Alabama argued that Exxon Mobil owed the state royalties on the gross made from 13 natural gas wells that Exxon started draining in 1993, well before it merged with Mobil Oil.

FORBES: Disaster Of The Day: Alabama's Natural Gas

Opponents also argue that unlike many other countries, the Greek state gets no royalties from mine concessions other than collect taxes and jobs.

NPR: Masked Intruders Raid Greek Gold Mining Company

Let's hope this program is modeled on the one in Alaska: About one-fourth of the state's oil and gas royalties goes into an entity called the Permanent Fund, the assets of which are managed by investment professionals.

FORBES: Magazine Article

According to the 2010 tax review, the new resource levy should replace existing royalties that miners pay to state governments.

ECONOMIST: The political dangers of taxing carbon and mining

It would hand state legislatures drilling authority and half of any federal royalties or revenues from drilling.

FORBES: Gasp

The premier of Western Australia, the state where the Pilbara is located, is muttering about increasing royalties.

ECONOMIST: Face value

These include royalties on the Goldstrike and Leeville mines, two of the state's biggest, operated by giants Barrick Gold and Newmont Mining, respectively.

FORBES: Entrepreneurs

In Venezuela the authorities first raised the royalties on Total's output, and then demanded that the state-owned oil company be granted a majority stake in several fields operated by Total.

ECONOMIST: Face value

In 2005, the government passed a controversial hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company in exchange for a predetermined service fee.

FORBES: Bolivia