Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Pennzoil Producing Co.

439 U.S. 508 · Decided January 16, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States

At a glance

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Pennzoil Producing Co. was decided on January 16, 1979 unanimously (7–0). The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Gas producer regulation” in the Economic Activity area.

Read the opinion

• CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
• Library of Congress — official U.S. Reports scan

Case details

How the Justices voted

Did not participate: Potter Stewart, Lewis F. Powell Jr..

Full case caption

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Pennzoil Producing Co. et al.

SCDB identifiers: case 1978-031, docket 1978-031-01.

Related decisions

Other cases on “Gas producer regulation”

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Shell Oil Co.
  440 U.S. 192Decided February 22, 19794–4
• California v. Southland Royalty Co.
  436 U.S. 519Decided May 31, 19784–3Byron R. White
• Federal Power Commission v. Moss
  424 U.S. 494Decided March 3, 19766–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Mobil Oil Corp. v. Federal Power Commission
  417 U.S. 283Decided June 10, 19747–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Federal Power Commission v. Texaco Inc.
  417 U.S. 380Decided June 10, 19748–0Byron R. White
• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission v. Martin Exploration Management Co.
  486 U.S. 204Decided May 31, 19888–0William J. Brennan Jr.

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Cases on the same legal provision: Natural Gas Act or Natural Gas Policy Act

• United Gas Pipe Line Co. v. McCombs
  442 U.S. 529Decided June 18, 19798–0Thurgood Marshall
• Arkansas Louisiana Gas Co. v. Hall
  453 U.S. 571Decided July 2, 19815–3Thurgood Marshall
• Federal Power Commission v. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp.
  423 U.S. 326Decided January 19, 19767–0Per curiam
• Public Service Commission of the State of New York v. Mid-Louisiana Gas Co.
  463 U.S. 319Decided June 28, 19835–4John Paul Stevens
• Federal Power Commission v. Louisiana Power & Light Co.
  406 U.S. 621Decided June 7, 19727–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. v. State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi
  474 U.S. 409Decided January 22, 19865–4Harry A. Blackmun

Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)

• Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System v. First Lincolnwood Corp.
  439 U.S. 234Decided December 11, 19787–2Thurgood Marshall
• Marquette National Bank of Minneapolis v. First of Omaha Service Corp.
  439 U.S. 299Decided December 18, 19789–0William J. Brennan Jr.
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters v. Daniel
  439 U.S. 551Decided January 16, 19798–0Lewis F. Powell Jr.
• Director v. Rasmussen
  440 U.S. 29Decided February 21, 19798–0William H. Rehnquist
• Butner v. United States
  440 U.S. 48Decided February 21, 19799–0John Paul Stevens
• Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. v. Federal Trade Commission
  440 U.S. 69Decided February 22, 19797–1Potter Stewart

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Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error