Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp. v. American National Petroleum Co. Ex Rel. Oil Investments, Ltd.
Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, Inc. (TRANSCO) appealed a judgment favoring American National Petroleum Co. (ANPC) and Oil Investments, Ltd. (Oil Investments) concerning breaches of gas purchase contracts and tortious interference. The appellate court reformed the trial court's judgment. It deleted a $16 million award for exemplary damages due to the lack of a finding of actual tort damages, and adjusted other contract damages, restoring jury findings for minimum-take obligations. Awards from a post-judgment contempt order were also deleted. The court dismissed portions of TRANSCO's appeal related to a temporary injunction for jurisdictional reasons and severed the attorney's fees award, remanding it for a rehearing to properly segregate fees for contract and tort claims. The permanent injunction was also modified by deleting price-related provisions, as these were governed by contractual sole remedy clauses.