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Large-scale polluter Shell loses legal battle

Large-scale polluter Shell loses legal battle

The Guardian: Isabella Kaminski: Thu 29 Dec 2022 12.00 GMT

Between 2004 and 2007, the villages of Oruma, Goi and Ikot Ada Udo in Nigeria were polluted with oil from infrastructure built by Royal Dutch Shell. More than 15 years later, in late December, the company finally agreed to pay four farmers and their communities €15m in compensation and install a leak detection system after a court in the Netherlands ruled that Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary was liable and the parent company had a duty of care. read more

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Shell to pay $16m to Nigerian farmers over oil damage

BBC News

Shell to pay $16m to Nigerian farmers over oil damage

23 Dec 2022

Shell has agreed to pay $16m (£13m) to four Nigerian farmers and their communities to compensate for damage allegedly caused by pollution coming from leaks in its oil pipelines.

The sum was agreed in negotiations between the oil company and campaign group Friends of the Earth.

But it is being given on the basis of “no admission of liability”, a joint statement says.

Nigeria’s oil industry has been a major source of environmental damage. read more

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Shell to pay 15 mln euros in settlement over Nigerian oil spills

REUTERS

Shell to pay 15 mln euros in settlement over Nigerian oil spills

AMSTERDAM, Dec 23 (Reuters) – Shell (SHEL.L) will pay 15 million euros ($15.9 million) to communities in Nigeria that were affected by multiple oil pipeline leaks in the Niger Delta, the oil company on Friday said in a joint statement with the Dutch division of Friends of the Earth.

The compensation is the result of a Dutch court case brought by Friends of the Earth, in which Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary last year was found to be responsible for the oil spills and was ordered to pay for damages to farmers. read more

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Court rejects Nigeria’s compensation request against Eni, Shell

REUTERS

Court rejects Nigeria’s compensation request against Eni, Shell

By  and : November 11, 2022

MILAN, Nov 11 (Reuters) – An appeals court in Milan on Friday rejected Nigeria’s $1.092 billion compensation request against Italian energy group Eni SpA (ENI.MI) and Shell Plc (SHEL.L) in civil proceedings relating to a $1.3 billion oilfield deal.

The decision was read out in court.

In July prosecutors had dropped related criminal proceedings, clearing Eni and Shell, as well as managers including Eni Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi, in one of the oil industry’s biggest alleged corruption cases. read more

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Malabu Oil Scandal

Malabu Oil Scandal

October 18, 2022

The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has strongly condemned Italy for recent judgments that now place Italy at odds with the OECD’s Anti-Bribery Convention.

An Italian court sitting in Milan had a few months ago acquitted energy companies, Eni and Royal Dutch Shell along with a series of past and present managers, including Eni Chief Executive, Claudio Descalzi in one of the oil industry’s biggest corruption scandals.

The trial judge held that the companies and defendants had been discharged as there was no case to answer.

Italian prosecutors had alleged corruption in the deal while campaigners said the Federal Government of Nigeria was short-changed in the deal. They said $1.1 billion of the purchase price was siphoned off to politicians and middlemen, including the then Minister of Petroleum, Dan Etete.

They also called for Eni and Shell to be fined and for a number of past and present managers from both companies, including Descalzi, to be jailed.

The defendants all denied any wrongdoing. They said the purchase price for OPL 245 was paid into a Nigerian government account and subsequent transfers were beyond their control. read more

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JP Morgan under fire for dubious $1.3bn Nigeria oil deal

CITYA.M.

JP Morgan under fire for dubious $1.3bn Nigeria oil deal

: 20 Feb 2022

A bitter legal dispute between the Nigerian state and banking giant JP Morgan is due to be heard in the UK’s High Court this week.

