Posts in Nigeria
From One Gulf to Another
Five years ago, I co-authored a book called “The Next Gulf- London, Washington and Oil Conflict in Nigeria”, that – as the title suggested – looked at the interlinked nature of oil politics from America, the UK and West Africa. In part the book details the grievances of the people of the Niger Delta –…
Continue reading ‘From One Gulf to Another’.Financial Times Pulls Anti-Shell Advert
Years ago, when the environmental organisation Greenpeace was running a campaign against Ford in the UK, the liberal Guardian newspaper refused to run one of Greenpeace’s anti-Ford adverts. At the time, Ford was one of the largest advertisers in the Guardian and it threatened to pull all its adverts if the Guardian ran the Greenpeace…
Continue reading ‘Financial Times Pulls Anti-Shell Advert’.Soyinka Defends Nigeria’s Militants as Attacks Continue
They are two moments in history, intricately linked, although poles apart. Today Peter Voser, the chief executive of Shell, outlines the company’s financial and production strategy for the coming year. Once again Nigeria was mentioned as a key country where the company had added strategic reserves. “These are exciting times for Shell”, said Voser. “We…
Continue reading ‘Soyinka Defends Nigeria’s Militants as Attacks Continue’.Oil companies threaten Nigeria over reforms
The showdown between Argentina and Britain over the Falklands is not the only row brewing on the international oil scene. A bitter battle is brewing between oil giants such as Shell and Chevron and the Nigerian government over proposed reforms of the oil and gas sector. The oil companies are threatening that up to $50…
Continue reading ‘Oil companies threaten Nigeria over reforms’.Shifting Geo-Politics not Good for the Climate
Change may only happen in small steps, but slowly and surely the geo-politics of oil are changing. The dynamics of Middle Eastern oil are in transition. Anyone who argued that the war in the Gulf was a war about oil should sit up and take notice. And anyone concerned about the climate should also be…
Continue reading ‘Shifting Geo-Politics not Good for the Climate’.Yet More Criticism of Shell’s Nigerian Operations
Yesterday it was internal criticism of Shell’s Nigerian operations. Today it is external criticism. A new report by the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) argues that Shell can improve its negative social and environmental impacts in the Niger Delta. Based on case studies researched and written by five civil society organisations working in the…
Continue reading ‘Yet More Criticism of Shell’s Nigerian Operations’.Shell Employees Attack its “Repugnant” Behaviour in Nigeria
Having written about Shell in Nigeria for over fifteen years, we have known that there was huge internal disquiet about the company’s operations in the country. In the aftermath of the murder of Nigerian writer Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995, Shell was pilloried in the international press for being complicit in his death and for being…
Continue reading ‘Shell Employees Attack its “Repugnant” Behaviour in Nigeria’.As violence starts again, Shell off-loads Nigerian assets
Things are hotting up in the Niger Delta again and once again Shell finds itself at the centre of the vortex of violence and conflict. On Saturday the company had to shut three oil flow stations in the Delta region after a pipeline was sabotaged by armed gun-men. It was the same day as Nigeria’s…
Continue reading ‘As violence starts again, Shell off-loads Nigerian assets’.Shell to Fight Chinese in Nigeria
Shell is facing the humiliation of having to reduce its workforce by 5000 as part of a radical cost-cutting drive due to the falling oil price. As the oil giant’s profits had plummeted an amazing 73 per cent, Peter Voser, the chief executive, said “the outlook remains very uncertain, and we are not expecting a…
Continue reading ‘Shell to Fight Chinese in Nigeria’.Nigeria: MEND Dismiss Chinese Oil Bidders as “Locusts”
Yesterday, the Financial Times rocked the oil world with a story about how the Chinese state-owned oil company, CNOC, was in talks with the Nigerian Government to buy large stakes in some of the country’s key oil blocks. The story was so compelling, because if it is accurate, it puts the Chinese in direct competition…
Continue reading ‘Nigeria: MEND Dismiss Chinese Oil Bidders as “Locusts”’.
