BISMARCK, ND (AP) — The North Dakota Supreme Court has overturned a lower court decision that sided with a Houston-based energy company in a dispute involving oil and gas royalties. It’s a move that could eventually mean millions of dollars for public schools and colleges across the state. The case stems from a lawsuit Newfield Exploration filed against the state after the Department of Trust Lands carried out an audit in 2016 which claimed the company was not paying the agency enough royalties. Judge Robin Schmidt ruled last year that the state breach of contract claim could not be proven. In a unanimous decision on Thursday (September 1, 2022), High Court judges said the lower court should have focused on the state’s position that the company was underpaying royalties.