JP Morgan is being sued by the Nigerian government over allegations it negligently allowed corrupt officials to pilfer more than three quarters of a $1.3bn oil investment, the Telegraph first reported. Court filings reportedly state that JP Morgan should have been aware that the transactions it was asked to perform, transferring hundreds of millions of dollars to foreign bank accounts controlled by Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete, were potentially fraudulent. read more

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Shell delays expansion work at Nigeria’s Bonga oil field by two years: sources

S&P Global/Platts

Shell delays expansion work at Nigeria’s Bonga oil field by two years: sources

Shell has delayed expansion work at its Nigerian offshore Bonga field by another two years, dealing a major blow to the West African country’s quest to grow its crude production after a series of technical and operational setbacks, sources close to the project said Feb. 2.

t was only in May 2021 that Shell, along with its partners, signed a deal with state oil company Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) in the deepwater oil block Oil Mining Lease 118, clearing the path to a major expansion of the country’s Bonga oil and gas field. read more

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Shell Is Betting Big On Namibia’s Oil Boom

OILPRICE.COM

Shell Is Betting Big On Namibia’s Oil Boom

While all recent oil exploration attention has been on Exxon’s (NYSE:XOM) massive string of discoveries in Guyana, another giant player and a junior explorer are shifting to focus toward what may be the next up-and-coming oil hotspot …

It’s Namibia–a country that’s never produced a barrel of oil.

We don’t hear much about new oil discoveries these days. Onshore discoveries are almost unheard of because nearly everything except the African final frontier has been explored. Offshore discoveries are few and far between. read more

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Shell Makes Significant Oil & Gas Discovery Offshore Namibia

OILPRICE.COM

Shell Makes Significant Oil & Gas Discovery Offshore Namibia

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Jan 25, 2022, 12:30 PM CST

Shell has made a significant oil and gas discovery offshore Namibia, one of the expected hotspots for exploration this year, Reuters reported on Tuesday, quoting three sources in the industry.

Shell, which started drilling the Graff-1 well in Namibia’s waters in December, has found resources estimated at 250-300 million barrels of oil and gas equivalent, one of the sources told Reuters. read more

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South Africa court rules against Shell, orders company halt seismic survey

FOX BUSINESS

South Africa court rules against Shell, orders company halt seismic survey

By  FOXBusiness: 29 Dec 2021

A South African court has blocked Shell’s seismic survey along the country’s eastern coastline, handing environmentalists a strong victory against the oil company.

The survey aimed to examine a 155-mile stretch of coastline in Eastern Cape Province. The seismic blasting process involves firing high-powered air guns every 10 seconds and measuring the echoes to detect cavities under the sea bed. read more

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Court halts Shell’s seismic survey along the Wild Coast

iol.co.za

Court halts Shell’s seismic survey along the Wild Coast

By Brenda Masilela : 28 Dec 2021

PRETORIA – The Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda on Tuesday granted an interdict against Shell’s seismic survey along the Wild Coast

This a second application made in the same court to stop oil multinational Shell’s seismic survey along South Africa’s Wild Coast.

Three weeks ago, Judge Avinash Govindjee dismissed the application by activists – including Greenpeace – to stop the survey on the basis that “irreparable harm” to marine species had not been proved. read more

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Shell slapped with a fresh interdict over Wild Coast seismic survey

The Citizen

Shell slapped with a fresh interdict over Wild Coast seismic survey

The interdict application will be heard before Govindjee in the Makhanda High Court on 14 December. 

Petroleum giant Royal Dutch Shell is set to face another urgent interdict by a second batch of environmental organisations, in an attempt to halt the 3D seismic survey currently underway along the Wild Coast.

This time, the application is being brought forward by the Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC) and Sustaining the Wild Coast.

The first application, which was dismissed in the Makhanda High Court last week, involved Natural Justice, Greenpeace Africa, Border Deep Sea Angling Association and Kei Mouth Ski Boat Club. read more

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Shell to go ahead with seismic tests in whale breeding grounds after court win

The Guardian

Shell to go ahead with seismic tests in whale breeding grounds after court win

Judgment rules company can blast sound waves in search for oil along South Africa’s eastern coastline

Jillian Ambrose Energy correspondent: Fri 3 Dec 2021 10.45 GMT

Royal Dutch Shell will move ahead with seismic tests to explore for oil in vital whale breeding grounds along South Africa’s eastern coastline after a court dismissed an 11th-hour legal challenge by environmental groups.

