Both ENDS
Information Pack
Both
ENDS offers a wide range of services to NGOs
in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe, who are working
in the field of environment, development and social justice.
Our standard information service includes Information packs on a wide range of topical environment issues. These packs have been written mainly for Southern NGOs. They are to enable (beginner) environmental organisations to get familiarized with an important environmental subject in a short period of time.
Contents:
a
general overview of the theme
details
of relevant international treaties, guidelines and conventions
some
aspects of the current (international) debates on the topic
a
listing of useful contacts in North and South
a
list of publications
a
choice of websites
case
studies (mainly from Southern countries)
We
are making an effort to regularly update
the information included in these
packs. But since people and developments are moving fast, we will inevitably lag
behind somewhat.
The
information presented is meant as an introduction. If you require more specific
information, please feel free to contact
us.
You
can download the information packs
from our Website or you can
request an e-mail printed version. They
are free of charge for NGOs in the South and Central/Eastern Europe.
We
welcome any suggestions or comments which help improve this information pack.
Both
ENDS
Environmental
and Development Service for NGOs
Nieuwe Keizersgracht
28-30
1012
LJ Amsterdam
the
Netherlands
Phone:
+31 20 6230823
Fax:
+31 20 6208049
E-mail:
info@bothends.org
Website:
http://www.bothends.org
This activity has been made possible thanks to the financial support of the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment (VROM).
The information packages can be obtained free of charge by Southern NGOs.
Effects on livelihoods of people concerned
International agreements and guidelines
Environmental and Human Rights Organisations’ guidelines
Information Sources on
Internet
Cases
Mission Statement of the Oilwatch Network
Appendix
Oilwatch Declaration for the Kyoto Conference on Climate Change
OIL
Oil
influences almost every imaginable sector of society. From its exploitation till
its use, oil affects the world economy, the national economy, the global
environment, the local environment and everyday lives of people. Since oil is
not found everywhere, many countries are dependent on commercial fuel supplies
and have to spend a great deal of their national budget on oil imports. For oil
exporting countries, oil is often the most important source of income. The
dependence on oil becomes clear when wars or embargoes threaten the supply of
oil. Oil prices go up and especially the poorer countries have trouble financing
the necessary oil imports to sustain their economic development. Many countries
which export oil are largely dependent on the income derived from it and are
eager to win oil. This means that the oil companies have a big influence over
their national policy, especially since oil companies have budgets which can
exceed the expenditure possibilities of the poorer countries.
The drilling for oil is a dirty job and the utilisation of oil can be very polluting.
The world consumes 65 million barrel of oil a day. Oil burned by cars alone produces nearly a fifth of global carbon dioxide; other by-products include carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Our addiction to oil is directly proportional to our universal addiction to the automobile: every second an additional car takes to the road. Other oil products, such as diesel, heating oil, jet fuel, bunker fuel for ships and heavy fuel oil for power stations compound the greenhouse effect and add to the burden of air-borne pollutants. Between 1973 and 1993, oil use grew by 11 percent globally; between 1995 and 2015, the world is expected to increase its consumption of oil by another 59-68 percent, with the US leading the pack. Source: The World Bank and the G-7; Changing the Earth’s Climate for Business, 1997, p. 25 |
This
information package on oil has been narrowed down to the effects of oil
exploration and exploitation on the environment and people’s lives in the area
around the oil wells.
We
also decided to focus mainly on impacts in tropical rainforest areas. However,
it has to be emphasised that all countries where oil is being drilled, suffer
environmental consequences. The information will be illustrated with case
studies. Also some information will be given on what the community and
organisations can do to keep close tabs on the activities of oil companies.
Furthermore, this package includes information on international agreements,
which are related to oil exploration / exploitation and its environmental
impact.
Since information is constantly changing, it is more effective to provide addresses of organisations that can give up to date and specific information. We also included addresses and a brief description of NGOs who are active on the issue. These NGOs can provide you with more information or you can contact them to get necessary support. Also, we have included some magazines of interest and websites which can be consulted.
Oil is one of the basics for today’s life. Most of the oil is consumed in Northern countries, while most of the oil is being extracted from the Southern countries.
