Oil Field Service Contractor Owed Operator Defense to Suit by Injured Worker

A Texas appellate court ruled that state law governed an agreement between an oil field service contractor and a well operator, which required that the contractor indemnify the operator for injuries to a worker allegedly caused by the contractor’s negligence. Case: Banta Oilfield Services v. Mewbourne Oil Co., No. 06-17-00107-CV, 12/04/2018, published. Facts: The Mewbourne Oil Co. hired Banta Oilfield Services to install a 300-gallon battery tank at a well site it was operating in New Mexico. The agreement between the parties specified that all disputes would be governed by the laws of...