Equinor Seems to Sway West Virginia Justices on Gas Tax Refund

Two West Virginia Supreme Court justices seemed unimpressed Tuesday with the state tax commissioner’s argument that an Equinor ASA subsidiary isn’t entitled to a $4.5 million refund of taxes it paid on natural gas liquids extracted in the state.

An appeals court ruled in 2023 that Equinor USA Onshore Properties Inc. properly alleged it overpaid mineral severance taxes for four tax years because the state miscalculated the gross value of the butane, propane, methane, and ethane it sold to a midstream buyer. The parties dispute whether the taxes should be based on the gas’s value at the wellhead or after ...