LEADING THE LIST | States with most royalties

Estimates of gas-drilling royalties paid to private landowners in 2010, according to the National Association of Royalty Owners, ranked in order of the top several states. Royalty payments change yearly based on well production, wholesale prices and individual landowner contracts. Estimates are based on federal production data and assume a royalty of 18.75 percent.

Texas: $6.7 billion

Wyoming: $2 billion

Alaska: $1.9 billion

Louisiana: $1.75 billion

Oklahoma: $1.6 billion

New Mexico: $1.3 billion

Colorado: $1.2 billion

Arkansas: $668 million

Pennsylvania: $500 million

Utah: $347 million

West Virginia: $216 million

Ohio: $68 million

New York: $31 million

National total: $21.2 billion

Source: Associated Press