Table 1. World fuel consumption & oil consumption, (Fuel million tonnes oil equivalent) |
||
Region |
Oil |
Total |
Africa Asia and Australasia Eastern Europe Middle East North America South & Central America Western Europe Total world |
99.7 799.2 290.9 179.8 964.0 186.3 625.5 3172.4 |
226.4 2036.4 1270.3 297.0 358.4 306.0 1429.3 7923.8 |
Source: BP World Review 1997 (Note: Only commercially traded fuels are included.) |
Table 2. Oil production in 1992 in % total 3.2 milliard tonnes |
|
Russia
Saudi
Arabia
USA
Iran
Mexico
China
Venezuela
United
Arab Emirates Norway
Nigeria
Other Countries |
14.2 % 13.3 % 13.0 % 5.5 % 4.9 % 4.5 % 3.8 % 3.6 % 3.4 % 3.1 % 30.7 % |
Source: Bosatlas, 51 edition 1996 |
Each
step in the exploration and exploitation of oil has serious impacts on the
environment and the livelihood of the population. Oil is known to be one of the
most toxic compounds on earth, listing as the most toxic Polyromatic
Hydrocarbons (PAHs) containing heavy metals and benzene. Left underground, these
compounds are harmless. However, when drilling for oil, these compounds enter
the environment where they have been proven to have a serious impact on
both the environment and human health. By entering the food-chain at a
low level the toxins have an impact on the composition and
functioning of the whole ecosystem. Especially fragile ecosystems like rainforests, wetlands and coastal areas are susceptible to this damage, since the plants and animals have a strong interdependent relationship. The local inhabitants, often indigenous people, suffer accordingly, since they often rely heavily on their direct environment for their subsistence.
It is clear that we should do our utmost to keep these compounds from entering into the environment. Unfortunately numerous concrete examples have shown that oil companies hardly pay any attention to this when searching for oil wells and exploiting them.
Oil compounds can enter the environment during the exploration for oil, the exploitation phase and its transport, especially when it is being transported by pipelines.
The following two chapters describe briefly the impact of oil exploration and exploitation.
|
fig. 1. Effects on the environment |
To start the actual exploration, it is necessary to fell large areas of forest for heliports, drilling sites and seismic prospecting. This generally results in widespread erosion, sedimentation, destruction of rivers and lakes. It has a serious impact on the ecosystem, hereby affecting the possibilities for fishing, hunting, agriculture and the provision of clean water for the inhabitants.
The actual petroleum exploration is carried out in two steps: seismic investigation and exploratory drilling.
Possible
drill holes are sought out by explosions. Deforestation of the area is carried
out in order to enable the usage of technical equipment, i.e. heliports,
settlements and roads. The explosions disturb wildlife and fish can be killed by
the pressure caused by the explosions in the water. Seismic investigation can
even cause earthquakes.
The oil companies hire contractors to drill exploratory wells. This brings up large quantities of formation water. Formation water contains a complex mixture of underground waters with both solid and liquid elements, including crude oil, drilling fluids, and drilling chemicals and geological materials, which are discharged on land and into streams. During testing of the well the released gas is burned. This inefficient burning generates airborne pollutants. Gas burning can kill nearby vegetation, disturb wildlife and has an impact on the health of the local people.
After
exploratory drilling has been completed and the pits emptied, exploratory wells
often remain as sources of contamination. Other environmental impacts of
exploratory drilling are similar to those of seismic investigations: garbage,
noise, erosion, sedimentation of streams and other bodies of water, changes in
morphology, drainage patterns and scenery.
The local population is rarely properly informed about the plans, risks and effects which the activities of oil exploration and exploitation may have. For the local population, in many cases indigenous communities, their territory is essential for their survival. Even if they are the legal owners of the land, acknowledged by the government, this does not extend to the rights over resources like oil or minerals, the resources underground. When oil companies enter their territories, the land might be confiscated, the local inhabitants are sometimes forced to move, or if they are allowed to stay, their life will be severely disturbed by the oil-activities including noise, pollution and possibly diseases.
Local people often lack political power. Protests are ignored by the government, whose main interest is making economic profit and attracting foreign investment. The police and military are used in many cases to so-called ‘protect the site’ but they are also used to keep the population under control. In many cases human rights are violated when the population try to obstruct activities of the oil company. When entering an area an oil company can manipulate and buy the local population by promising them gifts i.e. schools, hospitals, roads and jobs. This can be used to prevent protests. These promises are not always kept, or they only keep the communities or people quiet that profit from these services. This might cause division among the population.
