“We understand that as well,” said Chief. “Someone we’re very close to has preserved their family’s land for almost three-hundred years now.”
“Folks don’t do that anymore,” said the trooper. “Don’t worry about those two. We’ll put them with a special group in the jail.” The man chuckled as he walked away, Chief nodding his thanks.
“Well, I guess I have two jobs now,” smirked Ernie. “I’m not sure if I should be grateful yet but I know that the town will feel better knowing we have their best interests at heart.”
“Lucy is finished with the animal testing,” said Chief. “She’s one smart lady and has agreed to help you guys get a feel for the city records and finances. If we need someone else, we can call them but she’s as good as any for now.”
“What will you guys be doing? Are you sticking around?” asked Pat.
“We’ll be coming in and out if that’s okay. We want to be sure the other areas are being looked into but we’re not going to leave until we can be sure that we’ve got federal back-up on this.”
“It’s fine,” said Pat. “The kids like seeing you guys out in the barn. They think you’re ‘bet’. I have no idea what that means but they were smiling when they said it.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a good thing,” laughed Forrest. “We’ll be hanging out, don’t worry.”
Saint and Hayes were meeting with the woman they’d spoken to several days ago. Margaret Jeffers was a twenty-year veteran of the energy department. Seeing her seated behind her small metal desk, the men would have suspected she’d been on the job at least twice as long.
She looked tired. And not in a good way.
“You’re the boys from Nebraska,” she said quietly. “Let’s get some coffee.” They nodded as she stood to leave. It wasn’t really a request. She was telling them that they were leaving the office.
They followed her out the door and down the street to a small outdoor coffee shop. The mobile unit featured three ordering windows and multiple tables set up on artificial turf to make it feel like an outdoor picnic space.
“Have a seat,” said Margaret. “Listen to me. Carefully. What I’m about to tell you might just blow up in my face but I honestly don’t give a shit any longer.”
“That’s some serious burn-out you’re experiencing there, Margaret,” said Saint.
“You’d be burnt out too if you knew the things I know. I’m going to give you a little overview of how drilling works in this country.” Both men nodded, leaning back in the uncomfortable metal chairs to listen more intently.
“Drilling for oil or gas on private property requires acquiring mineral rights, which means securing a surface use agreement with the landowner, and obtaining permits from state regulators. In a place like Texas, it could be the Texas Railroad Commission. You also have to have agreements from local authorities.
“In many areas, mineral rights are dominant, allowing operators to use the surface for extraction, but operators often negotiate to avoid conflicts.
“One thing that many cities and states do is fight the land owner to determine who owns the mineral rights, which may be different from the surface owner.”
“Hold on. What do you mean, ‘surface owner’? Is that different from the actual owner of the land below?” asked Saint.
“It can be. The surface land might belong to the property owner but if there are city lines, like sewer or water, below that land, it belongs to them.”
“Okay,” nodded Saint.
“The operator must lease the rights from the mineral owner. While not always legally required, operators often enter into agreements with surface owners to manage access, compensation, and land restoration. It saves them in the future from arguing in court.
“You must obtain a drilling permit from the state’s oil and gas commission. At the local level, you have to obtain permits from city councils or local governments, which may require site plans, insurance, and public hearings.”
“I’m getting a headache,” said Hayes.
“Hold on junior,” she smirked. “There also must be compliance with environmental regulations, such as the National Environmental Policy Act or as we refer to it, NEPA, if federal resources are involved.
“Here’s where you need to listen to me,” she said turning to her left, then right, and back to the two men in front of her. “Operators can use as much of the surface as is ‘reasonably necessary’ for drilling, including roads, pipelines, water lines, all of it, which may not require surface owner consent.”
“Hold on. Are you saying that SanOil could come in and drill beneath the property, if there are city, county, or state lines running beneath the property? They could do it without their consent?” asked Hayes.
“In some cases? Yes.” She looked at her watch and downed the hot coffee without blinking an eye. “I have to get back. They can get to that oil no matter what. Not just because of what I told you but because someone else wants it just as badly.”
Standing with her, they approached the crosswalk to take her back to her office. When the light turned, letting them know it was safe to cross, she started to move.
“You need to get…”
