Charles Sartain

A question, not hypothetical: Can one provision in a comprehensive water purchase agreement lock a mineral lessee into a single alternative for every purpose under the sun? In Davenport v. EOG Resources, Inc., a court of...more “Better the end of a thing than the beginning thereof … .” Ecclesiastes 7:8. The writer was probably prophesying about Texas’ never-ending double-fraction mineral disputes....more It’s often helpful when courts are asked to construe joint operating agreements. Not always, though. Courts sometimes don’t understand or fail to take into account industry custom and practice and the underlying purposes...more In Equinor Energy LP v. Lindale Pipeline, LLC the Supreme Court reversed a jury award of $26 million that had been affirmed by a court of appeals, based on the meaning of one humble preposition. A supplier’s exclusive right...more