The judgment, by a South African high court, allows Shell to begin firing within days extremely loud sound waves through the relatively untouched marine environment of the Wild Coast, which is home to whales, dolphins and seals. read more

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Shell questions ‘urgency’ of bid to block seismic survey, says it may lose millions of dollars

fin24

Shell questions ‘urgency’ of bid to block seismic survey, says it may lose millions of dollars

Lameez Omarjee: 2 Dec 2021

Environmental and human rights organisations seeking to block oil and gas company Shell from proceeding with a seismic survey in December have failed to make a case on urgency, a high court has heard.

The Eastern Cape Division of the Makhanda High Court on Wednesday heard the case brought before it by four environmental and human rights organisations, which are seeking an interim-interdict of the seismic survey. read more

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Shell Seismic Surveying: What’s all the fuss about?

Shell Seismic Surveying: What’s all the fuss about?

By Dominic Naidoo: 28 Nov 2021  iol.co.za news

Dutch energy giant, Shell, will soon be embarking on four to five months of geographic seismic surveying off the coast of the Eastern Cape and parts of the Western Cape provinces.

Thousands of South Africans are protesting against the planned survey with demonstrations taking place around the country and an online petition which garnered around 286 000 signatures as of Thursday morning.

But what is all the fuss about? What exactly is seismic surveying and why is it bad for the marine environment? read more

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Nigerian President mulls posthumous pardon for Ogoni 9

…the group, which became known as Ogoni 9 were activists from the Ogoni region who opposed the operating practices of the Royal Dutch Shell oil corporation…

Vanguard

Buhari mulls posthumous pardon for Saro-Wiwa, 8 others

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, hinted of a possible state posthumous pardon for the late environmental activist, Ken Saro Wiwa and others executed  in the height of the Ogoni crisis in the 1990s.

President Buhari has also assured of completion of segment of the East-West road traversing Ogoni land. read more

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Malabu Oil Scam: Groups hail appeals against acquittal of Shell, Eni

Premium Times

Malabu Oil Scam: Groups hail appeals against acquittal of Shell, Eni

By Kunle Sanni: August 18, 2021

Three anti-corruption groups have applauded the appeals lodged by Milan prosecutors against the acquittal of Shell, Eni and 13 other defendants accused of corruption in the acquisition of Nigeria’s OPL 245 offshore oilfield.

Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA), Re: Common, and Corner House described the development as a welcome development in their joint statement on Tuesday.

The statement was signed by Lanre Suraj of HEDA, Nicholas Hildyard of The Corner House, and Antonio Tricarico of Re: Common. read more

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Nigeria: Oil Spillages – After 31 Years of Legal Battles Shell Agrees to Pay Ogoni N45bn

12 August 2021

Abuja — Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), has finally agreed to pay compensation for oil spillages in the Ogoni community of Rivers State, to the tune of N45 billion, after over 31 years of legal battles.

The legal battle, which commenced in 1991, saw judgment in favour of the Ogoni community in 2010 by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Lagos division of the Federal High Court.

But the oil giant declined payment and proceeded up to the Supreme Court twice; first in 2017 to appeal the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the judgment of the trial court and in 2019, seeking a review of the apex court judgment dismissing its appeal. read more

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Shell to pay $111m over decades-old oil spills in Nigeria

Agence-France Presse: Thu 12 Aug 2021 00.46 BST

Royal Dutch Shell has agreed to pay around €95m (£80.4m/$111.6m) to communities in southern Nigeria over crude oil spills in 1970, lawyers involved in the case have said.

“The order for the payment of [$111m] to the claimants is for full and final satisfaction of the judgement,” a local spokesman for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria said on Wednesday.

Lucius Nwosa, a lawyer representing the Ejama-Ebubu community in Rivers state, confirmed the decision. read more

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Shell’s Niger Delta cleanup: Ogoniland’s uncertain future

DW.COM

Shell’s Niger Delta cleanup: Ogoniland’s uncertain future

A Dutch court in January ruled that Shell had polluted the Niger Delta and ordered the energy giant to pay compensation. But many are now questioning whether it is enough to put right the misery suffered by the people.

The conflict between the indigenous people of Ogoni in Nigeria’s Niger Delta is a perennial one.

This year’s court ruling by an appeals court in the Netherlands — in favour of Milieudefensie/Friends of the Earth Netherlands and four Nigerian farmers — was heralded by some of them as justice. read more

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WHEN DEVELOPMENT BECOMES A CRIME: THE CASE OF BOMU COMMUNITY

WHEN DEVELOPMENT BECOMES A CRIME: THE CASE OF BOMU COMMUNITY

PEMII BEN. B.

