UNITED STATES v. LOUISIANA(1975)
IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED:
1. As against the defendant State of Louisiana and all persons claiming under it, the United States has exclusive rights to explore the area of the Continental Shelf lying more than three geographical miles seaward of the line described in Exhibit A hereof, and to exploit the natural resources of said area and the State of Louisiana is not entitled to any interest in such lands, minerals, and resources, and said State, its privies, assigns, lessees, [422 U.S. 13, 14] and other persons claiming under it are hereby enjoined from interfering with the rights of the United States in such lands, minerals and resources.
2. All sums now held impounded by the United States under the Interim Agreement of October 12, 1956, as amended, and derived from leases of lands lying wholly within the area referred to in paragraph 1 hereof are hereby released to the United States absolutely, and in accordance with the terms of the Interim Agreement, as amended, and the United States is hereby relieved of any obligation under said Agreement to impound any sums hereafter received by it from leases of lands lying wholly within said area.
3. As against the plaintiff United States and all persons claiming under it, the State of Louisiana has exclusive rights to explore the area lying within three geographical miles seaward of its coastline described in Exhibit A hereof, and to exploit the natural resources of said area, with the exceptions provided by Section 5 of the Submerged Lands Act, 67 Stat. 32, 43 U.S.C. 1313. The United States is not entitled to any interest in such lands, minerals, and resources and said United States, its privies, assigns, lessees and other persons claiming under it are hereby enjoined from interfering with the rights of the State of Louisiana in such lands, minerals and resources.
4. All sums now held impounded by the State of Louisiana under the Interim Agreement of October 12, 1956, as amended, derived from leases of lands lying wholly within the area referred to in paragraph 3 hereof are hereby released to Louisiana in accordance with the Interim Agreement of 1956, as amended, and Louisiana is hereby relieved of any obligation under said Agreement to impound any sums hereafter received by it from leases of lands lying wholly within said area. [422 U.S. 13, 15]
5. Within 90 days after the entry of the Decree -
(a) The State of Louisiana shall pay to the United States or other persons entitled thereto under the Interim Agreement of October 12, 1956, as amended, all sums, if any, now held impounded by the State of Louisiana under said Agreement, derived from or attributable to the lands, minerals or resources described in paragraph 1 hereof;
(b) The United States shall pay to the State of Louisiana or other persons entitled thereto under the Interim Agreement, as amended, all sums, if any, now held impounded by the United States under said Agreement, derived from or attributable to the lands, minerals or resources described in paragraph 3 hereof;
(c) Failure of either party to agree on correctness of the sums due the other shall in no way be reason to retard payment of sums which are admittedly due by the paying party's own calculations.
6. Within 60 days after the entry of this Decree -
(a) The State of Louisiana shall render to the United States and file with the Court a true, full, accurate and appropriate account of any and all other sums of money derived by the State of Louisiana since June 5, 1950, either by sale, leasing, licensing, exploitation or otherwise from or on account of any of the lands, minerals or resources described in paragraph 1 hereof;
(b) The United States shall render to the State of Louisiana and file with the Court a true, full, accurate and appropriate account of any and all other sums of money derived by the United States either by sale, leasing, licensing, exploitation or otherwise from or on account of the lands, minerals or resources described in paragraph 3 hereof;
(c) Within 60 days after receiving the account provided for by paragraph 6 (a) or 6 (b) hereof, a party [422 U.S. 13, 16] may serve on the other and file with the Court its objections thereto. Thereafter either party may file such motion or motions at such time as may be appropriate to have the account settled in conjunction with the issues concerning the areas still in dispute. If neither party files such an objection within 60 days, then each party shall forthwith pay to any third person any amount shown by such accounts to be payable by it to such person, and the party whose obligation to the other party is shown by such accounts to be greater shall forthwith pay to the other party the net balance so shown to be due. If objections are filed but any undisputed net balance is shown which will be due from one party to the other party or to any third person regardless of what may be the ultimate ruling on the objections, the party so shown to be under any such obligation shall forthwith pay each such undisputed balance to the other party or other person so shown to be entitled thereto. The payments directed by paragraphs 5 (a) and 5 (b) hereof shall be made irrespective of the accountings provided for by paragraphs 6 (a) and 6 (b).