When meeting obstruction, the oil company can use its influence over the government thus ignoring local protests.
Traditional
livelihoods are not only threatened by the environmental contamination, but can
also suffer social or cultural changes. Especially when the exploration is
successful and the oil company decides to start exploitation, the area will be
opened up and the communities will get in touch with ‘modern society’.
Each of the environmental
impacts that characterise the exploratory drilling phase is repeated many times
over during the exploitation phase, as more land is cleared and more wells are
drilled.
In the oil production fields, a mixture
of oil, gas and formation water is extracted from the wells. The chemicals which
are injected in the manifold to break the oil-water emulsion, enter the
environment untreated as part of the formation water waste stream.
The separation of petroleum from gas and
petroleum/formation water wastes takes place in three stages. First the gas is
separated; 5% of the gas is refined. Most of the rest is burned and released
directly into the air. The gas is burned without temperature or emissions
controls. The oil-water emulsion then flows into a separation tank. The oil
floats to the top, and the formation water is discharged into a production pit.
From there, it is generally discharged or spilled into a stream or small river.
This waste is very hot and toxic (to vegetation and aquatic life and humans
beings). From the separator the petroleum goes to a wash tank. The oil enters
the tank above all or part of the water. Gas separates from the oil, rises to
the top of the tank, and is then released and burned. At the same time,
formation water wastes separate from the oil and settle below it. As these oily
waters settle, the water level in the tank rises. To maintain the proper water
level, the wastes are drained from the bottom of the tank. These wastes then
migrate into the environment, usually via a production pit. The petroleum passes
from the wash tank into a stabilisation or surge tank, where further separation
takes place. A valve allows gas to escape into the atmosphere, and oily water
wastes are periodically drained into a production pit. The petroleum is
transferred to a pump station
When
the well is operating, it burns approximately 95% of the extracted gas and dumps
highly toxic wastewater. Mostly this ends up in the river system, with serious
impacts on the local fishery and population using this water for purposes such
as washing or, even worse, drinking.
The transportation is carried out by trucks or pipelines, leading to harbours for further transport or refinery plants for further processing. Oil spills during transport occur regularly either due to neglect in maintenance or slack management.
At
a separation installation at Shuaru camp oil is separated from production water.
A waste pit is located at the site, where waste from other areas is also dumped
by tank-car. The soil is clearly polluted and around the site, trees and other
plants are dead or dying. The production water is pumped into a creek leading to
San Jaciton village. “The water looks clean but is in fact highly
contaminated”, says Didimo Zombrana, one of the 16 rice farmers. He owns 2
hectares in total. “Sometimes the water is salted. I don’t know why. My
children drink the water, like myself; I have no alternative. Before, the water
flooded my fields and made them fertile. But now the water is polluted and
destroys my rice harvest. He points out to the area beyond the destroyed field.
“The water has not reached that area and you see, rice is growing there”. A
cow he bought for more than 100,000 sucres (US$ 20) died because of the
contamination as well. Zombrana complained to Petroecuador (the responsible oil
company), but instead of compensating him, they asked him to come and work for
them. Source: Wetland or wasteland, Report
Oilwatch trip to Venezuela, Curação, Peru and Ecuador, July 1997, p.19 |
The
formation water, which contains dangerous levels of toxic organic compounds and
heavy metals, is discharged into pools. In these pools the hydrocarbons are
separated from the rest of the formation water via a stratification process.
Contamination of streams, rivers and lakes with sediment happens when the pool
is not properly maintained and thus overflows or has a leakage. The
contamination consists of a complex mixture of underground waters with both
solid and liquid
elements,
including crude oil, drilling fluids, and drilling chemicals and geological
materials.
Generally the pools themselves are not equipped with any type of recovery mechanism for the contaminants in the remaining formation water. This formation water, which after the stratification process, is discharged directly into the environment without any other treatment whatsoever. The average temperature of formation water is 80oC, a temperature which is maintained for kilometres downstream from the discharge point. The high temperature produces serious impacts on the phyto- and zooplankton as well as on the micro-biological life of the rivers. The diminished life in the contaminated waters makes it even more difficult for the rivers to naturally process the contaminants of the petroleum effluents.