Ban Ki-Moon, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, once asserted that: “sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.”

Going by the dictates of the above quote, it becomes glaring that there is a nexus between development and social justice which, by extension, procreates social stability and mutual co-existence. The absence of “sustainable development” therefore portends danger, especially social unrest which emanates from neglect in every ramification. read more

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OPL 245: Groups Urge Nigeria’s Public Prosecutor To Appeal Judgement Favouring Shell, APC

OPL 245: Groups Urge Nigeria’s Public Prosecutor To Appeal Judgement Favouring Shell, APC

In a statement on Wednesday, spokesperson for the campaign groups noted that the judges have set a terrible precedent for the global fight against corruption involving fossil fuel companies.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK JUN 10, 2021

Human Rights Groups, Global Witness, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, have urged the Nigerian public prosecutor to appeal the judgement of the Milan Tribunal which acquitted Eni, Shell and others for international corruption related to the acquisition of the OPL 245 oil field in Nigeria. read more

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Oil Giants Get 20-Year License Extension from Nigeria

allAfrica.com

Oil Giants Get 20-Year License Extension from Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has signed a contract with its partners on oil mining lease (OML) 118 to expand the Bonga oilfield and unlock a U.S.$10 billion investment in the country’s deepwater resources. The OML license for the block partners Shell, Total, Exxon Mobil and Eni were renewed for another 20 years, and five agreements including settlements on a tax dispute and production sharing contracts were finalized. The deal signals the end of “long-standing disputes over the interpretation of the fiscal terms of the production-sharing contracts” between the investors in the field. read more

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Shell Green Plans Under Scrutiny as Holders Seek More Action

Shell Green Plans Under Scrutiny as Holders Seek More Action

Laura Hurst

(Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc has been under increasing pressure from investors to slash emissions and pivot toward cleaner energy, and the tension was on show at its shareholder meeting on Tuesday.

The company’s long-term energy transition plan, laid out to investors for the first time, received overwhelming support, but a competing resolution asking for stricter targets also garnered more votes than ever. Adding to the tension, shareholders were meeting as the International Energy Agency warned that all new oil and gas developments need to stop immediately for climate targets to be met. read more

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Shell in talks with Nigeria to divest onshore oil stakes

REUTERS

Shell in talks with Nigeria to divest onshore oil stakes

May 18, 2021: Shell, the operator of the West African country’s onshore oil and gas joint venture SPDC, has struggled for years with spills in the Niger Delta as a result of pipeline theft and sabotage as well as operational issues. The spills have led to costly repair operations and high-profile lawsuits. Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting, CEO Ben van Beurden said that Shell can no longer be exposed to the risk of theft and sabotage.  read more

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JPMorgan ordered to disclose US documents in Nigeria oil case

JPMorgan ordered to disclose US documents in Nigeria oil case

Ruling comes ahead of trial in which bank is accused of enabling $875m in misappropriated payments

Nigeria has succeeded in an effort to force JPMorgan Chase to disclose more documents ahead of a trial in which the US bank stands accused of enabling the misappropriation of almost $900m in state funds. The UK High Court on Tuesday granted the African nation’s application to secure records from top US executives and compliance officers involved in signing off $875m in payments between 2011 and 2013 relating to the controversial OPL 245 oil licence deal. read more

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Malabu Scandal: UK group declares support for Nigerian anti-corruption activist

Malabu Scandal: UK group declares support for Nigerian anti-corruption activist

By Premium Times: April 28, 2021: 10 min read A UK anti-corruption group, Global Witness, has declared support for a Nigerian activist, Olanrewaju Suraju, who was recently questioned by the police based on a petition by Nigeria’s former attorney-general, Mohammed Adoke.

Mr Suraju’s civil society organisation, HEDA, and other international anti-graft CSOs including Global Witness have been at the forefront of the demand for justice over the Malabu OPL 245 scandal involving Mr Adoke and many others including oil giants, Shell and Eni.