7. All sums heretofore impounded pursuant to the Interim Agreement of 1956, as amended, shall be fully accounted for and paid within the 90 days provided in paragraph 5, except as to split leases that accounting and payment may be deferred on royalty revenue from (a) non-unitized wells with completion points at unidentified locations or locations controverted by the parties; and (b) units partially shoreward of the three-mile boundary as to which there is no present agreement that participation is on a surface acreage basis.
Funds from split leases not accounted for and paid pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be the subject of the accounting to follow the next decree of this [422 U.S. 13, 17] Court in this case, unless the parties agree on a prior distribution.
Except as provided above for accountings and payment, pending further order of the Court, leases of land lying partly within three miles of the line described in paragraph 9 hereof shall be in no way affected by anything contained in this Decree.
8. The parties may by agreement modify the time for accounting and payment in whole or part as the progress of technical work may indicate is necessary. It is understood that the parties may be unable to agree on whether offsets are permitted or whether interest may be due on funds impounded pursuant to the Interim Agreement of October 12, 1956, or upon calculations or audits, and these issues, as well as others not expressly treated herein, shall in no way be affected by this Decree.
9. The coastline or baseline referred to in paragraphs 1 and 3, supra, is described by coordinates in the Louisiana plane coordinate system, south zone, as set forth in Exhibit A, appended to this Decree. This coastline supersedes all prior coastline descriptions of former decrees in this case and is the past and present coastline and shall constitute the coastline as of the date of the final decree in this case.
10. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 9, for limited time periods relevant to this Decree, certain of the points or lines contained in the above baseline description were not part of the Louisiana coastline, and for other periods additional points or lines must be added to that coastline. These variations are described in Exhibit B, which for the sectors and times given, describes portions of the baseline. Otherwise, the Louisiana coastline is to be taken as the same as the present coastline for all relevant times and purposes. [422 U.S. 13, 18]
11. The parties are directed to establish lines three geographical miles seaward of the coastlines described in Exhibits A and B to be employed in accountings and submitted in the proposed final decree hereafter, delimiting the seaward limit of the State of Louisiana's rights under the Submerged Lands Act.
The parties are directed to prepare a final decree for entry by this Court in the near future resolving the additional issues required to be dealt with that this litigation may be terminated, to include, but not necessarily be limited to, matters related to unresolved issues, if any, concerning accountings and payments, offset claims, payments to others, ambulatory boundary complexities or administrative problems.
12. The Court retains jurisdiction to entertain such further proceedings, enter such orders and issue such writs as may from time to time be deemed necessary or advisable to give proper force and effect to its previous orders or decrees herein or to this Decree or to effectuate the rights of the parties in the premises.
13. Nothing in this Decree or in the proceedings leading to it shall prejudice any rights, claims or defenses of the State of Louisiana as to its maritime lateral boundaries with the States of Mississippi and Texas, which boundaries are not at issue in this litigation. Nor shall the United States in any way be prejudiced hereby as to such matters. Nor shall anything in this Decree prejudice or modify the rights and obligations under any contracts or agreements, not inconsistent with this Decree, between the parties or between a party and a third party, especially, but not limited to, the Interim Agreement of October 12, 1956, as amended, which Agreement remains in effect except as explicitly modified hereby. [422 U.S. 13, 19]
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THROUGH ______________________________ 2744222 354125 THROUGH ______________________________ 2743352 353794 THROUGH ______________________________ 2742583 353754 THROUGH ______________________________ 2727653 334120 THROUGH ______________________________ 2726852 333103 THROUGH ______________________________ 2723975 330868 THROUGH ______________________________ 2722321 329172 THROUGH ______________________________ 2720696 326779 THROUGH ______________________________ 2717012 320677 THROUGH ______________________________ 2715236 318391 THROUGH ______________________________ 2714633 317731 THROUGH ______________________________ 2713324 316801 THROUGH ______________________________ 2711772 316107 THROUGH ______________________________ 2710380 315995 THROUGH ______________________________ 2689683 308890 THROUGH ______________________________ 2689514 307841 THROUGH ______________________________ 2688390 304545 THROUGH ______________________________ 2687610 301648 THROUGH ______________________________ 2687014 300054 THROUGH ______________________________ 2685058 297573 THROUGH ______________________________ 2683264 296069 THROUGH ______________________________ 2680880 294918 THROUGH ______________________________ 2678009 294303 TO ___________________________________ 2681915 257755
A POINT AT ___________________________ 2688235 252215 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2689305 250395 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2700735 234640 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2701500 232820 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2707635 223640 [422 U.S. 13, 21]
