Proposed $7 Million Statoil Royalties Settlement Gets Initial OK

A proposed $7 million class action settlement to resolve allegations that Statoil USA Onshore Properties underpaid royalties due under oil and gas leases in Pennsylvania has received preliminary approval, according to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Judge Malachy E. Mannion Wednesday certified a settlement class comprising around 13,900 northern Pennsylvanians entitled to royalty payments on Statoil’s natural gas production interest. The settlement would release all claims against Statoil related to its use of a chosen index price in calculating royalty payments.

The settlement class is divided into two groups. The first lease group, represented by ...