NEW MARTINSVILLE – Eleven Several property owners are suing a Charleston gas exploration company, alleging it is producing oil and gas from the property without a lease.
Daniel Westfall, Amy Witschey, Audrery Morgan, et al. filed a lawsuit Nov. 2 in Wetzel Circuit Court against Stone Energy Corp. alleging trespass to minerals and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs own a property in Wetzel County. The plaintiffs and the defendant attempted to enter into a lease for oil and gas rights in 2013 but were unable to come into an agreement, the suit says.
The plaintiffs allege Energy is improperly producing oil and/or gas from plaintiffs' property without a lease from a well less than 250 feet from the property line.
The plaintiffs seek trial by jury and seek an order the defendant's operations be removed from the plaintiffs' property, damages, attorney fees and court costs, plus all other just and proper relief. They are represented by attorney J. Breton McNab of Roetzel & Andress LPA in Akron, Ohio. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Jeffrey Cramer.
Wetzel Circuit Court Case number 16-c-102