Hyperion wants options on more land
Texas company has options on 10,000 acres in Union County
By Michele Linck Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, August 17, 2007
Joyce Bortscheller said Thursday that her Wednesday-evening picnic for Albert Huddleston, CEO of Hyperion Resources, and about 85 Union County landowners who have sold options on their land to the Dallas oilman was simply a social occasion.
Huddleston did welcome everyone, Bortscheller said, but after that he only visited one on one with guests. "There weren't any business transactions or anything like that," the hostess said. "It was just for them to get to know him."
Hyperion announced June 13 that it was the mystery company behind the purchase of options to buy thousands of acres of farmland in Union County on which it is considering building a high-tech oil refinery --Hyperion Energy Center -- that would have a 2,000-acre footprint and need about 3,000 acres as a buffer. The company said it is considering at least one other site in the Midwest.
Ron Bird, one of the earliest landowners to option his family's farmland to the then-unidentified buyer and project, was among the picnic guests Wednesday who visited with Huddleston over hamburgers, brats, sweet corn, salads and desserts.
"Mr. Huddleston said they have 10,000 acres (optioned) but want to accumulate more for buffers," Bird said in a phone interview Thursday.
Bird also said that Richard E. White told him the company will be opening an office in downtown Elk Point soon. White, a retired Marathon Oil executive, signed the land-option contracts filed with the Union County Register of Deeds as agent for Elk Point Economic Development Corp.
Bird said members of that corporation's board also were at the picnic, including Bruce Odsen, Dawn Glover and Bortscheller -- who is also the president of the Elk Point City Council -- as well as Kim McLaury, whose Elk Point firm, McLaury Engineering, is already working with Hyperion on the project. Bird said Richard Benda, secretary of South Dakota Tourism and State Development, also attended.
Like Bortscheller, Bird described Huddleston as " a very down-to-earth, sincere person, a real gentleman."
He said he spoke with Huddleston personally and that anyone at the picnic who wanted to speak to him had the opportunity. Bird said even before meeting Huddleston, he never had reservations about the decision to sell options on his land.
"I really believe this is going to be a refinery that will stand tall against the others," Bird said. "It's going to be the most modern in the world."
In the mail ...
The picnic coincided with the arrival in area mailboxes Wednesday of a brochure about the proposed oil refinery. The brochure promises the company would use the most cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technology and would communicate closely with the community.
Bortscheller said Huddleston had to leave the area sooner than he'd planned but said he'll be back, probably in the next few weeks.
"I think he doesn't want to make any kind of commitments until he's sure he can get the proper permits," Bortscheller said of the company's continuing position that Union County is only one possible site.
Bortscheller said the council wants to be prepared if Union County is, in fact, the site. The project would be outside the Elk Point city limits.
"There is going to be some growth happening," she said. "We want to address that as soon as possible as far as utilities, police. We want to make sure our ordinances are current."
'Gorilla'
Huddleston's company first had contact with the landowners through three area real estate agents who convinced a number of them to sell options on their land to a company whose identity the Realtors told landowners they did not know. The associated project, also unidentified, became known as "Gorilla."
So far, all of the land options filed in the county Register of Deeds Office are to expire at the end of this month but with three renewal options of one year each. They total slightly more than 2,000 acres, despite Wednesday's revelation that Hyperion has options on 10,000 acres. South Dakota does not require that land-option sales be registered.
Huddleston did welcome everyone, Bortscheller said, but after that he only visited one on one with guests. "There weren't any business transactions or anything like that," the hostess said. "It was just for them to get to know him."
Hyperion announced June 13 that it was the mystery company behind the purchase of options to buy thousands of acres of farmland in Union County on which it is considering building a high-tech oil refinery --Hyperion Energy Center -- that would have a 2,000-acre footprint and need about 3,000 acres as a buffer. The company said it is considering at least one other site in the Midwest.
Ron Bird, one of the earliest landowners to option his family's farmland to the then-unidentified buyer and project, was among the picnic guests Wednesday who visited with Huddleston over hamburgers, brats, sweet corn, salads and desserts.
"Mr. Huddleston said they have 10,000 acres (optioned) but want to accumulate more for buffers," Bird said in a phone interview Thursday.
Bird also said that Richard E. White told him the company will be opening an office in downtown Elk Point soon. White, a retired Marathon Oil executive, signed the land-option contracts filed with the Union County Register of Deeds as agent for Elk Point Economic Development Corp.
Bird said members of that corporation's board also were at the picnic, including Bruce Odsen, Dawn Glover and Bortscheller -- who is also the president of the Elk Point City Council -- as well as Kim McLaury, whose Elk Point firm, McLaury Engineering, is already working with Hyperion on the project. Bird said Richard Benda, secretary of South Dakota Tourism and State Development, also attended.
Like Bortscheller, Bird described Huddleston as " a very down-to-earth, sincere person, a real gentleman."
He said he spoke with Huddleston personally and that anyone at the picnic who wanted to speak to him had the opportunity. Bird said even before meeting Huddleston, he never had reservations about the decision to sell options on his land.
"I really believe this is going to be a refinery that will stand tall against the others," Bird said. "It's going to be the most modern in the world."
In the mail ...
The picnic coincided with the arrival in area mailboxes Wednesday of a brochure about the proposed oil refinery. The brochure promises the company would use the most cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technology and would communicate closely with the community.
Bortscheller said Huddleston had to leave the area sooner than he'd planned but said he'll be back, probably in the next few weeks.
"I think he doesn't want to make any kind of commitments until he's sure he can get the proper permits," Bortscheller said of the company's continuing position that Union County is only one possible site.
Bortscheller said the council wants to be prepared if Union County is, in fact, the site. The project would be outside the Elk Point city limits.
"There is going to be some growth happening," she said. "We want to address that as soon as possible as far as utilities, police. We want to make sure our ordinances are current."
'Gorilla'
Huddleston's company first had contact with the landowners through three area real estate agents who convinced a number of them to sell options on their land to a company whose identity the Realtors told landowners they did not know. The associated project, also unidentified, became known as "Gorilla."
So far, all of the land options filed in the county Register of Deeds Office are to expire at the end of this month but with three renewal options of one year each. They total slightly more than 2,000 acres, despite Wednesday's revelation that Hyperion has options on 10,000 acres. South Dakota does not require that land-option sales be registered.
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up on the bench wrote on Aug 18, 2007 9:41 AM:
Denny Larson wrote on Aug 18, 2007 8:21 AM:
Leaving union county wrote on Aug 17, 2007 8:54 PM:
John wrote on Aug 17, 2007 3:35 PM:
sad sad times wrote on Aug 17, 2007 3:14 PM: