( September 4, 2024, 10:56 AM EDT) -- CINCINNATI — The Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Sept. 3 issued the mandate for its split decision that held that a lower court correctly ruled that two hydraulic fracturing companies do not owe another fracking operator royalties because the plaintiff fracking operator that sued in an attempt to get those royalties actually had no interest in the oil and gas produced from the wells in question on grounds that the overriding royalty interests (ORRIs) the plaintiff fracking operator acquired pertain only to royalties from oil and gas produced by vertical shallow wells....