A federal magistrate judge has excluded six people (well, five leases covering six people and one municipal authority) from the 2,300-plus-member class suing XTO Energy over royalty underpayments in Butler County — not because XTO won a big legal fight, but because both sides agreed these particular leases require arbitration, not a courtroom. This is the latest chapter in Kriley v. XTO Energy Inc., the six-year-old Butler County royalty case MDN has followed since February (see Long-running Lawsuit Against XTO Energy Over Royalties in W. Pa. ) and again in June (see XTO Energy Looks to Compel Arbitration in W. Pa. Royalties Case ). To view this content, log into your member account. (Not a member?