North Dakota: Where Oil Pays You Like a Discount Store
In North Dakota, owning oil rights is kind of like winning the lottery but getting taxed by the casino. While farmer James Horob admitted, 'Royalties saved our place,' the oil companies have been deducting hundreds of millions yearly for 'postproduction' costs since oil left the ground—not unlike charging you for air at checkout. State officials stay mum as North Dakota’s Supreme Court sides repeatedly with oil giants, letting them skim royalty owners’ revenue unless leases clearly forbid it. Meanwhile, states like West Virginia say 'No more deductions, thanks,' leaving ND royalty owners wondering if their check comes with an asterisk bigger than their drill rigs.
Share the Story
Owning oil rights in North Dakota is basically sponsoring the oil companies' limo rides while getting paid in pocket lint. Meanwhile, Gov. Armstrong calls the industry the 'No. 1 driver'—except for royalty cuts, apparently.
North Dakota royalty owners get to enjoy oil money minus mysterious fees—kind of like dinner and a movie charges just for the popcorn, but the popcorn appears to go to Exxon.
If oil money were a vibe, North Dakotans just RSVP'd to The Great Royalty Takeaway Party hosted by Big Oil. Spoiler: guests pay entrance fees.
Source: Propublica | Published: 8/15/2025 | Author: by Jacob Orledge, North Dakota Monitor
More Articles in Business
Salesforce AI Flops, Google Car-Dwellers & Senior Homebuyers Take Over
KPMG’s 450K Sq.Ft NYC HQ: Employee Feedback or Round Table Cult?
Rivian CEO’s $4.6B Stock Option: Billionaire or Billion Procrastinator?
DoorDash Execs Fail at Delivery, Beta-Test Their Own Chaos
Parenting & Two Jobs: Health Writer Floors Architectural Chaos!
