Commonwealth Natural Gas Corp. v. United States

WINTER, Circuit Judge:

The district judge, in a trial non-jury, held that taxpayers, a natural gas pipeline company and a natural gas distributing company, were entitled to depreciate certain pipeline costs, i. e., the costs of easements, including damages and the costs of clearing and grading easements, over a 30-year useful life, and gave judgment for tax refunds. In these appeals the government contends that the evidence will not support 30 years as a reasonable estimate of the continued availability of a supply of natural gas, so that no depreciation for these costs should be recognized,…