Union Oil Co. of Cal. v. Smith, 249 U.S. 337 (1919) (No. 8)
1919
Case name: Union Oil Co. of Cal. v. Smith Opinion filed: 1919-03-31 Docket No.: 8 Citations: • 249 U.S. 337 • 39 S. Ct. 308 • 63 L. Ed. 635 • 1919 U.S. LEXIS 2132 Case holding summaries: • noting that such a person has “an exclusive right of possession to the extent of 2 We observed as much in a prior appeal involving Eno and charges of unauthorized removal of minerals from these lands. See United States v. Hook, 38 F. App’x 447, 449 (9th Cir. 2002 • “[A]s a practical matter, exploration must precede the discovery of minerals, and some occupation of the land ordinarily is necessary for adequate and systematic exploration.”
