Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC v. Texas Brine Company, LLC

Opinion

STATE OF LOUISIANA

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

FLORIDA GAS TRANSMISSION NO. 2020 CW 1178 COMPANY, LLC

VERSUS

TEXAS BRINE COMPANY, LLC JANUARY 29, 2021

In Re: Occidental Chemical Corporation, OXY USA, Inc., and

Occidental Petroleum Corporation, applying for

supervisory writs, 23rd Judicial District Court,

Parish of Assumption, No. 34316.

BEFORE: THERIOT, WOLFE, AND HESTER, JJ.

WRIT GRANTED. A valid arbitration agreement exists between Occidental Chemical Corporation and Texas Brine Company, LLC which gives the arbitration panel the authority to determine which matters are arbitrable, including claims in tort. See Pontchartrain v. Texas Brine, 2018- 1249 ( La. App. 1st Cir. 12/ 30/ 20), -- So. 3d --, 2020 WL 770465, and Florida Gas Transmission Company, LLC v. Texas Brine, LLC, 2018- 0075 c/ w

Pontchartrain Natural Gas System, k/ d/ s Promix, LLC and Acadian Gas Pipeline System v. Texas Brine Company, LLC, 2018- 0241, c/ w

Crosstex Energy Services, LP; Crosstex LIG, LLC; and Crosstex

Processing Services, LLC v. Texas Brine Company, LLC, 2018- 0796 La. App. 1st Cir. 7/ 1/ 19), 285 So. 3d 1093, 1097 and 1099, writ

denied, 2019- 01124 ( La. 7/ 17/ 19), 277 So. 3d 1180, writ denied, 2019- 01405 ( La. 11/ 12/ 19), 282 So. 3d 225. Therefore, to the extent the trial court' s October 22, 2020 judgment sought to maintain jurisdiction . over claims in tort between the

arbitrating parties, the trial court was in error. Accordingly, this writ application is granted. The October 22, 2020 judgment maintaining jurisdiction of tort claims between the arbitrating parties with the trial court is reversed, and Texas Brine Company, LLC' s motion for partial summary judgment regarding the non- arbitrability of tort claims is denied.

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