WATCHING THE WORLD SHELL THE TARGET AFTER NIGERIAN EXECUTIONS

Nov. 20, 1995
With David Knott from London Twice this year Royal Dutch/Shell has become the main target for major public protests over its operations. Shell believed its plan to dispose of the Brent spar loading buoy in deep water was best for environmental and cost reasons. However, public outcry forced Shell to call off the dumping (OGJ, June 26, p. 21). Then on Nov. 10 Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight prodemocracy campaigners from Nigeria's Ogoni region were hanged after a dubious trial by the military regime

Twice this year Royal Dutch/Shell has become the main target for major public protests over its operations.

Shell believed its plan to dispose of the Brent spar loading buoy in deep water was best for environmental and cost reasons. However, public outcry forced Shell to call off the dumping (OGJ, June 26, p. 21).

Then on Nov. 10 Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight prodemocracy campaigners from Nigeria's Ogoni region were hanged after a dubious trial by the military regime (OGJ, Nov. 6, Newsletter).

As with the Brent spar, Green-peace has been Shell's bitterest critic over the Nigerian executions. Green-peace said the blood of Saro-Wiwa will permanently stain the name of Shell.

"Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged today for speaking out against the environmental damage to the Niger delta caused by Shell through its 37 years of drilling in the region," said Thilo Bode, executive director of Greenpeace International.

COMPLICITY CHARGE

Shell has kept a distance from the brutal dictatorships of Gen. Sani Abachi and his predecessors. Yet the Nigerian state oil company's involvement in Shell-led oil projects has brought accusations of complicity against Shell.

Bode said Shell had ample opportunity to voice concern over Saro-Wiwa's position during his 17 months of incarceration: "It chose to maintain its cozy relationship with the military dictatorship to secure oil profits rather than condemn the brutal and unjust arrest and later sentencing of nonviolent environmental campaigners."

Shell said the Greenpeace statement that there is blood on Shell's hands is a false accusation: "Throughout this tragic affair we have been committed to an approach of diplomacy - an approach shared by Nelson Mandela, among others."

Shell's response to charges of environmental devastation of the Niger delta is that the situation is not straightforward. While the oil industry has contributed to pollution, Shell said, so have deforestation, soil erosion, and overfarming.

SABOTAGE

Shell said, "In the Ogoni region, where Shell has not operated since 1993, the situation has been compounded by sabotage. Over 60% of the spills in the Ogoni area have been the direct result of sabotage, usually linked to claims for compen- sation. When contractors have attempted to reenter the area to deal with these problems, they have been forcibly denied access by activists."

The execution of Saro-Wiwa and his fellow protesters came with shocking speed after their sentencing only 9 days earlier. There had been hope that Abachi was using the sentences only as a cruel bargaining token to coincide with a British Commonwealth conference in New Zealand.

Maybe Shell could have used its weight against Abachi to save Saro-Wiwa. Maybe Shell should have guessed the strength of public concern and chosen onshore disposal of its Brent spar.

In both cases, Shell believes it acted for the best. But Shell's size and comparative openness makes it an easy target for criticism.

Fair or otherwise, oil companies these days must be supersensitive to issues of public concern if they are to avoid being pilloried.

Copyright 1995 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.