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Tag: Chevron

  • Court adjourns Chevron’s appeal against Brittania-U on oil blocks sale

    Court adjourns Chevron’s appeal against Brittania-U on oil blocks sale

    The Court of Appeal in Lagos has adjourned hearing on the divestment of oil mining leases (OMLs) 52, 53 and 55 by Chevron.

    Two and half years after Chevron U.S.A Inc. and others appealed the judgment of a Federal High Court in Lagos, which assumed jurisdiction to hear a suit brought against them by Brittania-U Nigeria Limited over the divestment of Chevron interests in OMLs 52, 53 and 55.

    The court has fixed a date for hearing.

    The three-man panel led by Justice J. S. Ikyegh, after listening to the lawyers representing all the parties, fixed June 5, 2017 for hearing of the substantive suit.

    The appellants are Chevron U. S.A. Inc, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Mr. Hermant Patel and Seplat Petroleum Development Company Limited.

    When the matter came up at the Appeal Court, counsel to the respondent Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN) told the court of a pending application, praying the court to dismiss the appellants’ appeal for lack of diligent prosecution.

    He said the appellants had filed a motion for extension of time to enable it transmit its records of appeal despite that Chevron was the one who filed the appeal.

    Owonikoko said his client had an applied for the dismissal of the appeal.

    But the appellants counsel, Mr. Etuwewe said the court did not oppose the application.

    The court granted the appellants’ counsel’s request. It awarded N20, 000 in favour of Brittania-U Nigeria.

    Brittania-U Nigeria had approached the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, asking it to declare that by the final binding offer made by the plaintiff to the first defendant on November 14, 2013 at the invitation of the first defendant for US$1, 015, 000, 000, to acquire 40 per cent of Chevron Nigeria’s interest in Oil Mining Leases 52, 53 and 56, has been accepted by the first defendant by its conducts, representations on which the plaintiff relied and acted to its detriment, and that by provision of the Irrevocable Standby Letter of Credit for $250million opened in favour of the first defendant, to remain in force until September 14, 2014 as part payment; and further provision of firm letter of commitment by the plaintiff’s bankers for payment of the balance of $765million demanded for and duly furnished to the first defendant on November 15, 2013 the parties have entered into binding contract for the acquisition of the OMLs 52, 53 and 55 by the plaintiff from the first defendant for valuable consideration.

    Besides, the plaintiff prayed the court to declare that the demand by the first defendant on November 14, 2013 that the plaintiff asked its bankers to furnish firm commitment for payment of its final binding offer for about $1.15 million, for the acquisition of the 40 per cent  interest of Chevron Nigeria in Oil Mining Leases 52, 53 and 55 amounted to a counter offer to plaintiff’s final binding offer, which the plaintiff accepted on November 15, 2013, when it provided same to the first defendant for payment of the balance of $765 million in addition to the Irrevocable Standby Letter of Credit for  $250million opened in the favour of the first defendant, to remain in force until September 14, 2014 by reason  the parties have entered into binding contract for the acquisition of the OMLs 52, 53 and 55 by the plaintiff from the first defendant for valuable consideration.

    • An order in the alternative to the relief above granting special damages against the first and second defendants in $10,935,100 or as the court may adjudge fair and equitable as the enterprise value lost by the plaintiff for failure or breach of the contract of acquisition of the 40 per cent participating interest of the first defendant in OMLs 52, 53 and 55 in Nigeria stipulated in the Irrevocable Standby Letter of Credit and the Bid Process Document pursuant to which the parties conducted the sale.
    • Exemplary damages in $1billion for the wrongful interference by the second to fifth defendants acting in connivance or collusion with first defendant to unjustly prejudice and frustrate the contractual relationship between the plaintiff and the first defendant by making illegitimate and unauthorised use of sensitive business and proprietary information disclosed by the plaintiff in support of its bid to acquire the first defendant’s OMLs 52, 53 and 55 and which information were known by the second to fifth defendants to have been so disclosed in strict confidence and solely for the purpose of supporting the plaintiff’s bid but which were divulged to third party leading to huge business losses and reputational damage to the plaintiff.
    • An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents, privies, proxies, fronts, staff hirelings howsoever called from proceeding to invite bids, offering or accepting, negotiating or engage in any transaction or contract calculated or purporting to transfer, sell, farm out, or otherwise charge, encumber deal in, dispose of or divest the 40 per cent participating interest of Chevron Nigeria in Oil Mining Leases 52, 53 and 55 in Nigeria in favour of any person or entity in derogation from or in disregard of the agreement entered into between the plaintiff and the first defendant on November 14 and 15, 2013, whereby the parties entered into binding contract for the acquisition of the OMLs 52, 53 and 55 by the plaintiff from the first defendant for $1.15 billion.
  • Fed Govt amends ‘illegal’ oil export case against Total, Chevron

