Bennu Oil & Gas, LLC v. Bluewater Industries, L.P. (In re ATP Oil & Gas Corp.)

517 B.R. 756
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas
DecidedSeptember 18, 2014
DocketBankruptcy No. 12-36187; Adversary No. 14-03001
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 517 B.R. 756 (Bennu Oil & Gas, LLC v. Bluewater Industries, L.P. (In re ATP Oil & Gas Corp.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bennu Oil & Gas, LLC v. Bluewater Industries, L.P. (In re ATP Oil & Gas Corp.), 517 B.R. 756 (Tex. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

MARVIN ISGUR, Bankruptcy Judge.

Bluewater Industries, L.P.’s motion for partial summary judgment is granted in part and denied in part. (ECF No. 47).

Procedural Background

On January 3, 2014, Bennu Oil and Gas, LLC filed an Original Complaint against Bluewater Industries L.P. and Technip USA, Inc. relating to defendants’ contract work performed on the Clipper Project. (Case No. 14-3001, ECF No. 1).

[759]*759On March 25, 2014, Bluewater filed a motion for partial summary judgment. (ECF No. 47). On April 15, 2014, Bennu filed an opposition to Bluewater’s motion. (ECF No. 59). On April 23, 2014, Bluewa-ter filed a reply in support of its motion for partial summary judgment. (ECF No. 60).

Facts

ATP Oil & Gas Corporation hired Blue-water as the general contractor on ATP’s Clipper Pipeline Project in the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to any work, Bluewater and ATP entered into several agreements, including an Amended and Restated Master Service Agreement (“ARMSA”) and a work order (“Work Order II”) issued on or about February 1, 2012. Under Work Order II, Bluewater was required to “design, engineer, fabricate, and/or procure, load out, transport, field erect, tie in and test” certain “well control system components.” (ECF No. 47-4 at 1). As part of the agreement, Bluewater was responsible for providing and installing an “electro-hy-draulic umbilical” to the floating production platform located in Green Canyon Block 338.

In connection with the construction of the Clipper Project, Bluewater entered into several subcontracts for performance of specific work. On March 31,2009, Blue-water entered into a subcontract agreement with Technip under which Technip agreed to perform certain obligations related to the Clipper Project, including installation of the umbilical.

The ARMSA expressly waived ATP and Bluewater’s rights to assert claims against each other for “consequential, special or indirect damages:”

21. Consequential Damages

21.1 Mutual Waiver:

[ATP] and [Bluewater] waive and release any claims against the other for consequential, special or indirect damages incurred by them (except those arising out of or in connection with pollution which are governed by Paragraph 8.5; or those which result from gross negligence, willful misconduct or intentional act of [ATP] or [Bluewater]), however and whenever arising under this [ARMSA] or as result of or in connection with the Work or Services, and whether based on negligence, unseaworthiness, breach of warranty, breach of contract, strict liability or other;

21.2 Definition:

Consequential damages shall include, but not be limited to, loss of revenue, profit or use of capital, production delays, loss of product, reservoir loss or damage, losses resulting from failure to meet other contractual commitments or deadlines and downtime of facilities or vessels. Consequential damages shall not include any liability imposed pursuant to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, as it may be amended from time to time.

(Case No. 14-3001, ECF No. 47-1 at 2-3).

On October 14, 2013, ATP filed a notice of intent to assume and assign various executory contracts and leases, including all of the agreements between ATP and Bluewater related to the Clipper Project. On October 17, 2013, the Court approved, with modifications, the Asset Purchase Agreement (“APA”). (Case No. 12-36187, ECF No. 2706). Pursuant to the APA and Final Sale Order, ATP sold to Bennu ATP’s interest in the Clipper Project to Bennu.

Effect of Bennu Assumption

Bennu has stepped into ATP’s shoes with regard to the ARMSA and Work Order II, and it is bound by those agreements to the same extent that ATP was bound by them prior to its assignment to Bennu. “An executory contract ... must be assumed in its entirety. A debtor may not pick and choose those portions that it wishes to enforce and reject those [760]*760that it does not deem desirable. That is black letter law engraved in stone.” In re Diamond Head Emporium, Inc., 69 B.R. 487, 494 (Bankr.D.Hawai’i 1987) (citations omitted). Accordingly, Bennu, as ATP’s assignee, is bound by all provisions of the contracts {e.g., the ARMSA and Work Order II) that ATP assigned to it.

Bennu’s Claims Against Bluewater

In its complaint, Bennu alleges that after the oil well located at the Clipper Project began producing, “the Umbilical lost electrical connectivity.” (ECF No. 1 at 11-12). Bennu claims that the umbilical is defective, not repairable, and needs to be replaced. {Id. at 11-12). Bennu has asserted claims for breach of contract and breach of warranty against Bluewater. (ECF No. 1).

For its breach of contract claim, Bennu seeks three broad categories of damages:

(a) expenses and damages associated with delay and increased cost of the Clipper Project that were a result of BWI’s breaches of the BWI Agreements, (b) expenses and damage suffered as the result of the failed Umbilical, including, but not limited to (i) the costs to position a ship to provide a secondary umbilical, (ii) remediation expenses, which are expected to total in excess of $13 million, for manufacture and installation of a new, functional and defect-free umbilical at the Clipper Project and (iii) lost revenue as the result of the failed Umbilical; (c) expenses and damage suffered by Bennu as the result of liens placed on the Clipper Project by BWI or its subcontractors, including the cost to defend against such liens and/or satisfy the liens of subcontractors (including, but not limited to, the costs associated with this lawsuit).

(ECF No. 1 at 16-17).

The two categories of damages relevant to Bluewater’s summary judgment motion include (a) damages associated with the delay and increased cost of the Clipper Project and (b) damages relating to the failed umbilical.

For its breach of warranty claim, Bennu only seeks damages relating to the failed umbilical. The three subcategories of damages relating to the failed umbilical include:

(i) expenses to position a ship and associated equipment and personnel at the Clipper Project to provide a secondary umbilical, (ii) remediation expenses expected to total in excess of $13 million for manufacture and installation of a new, defect-free umbilical at the Clipper Project, and (iii) lost revenue as a result of the failed Umbilical.

(ECF No. 1 at 17).

Bluewater’s Motion for Summary Judgment

Bluewater requests that the Court “grant summary judgment and order that Bennu may not seek at trial any “consequential, special or indirect” damages relating to Bluewater’s Work, including (i) damages associated with alleged delays in completing the Work or increased costs of the Clipper Project; (ii) lost revenue; or (iii) expenses associated with Bennu’s positioning of the Secondary Umbilical.” (ECF No. 47-1 at 8).

Bennu concedes that “If Bennu cannot show gross negligence, willful misconduct, or intentional acts, then the ARMSA does prevent the recovery of consequential, special or indirect damages.” (ECF No. 59).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
517 B.R. 756, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bennu-oil-gas-llc-v-bluewater-industries-lp-in-re-atp-oil-gas-txsb-2014.