Tenneco Oil Co. v. El Paso Natural Gas Co.

DOOLIN, Justice:

The cleavage within this Court, as demonstrated by this case, arises from deciding whether, after a forced-pooling order is issued by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the parties named as operator, and as electee or poolee, may contract between themselves to enlarge or otherwise define the terms set forth in the pooling order. Restated the question posed is this: may the interested parties to a forced-pooling order contract as to interests created, duties defined, terms of participation, operations, etc.?. We hold they may.

A majority of this Court believes that such a…