Show Firms excused from Ua oil shale lease terms Three major oil companies Friday were excused from the terms of oil shale leases they hold in Utah County because of of- questions as to who may own the land Chief Judge Willis W W. Ritter Hitter US U.S. District Court of Utah ruled Judge Ritter flitter at a court hearing ruled that Phillips Petroleum Co Sunoco Energy Development Co and Petroleum Co holders of one of the nations nation's first oil shale leases known as federal prototype Ua and are excused from making some 48 million in further payments and meeting other terms JUDGE JUnGE RITTER signed findings of fact and conclusions of law and a a. a preliminary injunction injunction injunction in in- junction that suspends the terms of the leases held by Phillips and Sunoco and The court order prohibits the secretary of the Interior from enforcing the lease rules but allows the firms to occupy the leases and proceed with research The leases became effective June 1 I 1974 The judges judge's opinion notes that there are many small oil shale placer claims in the area of the leases and that some of oC these claims might be valid in light of a Colorado federal judges judge's ruling that placer claims in that state on oil shale land were valid THE OPINION also notes that Judge Ritter in a separate civil case ruled that the State of Utah owned the oil shale land the leases are on The case is isnow isnow isnow now on appeal to the US U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and if upheld the federal government would have to transfer the title to the land to the state The federal government let the leases and claims title to the theland theland theland land the leases are on one |