The
effects described in the exploration phase are also valid for the exploitation
phase.
The
exploitation phase causes a big influx of migrants, working at the oil plant. In
forest areas for instance, the construction of roads causes colonisation by even
more migrants who are attracted by other economic possibilities such as
agriculture in the, now accessible, forests. These colonists disrupt the lives
of local people, by entering their territories and using or destroying their
resources. The outside world can also bring the monetary system into a non
monetary society. They introduce new technologies, which can disrupt the
traditional way of life. Changes within the population’s social and cultural
structures occur. When local resources disappear, the local communities are
forced either to move further into the forests or to accept working for money to
be able to buy the necessary goods.
Looking at the effects on the
environment and livelihood of people near an oil site, it is clear that
knowledge about the activities of the oil company is important. In order to be
able to undertake action, it is also important to know which international
agreements exist on oil exploitation, human rights, international laws on
territorial rights, water pollution, mining etc. Furthermore,
it is important to get in touch with national or international organisations,
which can provide support or information. They can also be active in raising
awareness, informing the public about the real story behind oil production, thus
influencing the public opinion and lobby oil companies as well as national
governments or multilateral institutions. The following paragraphs will go into
these three above mentioned points of attention.
In order to effectively monitor the impacts of oil exploration and exploitation activities by the oil companies it is necessary to be informed in advance about the activities taking place. The ideal situation would be if the local people, assisted by independent experts were involved in the planning of the exploration and exploitation. Unfortunately, in most countries this is not the case.
There
are ways to get information about the impact of oil companies’ activities
through:
1.
The company’s environmental management plans
2.
Indicators of contamination and destruction of resources
3.
The sources of contamination
4.
The operational practices on site
5.
International regulations and national regulations in the company’s
home country
6. National regulations in the country where the oil is being explored
ad
1. The company’s environmental management plans are to be found at national
government level, together with the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
These are reports written on expected environmental damage in the working area.
ad 2. It is important to monitor the environment closely. This can be done by using so-called bio- indicators. These are defined as a species which reflects the condition of the medium in which it lives. In other words, indicators behave as detectors or sentinels of their own environment. The indicators can be sensitive plants, animals or micro-organisms, which are directly affected by oil contamination. Oilwatch (see list of organisations), a network monitoring oil activities in tropical countries, can provide a list of useful indicators and how to detect and use them.
ad
3 and 4. If you identify
contamination in the environment, it is important to know about the situation on
the site and to know whether contamination of the river, for example, is clearly
caused by the occurrences on the
site. For instance, by ponds overflowing or leaking or by direct dumping of waste. By knowing the operational practices
on the site you can be aware of possible sorts of contamination.
ad
5. Often the oil companies are bound by regulations of the country they
originate from. These regulation can for example concern human rights, the
environmental or indigenous people. However, these regulations are hardly ever
applied in countries with little control on legislation or regulations. Knowing
these regulations can provide legal arguments on the international level, even
though they are not valid in your country.
ad 6. The regulations in the country where the oil is going to be won are variable. If a country is strongly dependent on oil extraction for its income, it will be less strict in putting the regulations into practice.
The
extraction of oil is often done by multinational oil companies, sometimes
together with or subcontracting national companies. These companies, national
and international are often closely linked with the government. The biggest
multinationals are: Shell (United Kingdom & the Netherlands), Texaco (USA),
Exxon (USA ), BP (United Kingdom), Mobil (USA), Chevron (USA), Elf (France).
These big companies have budgets much larger than national budgets of the
counties they work in and in many cases they can exert stronger influence over
the national government than local governments, thus having direct influence
over many of this government’s decisions.
Oil
companies’ only interest is extracting the oil in a manner which is
economically most profitable for them, thereby ignoring the consequences for the
environment and the local people. This has caused irreversible damage to the
environment and some populations have been marginalised through their
activities. By the end of the eighties, oil companies had agreed to research the
possible
effects
of oil exploration on the environment by doing a so-called Environmental Impact
Assessments (EIA) prior to their operations. However, these EIA’s can be
criticised for the fact that they are not always done carefully, do not take all
factors of possible contamination into account, and/or minimise the
environmental importance of the areas concerned. Also they are often executed by
the companies themselves instead of independent experts. Furthermore, plans
written on paper are not always put into practice. Unfortunately, lack of
control and monitoring, make this possible.
