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employee wrote a personal check in that amount, and Halliburton
started pumping the heavy mud. Soon thereafter, Mr. Weitzel
demanded a corporate check from CRI, which petitioner could not
produce at that time. Although the well had not been controlled,
Mr. Weitzel ordered the pumps stopped. Mr. Weitzel forced
petitioner to hand over his car keys and wallet, and to sign over
his residence (on a handwritten document prepared by Mr. Weitzel)
before he agreed to start pumping again. Mr. Weitzel stopped and
started pumping twice more, starting only after first demanding a
check for $30,000 brought by Mrs. Burditt on CRI's behalf, and
then after forcing petitioner to sign an indemnity agreement that
Halliburton had delivered to its employees at the well site. In
each instance, the pumping was stopped by Mr. Weitzel when the
intensity of the oil and gas eruption had lessened, and the pumps
remained off until the intensity of the eruption had resumed
significantly. The indemnity agreement contained language
releasing Halliburton from all liability stemming from
contractual, negligence, or strict liability claims that CRI
could assert relating to Halliburton's efforts to control the
well. Eventually, Halliburton completed the pumping and “killed
the well”.
In February 1989, CRI and petitioner, as joint plaintiffs,
filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Jefferson County Texas,
naming various defendants including Lindsey and Halliburton.
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