While the prosecution of the suspects is still ongoing in Nigeria, a court in Milan recently discharged the oil giants and their officials who were named in the scandal which involved the transfer of about $1 billion from the oil giants to private Nigerian accounts for the control of an oil block, OPL 245. Mr Adoke was involved in the negotiation as Nigeria’s attorney general during the Goodluck Jonathan administration but has denied any wrongdoing. read more

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OPL 245: Withdraw Your Defamatory Fraud Allegations Or Face Legal Action, UK Anti-Corruption Group Tells Adoke

OPL 245 Scandal: Withdraw Your Defamatory Fraud Allegations Or Face Legal Action, UK Anti-Corruption Group Tells Adoke

It vowed to initiate legal action against the former minister if no retraction is made within the next 10 days

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK APR 25, 2021

One of the leading anti-corruption groups in the UK, The Corner House has threatened legal action in response to a widely publicised complaint sent on behalf of former Nigeria’s Attorney General, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) to the Police Inspector-General that the Mutual Legal Assistance, (MLA) made by UK to Italy which aided his recent judgment in Milan, was forged. read more

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International Groups Condemn Detention of Nigerian Anti-corruption Campaigner

International Groups Condemn Detention of Nigerian Anti-corruption Campaigner

We will be raising Mr Suraju’s totally unjustified detention with the board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and calling for Nigeria’s suspension.

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK APR 21, 2021

International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Groups have condemned the detention of Nigerian Anti-Corruption Activist and Chairman of HEDA Resource Center, Olanrewaju Suraju, for exposing corruption allegations surrounding the acquisition of the OPL 245 oil field by oil multinationals Shell and Eni. read more

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The World Still Needs Hundreds Of Billions Of Barrels Of Oil

The World Still Needs Hundreds Of Billions Of Barrels Of Oil

By Haley Zaremba – Apr 14, 2021, 2:00 PM CDT

Has peak oil demand already come and gone? That’s an exceptionally hard question to answer. There are some experts that say unequivocally, yes. They claim that peak oil is already upon us, thanks to the crushing blow that the Covid-19 pandemic dealt to global oil demand as well as the ever-escalating worldwide transition toward clean energy. But there are just as many who say that the world’s thirst for oil still has a long way to go before we hear its swan song. read more

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OPL 245: Abacha family and Malabu trial scandal

OPL 245: Abacha family and Malabu trial scandal

14 April 2021

Ten years after an international inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the sale of OPL 245 oil field by Malabu Oil and Gas Limited to Shell and its partners, ENI and Agip, for a princely sum of $1.3 billion following the resolution agreement of 2011 was opened, findings so far have revealed no evidence of corrupt practices on the part of those involved in the deal.

And, like a pack of badly arranged cards on a shaky table, the case of criminal prosecution against Mohammed Bello Adoke, Nigeria’s former attorney-general and minister of justice and the man whose legal advice formed part of the processes leading to the resolution agreement of 2011, and international oil giants, Shell, ENI and Agip, over their respective roles in the sale of OPL 245 appears to be collapsing from one international jurisdiction to the other. From Washington to London and Milan, the efforts of the Federal Government and its partners to proceed with the criminal prosecution of Bello Adoke and others have been fruitless and unsuccessful. read more

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OPL 245: Dan Etete says he has no case to answer in Nigeria after Italian court verdict

OPL 245: Dan Etete says he has no case to answer in Nigeria after Italian court verdict

22 March 2021

Dan Etete, former minister of petroleum, says Nigerian courts must now strike out charges against him after an Italian court ruled that there was no corruption involved in the OPL 245 transaction.

He also said Malabu Oil and Gas lost over $10 billion to the corruption allegations tied to the oil block.

The OPL 245 deal involved the $1.3 billion purchase of an oil bloc by Royal Dutch Shell and Eni from Malabu, a company in which Etete held majority shares. read more

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Nigeria Bribery Case Ends In Victory For Shell, Eni

Nigeria Bribery Case Ends In Victory For Shell, Eni

An Italian court has ruled that oil giants Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Eni SPA are not guilty in a bribery case involving a Nigerian oilfield that has spanned years, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Shell, Eni, and Eni’s CEO Claudio Descalzi, have been on trial for years in the infamous OPL 245 case. Shell, Eni, Descalzi, and others, were accused of knowing that more than $1.1 billion of the $1.3 billion deposited a decade ago into an escrow account controlled by the Nigerian government would eventually be used as bribes to secure oil drilling rights. read more

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Timeline: Nigeria’s OPL 245 oilfield licence bribery cases

Timeline: Nigeria’s OPL 245 oilfield licence bribery cases

LONDON (Reuters) – An Italian court acquitted Royal Dutch Shell and Italy’s Eni on Wednesday of corruption in one of the oil industry’s biggest court cases centred around the acquisition of a Nigerian oilfield in 2011.