One
of the most well-known cases of human rights violation is the case of Shell in
the Niger Delta in the south of Nigeria. The Niger Delta is one of the world’s
largest wetlands, covering over 20,000 kms2. It is comprised of
coastal barrier islands, mangroves, freshwater swamp forests and lowland
rainforests. The Niger Delta is homeland to the Ogoni people. For 40 years
Shell, together with Nigerian oil companies, has exploited the oilwells in their
homeland and in return the Ogoni received the contamination of their livelihood.
The
schools, health centres, job opportunities, which have been promised by Shell,
have never been realised. Protests of the Ogoni people were smothered with aid
of the Nigerian military police and the army. The hanging of 9 Ogoni people of
which Ken Saro Wiwa was the most well-known as an important protest leader for
the Ogoni, shocked the world on the 11th of November 1995, and woke
up the world. It caused a worldwide discussion on the responsibility of oil
companies. It is very worrying to see that nothing concrete has changed over the
last years for the Ogoni people. The
Ogoni, supported by many national and international people and organisations,
continue their struggle against the government and the oil companies by
informing the world. The MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People)
has made several demands on Shell for compensation of the suffered losses in
their area. source: Human Rights and Environmental operations information on the
Royal Dutch/ Shell group of companies. 1996-1997 |
In
1915, the Royal Dutch Shell decided to build the Isla Refinery at Curação. In
1985, they sold the refinery for 1 Dutch florin (0.50 US$) to the government of
Curação, denouncing the responsibility for the environmental damage the
refinery had caused during its 70 years of operation. This damage included a
pond filled with residuals of the oil processing of 840,000 m2 and
containing 20,000 tonnes acid tar. The port has been heavily polluted. The roofs
of the houses near the refinery are heavily corroded. In 1983, SO2
levels were four times higher than generally accepted maximum levels. For the
area around the refinery it means a penetrating smell and a large part of the
population suffers from chronic lung problems. The
opposition in the affected area only started in 1989, shortly after Defensa
Ambiental and Amigu di Tera (Friends of the Earth - Curação) were founded.
Demonstrations were held and the issue started to raise public awareness.
However, awareness of environmental problems in the refinery has been kept in
check because of the perceived economic benefits to Curação over the 80 years
of operation. Nevertheless, the Curação government (since October 1985 the
owner of Isla) realised that Shell had left them with an old refinery in urgent
need of upgrading. Curação has now rented the refinery out to the state oil
company of Venezuela, PdVSA. Unfortunately, the Curação government has not
been able to include environmental regulations in the contract and the situation
is unaltered. The
history and present developments of the Isla show a lack of environmental
responsibility by nearly all participants, Curação is part of the Netherlands,
but there is a striking difference between environmental protection in this
island and how things are implemented in Europe. The government of Curação has
missed chances to adopt even the most basic environmental standards. Both Shell
(until 1985) and PdVSA (since 1986) have tried successfully to avoid their
environmental responsibilities. Source: Wetland or Wasteland, report Oilwatch trip to Venezuela, Curação,
Peru and Ecuador, 1997, p.11 |
As
mentioned in the introduction of Instruments of Action, it is essential to be
informed about international agreements and guidelines for the exploration and
exploitation of oil in order to be able to monitor and effectively criticise the
activities of oil companies.
There
are no specific international agreements on oil exploration. However, some
agreements, which concern other issues, are applicable. For instance Convention
169 which was signed on the 7th of June 1989 at the General
Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). This convention
concerns Indigenous and Tribal People and it enables ways by which justice and
equity can be attained for the indigenous people worldwide.
The core of the Convention
proclaims: ·
Equity
with the Indian people ·
complete
enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms without obstacles or
discrimination ·
recognition
and protection of social practices and cultural, religious and spiritual values
characteristic of these peoples ·
Respect
for the integrity of the values, practices and institution of these peoples Also the Convention
169 proclaims the right of the Indian peoples to: ·
Decide
priorities concerning the overall process of development and in the way that
this affects their lives, believes, institution and spiritual swell being and
over the lands-territories that they occupy or utilise in any fashion, as well
as controlling to the extent possible, their own social, economic and cultural
development ·
To
participate in the formulation, application and evaluation of the plans and
programmes of regional and national development conductive to affecting them
directly. ·
to
maintain their own customs and institution ·
to
participate in the utilisation, administration and conservation of natural
resources Taking oil into
consideration: Above means that Indigenous people have to be consulted by the
governments before they launch or authorise any programme over oil exploitation.
