WHEELER, TEXAS -- There's more oil in the Texas Panhandle! Apache Petroleum is drilling in Wheeler and while that's great news for the mineral rights owner, the "landowner" hasn't been too impressed with the way the operation is being carried out.
Apache first contacted landowner Jerry Heasley back in early August of 2011. After a few weeks, Apache decided to drill and offered Heasley a sum of money in a contract that would pay for surface damages to the land. Heasley claimed before he had a chance to find an attorney and make the agreement, the company had already torn down his fences, started drilling and destroyed a much larger piece of land than was originally discussed.
"They did not give me a reasonable amount of time to come up with an agreement so that I can protect my property and I can get my surface damages that are fair," said Heasley.
Heasley agreed that the mineral rights owner had the right to obtain access to the minerals under his land, but he concerned with the way the company went about obtaining it.
"I'm not challenging anybody's rights to their minerals," he reassured Pronews 7. "They have not been truthful to me. When you say you're going to take 2.52 acres and you come in here and right away you have four and then you have another three over there," he said pointing to two, large mud pits. "I had no say in the matter."
After learning about Pronews 7's interview with Heasley, Apache Corporation contacted us to release its statement about the disagreement. A disagreement, they said, that's rarely seen in drilling cases in the Panhandle.
"We made what we believe was a generous offer in line with what other surface owners in Wheeler County have routinely agreed to," said Apache Corporation Public Affairs Director, Bill Mintz. "We were disappointed but a Century in Texas law allows us to go on his property and drill the well."
Apache still hopes to reach an agreement but in Heasley's opinion, those efforts aren't worthwhile.
"it's kind of futile because they've done whatever they've wanted," he said. "They've taken up all this property, they're putting in tank betteries here, they're putting all kind of equipment over here. I don't know what it is, looks like a little refinery is going in."
Representatives with Apache claim they have contacted Heasley more than a dozen times since they first decided to test for oil in his land last year. They still hope to reach an agreement.
