FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Court officials in the North Dakota oil patch say their caseloads are continuing to rise even as energy prices have slipped.
Last year brought a record-setting 9,305 civil cases to a state court district that includes six counties in the heart of oil country. The number of civil cases in many of those counties are already on pace to equal last year’s stack.
Lawyers say the litigation is shifting from lease and title complaints to larger contract disputes involving major investors and small claims by individuals. There was a 32 percent increase in small claims cases in the last year.
North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness, whose group represents about 450 oil companies, says he doesn’t expect a slowdown in legal action anytime soon.