Also it establishes the possibilities of participating in the benefits over the
exploitation of natural resources or to receive equitative compensation for any
damage of degradation suffered as result of these activities. This Convention has
been ratified by: Mexico (1990), Norway(1990), Colombia (1991), Bolivia (1991),
Costa Rica (1993), Paraguay(1993), Peru (1994), Honduras (1995), Denmark (1996)
and Guatemala (1996), the Netherlands (1997)... |
There
are many other agreements concerning human rights. For each country and each
situation it can be of interest to know which agreements have been signed by
their national government.
For
example, in Agenda 21, which is composed after the Earth Summit in 1992, chapter
26 mentions the need “to enhance the participation in decision making of
Indigenous people”. One of the actions to undertake is: “To acknowledge the
fact that the areas where indigenous people live have to be protected against
activities which are damaging for the environment or which are not approved on
grounds of the social or cultural background by the indigenous people
concerned.”
Another
example is the RAMSAR convention. This convention requests countries to sign an
agreement to protect their wetlands. Since oil is often found in coastal areas,
rules of this convention can be applicable to oil exploitation activities.
Coastal
areas, where off-shore oil exploitation is being practised are very vulnerable
areas. If it is well out of the coast, there are no clear agreements as yet,
except for the UNCLOS (United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea)
published in 1995, which tries to reach an international agreement on fisheries
boundaries and some environmental agreements.
Oil
companies themselves often have their own code of conduct, giving their
employees guidelines to ensure correct conduct when searching for and exploiting
oil. Two groups that try to work out guidelines beyond the companies are the
IAGC and the E & P Forum.
The
members of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC) have
developed environmental guidelines for worldwide geophysical operations. The
IAGC is a group of geophysical contractors. The members of the IAGC have
committed themselves to the protection of the environment. While planning and
conducting their geophysical operations throughout the world, member companies
should work to protect the environment. Members should conduct their geophysical
operations in accordance with the IAGC Environmental Guidelines as well as the
local, national and international regulations. To meet these responsibilities,
members should:
·
Plan
and conduct geophysical operations in a manner that conserves the environment;
·
Train
geophysical personnel in environmentally responsible procedures;
·
Consult
appropriate authorities, landowners and users of the area;
·
Evaluate
environmental performance and appropriate reclamation measures of geophysical
operations.
The
Oil Industry International Exploration and Production Forum (E&P Forum) is a
platform of oil companies and petroleum industry formed in 1974. It was
established to represent its members’ interests at the International Maritime
Organisation and other specialist agencies of the United Nations, governmental and other international bodies concerned with regulating the exploration and production of oil and gas. At present, the Forum has 61 members made up of oil companies and national oil industry associations.
The
Forum has formulated Oil Industry Operating Guideline for Tropical Rainforests.
The general rules are summarised as: that petroleum facilities should be
designed and operated to minimise the direct and indirect impact of petroleum
operations on the rainforests environment. Deforestation should be limited
through minimal use of land.
Unfortunately, only a small group of oil companies apply these guidelines.
Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such as the IUCN and Oilwatch have formulated their own guidelines. There is currently a discussion going on about the value and possible use of these guidelines or code of conducts. Further elaborating these guidelines and possibly getting them internationally accepted could provide a possibility to hold the companies accountable for their actions in a more consistent way.
As the oil issue has become a very difficult issue to handle, many organisations worldwide have started working on it. To be able to co-ordinate efforts, Acción Ecológica in Ecuador established the international Oilwatch Network in 1996. Through the regional co-ordinators of Oilwatch a lot of information can be obtained about local, national and international cases or about the companies themselves. Below you will find a list of only a few organisations active on oil issues, sometimes working on a specific case, sometimes on oil in general. Through them, more specific information can be obtained or you can get in touch with other organisations. A complete list of the Oilwatch contacts can be obtained from the international secretariat in Ecuador.
