Eog Resources, Inc. v. Badlands Power Fuels, LLC

673 F. Supp. 2d 882, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117893, 2009 WL 4755350
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Eog Resources, Inc. v. Badlands Power Fuels, LLC. Read the opinion of the Court — 677 F. Supp. 2d 1143
District Court, D. North Dakota·Decided December 11, 2009·No. 3:08-cv-00038·Published

Opinion

AMENDED ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT (CLAIMS OF THE GRADYS’)

DANIEL L. HOVLAND, District Judge.

Before the Court is the Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment filed on October 20, 2008. See Docket No. 32. Defendant Badlands Power Fuels filed a response in opposition to the motion on November 24, 2008. See Docket No. 38. Defendant B.O.S. Roustabout filed a response in opposition to the motion on November 24, 2008. See Docket No. 39. The Plaintiff filed a reply brief on December 29, 2008. See Docket No. 43. For the reasons set forth below, the Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment is granted.

I. BACKGROUND

The plaintiff, EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG), is the owner and operator of the Zacher Oil Well in Mountrail County, North Dakota. On the evening of May 26, 2007, EOG’s contractors, Petroleum Experience, Inc., B.O.S. Roustabout & Backhoe Service, Inc. (BOS), and Badlands Power Fuels, LLC, were performing a flow back operation on the oil well. During this operation, a fire occurred and injured Badlands Power Fuels employee Ted Seidler and BOS employees Tom Grady and Calvin Grady.

*886 Prior to May 26, 2007, EOG had entered into nearly identical master service contracts with Petroleum Experience, BOS, and Badlands Power Fuels. The agreements were in effect at the time of the fire. The agreements contain identical indemnity provisions which provide:

6A. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO PROTECT, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD COMPANY [EOG RESOURCES], ITS PARENT, SUBSIDIARY AND AFFILIATED COMPANIES AND ITS AND THEIR CO-LESSEES, PARTNERS, JOINT VENTURERS, CO-OWNERS, AGENTS, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND EMPLOYEES (HEREINAFTER COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS “COMPANY GROUP”) HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ALL DAMAGE, LOSS, LIABILITY, CLAIMS, DEMANDS AND CAUSES OF ACTION OF EVERY KIND AND CHARACTER, INCLUDING COSTS OF LITIGATION, ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND REASONABLE EXPENSES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, WITHOUT LIMIT AND WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CAUSE OR CAUSES THEREOF, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STRICT LIABILITY OR THE UNSEAWORTHINESS OR UNAIRWORTHINESS OF ANY VESSEL OR CRAFT, OR THE NEGLIGENCE OF ANY PARTY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE SOLE OR CONCURRENT NEGLIGENCE OF THE COMPANY GROUP, ARISING IN CONNECTION HEREWITH IN FAVOR OF CONTRACTOR’S AGENTS, INVITEES AND EMPLOYEES, AND CONTRACTOR’S SUBCONTRACTORS AND THEIR AGENTS, INVITEES AND EMPLOYEES ON ACCOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THEIR PROPERTY OR ON ACCOUNT OF BODILY INJURY OR DEATH.
6B. COMPANY [EOG RESOURCES] AGREES TO PROTECT, DEFEND, INDEMNIFY AND HOLD CONTRACTOR, ITS AGENTS, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND EMPLOYEES (HEREINAFTER COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS “CONTRACTOR GROUP”) HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ALL DAMAGE, LOSS, LIABILITY, CLAIMS, DEMANDS AND CAUSES OF ACTION OF EVERY KIND AND CHARACTER, INCLUDING COSTS OF LITIGATION, ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND REASONABLE EXPENSES IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, WITHOUT LIMIT AND WITHOUT REGARD TO THE CAUSE OR CAUSES THEREOF, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO STRICT LIABILITY OR THE UNSEAWORTHINESS OR UNAIRWORTHINESS OF ANY VESSEL OR CRAFT, OR THE NEGLIGENCE OF ANY PARTY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE SOLE OR CONCURRENT NEGLIGENCE OF THE CONTRACTOR GROUP, ARISING IN CONNECTION HEREWITH IN FAVOR OF COMPANY’S [EOG RESOURCES’] AGENTS, INVITEES AND EMPLOYEES, COMPANY’S [EOG RESOURCES’] CONTRACTORS (OTHER THAN CONTRACTOR) AND THEIR AGENTS, INVITEES AND EMPLOYEES, AND SUCH CONTRACTORS’ SUBCONTRACTORS, OR THEIR AGENTS, INVITEES OR EMPLOYEES ON ACCOUNT OF DAMAGE TO THEIR PROPERTY OR ON ACCOUNT OF BODILY INJURY OR DEATH.
6E. The terms and provisions of this Paragraph 6 shall have no application to claims or causes of action asserted *887 against Company [EOG Resources] or Contractor by reason of any agreement of indemnity with a person or entity not a party to this Agreement in those instances where such contractual indemnities are not related to or ancillary to the performance of the work contemplated under the Agreement or are indemnities uncommon to the industry. The terms and provisions of this Paragraph 6 shall expressly apply to claims or causes of action asserted against Company [EOG Resources] or Contractor by reason of any agreement of indemnity with a person or entity not a party to this Contract where such contractual indemnities are related to or ancillary to the performance of the work contemplated under the Agreement and or Company’s [EOG Resources’] project and are indemnities not uncommon in the industry.

