DENVER — The Civil Division of the Justice Department awarded Interior Department employee John Price its prestigious Special Commendation Award during a Dec. 5 ceremony at the RFK Main Justice Building in Washington, D.C. Price is the chief of the Office of the Enforcement for the Minerals Revenue Management Program of the Minerals Management Service, with offices in Denver, Colo.

Earlier this year, Price and a team of federal and state employees helped conclude a $97.5 million settlement agreement that resolved several long-standing issues related to natural gas produced from federal leases, and nonallowable deductions that a company had claimed when making royalty payments.

The Justice Department also recognized Patrick Murphy, with the Department of the Interior's Office of Inspector General, and other Justice employees at the ceremony.  Justice employees receiving the award include Maria Chavez, William Edgar, Michael Lockhart, Susan Lynch, Sara McLean, Gregory Pearson, Andrew Steinberg and Carol Wallack.

"We are very proud of John and the team of people who helped bring about this settlement agreement,” MMS Director Randall Luthi said. “We are committed to ensuring the American people receive fair value for energy produced from federal and American Indian lands and on the Outer Continental Shelf. This is a great example of the hard work being done every day by our Minerals Revenue Management team."

Price’s office is responsible for resolving issues associated with disputes between MMS and the energy industry regarding royalty issues from energy production on federal and American Indian lands, and in the Outer Continental Shelf.

”This was truly a team effort,” Price said, noting the contributions of employees from the following organizations: 

• Department of Justice
•  State of New Mexico
• Interior’s Solicitors Office
•  MRM Onshore   Compliance and Asset Management Program
•  MRM Office of   Enforcement
  

During fiscal year 2007, the MRM Office of Enforcement collected more than $125 million through settlement agreements and more than $86 million from fiscal year 2004 through fiscal year 2006.

Price has more than 30 years of experience with Department of the Interior minerals leasing programs, holding a number of technical and managerial positions during his career.  He has served as leader of the Onshore Oil and Gas Team, which developed the MMS Production Accounting and Auditing System; the chief of the Oil and Gas Valuation Branch; and the principal technical advisor to the chief, Office of Enforcement; and Division chief of the MMS Appeals Division in Washington, D.C. 

MMS named Price chief of its MRM Office of Enforcement in March 2006.