Contractors sue over Marion County oil well

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

The owners of a western Kansas oil well drilling company and a dirt contractor are suing a Wichita oil and gas exploration company for more than $80,000 over an unpaid bill for a well drilled in Marion County.

On Oct. 17, WW Drilling, based in WaKeeney, and Western Kansas Dirt Construction, a dirt contractor based in Scott City, filed a lawsuit against Noble Petroleum. The drilling and dirt contractor companies, jointly owned, claim they are owed about half of the bill for dirt work and the entire $76,176 drilling bill.

According to court documents, Noble Petroleum on Feb. 19, 2016, hired WW Drilling to drill a 3,150-foot-deep well in Durham Park Township. Noble also hired WKDC to finish the top work at the well. Work was to start by Feb. 25, 2016.

WW Drilling’s bill has not been paid and WKDC’s bill of $5,865 has an unpaid balance of $3,000, the petition reads.

The companies want $3,000 for the dirt work, $76,175.55 plus monthly late service fees for the drilling job, and court costs.