A Houston company has reached a plea deal in the October 2014 death of an Alabama man who died in an explosion while working in the North Dakota oil patch.
A federal criminal complaint accuses C&J Well Services, formerly known as Nabors Completion and Production Services, of violating safety regulations and causing the death of 29-year-old Marine veteran Dustin Payne, of Hazel Green, Alabama.
Authorities say Payne was welding inside a water hauling tank that had not been properly cleaned and vented. The welding equipment ignited a hydrocarbon vapor mixture that caused a massive explosion.
The plea agreement calls for C&J Well Services to pay $1.6 million to Payne’s estate as well as a $500,000 fine.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 2015 fined the company more than $97,000.
Related:
- North Dakota Appeals Court: Judge Was Right to Toss Oilfield Death Lawsuit
- Nabors Industries, C&J Energy Services Sued for Racial Harassment, Retaliation
Topics Texas
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Florida Court Says 2020 Law Gives ‘Very Broad’ Liability Immunity to Rideshare Firms 
Moody’s: US Faces $375B in Uninsured Flood Losses From 1-in-100-Year Event 
Acrisure to Cut 2,250 Employees, Citing Advances in Technology and AI 
JPMorgan Banker Sues Ex-Colleague Over ‘Fabricated’ Sex Claims 
