Colorado Oil and Gas Attorney

Oil & Gas law encompasses many issues that you will encounter as a land or mineral owner, or as a company providing services to oil and gas operators or other businesses. The guidance of a Colorado Oil & Gas lawyer at Cantafio & Song PLLC is imperative if you are to protect your property from the potential complexities and disputes that can arise in countless ways. From your initial interest in accepting an oil and gas lease to the distribution of royalties and beyond, the team at Cantafio & Song PLLC is here to help you. With decades of experience in Oil & Gas law, our firm takes a team approach to meet our clients' diverse legal needs and present creative solutions.

Legal Needs Relating to Oil & Gas Operations in Colorado

When you work with our firm, you will speak to an attorney up front and receive personalized attention regarding your unique circumstances and aims in such areas as:

Negotiations of Oil & Gas Leases: Negotiating an oil and gas lease is a very involved process that addresses a variety of issues including clauses on royalty payments, pooling and unitization, duration of the lease, and surface uses. We can help with this and more. Learn about negotiations of oil & gas leases.

Document Review and Consultation: There are a large variety of documents involved in oil and gas development. These are complex and entail a great many legal references. Without a comprehensive understanding of the law as it relates to the practicalities of the oil and gas development, you are subject to incredibly costly errors when entering into these agreements. We can help. Read about document review and consultation.

Royalty Disputes & Litigation: There are often a large number of parties who may have an interest in the royalty rights of a particular well. These may include landowners, leaseholders, other companies or key personnel, heirs and more. For help taking steps to determine if you are being paid correctly or to seek past due payments, talk to us. Read about royalty disputes & litigation.

Oil & Gas Partnership Agreements: Also referred to as Articles of Partnership, a partnership agreement is a contract between two or more parties to combine capital, skills, and labor in oil and gas operations and the pursuit of profits. A partnership agreement sets out specific rights and responsibilities regarding management, operations, profits and losses, dispute resolution and more. Learn about oil & gas partnership agreements.

Estate Tax Planning: When you are receiving royalties or have a business providing services to the oil or gas field, you a significant asset and insightful estate tax planning is a must if you are to protect your assets now and for your intended beneficiaries. Our legal team can offer comprehensive assistance with such subjects as capital gains tax, tax planning & gifting of mineral & royalty interests and more. Click here to read about estate tax planning.

Drilling & Operating Agreements: Drilling and operating agreements are useful for many purposes, such as defining the roles of all involved parties, specifying rights and responsibilities, planning bill payment and determining lien rights if needed. We can assist with drafting, reviewing and negotiating these agreements, as well as litigating as required. Click here for more about drilling & operating agreements.

Reasonable Accommodation Doctrine Disputes: The Colorado Reasonable Accommodation Doctrine outlines guidelines for oil & gas operations that promote minimal intrusion and damage to surface land by operators. It addresses issues such as alternative well locations and operations, as well as responsibility for costs. We can help you to understand your rights and responsibilities and address any disputes in relation to this matter. Read about reasonable accommodation doctrine disputes.

Hazardous Waste and Pollution Issues: The COGCC sets specific regulations regarding hazardous waste and pollution in regards to mining operations. These matters can also require attention in leases and agreements as well as if violations are alleged. We can help you protect your property and rights with respect to the relevant regulations. Read about hazardous waste and pollution issues.

Division Orders: A division order sometimes called a division of interest, specifies the proportional ownership of oil and gas obtained from a well. As a single well or lease often has numerous owners or interested parties, a division order may be requested of you. We can help to review this instrument and address any disputes that may arise in relation to this matter. Learn about division orders.

Pipeline Negotiation: Pipeline negotiation requires a keen understanding of all legal and technical aspects involved. It can cover such issues as pipeline depth, the number of pipelines, types of substances which can be transported through them, leakage and waste clauses, access and repair scheduling, surface use and more. Read more about pipeline negotiation.

Pooling Agreements/Forced Pooling: Pooling consolidates leased land with adjoining leased tracts and defines the allocation of costs and revenues amongst all parties concerned. Types of pooled units include voluntary pooled units, forced pooled units, drilling units, proration units, field-wide/enhanced recovery units and unique units detailed in lease agreements. Learn about pooling agreements/forced pooling.

Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) & Violations: The COGCC sets rules regarding drilling, development, producing and abandonment, financial assurance, exploration, pollution issues, flowline regulations, noise controls, safety regulations, conservation, reclamation and more. In certain instances, you may be entitled to a hearing before COGCC to protect your rights. Read about Colorado oil & gas conservation commission (COGCC) & violations.

Title Opinions: A title opinion is the written opinion of a lawyer on the ownership rights relating to a particular property, based on the findings of a title search. If you are considering a purchase, leasing your property or acquiring existing production, it is vital you know about any claims other parties may have to the property or the resources produced. Learn about title opinions.

Probate/Intestate: In order to protect your estate for your intended heirs, it must be correctly organized and prepared. Several different deeds can be used to transfer ownership or the right to receive revenues and more. Our firm can advise on these matters as well as assisting with probate and interstate issues. Click here for more about probate/intestate.

Mineral Rights, Severing & Reservation of Minerals: It is common for separate parties to own the surface and the subsurface of a particular parcel of land. This is referred to as a Severed or Split Estate and requires the operator to either purchase the entire area of land or lease the right to use it. Read about mineral rights, severing & reservation of minerals.

Quiet Title of Mineral Interests: Quiet title actions serves to clarify disputes or unknown factors regarding the title of a property. These may arise by claims unrecorded or recorded in error, fraudulent conveyance, the government claims to title in lieu of unpaid taxes, boundary disputes, missing heirs, quit claim deeds and more. Learn about the quiet title of mineral interests.

Colorado Oil & Gas Legal Help

Our attorneys are legal professors and instructors on national and international levels and have been rated under the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating System. We have been named Super Lawyers by Super Lawyer Magazine as well as listed in the American Trial Lawyer Association's Top 100 Trial Lawyers. We understand that each case is unique and fight relentlessly for our clients' best interests throughout Colorado including Steamboat, Denver, Vail, and more.

Contact a Colorado oil and gas law attorney for all your legal needs as a landowner, leaseholder or another interested 
party to oil and gas operations.