State Oil & Gas Board v. Crane

GILLESPIE, Chief Justice:

The State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi (Board), Getty Oil Company (Getty), and Shell Oil Company (Shell) appealed from a judgment of the Circuit Court of Wayne County reversing an order of the Board granting Getty a permit to drill a wildcat gas well on a drilling unit of 640 acres.1

Getty owns oil and gas leases on extensive acreage in the southeast corner of Wayne County. Shell also owns leases m the area and is supporting the proposed gas well in which it will have a working interest if it produces. Getty applied to the Board for a wildcat gas drilling permit on…