
Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr
Ms. Brenton's practice is centered on commercial litigation, environmental and appellate matters. Her commercial... | Read More
Ms. Brenton's practice is centered on commercial litigation, environmental and appellate matters. Her commercial litigation representation includes motion practice, trial briefing, development of legal theories and trial preparation. Subject matter areas include contract and other commercial disputes, fiduciary litigation, banking litigation, real estate litigation, complex litigation involving oil and gas royalty and development claims and environmental damage claims. Ms. Brenton also represents clients in similar subject matters on appeal in state and federal courts of appeal.
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Scott D. Deatherage
Founder
S Deatherage Law
Over the last 30 years of his career, Mr. Deatherage has focused his practice on energy, environment, water, and... | Read More
Over the last 30 years of his career, Mr. Deatherage has focused his practice on energy, environment, water, and climate change. As a partner in nationally known large law firms, he has worked with clients to solve regulatory challenges and to capitalize on emerging technologies such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, blockchain, artificial intelligence and energy storage. He now has his own law firm.
Mr. Deatherage graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, and was the Articles Editor of the Harvard Environmental Law Review. He taught Climate Change Law at the University of Texas Law School and published a book Carbon Trading Law and Practice.
In the energy context, Scott has worked with clients on electricity generation projects totaling more than $5 billion, including:
• Over 55 solar projects, including the Webberville Solar Project near Austin – at the time, the largest solar project in Texas.
• Wind projects in west Texas and other states.
• Distributed solar leases, power purchase agreements for residential and commercial installations.
• Energy efficiency and storage contracts, including negotiation on behalf of an energy efficiency company with a multi-national company for deployment of client technology in over 15 countries.
• Negotiated over 45 ground leases for solar farms.
• Worked on anaerobic digestion projects.
• Represented clients in landfill gas to energy projects.
Mr. Deatherage has advised clients on natural gas power plant, biofuels, gas to liquid, wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects, including siting and environmental permits and other legal issues, and has advised clients regarding government and utility incentives relating to renewable and energy efficiency projects, as well as property tax exemptions and abatement.
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Bonnie L. Heiple
Counsel
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Ms. Heiple focuses her practice on environmental, energy and natural resources law. She advises clients on a wide range... | Read More
Ms. Heiple focuses her practice on environmental, energy and natural resources law. She advises clients on a wide range of litigation and transactional matters, and provides strategic counsel on project development and compliance with federal and state requirements.
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