LOUISIANA OILFIELD LAW

Louisiana citizens are known to keep things in the family. Many families hold the same property inherited through generations, some back two hundred or more years, when their ancestors first came to the state. This family heritage is often fiercely defended.

Since 1901, when the first Louisiana oil well was drilled, oil and gas companies have sought to produce oil and gas from our lands. Because Louisianans rarely wish to sell their family land, families often partner with oil companies in good faith for their mutual benefit. By agreement, oil companies agree to carefully produce oil and gas for profit, in exchange for a share of that profit and the companies’ promise to restore the land when they are through.

Things often go smoothly, but sometimes they don’t. For example, sometimes a good operator will assign the lease to a bad one, causing headaches for a landowner. And sometimes an operator will go out of business or simply abandon an oil well without properly cleaning it up and plugging the well. While some operators strive to operate smoothly, other operators cut corners, won’t invest in preventative repairs, or, in some cases, simply dump highly potent oilfield waste onto a family’s property.

When things go wrong, landowners are often left with many questions, and few reassuring answers. The Law Office of Andrew Jacoby is dedicated to helping Louisiana landowners with questions about the current and former operations on their land. This site will address common questions landowners have about oilfield operations on their land. Landowners are welcome to contact the Law Office of Andrew Jacoby if you have specific questions about your property rights.