Antero Resources Corporation has sued a group of related, Texas-based oilfield service providers to recover damages due to the defendants’ over billing for oilfield services. According to the allegations, the defendants deliberately and systemically billed Antero for work and services that were either never provided or provided at an exaggerated price. Suspecting that the defendants were over billing, the complaint explains, Antero exercised its contractual rights and requested an audit of the defendants’ books and records. Despite their duty to give Antero “access at any time during normal working hours to [their] books and records,” the complaint alleges that the defendants refused any such access.

At that point, Antero hired Burns Charest LLP to enforce its rights and pursue claims for the defendants’ over billing. Burns Charest LLP conducted an initial investigation and filed the complaint in Texas federal court under the caption Antero Resources Corp. v. C&R Downhole Drilling, Inc. et al., No. 15-cv-3885-L (N.D. Tex.) The complaint states claims for breach of contract, declaratory relief, unjust enrichment, fraud, among other claims. Managing partner, Daniel Charest, said, “The facts of this case appear particularly egregious and worthy of the fraud claims. But I expect many operators will be looking over their invoices as the price of oil and gas fall. We are looking forward to bringing these facts to light and obtaining relief for our client, Antero Resources.”

Antero Resources is an independent exploration and production company engaged in the exploitation, development and acquisition of natural gas, NGLs and oil properties located in the Appalachia Basin. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Antero holds over 422,000 net acres in the southwestern core of the Marcellus Shale and over 147,000 net acres in the core of the Utica Shale.