Jury Makes $20 Million Award In Deadly Quinton Gas Well Explosion

A jury found that Houston-based National Oilwell Varco (NOV) was partially responsible for the January 22, 2018 oil rig well fire and explosion that killed five men.

The tragic accident was the industry’s deadliest since the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

The trial that just ended in Oklahoma was over a lawsuit brought by the families of two of the lost workers. The well was owned by Red Mountain Energy, of Oklahoma City. The rig was owned and operated by Patterson-UTI Energy, a Houston-based oil field services company. NOV supplied the drilling mud used during the drilling process and supplied one on-site worker.

The jury found that Red Mountain was 60 percent responsible, Patterson-UTI Drilling was 30 percent responsible and NOV was 10 percent responsible. The jury also awarded $20 million in damages to the two families. During trial, the Plaintiffs were seeking $200 million. As a result of the jury’s findings, NOV will be responsible for 1% of that amount ($2mm)

“This was a terrible tragedy and any loss of life in this industry is cause for great concern,” said Craig Weinstock, general counsel of NOV.

During the trial, the lawyers for the families argued that NOV provided the drilling mud, a mud plan, and an on-site mud engineer who was responsible for setting the mud weight and maintaining the mud properties for well control purposes. The jury heard several weeks of testimony to determine which companies were at fault for the accident.

NOV countered that the facts showed the drilling mud, mud weight, mud plan, and NOV’s mud engineer played no role in why the accident occurred. Instead, NOV put on evidence that Red Mountain put financial pressure on the operation to push forward quickly and on budget, the drilling engineer was unlicensed in Oklahoma, the drilling engineer engaged in underbalanced drilling without a proper methodology to do so, the company men exerted pressure on the drilling contractor to drill and trip fast, and ultimately to not close the BOP. NOV’s expert told the jury that had the BOP been closed during the 40 minutes before the explosion, the explosion would have been averted.

“We are glad the jury saw NOV’s role was minor, it was at the bottom of the food chain in this horrible accident,” said lead lawyer for NOV, John Zavitsanos.

The case was heard in the Pittsburg County Court of District Judge Mike Hogan. It is case No. CJ-2018-60, Julie Smith, et al. v. Red Mountain Energy, LLC, et. al.