Newman v. RAG Wyoming Land Co.

KITE, Justice.

[T 1] In 1968, the landowners, who owned both the surface and mineral estate in certain Campbell County property, leased their ranch for oil and gas development. Production occurred, and the lease remained held by that production. The landowners deeded the surface of the ranch and "coal and minerals commingled with [the] coal" to a neighboring coal mine operator in 1974, reserving all "oil, gas, and other minerals" not otherwise conveyed. Twenty years later, development of the gas found within the coal, known as "coalbed methane," became commercially feasible. A coalbed methane…