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A POINT AT ___________________________ 2737065 210155 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2738320 210230 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2738938 209975 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2750755 206535 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2755325 204680 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2755178 203815 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2754100 186915 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2754263 186316 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2753885 183460 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2752470 182170 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2751045 181305 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2750586 181270 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2736662 175902
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2734720 174030 TO ___________________________________ 2733040 172295 A LINE FROM __________________________ 2728153 162005 TO ___________________________________ 2727215 156890 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2726951 150846 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2726105 148530 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2724850 148150 A LINE FROM __________________________ 2725550 153430 TO ___________________________________ 2724419 152060 A LINE FROM __________________________ 2724314 151595 THROUGH ______________________________ 2702461 124148 TO ___________________________________ 2701735 123905 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2699435 118600 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2699815 116800 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2699695 116700 A LINE FROM __________________________ 2697850 117200 THROUGH ______________________________ 2697510 117648 TO ___________________________________ 2697300 118500 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2685325 133800 A LINE FROM __________________________ 2682605 136895 THROUGH ______________________________ 2678500 139250 TO ___________________________________ 2673482 141245 A LINE FROM __________________________ 2672315 141745 [422 U.S. 13, 22]
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THROUGH ______________________________ 2615885 99131 THROUGH ______________________________ 2615196 98279 THROUGH ______________________________ 2611843 94130 THROUGH ______________________________ 2610160 92050 THROUGH ______________________________ 2609785 91750 THROUGH ______________________________ 2609180 91445 THROUGH ______________________________ 2607290 93040 THROUGH ______________________________ 2607400 93175 THROUGH ______________________________ 2607455 93710 THROUGH ______________________________ 2608665 95870 THROUGH ______________________________ 2610650 98640 TO ___________________________________ 2614224 105206
A POINT AT ___________________________ 2614270 110615 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2614553 111404
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2615475 113900 THROUGH ______________________________ 2615450 157770 THROUGH ______________________________ 2615135 159890 THROUGH ______________________________ 2614790 160765 THROUGH ______________________________ 2614865 161005 THROUGH ______________________________ 2613550 164745 THROUGH ______________________________ 2613585 166700 THROUGH ______________________________ 2613485 167600 [422 U.S. 13, 23]
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A POINT AT ___________________________ 2610755 176310
A POINT AT ___________________________ 2609880 177025
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2608270 178325 THROUGH ______________________________ 2607710 178665 THROUGH ______________________________ 2606370 180190 THROUGH ______________________________ 2605125 182710 TO ___________________________________ 2605025 183315
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2604220 184790 THROUGH ______________________________ 2603355 186915 THROUGH ______________________________ 2602860 188615 THROUGH ______________________________ 2602425 189395 THROUGH ______________________________ 2601940 190595 THROUGH ______________________________ 2600780 192900 THROUGH ______________________________ 2598335 196450 THROUGH ______________________________ 2594900 199935 THROUGH ______________________________ 2593875 201260 THROUGH ______________________________ 2593340 201660
THROUGH ______________________________ 2590100 203860 THROUGH ______________________________ 2589100 204125 TO ___________________________________ 2587400 205250
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2585000 206975 THROUGH ______________________________ 2583790 207010 THROUGH ______________________________ 2576450 210023 THROUGH ______________________________ 2576174 209790 THROUGH ______________________________ 2575992 210090 THROUGH ______________________________ 2574890 210450 THROUGH ______________________________ 2574712 210767 THROUGH ______________________________ 2571725 211744 THROUGH ______________________________ 2568736 212548 THROUGH ______________________________ 2566991 212986 TO ___________________________________ 2565940 212988 [422 U.S. 13, 24]
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A LINE FROM __________________________ 2550402 216158 THROUGH ______________________________ 2406890 189733 THROUGH ______________________________ 2398175 182359 THROUGH ______________________________ 2393610 178130 THROUGH ______________________________ 2385833 171938 THROUGH ______________________________ 2381527 168671 THROUGH ______________________________ 2376521 164696 TO ___________________________________ 2374875 163200