Italian prosecutors alleged that most of the $1.3 billion purchase price for the licence for the offshore oilfield known as OPL 245 was siphoned off to politicians and middlemen. read more

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Oil company on trial in $1.1bn corruption case given access to top EU officials to lobby for gas

Oil company on trial in $1.1bn corruption case given access to top EU officials to lobby for gas

Eni holds six European Parliament passes – more than any other oil and gas company, report finds

Ben Chapman: @b_c_chapman: 16 March 2021

An Italian energy giant on trial in a $1.1bn (£790m) bribery and corruption case has been granted privileged access to senior EU officials to lobby for fossil fuel investment, an investigation has found.

Eni and its chief executive Claudio Descalzi are on trial alongside Royal Dutch Shell in connection to a deal for one of Nigeria’s most promising oil blocks. read more

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Court declines to unfreeze Shell’s bank accounts in alleged oil diversion case

Court declines to unfreeze Shell’s bank accounts in alleged oil diversion case

By Joseph Onyekwere: 10 March 2021 Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, declined to vacate her interim Mareva injunction directing 20 banks to block accounts of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and its subsidiaries.

The judge also summoned three of the banks’ secretaries and chief financial officers for allegedly disobeying the order made on January 25, 2021.

The court ordered the alleged contemnors to appear before it on the next adjourned date of March 29, 2021.

Justice Oguntoyinbo warned that their failure to appear would result in a warrant for their arrest.

The judge made the order in her ruling on three applications in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/52/2021, filed by Aiteo Eastern E&P Company Ltd against SPDC and four others. read more

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Nigerian court blocks Shell’s accounts over alleged oil theft

Nigerian court blocks Shell’s accounts over alleged oil theft

By Ben Ezeamalu: February 17, 2021

The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted an interim Mareva injunction directing commercial banks to block Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd accounts.

A Mareva injunction is a court order freezing a party’s assets, until the determination of a case they are involved in, to stop them from taking it abroad.

The order was in a bid to recover the cash equivalent of more than 16 million barrels of crude oil allegedly diverted by the oil giant from AITEO Eastern E & P Company Ltd. read more

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U.K. High Court Says Nigerians Can Sue Shell in Britain Over Oil Spills

U.K. High Court Says Nigerians Can Sue Shell in Britain Over Oil Spills

The Dutch energy company has a presence in Britain, and a judge ruled there was “a real issue to be tried.”

Stanley Reed

: Feb. 12, 2021

LONDON — Britain’s Supreme Court said Friday that a group of about 50,000 Nigerian farmers and fishermen could bring a case in London’s High Court against Royal Dutch Shell over years of oil spills in the Niger Delta that have polluted their land, wells and waterways.

The judges said there was the potential that a parent company like Shell, which has its headquarters in the Netherlands but a large British presence, has responsibility for the activities of subsidiaries like the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, which operates in the delta region. read more

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Nigerians Can Sue Shell in U.K. Over Spills, Top Court Says

Nigerians Can Sue Shell in U.K. Over Spills, Top Court Says

Bloomberg News: William Clowes: Publishing date: Feb 12, 2021

(Bloomberg) — Thousands of Nigerians can sue Royal Dutch Shell Plc in London over environmental damage in the West African nation, the U.K.’s top court said.

The Supreme Court on Friday reversed two earlier rulings that blocked the case from being heard in England. The decision could pave the way for similar claims from the developing world against British companies.

