Exxon Mobil Corp. v. Babbitt

STEPHEN H. ANDERSON, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiffs Exxon Mobil Corporation and TOSCO Corporation appeal the district court’s judgment affirming the Interior Board of Land Appeals (“IBLA”) decision invalidating their thirty-two unpatented oil shale mining claims. The IBLA concluded that the claims were null and void because plaintiffs had failed to substantially perform the assessment work required by statute. We affirm.

BACKGROUND

Exxon has twenty and TOSCO has twelve unpatented oil shale mining claims located in the Piceance Creek Basin in Garfield County, Colorado. Exxon and TOSCO acquired these…