( January 2, 2025, 10:55 AM EST) -- DENVER — A 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel on Dec. 31 held that an oil and gas company has admitted that a hydraulic fracturing operator has paid the royalties it owes on increased gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) production, which are the only royalties due pursuant to the contract between the parties; therefore, there is no genuine issue of fact in a long-running dispute over the fracking outfit’s obligation to pay additional royalties....