Texas--Oil & Gas

摘要

In SWEPILP v.Railroad Commission, 314 S.W.3d253(Tex. App.-Austin 2010, pet. filed), the court construed Chapter 92 of the Texas Natural Resources Code, concerning "Mineral Use of Subdivided Land." The statutes authorize surface owners in counties meeting specified population thresholds to create "qualified subdivisions" of land that has been subdivided for residential, commercial, or industrial use. Each qualified subdivision may consist of no more than 640 acres and must contain an operations site set aside for mineral exploration, development, and production for each separate 80 acres and provisions for road and pipeline easements. Once the surface owner has secured Texas Railroad Commission approval of a qualified subdivision, the mineral owner's use of the surface is limited to the operations sites and easements designated on the approved subdivision plat.