United States v. Pan-American Petroleum Co.

This is a suit in equity to cancel three certain leases of land within United States Naval Reserve No. 1 in Kern county, Cal., and for an accounting of the oil and gas produced therefrom. A fourth lease is involved by reason of being a consolidation of the other three. Two of the three original leases were granted directly to defendant, the other.to W. R. Ramsey, and by him conveyed to defendant.

The leases cover a portion of sections 1 and 2, township 31 south, range 24 east, and have a combined total acreage slightly in excess of that of a section of land. The leases were referred to upon the trial and are so designated in the briefs as the E, G, and I leases, and will be so referred to in this opinion. The two leases in section 1 are of date December 14,1921. The G lease in section 2 is of date February' 8,1922. The consolidated lease is of date July 28,1922.

For a more general description of the leases in question it may be said that the G lease covers substantially the south half of the north half of section 2; the I, lease the south half of the northwest quarter of section 1 and the E lease the south half and a portion of the south half of the north half of section 1. The…