Bonds v. Sanchez-O'Brien Oil and Gas Co.

Bonds (plaintiff) leased production rights to Sanchez-O'Brien Oil and Gas Co. (defendant) under an oil-and-gas lease. When production ceased, the defendant plugged and abandoned the well but left concrete, water pits, and dams on the surface. Bonds sued, arguing the defendant had an implied duty to remove the debris and restore the surface. The trial court ruled for the defendant, and Bonds appealed.

Whether a lessee under an oil-and-gas lease has an implied duty to restore the surface, as nearly as practicable, to the condition it was in before drilling.