I have served the energy industry as both an attorney and a landman, often times simultaneously. I began my career in the oil and gas industry as a Land Representative for ExxonMobil Production Company, where I was responsible for exploration and production activities in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas Panhandle, East Texas, South Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, including negotiating and drafting oil and gas leases, farmout agreements, joint operating agreements, pooling agreements, joint venture agreements and surface-use agreements. Thereafter I practiced oil and gas law for a couple of years, before joining Vanguard Natural Resources, where I am responsible for legal matters pertaining to our various operations, along with the integration and coordination of all land duties and functions Vanguard assets in Arkansas, Oklahoma, West Texas Permian Basin, and the Piceance Basin in Colorado.
Specialties:
Oil, Gas and Mineral Law,
Master Service Agreements,
Oil and Gas Litigation,
Farmout/Farm-In Agreements,
Oil and Gas Leases,
Title Curative,
Joint Operating Agreements,
Joint Ventures, and
Surface-Related Agreements
Senior Landman & Counsel @ Responsible for legal matters pertaining to our assets and operations, which includes:
- Provide legal support for drilling, completions and production operations
- Manage litigation and other legal matters, employing outside counsel if necessary
- Identify and manage legal risks, emerging issues and threats that may impact operations
- Handle drafting and negotiating various agreements, including: master service agreements, joint operating agreements, joint development agreements, joint bidding agreements, farmout and farmin agreements, participation agreements, confidentiality agreements, area of mutual interest agreements, assignments, lease amendments
Responsible for the integration and coordination of all land duties and functions for assets in the Woodford and Fayetteville Shales located in SE Oklahoma and Central Arkansas, along with assets in West Texas and Colorado, which includes:
- Ongoing drilling activities
- Regulatory matters (Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Texas Railroad Commission)
- Lease purchases
- Land Broker management
- Surface owner negotiations for drill site preparation, salt water disposal, and pipeline matters
- Joint development agreement negotiation and implementation
- Title matters From July 2012 to Present (3 years 6 months) Oil & Gas Attorney @ Engaged in extensive oil and gas title examination practice, and provided legal advice concerning transaction services with an emphasis on the oil and gas industry, including joint operating agreements, lease revivor matters, unitization issues, oil and gas leasing, and other agreements relating to exploration and production activities
Authored numerous title opinions various clients in East Texas, South Texas, West Texas, and the Texas Panhandle
Successfully represented a West Texas client in negotiating the use of 4 miles of surface for the purpose of running a water line underground to support drilling operations, saving the client approximately $100K/month in water transportation costs From February 2012 to July 2012 (6 months) Oil & Gas Attorney @ Engaged in extensive oil and gas title examination practice, and provided legal advice concerning transaction services with an emphasis on the oil and gas industry, including joint operating agreements, lease revivor matters, unitization issues, oil and gas leasing, and other agreements relating to exploration and production activities
Authored numerous title opinions for a client’s Barnett Shale acreage
Successfully obtained for a client partial releases of oil and gas leases in Dewitt County, Texas
Reviewed and provided legal advice for a client’s 100K+ acreage swap agreement in Montana
Trained new attorneys on oil and gas law From December 2010 to February 2012 (1 year 3 months) Land Representative @ Colorado/New Mexico – managed title research and curative for the Piceance Basin; negotiated term assignments and farmout agreements in order to fully monetize non-producing acreage and deliver profitable volumes; negotiated landowner use of power lines providing electricity to on-going operations
Oklahoma/Arkansas - monetized approximately 20K acres throughout Oklahoma and Arkansas through approximately 150 farmout agreements and/or force poolings between 2008 and 2010; acquired approximately 615 acres in Texas County, Oklahoma that had been released, which allowed wells to return to production through secondary recovery methods; assumed stewardship of a multi-section agreement with Newfield in 2009; managed and oversaw the workflow of field brokers to handle surface-owner claims; facilitated field operations for by greatly reducing the number of AFEs generated by increasing JOA expenditure limit to $100K, and monetizing surface fee acreage (approximately ±1K acres) for approximately $12.3K in cash consideration
Texas (Panhandle) – served as Team Lead for joint ventures with Jones Energy, Ltd. and Laredo Petroleum covering acreage in Lipscomb and Hansford counties
Texas (East Texas/South Texas) – assumed stewardship of ExxonMobil’s nitrogen recovery project for the East Texas Hawkins Unit; worked with the Texas Railroad Commission and the Sabine River Authority to resolve a potential gas leak coming from a plugged and abandoned well under Lake Fork; Directed the workflow of field brokers and oversaw title curative matters in Panola County; assumed stewardship of a multi-tract agreement and facilitated participation in South Texas wells in 2010 From August 2007 to December 2010 (3 years 5 months)
Doctor of Jurisprudence @ South Texas College of Law From 2004 to 2007 Bachelor of Arts, English @ Texas A&M University From 2000 to 2004 St. Thomas High School From 1996 to 2000 George Oggero, JD, RPL is skilled in: Oil, Gas, Minerals, Leases, Contract Negotiation, Landman, Farmout Agreements, Title Opinions, Joint Operating Agreements, Surface Agreements, Oil & Gas Exploration, Joints, Surface, Contractual Agreements, Petroleum