Bullard, J. | June 30, 2025
The Court lacks jurisdiction under Section 25A.004(d)(1) because the amount in controversy does not exceed $10 million. The amount in controversy is the actual damages sought by Plaintiff for unpaid royalties on saltwater transported in pipelines subject to the royalty agreement from the date the agreement was signed to the date the action was filed. The uncontroverted evidence establishes that unpaid royalties on the total volume of saltwater transported in these pipelines during this period would not exceed $4.5 million. The amount in controversy does not include the value of the purported right at stake to receive disputed royalties on discarded saltwater for the life of the agreement, as urged by Defendant.