Boyce v. Dundee Healdton Sand Unit
Court of Appeals of Oklahoma
560 P.2d 234 (Okla. Civ. App. 1975)
Mary Boyce and other owners of nearby producing oil wells (plaintiffs) sued the Dundee Healdton Sand Unit and its operator, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) (defendants) after ARCO's water-injection operations — authorized by an Oklahoma Corporation Commission order meant to boost oil production — caused the plaintiffs' wells to start producing water instead of oil and become damaged. The trial court ruled for the plaintiffs on their nuisance claim, and the defendants appealed, arguing the Commission's authorization shielded them from liability.
Whether an order of a state oil and gas commission authorizing certain activity can insulate a defendant from liability for a private nuisance caused by that activity.