Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. United States

ORDER

MOODY R. TIDWELL, III, Judge:

This consolidated action is before the court on parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment. Plaintiffs, separate oil companies, sought a refund of excess royalties paid to the United States on the sale of natural gas extracted from federal lands on the outer continental shelf (OCS), pursuant *539to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), 43 U.S.C. §§ 1331-1356 (1982). The pivotal issue in this case is which of two contradictory interpretations of 43 U.S.C. § 1339(a) (1982) applies to plaintiffs cause of action. The statute allows the refund of excess…