See Docket Nos. 20-2, 20-3, 20-4.

In these agreements, “Company” refers to EOG and “Contractor” refers to Petroleum Experience, BOS, or Badlands Power Fuels, respectively. Pursuant to paragraphs 6A and 6B, the contractor agrees to indemnify EOG for any injuries or damages sustained by the contractor’s employees, subcontractors, or invitees, and similarly EOG agrees to indemnify the contractor for any injuries or damages sustained by EOG’s employees, contractors, contractors’ subcontractors, or invitees. Paragraph 6E extends the indemnity provisions of paragraphs 6A and 6B to actions filed by third parties who have entered into indemnity agreements with either EOG or the contractor when the indemnities are ancillary to the work contemplated under the master service contracts. The master service contracts contain a provision which requires that the contracts be interpreted and construed under Texas law. 1 See Docket Nos. 20-2, 20-3, 20-4.

Badlands Power Fuels’ employee Ted Seidler filed an action against Petroleum Experience, EOG, and BOS in state court in the District Court of Mountrail County. BOS employees Tom Grady and Calvin Grady filed a separate action in state court against Petroleum Experience, EOG, and Badlands Power Fuels.

Petroleum Experience has tendered its defense to, and requested indemnification from, EOG under paragraph 6B of the master service contract for the claims Badlands Power Fuels employee Ted Seidler and BOS employees Tom Grady and Calvin Grady have filed against Petroleum Experience. BOS has tendered its defense to, and requested indemnification from, EOG under paragraph 6B of the master service contract for the claims Badlands Power Fuels employee Ted Seidler has filed against it.

EOG has tendered its defense to, and requested indemnification from, Badlands Power Fuels under paragraph 6A of the master service contract for the claims Ted Seidler has made directly against it. EOG also tendered the defense of, and requested indemnification for, the claims Petroleum Experience and BOS have made against EOG for the claims that Ted Seidler has made against them.

EOG has tendered its defense to, and requested indemnification from, BOS under paragraph 6A of the master service contract for the claims Tom Grady and Calvin Grady have made against EOG. EOG has tendered the defense of, and requested indemnification for, the claims asserted against Petroleum Experience by Tom Grady and Calvin Grady and subse *888 quently tendered to EOG under a separate master service contract to which BOS was not a party.

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

Eog Resources, Inc. v. Badlands Power Fuels, LLC, 673 F. Supp. 2d 882, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117893, 2009 WL 4755350 (D.N.D. 2009).

673 F. Supp. 2d 882 (Eog Resources, Inc. v. Badlands Power Fuels, LLC) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

John C. Hull v. Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
812 F.2d 584 (Tenth Circuit, 1987)
In Re Bayer Materialscience, LLC
265 S.W.3d 452 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2007)
Zurich American Insurance Co. v. Hunt Petroleum (AEC), Inc.
157 S.W.3d 462 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
Coker v. Coker
650 S.W.2d 391 (Texas Supreme Court, 1983)
Temple EasTex, Inc. v. Old Orchard Creek Partners, Ltd.
848 S.W.2d 724 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1992)
Young Refining Corp. v. Pennzoil Co.
46 S.W.3d 380 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2001)
Loyd v. ECO Resources, Inc.
956 S.W.2d 110 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1997)
Basic Capital Management v. Dynex Commercial, Inc.
254 S.W.3d 508 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2008)
Ken Petroleum Corp. v. Questor Drilling Corp.
24 S.W.3d 344 (Texas Supreme Court, 2000)
Stine v. Stewart
80 S.W.3d 586 (Texas Supreme Court, 2002)
Transworld Drilling Co. v. Levingston Shipbuilding Co.
693 S.W.2d 19 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1985)
First Union National Bank v. Richmont Capital Partners I, L.P.
168 S.W.3d 917 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
WM Schlosser Co., Inc. v. Maryland Drywall Co., Inc.
673 A.2d 647 (District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1996)
Rodriguez v. U.S. Security Associates, Inc.
162 S.W.3d 868 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
South Texas Water Authority v. Lomas
223 S.W.3d 304 (Texas Supreme Court, 2007)
Esquivel v. Murray Guard, Inc.
992 S.W.2d 536 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)
Exxon Corp. v. Roberts
724 S.W.2d 863 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1986)
Heritage Resources, Inc. v. NationsBank
939 S.W.2d 118 (Texas Supreme Court, 1997)
White v. Mellon Mortgage Co.
995 S.W.2d 795 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1999)