United States Fifth Circuit

Louisiana Act 315 of 1940, which governs the prescription of mineral servitudes when the surface property is owned by the United States, cannot be applied retroactively to prevent prescription of mineral servitudes when the United States obtained the surface estate before 1940.

Appellate Information

• Decided 11/28/2001
• Published 11/28/2001

Judges

• PATRICK E. HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judge:, Before HIGGINBOTHAM, BARKSDALE and STEWART, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fifth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• John Smeltzer (argued), John A. Bryson, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Environment & Natural Reasources Div., Washington, DC, for U.S., David R. Dugas, Caffrey, Oubre, Dugas & Campbell, Lafayette, LA, for Texaco Exploration & Production Co., David B. Means, III, Plummer & Means, Mansfield, LA, for Sonat Exploration Co., Raymond B. Roush, Chesapeake Operating Inc., Oklahoma City, OK, Larry Charles Hebert, Ottinger, Hebert, Sikes & Hebert, Lafayette, LA, for Chesapeake Operating Inc., David Baer Klotz, Bodenheimer, Jones, Klotz & Simmons, Shreveport, LA, for C H C Gerard., Edwin Christian Laizer, Adams & Reese, New Orleans, LA, for Union Pac. Resources Co.


• For Appellees:
  
• Andrew J. Gray, III (argued), The Gray Law Firm, Lake Charles, LA, Kim Gregory Mayhall (argued), Thomas Chalmers McKowen, IV, Strain, Dennis, Mayhall & Bates, Baton Rouge, LA, Thad David Minaldi, Sulpher, LA, for Plaintiffs-Appellants-Cross-Appellees.