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Natural Gas Marketing, Transportation, and Storage

The Brunini Firm's energy law practice has been recognized as a regional leader for decades. The Firm's natural gas practice includes the representation of pipelines, local distribution companies, marketers, and storage operators. The Firm's pipeline representation includes most of the interstate natural gas pipelines in Mississippi, as well as oil, product and intrastate gas lines and a major local natural gas distribution company. The Firm's attorneys handle all aspects of these clients' work in Mississippi and have been engaged as lead counsel on their behalf in matters in other states. In addition to handling contract and regulatory issues, the Firm's trial lawyers have litigated major natural gas curtailment, take or pay, and royalty cases.

The Firm also represents natural gas marketers in all aspects of their Mississippi operations.  The Firm has been actively involved in the development of underground natural gas storage facilities in both deflated gas fields as well as gas and liquids in caverns created by solution mining in salt domes.  Brunini's representation has included preparation of gas storage agreements, title examination needed for the development of storage facilities, acquisition of necessary easements for pipelines and interconnects (including condemnation actions, as needed), acquisition of necessary permits from regulatory agencies, regulatory approval of implementation and operation of gas storage facilities and litigation associated with these activities.

Representative Matters

On behalf of Leaf River Energy Center, LLC, Watts Ueltschey and Karen Howell obtain partial summary judgment on the central issue of lease termination.  The lease was for underground storage of natural gas and hydrocarbon liquids. Although payment under the lease was not tendered on the due date, the Court found that  time was not of the essence under the lease and that there was no lease provision for termination for late payment of rental. Therefore, the remedy for failing to tender payment timely was not termination of the lease. The Court further found that the lease was not an "option" contract as was argued by the Fords. [Leaf River Opinion and Order]

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