Johnson v. Houston Oil Company of Texas

HAMITER, Justice.

In the latter part of 1953 the plaintiff, T. J. Johnson, drilled two wells to the Paluxy sand (approximately 2,400 feet deep) on a 140-acre tract of land situated in Caddo Parish and held by him under an oil and gas sublease from the defendant, Houston Oil Company of Texas. The first well, which resulted in a dry hole, was abandoned. The second, although not completed as a producer, showed on tests the presence of oil. Known as Caddo Levee Board No. 2, it was capped or plugged with concrete. No further operations under the sublease were undertaken by plaintiff until June,…