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Council approves no-surface-drilling oil and gas lease allowing horizontal wells beneath city park
Summary
The council voted 6–1 to approve a no-surface-drilling oil and gas lease with John D. Branch that permits horizontal drilling under Betts Park while prohibiting surface operations on city-owned park land; the agreement includes a royalty provision and requires state permits before operations.
Warren City Council approved a no-surface-drilling oil and gas lease on March 12 that permits horizontal drilling beneath a city-owned park while prohibiting any surface activity on the park itself.
The proposed lease covers mineral access related to parcel WN-499-861 (owned by John D. Branch) with drilling to occur from privately owned surface outside the park; the horizontal well would extend beneath Betts Park, identified in city records as WMN-811-11, city staff said. Under the lease terms presented in the council packet, no drilling equipment or operations are allowed on the park surface.
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