Durant City Utilities Authority approves notice to solicit bids for 34.99-acre oil and gas lease

The Durant City Utilities Authority voted unanimously to publish a notice soliciting bids to lease oil and gas interests in approximately 34.99 acres held in the authority's name.

Chairman Tucker said the title to the acreage is held by the utilities authority rather than by the city, which is why the authority was considering the publication of the notice. Trustees asked staff for maps of the parcels; staff said the most reliable source would be the landman who performed the title search and that the city's GIS department could also produce maps if needed.

Staff clarified the notice covers subsurface mineral rights only; surface rights are separately owned and would require negotiation between the surface owner and any bidder seeking to develop a well site. Staff also reported that a representative had contacted the apparent successful bidder and that staking for roads and a pad near the airport had been observed, but staff emphasized that any surface access would be negotiated with the surface owner and was not on city-owned surface.

A motion to approve publication of the notice to request bids passed on a 5-0 roll-call vote recorded by the clerk (Trustee Miller, Trustee Morrison, Trustee Shear, Vice Chairman Similelescu and Chairman Tucker all voted yes). Staff said they would obtain parcel maps from the landman and return with further details when the lease process advances.