    Fed Govt amends ‘illegal’ oil export case against Total, Chevron

    The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday granted an application by the Federal Government to amend its suit against Total E&P Nig. Plc and Cheveron Nigeria Limited over alleged under-declaration of crude oil exports.
    The Federal Government sued the multinational oil companies alleging that they lied about the volume of crude oil they shipped out of the country between January 2011 and December 2014.
    The plaintiff accused them of deliberately short-changing the country, which it believes amounts to theft of its resources.
    The Federal Government said Total under-declared exports to the tune of $245,258,640 (about N77.8billion) by allegedly shipping several barrels of crude oil out of the country without making due remittance to the government.
    Yesterday, plaintiff’s counsel Mr Charles Nwabulu Nwabulu said told Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola that he filed a motion to amend the plaintiff’s claims.
    Total’s counsel, Mr H. Abudulkareem, did not oppose the application, but asked for punitive cost of N200,000.
    “This is effectively the third time that we’ll be filing a statement of defence. We had filed two statements of defence in this matter,” he said.
    He noted that the amendments of the plaintiff’s suit meant the defence had to make consequential amendments to its statement of defence.
    A similar suit between the Federal government and Chevron, represented by Mrs Miannaya Essien (SAN), also came up before Justice Mojisola Olatoregun-Ishola.
    Nwabulu had also made similar application for amendment of plaintiff’s processes before the court.
    The judge chided the plaintiff’s counsel for showing “unseriousness” in the suit, adding that the matter had been on for a long time, with no remarkable progress.
    The Federal Government filed the suit following a forensic analysis linking alarming decline in oil revenue to the alleged fraudulent non-declaration or under-declaration of volume of crude oil shipped out of the country by the Total and other oil companies.
    The plaintiff is seeking an order compelling Total E&P Nigeria to pay it $245,258,640, which it said is “the total value of the missing revenues from the shortfall /under-declared/undeclared crude oil shipments of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
    The Federal Government wants 21 per cent interest per annum on the sum until liquidation.
    It is also praying for general damages of $245,258,640 from Total E&P Nigeria.
    Total E&P Nigeria had filed a preliminary objection, urging the court to strike out the suit.
    It was on the grounds that the suit failed to disclose a reasonable cause of action against his client.
    Justice Olatoregun-Ishola adjourned until March 23.

  • Chevron appoints new Nigeria managing director

    Chevron appoints new Nigeria managing director

    Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has announced the appointment of Jeffrey Ewing to the position of Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron companies in Nigeria, effective January 1, 2017.
    It’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs (PGPA), Esimaje Brikinn, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
    Mr. Ewing succeeds Clay Neff, who has been named President of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production (CALAEP), with effect from January 1, 2017.
    Ewing, who is currently the Director, Deepwater and Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) for the Nigeria Mid-Africa Business Unit, will be responsible for Chevron’s upstream operations in Nigeria and West Africa in his new position.
    Ewing joined Chevron in 1985 as a Drilling Representative in New Orleans after graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering.
    Since then, he has held numerous technical and management positions of increasing responsibility in different locations; including Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Kuwait, Scotland, the United States of America, Venezuela and Nigeria.

  • Ijaw, other graduates give Chevron 14 days to probe neglect claims

    •Youths threaten to shut down oil operations

    Ijaw, Ilaje and Itsekiri graduates in Delta and Ondo states have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), to ensure fair treatment of their peoples and land or face mass actions.

    The young men and women, under the aegis of the Egbema and Gbaramatu Graduates Employment Front, National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG) and National Association of Ilaje Graduates (NAIG), told reporters yesterday in Warri, Delta State, that they would occupy the company’s operational bases, if it failed to change the situation.

    In a message by presidents of the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Ilaje graduates’ associations – Yebrade Moses, Edema Collins and Ikuesan Ademola – the youths said Chevron’s host communities resorted to stringent measures, such as protests, to gain employment in the past two decades.

