A Canadian County District judge has granted a temporary restraining order to prevent Tulsa-based Citizen Energy from moving ahead with drilling two oil wells in the city limits of Mustang.
The city sought the order after Citizen Energy reportedly said it would proceed with the two wells without complying with certain restrictions approved by the Mustang City Council in a November meeting. The city filed for the TRO and an injunction and Judge Paul Hesse issued the order this week.
Citizen Energy won approval last month to move ahead with the two wells near SW 59th and Frisco Road, a site a mile west of State Highway 92 in the northwest part of the city of Mustang. But the city imposed certain restrictions including the erection of a 16-foot tall sound barrier and the requirement that oilfield trucks would only use state Highway 152 and one-half mile of Frisco Road. Further, the city required Citizen Energy to restore Frisco Road to its current state once the drilling operations ended.
But City Attorney Jonathan Miller went to court when he received a letter.
“By letter dated Nov. 8, Defendant (Citizen) advised the mayor of the city of Mustang that Defendant intended to enter the well site and commence drilling operations as soon as a drilling rig becomes available and without complying with the terms of the conditional use permits or the drilling permits,” stated the court filing according to the Mustang Times. “Defendant has not appealed or otherwise sought review of the city’s issuance of the conditional use permits or the permits to drill to alter or change those conditions.”
Citizen Energy responded in a court filing by calling the city’s requirements “arbitrary, capricious and unlawful” under state law and municipal codes. Meanwhile the city of Mustang, after initially approving the conditional use permits then voted to put a 90-day moratorium on other applications for drilling operations.
Another court hearing will be held Dec. 20.