A POINT AT ___________________________ 2376485 164409
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2374875 163200 THROUGH ______________________________ 2373613 162597 THROUGH ______________________________ 2369709 160120 TO ___________________________________ 2367695 158943
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2366789 158537 THROUGH ______________________________ 2365337 157918 TO ___________________________________ 2364392 157349
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2362830 157339 TO ___________________________________ 2356733 154323
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2354070 152599 TO ___________________________________ 2353875 152659
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2347871 153564 THROUGH ______________________________ 2342108 151526 TO ___________________________________ 2339651 150598
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2337450 149987 THROUGH ______________________________ 2335471 149301 THROUGH ______________________________ 2327933 146251 THROUGH ______________________________ 2322466 144396 TO ___________________________________ 2320164 143811 [422 U.S. 13, 25]
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A LINE FROM __________________________ 2162430 135112 TO ___________________________________ 2157920 135521
A POINT AT ___________________________ 2155349 135847
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2148929 136962 THROUGH ______________________________ 2147751 136599 THROUGH ______________________________ 2143589 136276 THROUGH ______________________________ 2139529 136276 TO ___________________________________ 2138231 136387
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2134210 136726 THROUGH ______________________________ 2133089 136940 THROUGH ______________________________ 2128819 138694 THROUGH ______________________________ 2126697 139353 THROUGH ______________________________ 2122523 140238 THROUGH ______________________________ 2118829 141971 THROUGH ______________________________ 2118065 142532 THROUGH ______________________________ 2117317 143491 TO ___________________________________ 2117632 143583
A POINT AT ___________________________ 2131078 175500 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2128430 178049 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2127239 179020 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2124878 180545 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2111697 183677 A POINT AT ___________________________ 2106412 183216 A LINE FROM __________________________ 2103313 183605
THROUGH ______________________________ 2102167 184610 THROUGH ______________________________ 2100222 185315 THROUGH ______________________________ 2099609 185125 THROUGH ______________________________ 2098954 185105 THROUGH ______________________________ 2087767 187497 THROUGH ______________________________ 2087027 187342 THROUGH ______________________________ 2086261 187177 TO ___________________________________ 2085370 187372 [422 U.S. 13, 27]
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A POINT AT ___________________________ 2071131 195080
A LINE FROM __________________________ 2062055 199555 THROUGH ______________________________ 2058700 200495 THROUGH ______________________________ 2057430 200980 THROUGH ______________________________ 2055610 201415 THROUGH ______________________________ 2054750 201215 THROUGH ______________________________ 2053190 201320 THROUGH ______________________________ 2051090 201230 THROUGH ______________________________ 2049230 201255 THROUGH ______________________________ 2045960 201470 THROUGH ______________________________ 2042475 201660 THROUGH ______________________________ 2037075 203200 THROUGH ______________________________ 2035775 203405 THROUGH ______________________________ 2033385 204235 THROUGH ______________________________ 2029630 205680 THROUGH ______________________________ 2026640 206660 THROUGH ______________________________ 2023042 208270 THROUGH ______________________________ 2021155 208850 THROUGH ______________________________ 2017453 210475 THROUGH ______________________________ 2016243 211245 THROUGH ______________________________ 2014384 213268 THROUGH ______________________________ 2010960 216566 THROUGH ______________________________ 2008873 218388 THROUGH ______________________________ 2008058 219434 THROUGH ______________________________ 2006991 221401 THROUGH ______________________________ 2006256 222432 THROUGH ______________________________ 2004384 224474 THROUGH ______________________________ 2000030 228573 THROUGH ______________________________ 1998568 230370 THROUGH ______________________________ 1996506 233983 TO ___________________________________ 1995220 235805
A POINT AT ___________________________ 1987818 240892 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1987371 241272 [422 U.S. 13, 28]
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A POINT AT ___________________________ 1933172 264238 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1924399 268936 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1914373 270380 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1896827 275747 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1882306 270590 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1872418 277460 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1843467 275912 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1835344 270839 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1834019 270301 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1833527 271423 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1820994 291804 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1809845 296285 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1791584 307545 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1783067 321331 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1782391 321876 A POINT AT ___________________________ 1778769 324757