    Among other things, they called for “immediate conversion of VTP5/OTP2 trainees, VTP6/OTP3 trainees, intake of 2014 Ogere training awaiting batch”.

    Contacted, the company’s General Manager for Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Deji Haastrup, did not answer the calls to his mobile phone.

    The young graduates also urged the oil company to “reserve employment quota for host communities in Human Resources, Procurement, Legal, Finance, Marine departments, reinstatement of all indigenes sacked without due process, review the undergraduate scholarship scheme from N75,000 to N300,000 per annum due to inflation, provide post-graduate scholarship for host communities, among other requests”.

    They said Chevron often gave “flimsy excuses” to graduate workers who participated in its recruitment, despite their brilliant performances.

    The young men and women added: “There is a clique in Chevron against employment of people in its operational areas.”

    Recalling the protests of 1998, 2004, 2008 and a coalition protest in 2012, they said: “Over the years, we had to go on serious confrontation with Chevron before some of our people were employed. Chevron always gives an alibi of lack of qualification as a strong reason for not employing host community workers and that their employment policies are equal opportunities for all Nigerians.

    “It is on record that the VTP5/OTP5 trainees, who have spent nearly four years as trainees, were mostly from the 2008 successful batch that was abandoned and was only considered for training in March 2013, after so many protests and confrontation that affected Chevron’s business and our comfort as well.”

    Describing the development as a violation of the Local Content Act, the young graduates noted that following an investigation, it was discovered that not up to one per cent of their people were in Chevron’s employ.

  • Avengers resume bombings of oil facilities

    The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), yesterday, claimed its fighters bombed Chevron Escravos export pipeline at Escravos offshore, Delta State.

    A statement signed by the NDA’s Spokesman, Brig. Gen. Murdock Agbinibo, signaled the resumption of bombings of critical oil infrastructures by the militant group.

    The militant group has been observing a ceasefire since the Federal Government indicated an interest to begin dialogue with Niger Delta stakeholders to address the problems in the region.

    NDA has been accusing the government of insincerity with the dialogue following alleged militarization of the region and the recently concluded Operation Crocodile Smiles which saw soldiers storming the creeks during the ceasefire.

    The Escravos pipeline was among the first oil installations crippled by NDA, before latest attack on the pipeline by the militants.

    NDA in the statement said it had earlier warned International Oil Companies (IOCs) that there should be no repairs of oil facilities pending the end of negotiation and dialogue with the government.

    The statement said: “Today at about 3:45am our strike team 06 took down Chevron Escravos export pipeline at Escravos offshore.

    “This action is to further warn all IOCs’ that when we warn that there should be no repairs pending negotiation/dialogue with the people of the Niger Delta, it means there should be no repairs.

    “Any attempt to use dialogue to distract us so as to allow the free flow of our oil will halt the dialogue process”.
    END.

  • Delta community reaffirms ultimatum to Chevron on its demands

    •Ugborodo residents end occupation of oil firm’s facilities

    Residents of Benikrukru community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have said they will not change u last Wednesday’s ultimatum to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL).

    The community, which alluded to a statement by the Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation (EGCDF) on Friday, asking the company to disregard the deadline, said its demands were beyond the powers of the EGCDF.

    It advised CNL to stop what it called the co0mpany’s divide-and-rule strategy.

    Residents of Benikrukru had issued a seven-day deadline to the oil firm to address its demands, including non-compliance with local content laws, unresolved oil spill issues, employment and other associated benefits.

    In a statement by its Chairman Victor Eseimieghan and Secretary Boan Roland Ojogun, the community warned that the oil multinational would be taking a risk if it ignored the deadline.

    It said EGCDF, led by Michael Johnny and Jude Ukori, should mind its business.

    The statement said: “The leadership of the Benikrukru Community wishes to insist and state that we stand by the ultimatum issued to Chevron Nigeria Limited to shut down Abiteye field, if the grievances of the community are not addressed.

    “We wish to also state that the leadership and people of Benikrukru Community, just like any other community in Chevron operational area, are not answerable to the Egbema Gbaramatu Communities Development Foundation.

