050 - Permitting CCS Injection Wells: Navigating the Legal and Regulatory Maze with Jerry Walrath & KC McAdam

SummaryTexas moves closer to primacy for carbon capture and sequestration projects as legal frameworks evolve and landmen navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Our expert guests break down the latest developments in CCS permitting, pore space ownership, and the practical challenges of putting these massive projects together in today's market.What You’ll LearnCurrent status of Texas primacy for CCS well permitting and expected timelineHow pore space ownership varies between Texas and LouisianaWhy large contiguous properties remain essential for CCS project successThe role of unitization and integration in future CCS developmentPipeline challenges that could make or break project economicsLegal considerations around plume migration and potential tort issuesTime Stamps01:00 - Episode & Guest Introductions03:00 - Primacy in Texas06:00 - Primacy in Other States13:00 - Challenges and Considerations in Louisiana17:00 - CCS in West Virginia and Other States21:00 - Ownership & Legal Issues in Texas31:00 - Understanding Carbon Capture Injection Projects33:00 - Challenges in Securing Agreements for Carbon Capture34:00 - Cost and Timeline of Carbon Capture Projects35:00 - Legal Considerations in Carbon Capture39:00 - Unitization and Integration in Carbon Capture47:00 - Pipeline Challenges in Carbon CaptureSnippets from the Episode"The state agency that's been responsible for administering the rules for oil and gas development and has this huge store of knowledge is now going to administer the rules for carbon capture, which is something of an inverse process to oil and gas development."— Jerry Walrath"One of the biggest things that I find day to day that is consuming my time is you have a lack of regulation, and you have a lot of first-of-kind commercial arrangements because you're joining groups together that have not been joined before into what looks kind of like a traditional oil and gas transaction."— KC McAdam"In Louisiana, you're gonna flip that on its head - the surface owner owns the pore space, but there may be oil and gas activity, you're gonna want to make sure that you're covering yourself from the other angle."— KC McAdamKey TakeawaysTexas Primacy Progress - MOA Signed, But Timeline UncertainPore Space Ownership Varies Significantly by StateLarge Contiguous Properties Remain Essential for Early ProjectsUnitization Rules Needed for Future CCS DevelopmentPipeline Economics Can Make or Break Project ViabilityLegal Frameworks Still Evolving Around Plume MigrationFirst-of-Kind Commercial Arrangements Create New ChallengesHelp us improve our podcast! Share your thoughts in our quick survey.ResourcesNeed Help With A Project? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Dudley⁠⁠⁠⁠Need Help with Staffing? Connect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dudley Staffing ⁠⁠⁠⁠Streamline Your Title Process with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Dudley Select Title⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch On ⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Dudley Land Co. On⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Have Questions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Our GuestJerry Walrath - Partner, KMW Energy LawWebsite: kmwenergylaw.comConnect with Jerry Walrath on LinkedInKC McAdam - CCS Legal and Commercial SpecialistSpecializes in hard-to-abate industries and CCS project developmentConnect with KC McAdam on LinkedInMore from Our HostsConnect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brent⁠⁠⁠⁠ on LinkedInConnect with ⁠⁠⁠⁠Khalil ⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedInReady to navigate the evolving CCS landscape? Whether you're working on carbon capture projects or need expertise across traditional and renewable energy development, Dudley Land Company brings 45+ years of energy expertise to every project. From pore space agreements to pipeline corridors, we're your complete energy partner with integrated solutions that keep projects on time and on budget.Visit us at dudleylandcompany.com or connect with our team to discuss how our experience in both oil and gas and emerging energy sectors can support your next project.