Violated

Shell Oil Co. and some of its affiliates have agreed to pay the United States $2.2 million to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal leases. It is the latest settlement in a long-running whistle-blower case.

Two conservation groups are suing the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) for allowing natural gas development in the watershed prior to a moratorium instituted last year. The plaintiffs have asked the court to have the drilled wells removed, “and the sites cleaned up and restored to natural conditions.”

Between the recent pipeline accidents near Marshall, MI, and in San Bruno, CA, and the fact that the current natural gas pipeline network was set up decades ago to serve the eastern mega-market that now is developing its own supply, the natural gas transmission sector faces a number of challenges going forward.

Dominion Oklahoma Texas Exploration & Production Inc. and Marathon Oil Co. have agreed to pay the United States $2,219,974.98 and $4,697,476.57, respectively, to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday.

The U.S. government violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when it sold drilling rights for oil and gas development off Alaska’s northwest coast, a federal judge ruled last Wednesday.

The U.S. government violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when it sold drilling rights for oil and gas development off Alaska’s northwest coast, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

Units of ExxonMobil Corp. have been ordered to pay the United States $32.2 million to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and American Indian leases, the U.S. Justice Department announced last week. For its part, ExxonMobil acknowledged the settlement, which occurred two years ago, but vehemently denied the Justice Department’s claims that it deliberately underpaid royalties.

Chevron Corp. has agreed to pay nearly $45.6 million to resolve claims that it and predecessor companies (Texaco, Unocal Inc. and their affiliates) violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said late last month. Three other producers previously settled with DOJ in the nearly 10-year-old case.

Chevron Corp. has agreed to pay nearly $45.6 million to resolve claims that it and predecessor companies (Texaco, Unocal Inc. and their affiliates) violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and Indian leases, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday. Three other producers previously settled with DOJ in the nearly 10-year-old case.