A group of 35 Nigerian villages sued Royal Dutch Shell PLC on Friday in a British court, claiming that the company's slow response to two spills in 2008 left their delta region soaked in crude oil that destroyed the environment and their livelihoods.
Shell, long the dominant oil company in crude-rich Nigeria, quickly denied the lawsuit's allegations and said the spills represented only a fraction of the damage done in a community where thieves routinely tap into its pipelines without concern for the environment.
MIAMI (AP) — If a future oil spill in the Caribbean Sea threatens American shores, a new federal plan obtained by The Associated Press would hinge on cooperation from neighboring foreign governments. Now that Cuba is the neighbor drilling for oil, cooperation is hard to guarantee.
The International Offshore Response Plan draws on lessons from the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and was created to stop offshore oil spills as close to their source as possible, even in foreign waters. The plan dated Jan. 30 has not been released publicly. The AP obtained a copy through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Chevron Corp., reacting to criminal charges filed against it and its executives in Brazil, says the company is a "scapegoat" in a broader dispute over how to distribute the country's oil wealth, Dow Jones Newswires reports.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against 17 oil company executives on Wednesday for an oil leak in the Atlantic, legal action that has prompted debate about whether it could slow Brazil's effort to develop its massive offshore finds.
At least 110,000 gallons (416,000 liters) of oil seeped through cracks on the ocean floor near a Chevron Corp. appraisal well off the Rio de Janeiro coast in November. The well drilled by Transocean Ltd. has since been sealed, but a small amount of seepage reappeared in recent days, raising concern the damage is not yet over.
Court documents obtained by Reuters show that Brazilian prosecutors will claim that Chevron should not have drilled an offshore well that subsequently leaked, and also outline the extent of the damage and why prosecutors are seeking criminal charges against Chevron executives.
The New York Times reports that BP's $7.8 billion settlement with individuals and businesses that sued for damages over the oil giant's massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not the end of the story for many who have been involved.
Brazilian prosecutors said Saturday they will file criminal charges against 17 executives of Chevron Corp. and drilling contractor Transocean Ltd. for a new oil leak near the offshore well where at least 110,000 gallons (about 416,000 liters) spilled late last year.
Those targeted include George Buck, chief operating officer for Chevron's Brazilian division, federal prosecutors' spokesman Marcelo del Negri said by telephone.
He said prosecutors would file the charges including "environmental crimes" in a federal court next week, but he did not provide further details.
BP, continuing talks with the Department of Justice to settle pollution claims from its Gulf of Mexico disastrous 2010 spill, has a cushion of available cash thanks to high oil prices that may affect both sides of the negotiation, Bloomberg reports.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Oil started leaking again from cracks on the ocean floor near an offshore Chevron well where at least 110,000 gallons (about 416,000 liters) spilled late last year, Brazil's oil regulator said Thursday.
The size of the new leak, which is ongoing, is unknown, said a spokeswoman with Brazil's National Petroleum Agency, known as ANP. She said the leak was detected because an oil slick appeared on the ocean surface.
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would not finish its study of hydraulic fracturing's impact on drinking water until 2016, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., is pressing Democrats on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to reject the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg's compromise chemical safety bill because she doesn't think the legislation is strong enough, Roll Call reports.
A draft Environmental Protection Agency report faults Washington state for failures in oversight at the contaminated Hanford Nuclear Reservation, The Associated Press reports.
A group of 21 states urged the Environmental Protection Agency not to allow lawsuit threats to force its hand on regulations for carbon emissions from new power plants, The Hill reports.
The link between natural gas prices and oil prices is increasingly eroding as new supplies of gas are discovered and competition increases, The New York Times reports.
Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Republican Gabriel Gomez were increasingly aggressive in the final Massachusetts Senate debate last night, Politico reports.
Duke Energy's selection of Lynn Good for CEO makes her the company's first female CEO and makes Duke the largest energy company led by a woman, Bloomberg reports.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said it discovered dangerous levels of radioactivity in the groundwater surrounding the crippled Fukushima plant, Bloomberg reports.
