Alaska Details Oil Suit Claims: The state...

Alaska Details Oil Suit Claims: The state of Alaska has filed claims totaling $1.28 billion against more than a dozen oil companies, charging that the state has been short-changed for its oil since 1977, state officials said. Alaska is entitled to 12.5% of the oil from production at two giant oil fields on the North Slope of Alaska, but the state charged that the oil companies have underpaid this royalty. The state sued over royalty oil accounting in 1977, but this marks the first time the state has spelled out exactly how much it believes that the oil industry has been underpaying. The case is to go to trial in October, 1990.