A LINE FROM __________________________ 1763190 333540 TO ___________________________________ 1762420 333590
A POINT AT ___________________________ 1758630 333490
A LINE FROM __________________________ 1755535 335045 THROUGH ______________________________ 1748380 334810 THROUGH ______________________________ 1743691 334373 THROUGH ______________________________ 1738236 333686 THROUGH ______________________________ 1735850 333066 THROUGH ______________________________ 1730831 330886 THROUGH ______________________________ 1726542 329268 THROUGH ______________________________ 1724713 328326 THROUGH ______________________________ 1722884 327774 THROUGH ______________________________ 1721682 327214 THROUGH ______________________________ 1720140 326402 THROUGH ______________________________ 1717114 324303 THROUGH ______________________________ 1711532 320881 THROUGH ______________________________ 1709968 319818 THROUGH ______________________________ 1708756 318661 [422 U.S. 13, 29]
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A LINE FROM __________________________ 1431526 400742 THROUGH ______________________________ 1431465 400740 TO ___________________________________ 1429020 401485
A LINE FROM __________________________ 1429035 401760 THROUGH ______________________________ 1425600 402610 THROUGH ______________________________ 1424630 403175 THROUGH ______________________________ 1416365 405700 THROUGH ______________________________ 1410175 407090 THROUGH ______________________________ 1402525 408365 THROUGH ______________________________ 1397220 408870 THROUGH ______________________________ 1392000 409180 THROUGH ______________________________ 1391954 409243 THROUGH ______________________________ 1386636 409216 THROUGH ______________________________ 1383990 409136 THROUGH ______________________________ 1380235 408500 THROUGH ______________________________ 1376515 407966 TO ___________________________________ 1372945 406862
A LINE FROM __________________________ 1363392 397870 TO ___________________________________ 1362416 397822
A LINE FROM __________________________ 1354310 403875 THROUGH ______________________________ 1351162 404620 THROUGH ______________________________ 1341917 405967 THROUGH ______________________________ 1333745 406888 THROUGH ______________________________ 1328473 407126 THROUGH ______________________________ 1323205 407138 THROUGH ______________________________ 1317944 407045 THROUGH ______________________________ 1312617 406742 THROUGH ______________________________ 1307312 406260 THROUGH ______________________________ 1296747 405049 THROUGH ______________________________ 1291413 404205 THROUGH ______________________________ 1286154 403467 THROUGH ______________________________ 1280760 402836 [422 U.S. 13, 32]
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A LINE FROM __________________________ 1206795 378672 THROUGH ______________________________ 1209227 364245 TO ___________________________________ 1208456 363990 [422 U.S. 13, 33]
A point at ..................... X=2699815 Y=116800 A point at ..................... X=2699695 Y=116700 A line from .................... X=2697850 Y=117200 Through ........................ X=2697510 Y=117648 To ............................. X=2697300 Y=118500 A line from .................... X=2687638 Y=130705 Through ........................ X=2685250 Y=131590 Through ........................ X=2684417 Y=131957 Through ........................ X=2683850 Y=132390 Through ........................ X=2682580 Y=133325 Through ........................ X=2681624 Y=134128 Through ........................ X=2677650 Y=138050 Through ........................ X=2644940 Y=134910
Prior to January 1961, the baseline in the East Bay vicinity from point X=2699435, Y=118600 to point X=2644940, Y=134910 deviates from the present baseline and may be described as follows:
A point at ..................... X=2699435 Y=118600 A line from .................... X=2697850 Y=117200 Through ........................ X=2697510 Y=117648 To ............................. X=2697300 Y=118500 A line from .................... X=2687638 Y=130705 Through ........................ X=2685250 Y=131590 Through ........................ X=2684417 Y=131957 Through ........................ X=2683850 Y=132390 Through ........................ X=2682580 Y=133325 Through ........................ X=2681624 Y=134128 Through ........................ X=2677650 Y=138050 Through ........................ X=2644940 Y=134910
Prior to December 6, 1969, the baseline in the Pass du Bois vicinity from point X=2615450, Y=157770 to [422 U.S. 13, 34] point X=2613550, Y=164745 deviates from the present baseline and may be described as follows:
A point at ..................... X=2615151 Y=158006 A point at ..................... X=2612771 Y=162310 A point at ..................... X=2612120 Y=164118
From November 19, 1959, to February 1, 1960, the baseline in the Pass Tante Phine vicinity from point X=2606370, Y=180190 to point X=2598335, Y=196450 deviates from the present baseline and may be described as follows:
A point at ..................... X=2602000 Y=183535
From January 1, 1959, through March 31, 1959, and from March 1, 1964, through July 31, 1964, the baseline North of Pass Tante Phine from point X=2605025, Y=183315 to point X=2600780, Y=192900 deviates from the present baseline and may be described as follows:
A point at ..................... X=2602763 Y=186885
MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS and MR. JUSTICE MARSHALL took no part in the consideration or decision of this motion. [422 U.S. 13, 35]