Opinion ID: 2521080
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Clear Weight of the Evidence

Text: [¶ 23] Ruby contends the trial court's decision is contrary to the clear weight of the evidence. We do not agree. Duncan presented overwhelming evidence through its witnesses, including its expert witness, establishing Ruby's breach of contract. However, it is most telling that the evidence presented by Ruby supported the trial court's conclusions. As noted above, Mr. Ruby testified in a less than convincing fashion denying knowledge of industry practices, the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's rules and regulations, and even the duty to drill a straight hole. He denied knowing deviation could be a problem in this location despite having drilled a number of wells near Kaycee and knowing it is crooked hole country. Mr. Ruby also testified (a) retipped, used drill bits were employed but there was no real difference between them and new bits although there is approximately a $7,500 price differential; (b) the elevators were malfunctioning because they were the wrong type for the drill pipe and should have been exchanged before Duncan had to rent replacements; (c) Ruby had only 4,700 feet of drill pipe, the rest being tubing, although he originally testified it had 6,000 feet of pipe on site; (d) he was unfamiliar with stabilizers and did not know it was equipment used to minimize deviation; (e) although Ruby usually took deviation surveys every 100 feet, on this well it did not make the first check until the depth was over 500 feet; and (f) despite having drafted the contract and used it more than 100 times, he did not know the terms and specifically did not know any modification required a written order. [¶ 24] Ruby's own expert witness acknowledged (1) a driller must abide by the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's rules and regulations in order to drill in a workmanlike manner; (2) Mr. Ruby advised him nothing had been done to prevent the well from deviating; (3) it is customary in the industry, even if there is no deviation clause in the contract, that the contractor agrees to drill the well as close to vertical as possible; (4) the drilling records did not support Mr. Ruby's contention that weight was taken off the drill bit to control deviation and the records actually indicated the weight was increased; and (5) a stabilizer is commonly used in the industry to minimize deviation. [¶ 25] Clint Ruby, Mr. Ruby's nephew and a driller on the well project, also testified the crew tried to drill the well straight [b]ecause you always try to drill a straight hole; however, the only technique he knew to control deviation was lifting weight off the drill bit. He also acknowledged that ten hours of work on a pump were required because his crew had crossed the lines; other significant repairs or replacements were required due to the failure of Ruby's equipment such as the drill line, clutch, duplex mud pump, and light plant; and the loss of a core in the well hole required five days to remove it. We accept the evidence of the prevailing party as true. We will not disturb the trier of fact's findings unless the findings are so totally in conflict with the great weight of the evidence that they may be properly categorized as irrational. Agar v. Kysar, 628 P.2d 1350, 1353 (Wyo.1981) (citation omitted); see also Valentine, 665 P.2d at 456; Sagebrush Development, Inc. v. Moehrke, 604 P.2d 198, 200 (Wyo.1979). In light of this standard, we have compared the trial court's findings with the evidence and conclude the decision is completely reflective of and supported by the record.