New Mexico v. United States

11 Cl. Ct. 429, 59 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1283, 1986 U.S. Claims LEXIS 743
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedDecember 30, 1986
DocketNo. 526-85 T
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 11 Cl. Ct. 429 (New Mexico 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
New Mexico v. United States, 11 Cl. Ct. 429, 59 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1283, 1986 U.S. Claims LEXIS 743 (cc 1986).

Opinion

OPINION

HORN, Judge.

At issue in this case, brought by the State of New Mexico, is the method of calculation to be used to determine the State’s share of royalties from crude oil produced on federally owned land located in New Mexico due under the Act of February 25, 1920, eh. 85, 41 Stat. 437, as amended, 30 U.S.C. § 226(a) (1976) (The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920). The plaintiff, State of New Mexico, has alleged that the State’s share should be calculated before payment by the United States of taxes due under the subsequently enacted Crude Oil Windfall Profit Tax Act of 1980, Pub.L. No. 96-223, 94 Stat. 229, 26 U.S.C. § 4986, et seq. (1982) (The Windfall Profit Tax Act). The defendant, United States, has argued that the State’s share should be calculated only after the taxes due are deducted from the royalties generated.

The case is before the Court on defendant’s motion for summary judgment and plaintiff’s motion for partial summary judgment.1 The two motions were filed simultaneously. Both plaintiff and defendant have stated that there are no material facts in dispute and that the only issue before the Court is a legal issue of statutory construction. The case is, therefore, appropriate for disposition on summary judgment at this time.2

For the reasons discussed herein, defendant’s motion for summary judgment is [431]*431granted and plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment is denied.

BACKGROUND

In 1920, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to lease certain federally owned lands which contain unappropriated oil or gas deposits. Section 17, Act of February 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 437, as amended, 30 U.S.C. § 226(a) (1976). Section 17 provides that these lands may be leased to the highest, responsible bidder, by competitive bidding, for the production of crude oil, pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Secretary. Section 17 also establishes certain criteria for such leases, including acreage limitations and that the royalty payment under a lease shall not be less than I2V2 per centum in amount or value of the production. 30 U.S.C. § 226(b) and (c) (1976). All royalty payments accruing to the United States as a result of an oil or gas lease under that Act are required to be paid in oil or gas pursuant to Section 36 of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. 30 U.S.C. § 192 (1976). Upon the sale of the oil or gas, the royalty payments are converted into money.

The apportionment of the royalties prior to the enactment of the Windfall Profit Tax is not contested in this case. Before the passage of the Windfall Profit Tax, the Secretary had leased Federal lands, including lands located in New Mexico, and had received the royalty payments in oil or gas. Following the sale of the oil and gas, the Secretary had paid all the money received from the royalties into the United States Treasury, to be apportioned in accordance with the formula set forth in Section 35 of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as discussed below. 30 U.S.C. § 191 (1976).

On April 2, 1980, Congress imposed an excise tax on windfall profits realized from domestic crude oil produced. The Act was made retroactive to February 29, 1980. See the Crude Oil Windfall Profit Tax Act of 1980, Pub.L. No. 96-223, § 101, 94 Stat. 229, 26 U.S.C. § 4986, et seq. (1982). The tax was imposed on crude oil at the time of its removal from the premises and the tax liability resulting from the oil production was charged to the producer.3 The amount of the tax assessed on the oil removed is based upon a three-tier percentage schedule based upon the difference between the removal or market price of the oil and the adjusted base price prior to decontrol of oil prices. 26 U.S.C. §§ 4987, 4988 and 4989. The Windfall Profit Tax Act specifically exempts certain categories of oil from taxation, but oil produced on federal lands is not so exempted. 26 U.S.C. § 4991. The method of imposition and collection of the tax is likened to a severance tax.4 The first purchaser of the oil is required to withhold from the purchase price an amount equal to the amount of taxes imposed on oil removed, except when provided otherwise by regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury.5 26 U.S.C. § 4995.

[432]*432The plaintiff argues that the State’s fifty percent share is prescribed by the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, and thus cannot be diminished by the subsequent enactment of the Windfall Profit Tax Act, without a statutory declaration by Congress of a specific intent to do so. Plaintiff, however, has stated repeatedly in its briefs and at oral argument, however, that it does not have an economic interest in the oil produced. Plaintiff relies upon the alleged lack of specifically, manifested intent on the part of Congress in the Windfall Profit Tax Act of 1980 to amend the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, and the absence of taxation on other mineral royalty programs which confer 50% royalty payments to the State, to support its position that the royalty payment to New Mexico should not be diminished by The Windfall Profit tax assessment.

Defendant has maintained that the crude oil produced on federally owned land in the State of New Mexico is subject to the excise tax imposition of the Windfall Profit Tax Act, prior to payments of royalties into the United States Treasury. The defendant relies upon the general rules of statutory construction and the legislative history of the Windfall Profit Tax Act to support its contention that the payments due the State from federal royalties be computed on the net sum remaining after the payment of the excise tax, rather than on the gross royalties, based upon oil produced, received by the Federal Government.

DISCUSSION

Although an important issue for both parties, the dispute between the plaintiff and the defendant is quite clear: Is the State of New Mexico entitled to calculate the 50% share of royalties due it under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 before or after deduction of the taxes due to the United States Treasury under the Windfall Profit Tax Act of 1980?

Both parties rely primarily on the plain language of Section 35 of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, (30 U.S.C. § 191) (1976).

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Related

BP Exploration & Oil Inc. v. United States
46 Fed. Cl. 526 (Federal Claims, 2000)
State of New Mexico v. The United States
831 F.2d 265 (Federal Circuit, 1987)

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Bluebook (online)
11 Cl. Ct. 429, 59 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1283, 1986 U.S. Claims LEXIS 743, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/new-mexico-v-united-states-cc-1986.