April 4 (Reuters) - Chevron ( CVX ) was ordered to pay $740 million to restore damages

the oil and gas major caused to southeast Louisiana's coastal wetlands, the Associated Press

reported on Friday.

The ruling - delivered by a jury - awarded $575 million for land loss compensation, $161

million to compensate for contamination and $8 million for abandoned equipment, the report

added.

The lawsuit was originally filed by the Plaquemines Parish, a rural district in Louisiana,

in 2013.

Louisiana coastal laws mandate that all mineral and exploration sites used by energy

companies must be "cleared, revegetated, detoxified, and otherwise restored as near as

practicable to their original condition upon termination of operations."

However, jurors found that Texaco - a company acquired by Chevron ( CVX ) in 2001 - violated the

state's regulations governing coastal resources by failing to restore wetlands impacted by

dredging canals, drilling wells and billions of gallons of wastewater dumped into the marsh, the

AP said.

Chevron ( CVX ) did not obtain proper permits and failed to clean up its mess, leading to

contamination from wastewater stored unsafely or dumped directly into the marsh, the report

added, citing the lawsuit.

Chevron ( CVX ) and Plaquemines Parish Government did not immediately respond to requests for

comment.