Oil Change International

Our sites: The Price of Oil | Dirty Energy Money | Shift the Subsidies

Donate Now Take Action

Posts in June 2009

• Iraq: BP Wins the Prize

  Andy Rowell

  Jun30

  A consortium led by oil giant BP and China’s CNPC has today won the contract for the vast Rumaila oil field – the largest oil field in Iraq and one of the biggest in the world. The acquisition will be seen as a huge boost to BP, which has been seeking to get control of…
  Continue reading ‘Iraq: BP Wins the Prize’.

• Peter’s Second Problem: Shell Climate Crimes Exposed

  Andy Rowell

  Jun29

  When Peter Voser (on the right of the photo) takes the helm of the oil giant Shell on Wednesday, he might just start beginning to wonder what a complete mess he has inherited from his predecessor, van der Veer (he’s on the left). This mess is graphically illustrated in a 32 page devastating critique of…
  Continue reading ‘Peter’s Second Problem: Shell Climate Crimes Exposed’.

• Enviros Say Climate Bill Should be “Fixed or Ditched”

  Andy Rowell

  Jun26

  Cometh the hour, the old phrase goes, cometh the man. Barack Obama is staking much of his high credibility by calling for the House to pass the landmark US Climate bill, that may come before the House this afternoon. Or it may not, depending on the political drama. While Democratic support has been growing, some…
  Continue reading ‘Enviros Say Climate Bill Should be “Fixed or Ditched”’.

• The First of Peter’s Problems: Nigeria

  Andy Rowell

  Jun25

  When Peter Voser takes control at Shell next week from his predecessor Jeroen van der Veer, he will have a bursting in-tray that includes one persistent problem for Shell: Nigeria. Here the oil giant faces a myriad of problems including continuing community unrest, militant attacks and what to do about gas flaring.

• The “mother of all sell-outs”

  Andy Rowell

  Jun19

  UPDATE 6/24: The Wall St. Journal has an interesting article on this. Way back in November 2002, as the build up to the war in Iraq gathered pace, then British Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared on the Arabic Service of Monte Carlo radio, in an address targeted at the Iraqi people. “The idea that this…
  Continue reading ‘The “mother of all sell-outs”’.

• The Great Gazan Gas Robbery

  Andy Rowell

  Jun18

  As Iran continues to grab the headlines coming out of the Middle East, the Obama Administration is said to be quietly pushing Israel to soften its stance on Gaza to relax its vice-like grip on the border crossings, in order to ease the growing humanitrian crisis. Any diplomatic initiative by Obama that lessens the suffering…
  Continue reading ‘The Great Gazan Gas Robbery’.

• Shell Worried Ogoni PR was “Green Imagery”

  Andy Rowell

  Jun16

  It’s not often that a company’s public relations strategy is laid bare for all to see. It’s very rare that these most sensitive of company documents – the ones that talk of using the dark arts of persuasion – ever see the light of day. But occasionally it happens. It did with big tobacco when…
  Continue reading ‘Shell Worried Ogoni PR was “Green Imagery”’.

• Shell’s Secret Collusion Documents

  Andy Rowell

  Jun15

  A week ago, on the eve of a highly embarrassing trial, oil giant Shell was forced to pay out $15.5 million to settle a land-mark legal case that it had been fighting for thirteen years against the family of executed writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Nigerians. The legal case argued that Shell was complicit…
  Continue reading ‘Shell’s Secret Collusion Documents’.

• The Beginning of the End of Oil?

  Andy Rowell

  Jun11

  Is this the beginning of the end of the oil age? Are we finally falling out of love with black gold? The end may not be coming not because we are running out of it, but because demand is alowly decreasing through increased energy efficiency. It will not be sudden, but a death of a…
  Continue reading ‘The Beginning of the End of Oil?’.

• Shell is Guilty of Much More than Human Rights Abuses

  Andy Rowell

  Jun09

  As the news sinks in of the Shell settlement, emails have been pouring in this morning asking what does it mean for the plaintiffs, the Ogoni and ongoing struggles on human rights and the environment? People are asking whether this is a victory for the Plaintiffs or a victory for Shell. You would have to…
  Continue reading ‘Shell is Guilty of Much More than Human Rights Abuses’.