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Osage Nation considers stronger role over energy production

Thursday, September 10, 2015

YouTube: BIA Presentation with Director Mike Black

The Osage Nation of Oklahoma is interested in asserting a stronger role over energy production activities, Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear said.

Standing Bear would like to see the Osage Minerals Council, a tribal body, take over duties from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. That could help address complaints about the agency's management of oil and gas leasing, which is the subject of at least three lawsuits in federal court.

A proposal to shift duties away from the BIA has been floated by members of Congress, The Osage News reported. But whatever the outcome, Standing Bear said he didn't want the state of Oklahoma with a role, an issue that has been the subject of speculation.

The tribe hosted BIA Director Mike Black on Wednesday to discuss the management of the Osage mineral estate. He said he was restricted with what he could say due to the pending litigation.

Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear, at podium, with Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Mike Black. Photo from Facebook

“I can assure you the federal government will maintain the federal trust responsibility to the Osage mineral estate," Black said at the meeting, The Osage News reported.

In 2011, the tribe settled a trust mismanagement lawsuit for $380 million. The agreement required the BIA to develop new regulations for the Osage mineral estate in hopes of addressing some of the issues that led to the lawsuit.

Last month, a federal judge put the regulations on hold in response to a lawsuit filed by the Osage Minerals Council. That case was consolidated with one brought by the Osage Producers Association, a private group. Tribal members and producers have raised concerns about the economic impacts of the new rules.

Separately, the BIA is preparing an environmental impact statement affecting the Osage mineral estate in response to yet another lawsuit. The draft should be available early next year, attendees of the meeting were told yesterday.

The Osage mineral estate consists of all the subsurface minerals in Osage County. The area covers about 1,476,500 acres, according to the BIA.

Get the Story:
Black says BIA will uphold trust responsibility for Osage Minerals Estate (The Osage News 9/10)
BIA director hears complaints from Osage County oil producers (The Tulsa World 9/10)
Director of the BIA Visits Pawhuska (Bartlesville Radio 9/9)
Three proposals surface from Sens. Inhofe and Lankford for oil and gas regulation in the Osage (The Osage News 9/9)
Osage County oil regulations on hold due to ruling (The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise 8/13)

Federal Register Notice:
Leasing of Osage Reservation Lands for Oil and Gas Mining (May 11, 2015)