    “Michael Johnny and Jude Ukori are not the spokespersons of Benikrukru community and should allow Benikrukru people to speak for themselves. The demands of the Benikrukru people are beyond the powers of the EGCDF. In any case, contrary to Mr. Johnny’s claim, the EGCDF has not carried out any developmental project in Benikrukru community in the past three years under Johnny’s leadership.

    “The agitation of the Benikrukru Community for compliance with local content, dispute over land ownership, unresolved spill issues, employment and other associated benefits are legitimate demands and the security agents have been put on notice of Chevron’s maltreatment of the community.

    “We call on the Michael Johnny led EGCDF to face its business and not interfere in the affairs of Benikrukru Community with Chevron. If Chevron ignores our ultimatum, it would be doing so at its risk.”

    Also, after an 11-day unbroken occupation of the Escravos facilities of multinational oil and gas company, Chevron Nigerian Limited (CNL), the people of Ugborodo community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State have suspended their protest.

    The community’s leaders, elders, women and youths protested alleged neglect and refusal of the oil company to work with its representatives.

    It occupied a section of the company’s environs on August 9 till August 19.

    Speaking with our reporter yesterday in Warri on why the community suspended the protest, a former chairman of Ugborodo Community Trust, Pa Sandys Omadeli said the decision was in good faith.

    He said it was meant to give Governor Ifeanyi Okowa the benefit of the doubt on the matter.

    Omadeli said the people left the company’s premises, trusting that Okowa would persuade CNL to respect the community’s right to choose its representatives.

    The community leader noted that collapsing the Interim Management Committee (IMC) into the Export Processing Zone’s (EPZ’s) Interface Committee, which was set up by the state government, was unacceptable.

    Omadeli, who said Okowa asked him to appeal to the protesters to vacate the company’s facilities, noted that the governor’s failure to play his part would send the wrong signals to the people.

    The former chairman said the Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ikenwoli, was not happy about the way CNL treated Ugborodo people.

    He said: “The governor got in touch with me and I told him I would go. I went there and I spoke to the people and they left. It’s now left for the governor to keep his part of the deal. One, the governor should speak to the company to meet with the community.

    “Two, the idea that the community’s elected IMC should dissolve into the EPZ committee is not acceptable to the people. The community is insisting that it has its internal administration and that the idea of government setting up a body for it is unacceptable. It said the EPZ committee was not set up to administer the community.

    “If the community waits to see these happening and sees nothing, it will seem as though the government had tricked its leaders to get them out of the place. If the government is sincere indeed, this isn’t difficult to do.

    “The way it looks now, it is like the governor is hiding under the Olu’s advice. But he should realise that though the people are under the Olu’s lordship, they are the people suffering from the adverse effect of the company’s activities.

    “The Olu refused to talk to us at Ugborodo during the protest because he knew that our demands were just. This is because we learnt that when Chevron officials went to the Olu, he rebuked them that Ugborodo people had not been well treated; that they’d destroyed the whole place. That was why he refused.”

  • Navy arrests two over attacks on Chevron facilities

    Navy authorities at NNS DELTA, Warri, on Saturday said two middle-aged men suspected to be involved in the attacks on Chevron facilities in Delta State have been arrested.

    The Commander of the Naval Base in Delta State, Comm. Joseph Dzunve, told journalists that the suspects were apprehended in Sapele area of the state following a tip-off.

    Dzunve said the attacks on the oil facilities located in Warri North local Government area were carried out between May and July this year.

    ”Today, I am pleased to inform you that after persistent efforts, the NNS DELTA, being part of the maritime component of the Operation Delta Safe, has arrested two suspects responsible for the attack on Chevron facilities,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the NNS commander as saying on Saturday.

    ”They were deeply involved in various forms of crimes, including pipeline vandalism and sea robberies along the waterways in Warri North.

    ”The two apprehended suspects are not the only ones involved in the attacks on the oil facilities in Warri North. Others who are still at large will soon be apprehended.”

  • Chevron Nigeria votes $1.4m for PROMOT

    hevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture (JV), has launched a $1.4 million, two-year project called PROMOT (II) aimed at preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to their newborn babies.

    The community-based Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission project (PROMOT II) is coming on   the heels of PROMOT (I), a four-year project, which was implemented in Bayelsa State between September 2012 and March, this year and to which Chevron committed $5.3 million.

    Both phases of the project are implemented in partnership with Pact, an international non-governmental organisation with active programming in Nigeria for more than a decade.

