Oil company sues turbine farm over vague project plans 

Source: By Paul Monies, Oklahoman • Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2015

An Oklahoma oil and gas company has filed a lawsuit against the developers of a nearby wind farm, saying the company was not given adequate notice of construction.

Newfield Exploration Mid-Continent Inc. operates dozens of oil and gas wells along a 315-square-mile area where Apex Clean Energy Inc. had planned its 298-megawatt Kingfisher Wind Project in northern Canadian County and southern Kingfisher County.

Newfield said it received a map of the wind project in February and tried to get more information about the project but did not receive anything else until Friday, just three days before Apex planned to begin construction.

The lawsuit alleges that the map depicts only general elements of the wind farm and made it “impossible for oil and gas operators to discern where, specifically, each component of the facility will be located” and how close the turbines would be to wells and production facilities.

Apex would not comment on the lawsuit, but spokeswoman Dahvi Wilson said the company “believes it is important to ensure that the landowners who are participating in our projects have the opportunity to benefit from all potential energy sources on their property.”

Construction on the $450 million wind farm has begun, and the farm is expected to be running by the end of 2015.