On March 12, 2013, the Eagle Ford Shale Task Force (the "Task Force"), chaired by Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter, issued the Eagle Ford Shale Task Force Report (the "Report").

The Task Force was formed in 2011 to ensure that the development of the oil and gas play in the Eagle Ford Shale was not hindered by a lack of communication among local communities and other key stakeholders. Thus, the 24-member Task Force was composed of persons with various interests and areas of expertise, including judges, representatives of industry, and environmental groups. The Task Force met ten times from July 2011 to November 2012 to study a broad range of issues that include the following, along with other topics: flaring and air emissions; water quality and quantity; Railroad Commission issues; and land owner, mineral owner, and royalty owner issues. Each of these subjects is covered in a separate chapter of the Report, which is available online at the Railroad Commission’s website.