Council authorizes partial settlements in long-running oil-and-gas litigation

The Plaquemines Parish Council voted on May 14 to authorize partial settlements in a set of long-running lawsuits involving oil-and-gas defendants. The clerk read docket citations and case numbers for dozens of matters (listed in the record), and the resolution authorizes the parish president to take necessary actions to carry out the settlements as recommended by legal counsel.

Council members and staff said the action corrects historical drafting errors in prior resolutions and resolves claims that have been under negotiation. An administration representative explained that in some past matters the negotiated revenue split differed from language in the old resolution; the current action aligns the paperwork with the negotiated terms.

The resolution passed on the record with no objection noted in the hearing. A member of the public asked about the settlement amount; administration said the amount to the parish was approximately "$20" (spoken on the record as partial shorthand in the discussion) and explained the settlements reflect protracted disputes over allocation of proceeds and funding. The clerk recorded the adoption and the council approved the resolution.