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

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.

MRT
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COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

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