    The General Manager, Policy, Government & Public Affairs Deji Haastrup said PROMOT (II) project was officially launched on July 12, 2016 by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, who was represented by Chief David Serena Dokubo-Spiff the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    The Governor thanked Chevron for providing additional funds for the extension of PROMOT for another two years. “Chevron is a good company and I commend the firm for providing additional fund for the extension of PROMOT for another two years, in spite of the harsh economic climate,” he said.

    He noted that PROMOT (I) was a great success, as it contributed to the reduction of Bayelsa State’s HIV prevalence rates from 9.1 per cent in 2010 to 3.8 per cent by the end of the project’s third year in 2015.

     

  • Chevron Nigeria votes $1.4m for PROMOT

    Chevron Nigeria votes $1.4m for PROMOT

    Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the NNPC/CNL Joint Venture (JV), has launched a $1.4 million, two-year project called PROMOT (II) aimed at preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to their newborn babies.

    The community-based Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission project (PROMOT II) is coming on   the heels of PROMOT (I), a four-year project, which was implemented in Bayelsa State between September 2012 and March, this year and to which Chevron committed $5.3 million.

    Both phases of the project are implemented in partnership with Pact, an international non-governmental organisation with active programming in Nigeria for more than a decade.

    The General Manager, Policy, Government & Public Affairs Deji Haastrup said PROMOT (II) project was officially launched on July 12, 2016 by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, who was represented by Chief David Serena Dokubo-Spiff the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    The Governor thanked Chevron for providing additional funds for the extension of PROMOT for another two years. “Chevron is a good company and I commend the firm for providing additional fund for the extension of PROMOT for another two years, in spite of the harsh economic climate,” he said.

    He noted that PROMOT (I) was a great success, as it contributed to the reduction of Bayelsa State’s HIV prevalence rates from 9.1 per cent in 2010 to 3.8 per cent by the end of the project’s third year in 2015.

    The Chairman Managing Director, Clay Neff, explained that the PROMOT (II) project is part of the company’s social investment efforts in the Niger Delta.

    “Chevron invests in programmes aimed at improving access to healthcare to support the communities where we operate. Working with partners globally and at local levels, we dedicate our capabilities, resources and people to support initiatives that build local capacity and deliver real, lasting gains in the fight against devastating diseases – particularly  HIV/AIDS,” he said.

    Haastrup said: “Fighting AIDS is not our core business, but it is essential to the success of our business. As a company, we depend on a healthy society. We, therefore, promote healthy communities and improved access to health care aimed at eradicating diseases.”

    The PROMOT (II) project, being implemented by Pact,  will focus on promoting health care-seeking behavior among women of reproductive age (15–49) – including those living with HIV- to utilise antenatal care (ANC) and Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services in three Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bayelsa State: Ekeremor, Brass and Southern Ijaw. Additionally, PROMOT (II) aims at strengthening community structures to advocate for accessible, quality ANC, PMTCT, and broader health services in Bayelsa State.

  • Pipeline vandalism: Another Chevron well attacked in Delta

    Pipeline vandalism: Another Chevron well attacked in Delta

    Less than 24 hours after the Federal Government’s decision to reduce military presence in the Niger Delta, another Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) oil well has been attacked.

    The Nation gathered that Chevron’s oil well RMP20 in the Dibi oil fields, Warri North council area of Delta State, was attacked at about 1:00am yesterday just a week after the company’s two oil wells RMP23 and RMP24 – were attacked in the same area.

    The insurgent group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), in a tweet, claimed responsibility for the attack.

    The group also distanced itself from any negotiation with the Federal Government, saying: “this is to the general public; we’re not negotiating with any committee. If Federal Government is discussing wth any group, they’re doing that on their own.”

    The Avengers’ denial of contacts with the government, which was in response to a media enquiry, was followed up with the night attack in Warri North.

    “At 1:00am today, the @NDAvengers blew up Well RMP 20 belonging to Chevron located 20 meters away from Dibi Flow Station in Warri North LGA,” the group’s tweet said.

    A source from the area confirmed that the facility was still on fire as at the time of filing this report in the evening.

    “The incident at Chevron was around Dibi area; RMP Well 20. It happened around 1:00am and as I speak to you, it’s still on fire,” the source said.

    Chevron’s General Manager on Policies, Government and Public Affairs, Prince Deji Haastrup, has said the company would not be making comments on the escalating situation.