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OK Energy Today reports that an Osage County landowner scores a partial victory in his lawsuit to stop an energy company from drilling for oil and gas on his land.

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s ruling against Merill Chance who filed suit against Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and Great Southwestern Exploration Inc. of Nichols Hills.

Chance’s suit sought damages from the energy company for trespassing on his property. Chance had wells on his land that were drilled by the Eason Oil Company in 1964. But in 1991, Eason assigned the lease to Great Southwestern Exploration which drilled three new wells that same year. Two remain in operation and in October 2016, Chance filed his lawsuit.

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court reversed the court’s order dismissing the suit against the government.  However, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court also upheld the lower court ruling dismissing the claims against Great Southwestern Exploration