La. Court Vacates Damages Award Based on 'Hearsay' Evidence of Costs

NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana appellate court has vacated much of a $270,809.49 award against a gas driller for failure to properly remediate abandoned well sites, saying the lessor provided mostly hearsay evidence of damages at trial. Freeport-McMoran Energy LLC v. Cedyco Corp., No. 2010-CA-0367 (La. Ct. App., 4th Cir.).

Louisiana's Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal on Jan. 5 reduced the award to $17,000 in proven damages, but otherwise affirmed the breach of contract findings against Cedyco Corp., including an award of $84,809 in attorneys' fees.

Freeport-McMoran Energy LLC sued Cedyco in Orleans Parish District Court in June 2008 for …