Archive by Month
- February 2012 (6)
- January 2012 (25)
- December 2011 (12)
- November 2011 (31)
- October 2011 (24)
- September 2011 (15)
- August 2011 (12)
- July 2011 (12)
- June 2011 (15)
- May 2011 (18)
- April 2011 (15)
- March 2011 (15)
- February 2011 (18)
- January 2011 (23)
- December 2010 (16)
- November 2010 (23)
- October 2010 (28)
- September 2010 (16)
- August 2010 (19)
- July 2010 (22)
- June 2010 (21)
- May 2010 (24)
- April 2010 (17)
- March 2010 (20)
- February 2010 (20)
- January 2010 (18)
- December 2009 (15)
- November 2009 (20)
- October 2009 (22)
- September 2009 (20)
- August 2009 (20)
- July 2009 (13)
- June 2009 (17)
- May 2009 (13)
- April 2009 (19)
- March 2009 (21)
- February 2009 (18)
- January 2009 (20)
- December 2008 (13)
- November 2008 (20)
- October 2008 (19)
- September 2008 (23)
- August 2008 (18)
- July 2008 (18)
- June 2008 (41)
- May 2008 (55)
- April 2008 (64)
- March 2008 (60)
- February 2008 (65)
- January 2008 (66)
- December 2007 (47)
- November 2007 (52)
- October 2007 (63)
- September 2007 (59)
- August 2007 (54)
- July 2007 (63)
- June 2007 (76)
- May 2007 (73)
- April 2007 (49)
- March 2007 (79)
- February 2007 (60)
- January 2007 (72)
- December 2006 (51)
- November 2006 (46)
- October 2006 (43)
- September 2006 (49)
- August 2006 (38)
- July 2006 (40)
- June 2006 (43)
- May 2006 (44)
- April 2006 (49)
- March 2006 (47)
- February 2006 (18)
- January 2006 (24)
Archive by Category
- "The Price of Oil" Blog (2379)
- Afghanistan (1)
- African oil (9)
- Amazon (3)
- API (4)
- Arctic Oil and Gas (15)
- Big Oil Profits (8)
- BP (98)
- Brazil (4)
- British politics (2)
- Canada (104)
- Car Industry (1)
- Carbon Emissions (7)
- Carbon Intensity (4)
- carbon trading (1)
- chemicals (1)
- Chevron (5)
- China (72)
- Clean Energy (1)
- clean energy future (12)
- Climate Change (41)
- climate sceptics (77)
- Coal (39)
- Conflict (1)
- Corporate front groups (5)
- Corruption (4)
- Deepwater Horizon (89)
- energy access (3)
- Energy Activism (3)
- energy policy (94)
- Energy Security (19)
- EU (13)
- Exxon (2)
- Featured (247)
- Fracking (23)
- Fuel Efficiency (1)
- Gas (7)
- Gas Prices (3)
- greenwashing (47)
- Gulf of Mexico (106)
- health impacts (10)
- Impact on Wildlife (8)
- Indigenous rights (5)
- Iraq (168)
- Jobs (2)
- Keystone XL (32)
- Libya (4)
- Litigation (18)
- lobbying (32)
- Middle East (30)
- Nigeria (29)
- Northern Gateway (1)
- nuclear (19)
- Offshore Drilling (5)
- oil and gas subsidies (25)
- Oil in the Soil (1)
- oil industry outlook (97)
- Oil Price (6)
- OIl Price Speculation (1)
- Oil Reserves (2)
- oil spills (110)
- Oil supplies (5)
- OPEC (2)
- Peak Oil (2)
- Pipelines (14)
- Pollution (243)
- Protests (27)
- Public Relations (85)
- refining (29)
- Renewables (20)
- Research & Opinions (20)
- Revolving Door (2)
- Rick Perry (1)
- Russia (3)
- Safety (61)
- Scientific Research (1)
- Separate Oil and State (80)
- Shale Gas (10)
- Shell (16)
- Solar (11)
- Storage (1)
- Subsidies (10)
- tar sands (124)
- Taxes (3)
- Ultra Deepwater (2)
- US politics (223)
- Violence (5)
- War (60)
- Wind (1)
- World Bank (12)