Oil and Gas Contamination in Osage County, Oklahoma
In 2000, Osage County rancher and landowner, Don Quarles, brought suit against oil and
gas producers for historical and ongoing crude oil and saltwater pollution damage to his
land and groundwater.
Lithochimeia reviewed hundreds of well files, well logs, historic air photos, soil survey
data , geologic reports and water quality reports to establish evidence of historic releases
of oil and saltwater. In addition, Lithochimeia conducted extensive on-site inspections of
nearly one hundred well sites and, as appropriate, collected soil samples for salinity and
hydrocarbon analysis. Lithochimeia also executed numerous terrain conductivity surveys
to establish the spatial extent of salt pollution ad heavily contaminated sites. During the
course of this litigation, Lithochimeia prepared a series of expert reports and provided
deposition testimony and testimony at a jury trial in the United States District Court for
the Northern District of Oklahoma regarding the pollution injury, its causation and
monetary damage to Quarles’ land.
The jury entered a verdict for Quarles and awarded monetary damages.