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Five Common Misconceptions About Producer “Control” Of ANS Gas And Its Relation To The Pipeline

Five Common Misconceptions About Producer “Control” Of ANS Gas And Its Relation To The Pipeline. Presented by W. Mark Cotham Mark C. Harwell Cotham, Harwell & Evans, a Professional Corporation Houston, Texas. MISCONCEPTIONS. Misconception Number 1 : The oil companies “own” the ANS gas.

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Five Common Misconceptions About Producer “Control” Of ANS Gas And Its Relation To The Pipeline

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  1. Five Common Misconceptions About Producer “Control” Of ANS Gas And Its Relation To The Pipeline Presented by W. Mark Cotham Mark C. Harwell Cotham, Harwell & Evans, a Professional Corporation Houston, Texas

  2. MISCONCEPTIONS Misconception Number 1: The oil companies “own” the ANS gas. Misconception Number 2: The oil companies have complete legal control over if and when the ANS gas is produced and marketed. Misconception Number 3: The oil companies can choose how much profit they want and delay developing or marketing the ANS gas until their profit goals, through State concessions or otherwise, are met. Misconception Number 4: The oil companies, by owning the ANS leases, have the legal right to dictate the location, ownership and structure of the pipeline. Misconception Number 5: The State is in a weak position to negotiate with the oil companies.

  3. Reality: The producers’ leases give them the right to develop and market gas; however, that right has corresponding responsibilities. If the producers do not meet their responsibilities, 100% of their rights to the ANS gas be cancelled. Misconception Number 1: The oil companies “own” the ANS gas.

  4. What is conveyed by an oil and gas lease? Exclusive right to explore and produce Mineral Owner Lessor Royalty Owner Oil Company Lessee Working Interest Owner Bonus and royalty Commitment to develop, produce, and market

  5. Illustrating the Differences between Ownership and the Oil Companies’ Rights

  6. Illustrating the Differences between Ownership and the Oil Companies’ Rights

  7. Reality: The oil companies are subject to very specific duties to develop and market the ANS gas. The duties that the oil companies have include: (1) the duty to reasonably develop this acreage--expressly required by the leases; and (2) the duty to market gas with reasonable prudence and diligence. Misconception Number 2: The oil companies alone have complete legal control over if and when the ANS gas is produced and marketed.

  8. “Reasonable diligence” in “drilling” and “producing” is required by the lease. the lessee must drill those wells as a reasonable and prudent operator would drill, having due regard for the interest of the state as well as the interest of the lessee. The lessee shall exercise reasonable diligence in drilling, producing, and operating wells on the leased area . . .

  9. “Reasonable diligence” in marketing is also required. “As in the case of the covenant to produce, the lessee is also under an implied obligation to market with due diligence the products produced. Obviously, without marketing the lessor will not realize any benefit from the lease.” Source: Richard W. Hemingway, The Law of Oil and Gas § 8.9(c), p. 577 (3d ed. 1991).

  10. Distinguishing “diligence” Inaction Diligence Success

  11. What does “reasonable diligence” in marketing require here?

  12. Reality: The terms of the leases and the common law require the oil companies to develop and market the ANS gas when they have a “reasonable expectation of profit”-- that unquestionably now exists for ANS gas. Misconception Number 3: The oil companies can choose how much profit that they want and delay developing or marketing the ANS gas until their profit goals, through State concessions or otherwise, are met.

  13. How do the producers decide to proceed with projects? Categories Discretionary/ Non-discretionary? Non-economic/ Economic/ Competitive?