Oilwatch
International Secretariat
Alejandro
de Valdez N 24-33 y La Gasca, Casilla
17-15-246-C, Quito, Ecuador
Phone:
+593-2-547.516
Fax:
+593-2-527.583
Email: oilwatch@uio.satnet.net
Oilwatch is a resistance network against oil activity in tropical countries. Its objectives are to facilitate the exchange of information on oil companies that operate in tropical countries, their background, operating practices and social and environmental impacts and to get information about technical and legal aspects in order to co-ordinate international campaigns against specific companies. Oilwatch consists of regional co-ordinators with offices in Africa, Asia, Europe and the US.
Mission
statement of the Oilwatch Network ·
Understanding
the environmental, social, cultural, economic and political threat posed
to indigenous people, local communities and fragile ecosystems by the
exploitation of oil and gas resources; ·
Recognising
that petroleum corporations in their exploitation of oil and gas
resources contribute to the violation of individual and collective
rights, environmental degradation, climate change, the decline of
biodiversity, violence, economic impoverishment, obstruction of
democratic aspirations and destabilisation of culture and
territoriality; ·
Recognising
also the interconnection between over-consumption of petroleum products
in the North and the environmental destruction and human rights
violations in the South; ·
Realising
that government fail to respect and ensure the protection of the
environmental and the human rights of these affected local populations; ·
Aware
that the Earth, its people and environment have to be protected from
abuse and degradation. This international network of environmental, human rights, religious and local organisations, OILWATCH, has been established with the primary focus of supporting and empowering local initiatives in their struggle against the negative impact of oil and gas exploitation, as well as to educate, propose solutions and raise awareness of the general public, policy makers and the petroleum industry world-wide. |
Regional
focal points
of Oilwatch
African
coordinator:
*
Oilwatch Africa
Contact
person: Isaac Osuoka
Address:
13, Agudama Ave. D-line, P.O. Box 13708, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Phone:
+234-84-236365/331434
Email: oilwatch@infoweb.abs.net
Asian
Coordinator:
* Oilwatch Asia/Environmental Foundation W.D.H.R.
(Member International Committee/Steering Committee)
Contact person: Hemantha Withanage, SES
Address: Campbell terrace No. 3, Colombo 10, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94-74-616.474
Fax: +94-1-697.226
Email: hemantha@ef.is.lk oilwatch@ef.is.lk
Focal Point in Central America:
*
Oilwatch Mesoamerica/Centro Humboldt
Contact
person: Magda Lanuza
Address:
Del Colonial 2 c. Abajo, 2 c. Al Lago, Barrio Costa Rica
Apartado
Postal 768, Managua,
Nicaragua
Phone/fax:
+505-249.2903/249.8922/883.5806
Email: humboldt@ibw.com.ni
Focal Point in South Africa:
* GroundWork
Contact person: Bobby Peek
Address: 191C Burger Street, Box 2375, 32000 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Phone: +27-33-342.5662
Fax: +27-33-342.5665
Email: team@groundwork.org.za bobby@groundwork.org.za
Focal point in the USA:
(Member
Steering Committee)
Contact
persons: Carwil James & Shanna Langdon
Address:
1916 A Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Phone:
+1-510-705.8981
Fax:
+1-510-705.8983
Email: shanna@moles.org carwil@moles.org
Organisations
in Latin America & the Caribbean
There are members of Oilwatch in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curaçao, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela. Some of them are listed below.
*
Amigu di Tera
Contact person: Lloyd Narain
Address:
P.O. Box 4688, Willemstad, Curação, Netherlands Antilles
Phone/Fax:
+599-9-737.3965
Email: amigu-di-tera@curinfo.an johncdaal@curinfo.an
Issue: Shell in Curação
*
Asociación Censat Agua Viva
(Member International Committee/Steering Committee)
Contact
persons: Tatiana Roa & Hildebrando Velez
Address:
Carrera 19 No. 29-12, Oficina 202, A.A.
16789, Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia
Phone: +57-1-244.2465/244.0581
Fax:
+57-1-245.8906
E-mail: censat@colnodo.apc.org
*
Oilwatch Costa Rica
Contact
persons: Gabriel Rivas Ducca & Mauricio Alvarez
Apartado
3597, Zona 1000, Casa Gabriel en San José, Costa Rica
Phone:
+506-252.1063
Email: casogari@racsa.co.cr oilwatch@cosmovisiones.com
*
Oilwatch Mexico/Sociedad de Amigos Santo Tomás
(Member
International Committee)
Contact
persons: Silvia Whizar Lugo & Alejandro Calvillo
Address:
Circuito del Parque No. 411. Fraccionamiento del Parque, Villahermosa
C.P.
