The Supreme Court ruled 8-0 on Friday in favor of oil and gas companies in a procedural dispute over Louisiana coastal damage lawsuits, allowing the companies to pursue moving their cases from state to federal court.

The decision gives companies including Chevron a new opportunity to have their environmental lawsuits heard in federal venues rather than state courts. The companies had argued that federal courts would provide more favorable conditions for their defense against claims of coastal land loss and environmental degradation.

The ruling comes after a Louisiana state jury ordered Chevron to pay more than $740 million for cleanup costs related to damage to the state's coastline. This case represents one of multiple similar lawsuits filed against oil and gas companies over environmental damage in Louisiana's coastal regions.

The procedural nature of Friday's decision means the Supreme Court did not rule on the underlying merits of the environmental damage claims. Instead, the justices addressed the technical question of which court system should handle these cases.

Louisiana has experienced significant coastal erosion and land loss, with various parties attributing the damage to different causes including oil and gas operations, natural processes, and climate change. The state's coastline has been the subject of numerous legal battles as communities and government entities seek compensation for restoration efforts.