Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Cargill

CHAPMAN, Justice.

This is an appeal by Phillips Petroleum Co., defendant below, from a judgment rendered by the County Court of Wilbarger County sitting without a jury in favor of appellee, L. W. Cargill, plaintiff below, in the sum of $500 for surface damages alleged to have resulted from the drilling of a well for oil and gas on land occupied by appellee as an agricultural tenant of the lessor in the said oil and gas lease.

Appellee first occupied the 80-acre farm in 1944 upon an oral contract with the fee owner by which he was to pay in rent of the grain and ¼ of the cotton when harvested…