NIMBY is strong. When people find out that O&G is making calls to residents in an area, people mobilize to protest. These people would be protesting something that didn't exist. Nobody likes fighting a negative PR campaign like that.
That's just a single example off the top of my head
Alternative interpretation: O&G Company was planning to get their plan in order first for how they would drill the area, then figure out how to convince the residents to support the project.
By flipping the script, and revealing the information early they gave the residents more power to push back against the project or expect more equitable compensation.
No I did not. Don't read into things that aren't there.
Just because I used the phrase NIMBY does not mean I am against it. I detest how O&G companies behave, however, I can also see exactly why this example would drive them mad. They have to gear up for exactly this type of reaction when they do want to move into an area, so to have to gear up for a fight when there are no plans just means spending effort on something totally stupid.
That's what I told my literature teachers in school. Just because you have your accepted interpretation of the written material doesn't mean I can't have mine. "Yes, but you are wrong" was always the response. Can't imagine why I took to math & science over prose instead.
That's just a single example off the top of my head