Inuit Want Say in Arctic Oil-Rush

September 26, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

Good article in the Christian Science Monitor about the Inuit struggling to get their voice heard in the new Arctic oil rush. As the article says: Five nations are now racing to claim new territory in the central Arctic Ocean, where climate change is expected to open up valuable new shipping routes, oil fields, and … Read More

Ecuador To Invest $180 Million in Petroecuador

August 8, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

Ecuador’s government is planning an additional investment of $180 million into the state-owned oil company Petroleos del Ecuador, or Petroecuador, to halt declining production levels, the Economy Minister Fausto Ortiz has said. Without this investment, Petroecuador’s oil production will likely fall to 50 million barrels this year, down from the expected 60 million forecasted by … Read More

Ecuador: Pay Us to Keep the Oil in the Ground

July 24, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post 1 Comment

Under pressure to preserve the environment while at the same time ease the poverty of his people, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has come up with an unusual and novel solution. President Rafael Correa has startled Wall Street with talk of not paying Ecuador’s $10.3 billion foreign debt. He wants wealthy nations to pay Ecuador $350 … Read More

Daryl Hannah Joins Amazon Oil Protest

June 6, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

Daryl Hannah, the actress turned environmentalist, is adding her voice to the campaign demanding redress for the inhabitants of Ecuador’s Amazon region, which has been blighted by 30 years of oil exploration by Texaco. The 46-year-old star of Splash and Kill Bill was hoping to meet Ecuador’s President, Rafael Correa, yesterday.On Monday, she toured the … Read More

Oxy Now Sued Over Amazon Pollution

May 11, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

Following on from our previous blog about Oxy being accused of dumping oil in the Amazon, the oil company has now been sued by Earthrights International on behalf of the Achuar people. The claim alleges that over the course of three decades Oxy engaged in “irresponsible, reckless, immortal and illegal practices” in an “unchecked effort … Read More

Oxy Accused of Dumping Waste in the Amazon

May 4, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

Occidental has been accused of contaminating an area of the Peruvian Amazon where it and its successor company have drilled for oil for the past 32 years, creating misery for the local Achuar people and widespread lead and cadmium poisoning. Amazon Watch and EarthRights International have accused Oxy of violating Peruvian and international law by … Read More

Outrage As Shell Gets Green Light to Drill in Beaufort Sea

February 22, 2007By Andy RowellBlog Post

The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) has approved Shell’s plan to drill as many as a dozen exploration wells over the next two years in the Beaufort Sea. The agency, which supervises Alaska’s oil and gas leasing released an environmental assessment that said that the project would not cause “undue or serious harm or damage … Read More

Oxy Pulls Out of Peru

December 7, 2006By Andy RowellBlog Post

Environmental groups and indigenous leaders have claimed a dramatic victory after Occidental Petroleum Corp confirmed plans to withdraw from a controversial oil and gas venture in Peru. Occidental’s departure, which the company said is contingent on approval by the Peruvian government, follows extensive criticism by NGO’s. One of the company’s biggest critics, Atossa Soltani, executive … Read More