Marathon Oil Co. v. United States

16 Cl. Ct. 332, 1989 U.S. Claims LEXIS 41, 1989 WL 13402
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedFebruary 21, 1989
DocketNo. 457-88L
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 16 Cl. Ct. 332 (Marathon Oil Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Marathon Oil Co. v. United States, 16 Cl. Ct. 332, 1989 U.S. Claims LEXIS 41, 1989 WL 13402 (cc 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

BRUGGINK, Judge.

Pending is defendant’s motion to dismiss or in the alternative, for transfer to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. For the reasons that follow, the motion to transfer is denied and the motion to dismiss is granted in part.

FACTS

This case concerns royalty payments on various leases for oil and gas production in the Kenai Field in Alaska. There are seven leases at issue. Plaintiff Marathon Oil Company (“Marathon”) owns an undivided, fifty percent working interest in the leases and Union Oil Company of California (“Union”) owns the remaining interest. The leases call for royalty payments based on the value of oil and gas produced. The royalty interest in six of the leases is shared by intervenor Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated (“CIRI”)1 and the United States Government in a ratio of 65% to 35% respectively. The royalty interest in one lease, A-028142, is owned exclusively by CIRI. In the past, the Minerals Management Service (“MMS”) of the Department of Interior (“DOI”) has administered the leases for both the Government and CIRI. The parties are in disagreement whether and to what extent MMS currently administers the leases.

Pursuant to Section 101(c)(1) of the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982, 30 U.S.C. § 1711(c)(1), which became effective January 12, 1983, the MMS undertook comprehensive and detailed audits and reviews of all federal oil and gas lease accounts. Such reviews in the Kenai Unit led to various determinations by MMS that the lessees had substantially undervalued the gas produced there. This case specifically concerns the valuation of gas “rented” by Marathon and Union to Standard Oil Co. of California and Atlantic Richfield Co. The rental agreement was entered into January 1,1966. The gas was used by Chevron and ARCO for repressurization and secondary recovery operations at the Soldotna Creek/Swanson River Oil Field.

In 1984, MMS notified Union that it intended to redetermine royalties due on Union’s production in the Kenai Field. In November 1985, MMS, CIRI, and Union settled a variety of disputed royalty issues including Union’s share of Swanson River rental gas (“SRRG”) production from the Kenai Field. Marathon was not involved in that settlement.

In May 1986, Marathon was advised that MMS intended to revalue the royalties due on Marathon’s share of SRRG production. MMS issued a final order regarding SRRG, which was approved by the Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management on July 12, 1988. The order was subsequently amended and approved on July 29, 1988. The final payment date was thirty days from the date of receipt. It is this order which is the subject of the instant suit. The order requires Marathon to pay more than $5,700,000 in additional royalties [334]*334on its share of the gas delivered under the SRRG agreements for the period January 1. 1977 through December 31, 1986. In addition the order requires Marathon to pay an unspecified amount of royalties on SRRG production from January 1, 1987 to the present and to pay accrued interest on underpaid royalties.

Marathon alleges that immediately upon receipt of the MMS order it requested an administrative stay and informed the agency it would seek judicial review. Marathon asserts that because MMS did not respond to its request for an administrative stay, it was forced to respond to the order by making payment on August 3,1988. Marathon did not, however, pay the full amount required by the July 12 order. Rather it paid the Government $1,707,072.51, an amount Marathon deemed to be the royalty share owed to the United States (as distinct from CIRI) for the period from July 1982 to the present. Marathon alleges that under certain provisions of the Unit Operating Agreement2 it was only required to pay the “federal” portion of the assessment. Marathon further contends it was not obligated to pay royalties for periods prior to 1982 since such assessments are barred by the statute of limitations. Marathon filed suit in this court August 4, 1988.

DISCUSSION

On October 3, 1988, defendant filed its motion to dismiss or in the alternative, to transfer. At the outset, it is important to note that defendant does not question the court’s subject matter jurisdiction over Marathon’s claim for a refund of monies already paid.3 Rather the motion raises several issues directed at other aspects of the complaint. Defendant first contends the other counts of the complaint should be dismissed for want of subject matter jurisdiction to the extent they address the issue of royalties owed to CIRI, since only the Government can properly be the subject of a claim in this court. Defendant also asserts in its supporting brief that the portion of Count I seeking “consequential damages” should be dismissed for failure to state a claim. Defendant next contends that Counts II, III, IV, V, and VIII should be dismissed for want of subject matter jurisdiction to the extent they seek declaratory and injunctive relief. Finally, defendant contends that Counts VI and VII should be dismissed for failure to state a claim on which relief may be granted.

In addition, defendant argues that the entire claim should be dismissed or transferred under the doctrine of comity to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. Plaintiff alleges in this regard that the present case is subsumed by Marathon Oil Co. v. United States, No. A83-208 Civil, currently pending in that court. For the reasons that follow, the court declines transfer but grants in part the motion to dismiss.

A. Subject Matter Jurisdiction

Plaintiff's complaint alleges generally that the SRRG royalty demand was a breach of the subject leases contrary to statute and regulation. The complaint seeks monetary relief and, as discussed below, injunctive relief. Marathon challenges the actions of the MMS, an agency of DOI, and names a single defendant, the United States. One basis for Marathon’s Tucker Act claim is the subject leases in the Kenai Unit. Marathon alleges that MMS’ order violates, inter alia, express [335]*335terms of the lease agreements and it seeks money damages.

It is clear this court has subject matter jurisdiction to the extent Marathon seeks a refund of the approximately $1,700,000 paid to MMS and any additional damages to which it may be entitled arising out of an asserted breach of contract.

This court has jurisdiction under the Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1491, to render judgment on claims for money arising out of a contract with the United States, or under a statute or regulation requiring, or fairly interpreted to require, the payment of money.

Rogers v. United States, 14 Cl.Ct. 39, 44 (1987) (citing United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 392, 397-98, 96 S.Ct. 948, 952-53, 47 L.Ed.2d 114 (1976); Eastport Steamship Corp. v. United States, 178 Ct.Cl. 599, 605, 372 F.2d 1002, 1007 (1967)), aff'd, 861 F.2d 729 (Fed.Cir.1988). Having alleged breach of contract, Marathon has sufficiently invoked our jurisdiction.

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Bluebook (online)
16 Cl. Ct. 332, 1989 U.S. Claims LEXIS 41, 1989 WL 13402, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marathon-oil-co-v-united-states-cc-1989.