The ruling is the second legal setback for Shell, headquartered in The Hague, in recent weeks after a Dutch court ordered the company’s Nigerian subsidiary to pay compensation for spills that occurred more than 13 years ago. The prospect of more lawsuits in Europe comes at a bad time for the company as it outlines its plans to transition to cleaner energy.The residents of fishing and farming communities in the crude-rich Niger Delta region say oil spills from pipelines operated by Shell’s local unit have destroyed their land and livelihoods. More than five years after filing their lawsuit, the roughly 42,000 individuals represented will be allowed a trial where they can try to persuade a U.K. court to order the energy giant to pay compensation and clean up the pollution.

Force Rethink?

The decision may force other U.K. multinationals to rethink how they operate abroad, says lawyer Rick Munro. read more

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Shell May Re-evaluate Oil Operations Onshore Nigeria

Shell May Re-evaluate Oil Operations Onshore Nigeria

By Charles Kennedy – Feb 05, 2021, 1:30 PM CST

Persistent issues with theft and sabotage in the Niger Delta could prompt Shell to take a hard look at its operations onshore Nigeria, the supermajor’s chief executive Ben van Beurden said this week.

“Our onshore oil position, despite all the efforts we put in against theft and sabotage, is under challenge,” van Beurden told reporters, as carried by Reuters, after Shell reported another set of weak Big Oil results affected by the pandemic. read more

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Court orders Shell to pay Nigeria farmers for oil pollution

Court orders Shell to pay Nigeria farmers for oil pollution

The appellate court in the Netherlands ruled Friday that Shell’s claims of sabotage along the Nigerian pipeline are not supported by evidence.  By Clyde Hughes: WORLD NEWS: JAN. 29, 2021 / 8:03 AM Jan. 29 (UPI) — A Dutch court ruled on Friday that oil company Royal Dutch Shell must compensate farmers in Nigeria for oil spills that occurred years ago.
The Court of Appeals ruled that Shell’s Nigerian branch must pay for spills in the Niger River Delta between 2004 and 2007, which spurred a civil case from four farmers that lasted for years.

The farmers sought compensation and cleanup over pollution that resulted from leaky oil pipelines.

The appellate court said Friday that Shell is liable for damages and also must install new equipment to prevent future problems.

“Oil supply in the leaky pipe could have been shut down earlier if a leak detection system had been present,” the Court of Appeals wrote.

The amount Shell must pay to the farmers will be determined at a later hearing. read more

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Dutch appeals court rules Shell Nigeria unit responsible for oil leaks

Dutch appeals court rules Shell Nigeria unit responsible for oil leaks

Reuters Staff: JANUARY 2021/ 10:32 

AMSTERDAM, Jan 29 (Reuters) – A Dutch appeals court on Friday said that the Nigerian subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell was responsible for oil pipeline leaks in the Niger Delta and ordered it to pay unspecified damages farmers.

The decision went a step further than a 2013 ruling by a lower court, saying that Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary was responsible for multiple cases of oil pollution.

Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; editing by Jason Neely read more

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Shell Is Back in Court for Nigeria Oil Spills Liability Ruling

Shell Is Back in Court for Nigeria Oil Spills Liability Ruling

Bloomberg News: Laura Hurst and Diederik Baazil: Jan 29, 2021

(Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc faces the latest ruling in a long-running legal dispute with Nigerian farmers who say the energy giant is responsible for oil leaks that have polluted their villages.

The case is the first in which a company and its foreign subsidiary have been tried in the Netherlands for allegedly breaching duty of care abroad, and it could have far-reaching implications for future suits brought against oil firms. read more

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Shell Nigeria oil site seized over unpaid damages

Shell Nigeria oil site seized over unpaid damages

Dec. 24, 2020 10:57 AM ET Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A)By: Carl SurranSA News Editor

  • An oil site operated by Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDS.ARDS.B) Nigerian unit has been seized by a state government in a dispute over an oil spill that occurred decades ago.
  • The government of Rivers state in the Niger Delta sealed off the Kidney Island base located in the Port Harcourt oil hub, saying the facility and Shell’s 30% stake in nearby Oil Mining Lease 11 were “lawfully purchased through public auction ordered by the court.”
  • Shell says the state government’s statement is “premature and prejudicial,” as the transfer of the oil license requires the approval of Nigeria’s federal minister of petroleum resources, which has not been granted.
  • Shell has been involved in a long-running legal battle with a local community in Rivers state which has successfully sued the company for millions of dollars in damages for allegedly polluting its land during a civil war in the late 1960s.
  • Nigeria’s federal government also has been involved in a dispute with Shell over damages related to alleged corruption linked to the company’s 2011 purchase of the OPL 245 offshore oilfield.
  • read more

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    Shell climate lawsuit: Dutch activists push courts for steeper emissions cuts

    Shell climate lawsuit: Dutch activists push courts for steeper emissions cuts

    Companies that make money selling coal, oil and gas could be held more accountable if judges in the Hague order fossil fuel giant Shell to cut its emissions.

