By Keith Hall

Approximately 170 energy professionals, guests and law students on Schetroma Travel Grants attended EMLF’s 44th Annual Energy & Mineral Law Institute in Charleston, South Carolina.

Attendance increased for the third year in a row, as participation levels continue to climb toward pre-pandemic levels.

The Annual Institute kicked off on Sunday, June 18, 2023 with meetings of EMLF’s Executive Committee and its Board of Trustees, plus a reception for everyone registered for the conference.

The substantive portion of the program began Monday morning, June 19, with a keynote presentation on energy markets. This was followed by presentations on infrastructure and internet security, developments relating to ESG (environment, social, and governance) issues, and a caselaw update.

LSU Law student Chancellor Cranford said he found the energy markets update particularly interesting: “I really enjoyed the speaker’s explanation of the different markets for metallurgical coal and thermal coal and how these have been impacted by recent events.”

The session on Monday afternoon included an announcement of scholarship winners and substantive sessions on both ethics and employment law. EMLF held another reception after the last presentation on Monday, followed by the Dine-Around dinners, which were well-attended.

On Tuesday, the conference divided into multiple tracts for sessions on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), exculpatory clause disputes under joint operating agreements, offshore wind energy, new gathering line regulations, the production of lithium, renewable energy transactions, an update on WOTUS, offshore wind energy, new regulations governing natural gas gathering lines, trademark issues affecting energy companies, and developments relating to OSHA and Mine Safety Health Administration regulations relevant to the energy industry.

Alexandria Lay of Steptoe & Johnson and Todd Myers of Blackhawk Mining served as co-chairs of the conference.

New EMLF President Britt Freund announced that next year’s Annual Institute will be held in Savannah, Georgia.