  14. Illustration of an oil company capital budget

  15. Why is the marketing of ANS gas no longer “discretionary”?

  16. How do oil companies rank potential projects: Non-commercial? Commercial? Competitive?

  17. Non-commercial development Commercial Competitive

  18. Reality: The oil companies have a duty to prudently develop and market the ANS gas, independent of any profit-making plans they have concerning the pipeline or other projects. Further, under the antitrust laws, the oil companies cannot use their monopoly over the ANS gas to monopolize the pipeline or impede competition. To do so would mean that the oil companies were engaged in “monopoly leveraging” a practice in direct violation of the antitrust laws. Misconception Number 4: The oil companies, by virtue of owning the ANS leases, have the legal right to dictate the location and ownership of the pipeline.

  19. The marketing of ANS gas cannot be sacrificed for other profits the producers desire.

  20. What is monopoly leveraging? “‘Leveraging’ is a monopolist’s use of power in one market to gain an advantage in a related market, or power held in one time period to gain advantage in a later period. Often, the leveraging occurs in a vertical context, as when an upstream producer with monopoly power uses that power to gain advantage in a downstream market.” Source:L. Sullivan &. Grimes, The Law of Antitrust: An Integrated Handbook , §3.4b, p. 106 (West 2000).

  21. Precisely the opposite is true. The State’s position is strong for three reasons: 1. If the oil companies insist on not marketing the ANS gas, their leases can be cancelled. 2. If the oil companies insist on not marketing Alaska’s stranded gas, the damages for this will be enormous. 3. Anti-competitive “refusals to deal” are actionable under the antitrust laws. These laws provide mandatory treble damages and injunctive relief. Reality: Misconception Number 5: The State is in a relatively weak negotiating position with the oil companies.

  22. 20. DEFAULT AND TERMINATION; CANCELLATION. (a) The failure of the lessee . . . to abide by all express and implied provisions of this lease, is a default . . .. Whenever the lessee fails to comply with any of the provisions of this lease . . . and fails within 60 days after written notice of that default to begin and diligently prosecute operations to remedy that default . . . this lease may be terminated by an appropriate judicial proceeding…. Strength No. 1: Lease Cancellation

  23. There is no doubt that the State can cancel the leases if the oil companies don’t market with “due diligence”. “If the lease contains an express provision for forfeiture of the lease for breach of all covenants thereof, which, either by express terms, or by construction of the court, includes implied covenants, and has the effect of making them conditions, there would seem to be no doubt that the lessor is entitled to declare a forfeiture for breach of the implied covenant to market and recover in an action to quiet title or cancel the lease.” Source: W.L. Summers, The Law of Oil and Gas, § 400, p. 594 (1959 and 2004 supp.)

  24. Strength No. 2: Damages claims “Damages are recoverable for breach of the implied duty to market the product. It has been held that . . . Damages may be recovered concurrently with cancellation of the lease. . . The measure of damages for breach of the implied duty to market the product is the royalty which the lessor would have received if the product had been marketed.” Source: Eugene A. Kuntz, 5 A Treatise on the Law of Oil and Gas, § 60.5(d), p. 143 (1991 and 2004 supp.)

  25. TIME IS MONEY 2013 2033 2010 2011 2012 2034 2035 2036 2037 The net present value of $1.00 realized twenty-four years later, assuming a discount rate of 10 % per annum is $0.09, a loss of 91% of net present value.

  26. Strength No. 3: Antitrust claims for a concerted refusal to deal.

  27. What factors might constitute a restraint of trade? Gas can’t be marketed without a pipeline. A pipeline can’t be built without the assurance of gas. (1) A failure to build a pipeline. (2) A refusal to sell the gas to others willing to build a pipeline.

  28. Antitrust Remedies Treble Damages Injunctive Relief

  29. The Bottom Line • The oil companies should make available the ANS gas to the Port Authority and other competing pipeline projects on the same terms and conditions that are the industry norm. • Then, the decision on the pipeline can be based on which pipeline is best for Alaska and not on the perceived threat of a stranglehold (which is illegal anyway) on the ANS gas. • If the oil companies refuse to fairly compete, they could be required to by legal means. • Is it time for the Legislature to consider whether Alaska’s gas can still be regarded as “stranded”?

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