Erie Town Council Reverses Course on Mineral Rights Sale, Energy Company Pulls Plug on Deal

Erie Town Council reverses course on mineral rights sale, energy company pulls plug on deal

SM Energy backed out of the sale just weeks after the town received enough signatures to take the question of mineral rights to a voter referendum this fall.

Erie Town Council Repeals SM Energy Mineral Rights Ordinance

On August 25, 2026, Erie Town councilmembers convened to repeal the ordinance that originally approved the sale of Town-owned mineral rights to SM Energy. In a unanimous vote on August 25, 2026, the Erie Town council voted to repeal Ordinance No. 028-2026, which had originally authorized the sale of the Town’s mineral interests in the Draco drilling and spacing unit (DSU) to SM Energy. This came after SM Energy notified the Town o…