Noble Energy, Inc. v. Salazar

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ) NOBLE ENERGY, INC., ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) )Civil Action No. 09-2013 (EGS) KENNETH SALAZAR, Secretary ) of the Department ) of the Interior, and U.S. ) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ) ) Defendants. ) ) MEMORANDUM OPINION This case arises out of long-running litigation over oil and gas leases off the coast of California. Plaintiff Noble Energy (“Noble”) challenges an order of the Minerals Management Service (“MMS”), an agency of the Department of the Interior, which directs Noble to permanently plug and abandon an undeveloped…