[B]Date Decided[/B]: Feb 2[SUP]nd[/SUP], 2011
[B]Decided By[/B]: Texas Southern District Court (Federal)
[B]Court[/B]: United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
[B]Citation[/B]: 766 F.Supp.2d 797
[B]Background[/B]:
This case arose out of damage to an underwater gas pipelineowned by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. (“TGPC”) allegedly caused when a 250-footjack-up rig owned by Pride Offshore, Inc. (“Pride”) slipped its moorings duringHurricane Ike and settled on top of the pipeline. Century Exploration NewOrleans, Inc. (“Century”) is an operator of oil and gas production facilitieson the outer continental shelf who had a contract with TGPC to transport oiland gas via the pipeline to onshore facilities.
Pride filed a complaint in exoneration or alternatively forlimitation of liability in the United States District Court for the SouthernDistrict of Texas, pursuant to the Shipowners’ Limitation of Liability Act.
Century filed a claim in the limitation proceeding seeking$21 million in economic-loss damages for interference with its operations. Centuryalleged that Pride was negligent in placing an unseaworthy rig on the seafloor, and that the resulting damage to the pipeline caused Century to shutdown its production operations and sustain economic losses.
In response, Pride filed a Motion for Summary Judgmentarguing Century could not succeed on its claim pursuant to the [I]Robins Dry Dock[/I] Rule. Century respondedwith an amended claim that further alleged Pride acted recklessly andintentionally. Century also filed a Motion to Amend Complaint.
Before the Court is Pride’s Motion for Summary Judgment andCentury’s Motion to Amend Complaint.
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