WICHITA, Kan. (AP) An oil boom that started two years ago in southern Kansas has given a boost to landowners and local governments with an infusion of cash for lease payments.
But the Wichita Eagle reports that is having a negative impact for some who don’t have a stake in the oil industry because of rising housing costs.
Largely out-of-state oil companies have drilled hundreds of horizontal wells in places like Sumner, Harper, Barber and Comanche counties, delivering an enormous shot of cash in lease payments.
The Kansas Department of Revenue says total assessed value of Harper County land rose 33 percent between January 2010 and January 2012. Barber County’s assessed value went up 34 percent and Comanche County’s rose 27 percent during the same period.
