What happens in Mansfield stays in Mansfield...

Gas lease offers have topped $25,000 thus far for Mansfield South United's neighborhoods. Does that portend a record-shattering deal? Try getting any information out of the secretive MSU, which goes by the mantra "What happens in MSU stays in MSU."

Grande Energy, in partnership with Range Resources, has the latest public offer, at $25,000 per acre. That info is out because Grande sends its offers directly to property owners. MSU's leaders also tell homeowners they're negotiating with XTO Energy, and suggest in recent communications that XTO is the favored bidder among negotiating committee members.

Finally, Mansfield South abuts the Debbie Lane Pool group, which recently struck an agreement with Edge Resources that Dale Resources is now trying to upend. Some homeowners around Grande's well site at Walnut Creek Country Club fall into both MSU and the Debbie Lane Pool.

MSU isn't giving specifics to homeowners on its negotiations. What exactly goes on in those meetings?

-- Scott Nishimura