Util. L. Rep. P 13,913 Lone Mountain Production Company v. Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America

984 F.2d 1551, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 32209, 1992 WL 359742
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedDecember 7, 1992
Docket91-4018
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 984 F.2d 1551 (Util. L. Rep. P 13,913 Lone Mountain Production Company v. Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Util. L. Rep. P 13,913 Lone Mountain Production Company v. Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, 984 F.2d 1551, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 32209, 1992 WL 359742 (10th Cir. 1992).

Opinion

*1553 WESLEY E. BROWN, Senior District

Judge.

The Plaintiff-Appellee, Lone Mountain Production Company, (hereafter, “Lone Mountain”) brought this action to enforce the terms of a ten-year “take or pay” gas purchase contract, under which its predecessor in interest, the GEO Oil and Gas Company of Houston, agreed to sell natural gas to the Defendant-Appellant, Natural Gas Pipeline of America (hereafter “Natural Gas”).

The trial was bifurcated to hear separately the issues of liability and damages. Following a non-jury trial, the district court found that Natural Gas was liable to take or pay for gas under the contract from February 17, 1987, 710 F.Supp. 305. At the conclusion of the trial before the court on damages, the district court entered judgment in favor of Lone Mountain for damages of $977,561.64, plus prejudgment interest of $173,780.35, for a total award of $1,151,341.99.

In this appeal, Natural Gas claims that the trial court erred in finding that Lone Mountain had an enforceable interest in the gas purchase contracts, that the determination of the amount and price of available gas was erroneous, and that prejudgment interest was improperly awarded.

The factual background leading to the trial court’s conclusion that Lone Mountain had an enforceable interest in the contracts at issue is essentially without dispute.

In 1971, the State of Utah issued a Mineral Lease on a 600-acre tract located in Section 32, Township 16S, Range 26E, to the Anschutz Corporation and by April, 1980, the lease had been divided into two parcels of 280 and 320 acres each, segregated vertically at a level of 4,338 feet deep.

Under date of April 18, 1980, defendant Natural signed three contracts to purchase all of the gas in the upper strata of the 280-acre parcel. Under the contracts, Natural was entitled to take the gas at the contract price in the contract quantities, or to pay for the gas and take it at a later date.

The first contract was with GEO Oil & Gas Company of Houston (GEO) which owned 100% of the operating rights — that is — the working interest, less the royalty interest, subject to a 674% overriding royalty, and a reversionary interest.

The second contract was with the Texo-ma Production Company (Texoma) which owned 50% of the overriding royalty, and a reversionary interest.

The third contract was with the Nicor Exploration Company (Nicor) which owned the remaining 50% of the overriding royalty and the reversionary interest.

The reversionary interest gave Texoma and Nicor the right to convert their overriding royalty into a 50% working interest upon payout. Quinoco Oil & Gas Programs (Quinoco) obtained GEO’s interest, MidCon Central Exploration Company (MidCon) succeeded to Texoma’s interest, and the options to convert the overriding royalty into working interests were exercised. In this manner, Quinoco owned 50%, Nicor 25% and MidCon 25% of the operating rights.

In February-April, 1986, Lone Mountain entered into “Farmout Agreements” with Quinoco, MidCon, and Nicor, under which Lone Mountain was entitled to receive all of the operating rights of Quinoco and Ni-cor, and most of MidCon’s operating rights, in exchange for Lone Mountain’s completion of a producing well upon the property. (Exhibits 14, 15, 16).

When Lone Mountain drilled a producing well, it received the promised assignments of operating rights from Quinoco, Nicor and the Apache Corporation, successor to MidCon.

The assignment from Quinoco was dated September 18, 1986. The assignment from Nicor was dated January 21, 1987, but made effective as of June 17, 1986, and the assignment from Apache was dated January 21,1987, to be effective on the first day of production from the well. Lone Mountain, in accepting each assignment, agreed *1554 that it was “subject to all of the covenants and obligations” of the Lessee. (Exhibits 18, 19, 20).

. Before beginning to drill, Lone Mountain notified defendant that it had been designated as Operator, that it intended to drill a well which was committed under the GEO contract, and that operations would begin May 15, 1986. Defendant did not respond to this notification.

The well was completed on June 14,1986. On June 17,1986, Lone Mountain sent completion notices and the drilling history to defendant and requested that the well be connected to Natural’s gathering system.

On July 22, 1986, defendant acknowledged that the well had been submitted under the contract and requested that its delivery agent, Northwest Pipeline Company, establish a point of delivery.

On September 9, 1986, defendant declined to connect the Lone Mountain well to its gathering system, invoking the force majeure clause of the GEO contract, and notifying Lone. Mountain “that the connection of this well by Natural is not economically feasible.” 1 In this letter, Defendant advised Lone Mountain that:

... before Natural can recognize any interest you may have in the above-referenced contract, you will need to furnish copies of your farmout and assignment agreements with Quinoco for Natural’s review and enter into a letter agreement recognizing the succession of Lone Mountain to the interest of Quinoco. (Exhibit 24). 2

On September 30, 1986, Lone Mountain stated its intent to exercise the option of proceeding on its own under Article Seventh of the Gas Purchase Contract, to connect the well to the gathering facilities, and it thereafter made the connection at a mutually acceptable point on October 15, 1986, at a cost of $25,000. 3

By letter of October 8, 1986, Natural Gas wrote to Lone Mountain concerning a succession agreement:

... Natural cannot recognize your interest in the above referenced Purchase Contract until you furnish copies of your farmout agreement and recorded assignment from Quinoco and an appropriate succession letter agreement is executed. Natural cannot make payment to you, nor can Natural authorize Northwest Pipeline to receive and transport this gas for Natural’s account until the succession letter agreement is finalized. (Exhibit 26) 4

*1555 By letter of November 18, 1986, defendant again stated that it would need information “to verify and recognize Lone Mountain’s interest in Natural’s Purchase Contract with Quinoco dated April 14, 1980,” and requested an “appropriate succession letter agreement.” (Exhibit 28)

By letter of November 25, 1986, Natural Gas again requested documents to evidence Lone Mountain’s acquisition of an interest in the well, further stating its agreement to take gas pursuant to the Contract:

Once Lone Mountain has provided Natural with the necessary documents evidencing Lone Mountain’s interest in the Contract, Natural will take gas from the referenced well in accordance with the provision of Natural’s June 2, 1986 letter to Quinoco, a copy of which is attached for your convenience.

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984 F.2d 1551, 1992 U.S. App. LEXIS 32209, 1992 WL 359742, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/util-l-rep-p-13913-lone-mountain-production-company-v-natural-gas-ca10-1992.