Laura Dichter, et al. v. BP America Production Company, et al.

Class Action Plaintiffs

On Oct. 31, 2007, the Hon. Michael Vigil of the First Judicial District Court of Santa Fe County, NM, approved a class-action settlement with Defendant BP America Production Company (BP).

The class included owners of private royalty and overriding royalty that burdened BP leases in the San Jan Basin, NM, which were productive of natural gas processed at the New Blanco Plant near Bloomfield, NM, during October 1994 through December 2006.

The Class contended that BP had underpaid royalty on natural gas liquids obtained from the processing of the gas.  Pursuant to the Court approved settlement, BP paid a total of $35 million.

The Class was presented by J.E. Gallegos of the Gallegos Law Firm in New Mexico and Thomas A. Graves and William M. Wilson of McKool Smith.