    Backed by 17,000 Dutch citizens, climate activists are wrestling fossil fuel giant Royal Dutch Shell in court over its responsibility to cut emissions to levels that comply with global treaties.

    On the last of four days of hearings in the District Court of the Hague, seven environmental groups led by Friends of the Earth Netherlands pressed the court to force the oil major to commit to the Paris Agreement target of keeping warming to 1.5C. This would mean cutting net carbon emissions by 45% from today’s levels in a decade, the campaigners say, at a time where Shell is still investing heavily in fossil fuels. read more

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    Shell Nigeria Employees Vandalize Oil Pipelines

    Shell Nigeria Employees Vandalize Oil Pipelines

    By Charles Kennedy – Dec 10, 2020, 9:30 AM CST

    Employees of Shell’s Nigeria subsidiary SPDC ordered the deliberate vandalization of oil pipelines to profit from them, according to a Dutch TV documentary, done in partnership with environmentalist organization Milieudefensie.

    Aljazeera reports that the program, to be aired today, cites witnesses who said pipeline leaks were caused by SPDC employees.

    “According to sources, Shell employees profit from these intentional oil leaks by pocketing money from clean up budgets,” the program, Zembla, said. read more

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    Malabu: Eni gets green light to subpoena companies over Nigerian litigation arrangement

    Malabu: Eni gets green light to subpoena companies over Nigerian litigation arrangement

    The Malabu scandal involves the transfer of about $1.1 billion by oil multinationals, Shell and ENI, through the Nigerian government to accounts controlled by a former Nigerian oil minister, Dan Etete.

    By Oladeinde Olawoyin: December 8, 2020

    Italian oil giant, Eni S.P.A, has been granted approval to subpoena asset recovery and litigation finance companies that it accused of being involved in a shady deal to fund litigation relating to Nigeria’s OPL 245 scandal in Italy. read more

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    Communities in oil-rich Niger Delta pin hopes on Shell climate case

    Communities in oil-rich Niger Delta pin hopes on Shell climate case

    DAKAR, Dec 1 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – As a legal case over energy giant Shell’s planet-heating emissions kicked off in the Netherlands, activists said the health and livelihoods of people in Nigeria’s oil-producing region would hinge on its outcome.

    Royal Dutch Shell faced its first court hearing on Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by environmental and human rights groups in The Hague, the company’s headquarters. read more

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    Multinationals Seem Too Big For Accountability. Switzerland May Change That

    Amnesty International has been challenging Shell for decades about the devastating impact that pollution and environmental damage, associated with the company’s operation, have had on the human rights of people in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Shell has, however, tried to delegate its responsibility for the damage to its Nigerian subsidiary, SPDC, making it more difficult even for victims to seek justice. Today, there is a case pending in the UK which seeks to hold the company accountable.

    Multinationals Seem Too Big For Accountability. Switzerland May Change That read more

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    OPL 245: Nigeria hires London-based firm to lead dispute with Eni

    OPL 245: Nigeria hires London-based firm to lead dispute with Eni

    Nigeria has hired the services of Franklin Wyatt, a London-based consultancy company, to provide legal advice in a dispute with Eni, an Italian oil and gas company.

    Franklin Wyatt, according to information on its website, specialises in dispute consultancy by providing advise beyond legal perspectives.

    There is an age-long dispute between Eni and Nigeria over oil prospecting licence (OPL) 245 deal.

    The oil deal dates back to 2011, when Shell and Eni acquired the massively rich OPL 245 for over $1.3 billion — paying $1.1 billion to take over 100 percent of Malabu’s interest and $210 million to the federal government as signature bonus. read more

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