86096, Tabasco, Mexico
Phone/Fax:
+93-159.516/159.517
Email: stomas@tukan.ujat.mx
RAP (Red de Alerta Petrolera)
Contact
person: Alipio Valdez
Address:
Calle Virginio Lema 785, Casilla 83, La Paz, Bolivia
Phone:
+591-2-35471
Fax:
+591-2-33454
Email: jees@olivo.tja.entelnet.bo pilcomay@mail.cosett.com.bo
*
Red
Alerta Petrolera (Orinoco Oilwatch)
Amigransa
Contact
persons: Maria Eugenia Bustamante & Alicia García
Address:
Apdo. Postal 50460 Caracas 1050-A, Av.
La Colina, Urb. Las Acacias
Edf.
San Bartolomeo, 4to piso, Apto. 19, Caracas
1050-A, Venezuela
Phone:
+58-2-992.1884/693.9480
Email: amigrans@ccs.internet.ve
Organisations
in Africa
There
are members of Oilwatch in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo, Cote
D’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Ecuatorial Guinee, Nigeria, Mozambique, Central
African Republic, DR Congo, Senegal, South Africa and Sudan. Some of them are
listed below.
*
Centre d’Information et de Liaison
des ONG’s (CILONG)
(Member International Committee/Steering Committee)
Contact
person: Soumaïne
Adoum
Address:
B.P. 88L, N’Djamena, Chad
Phone:
+235-515410/235-516190
(private)/235-518923 (Swissaid)
Fax:
+235-518915 (Swissaid)
Email: Soumaine@hotmail.com cilong@intnet.td
Enviro-Protect
Contact persons: Francois Tiani Kéou & Jean Baptiste Tanfjeu Ngounou
Address:
P.O. Box 4263, Douala, Cameroon
Phone:
+237-427.566
Fax: +237-430.625/425.658
*
Environmental Rights Action (ERA)/FOE
Nigeria
(Member
International Committee)
Contact
person: Nnimo Bassey
Address:
214 Uselu-Lagos Road, P.O.Box 10577, Benin City, Nigeria
Phone/fax:
+234-52-600-165
Email: eraction@infoweb.abs.net
Organisations
in Asia
There are Oilwatch members in Bangladesh, Thailand, Korea, Philippines, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinee, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Vietnam. Some of them are listed below.
* Kalayanamitra Council
(Member Steering Committee)
Contact person: Pipob Udomittipong
Address: 666 Chareon Nakhan Road, Klongsan, Bangkok 10600, Thailand
Phone: +66-2-438.9331/438.9332
Fax: +66-2-860.1277
Email: kc@ffc.or.th
PAN
Indonesia
Contact
person: Riza V. Tjahjadi
Address:
JL Persada Raya No.1, Menteng Dalam, Jakarta 12870, Indonesia
Phone/fax:
+62-21-829.6545
Email: biotani@rad.net.id
Terra/Project
of Ecological Recovery
Contact
person: Witoon Permpongsacharoen
Address:
409 Soi Rohitsuk, Pracharatbampen Rd., Huay
Khwang, Bangkok 10310, Thailand
Phone:
+66-2-691.0718/20
Fax:
+66-2-691.0714
Email: terraper@ksc15.th.com terraper@comnet.ksc.net.th
Vietnam
Economic Times
Contact
person: Chu Van Lam
Address:
175 Nguyen Thai Hoc. St., Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone:
+84-4845.2411
Fax:
+84-4843.2755
Email: vet@hn.vnn.vn
Organisations
in Europe
There are Oilwatch members in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland. Some of them are listed below.
*
Both
ENDS
(Member
of the International Committee)
Contact
person: Tamara Mohr
Address:
Nieuwe Keizersgracht 45, 1018
VC Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Phone:
+31-20-623.0823
Fax:
+31-20-620.8049
E-mail: tm@bothends.org
Future
in our Hands
and NorWatch
Contact
person: Harald Eraker
Address:
P.O. BOX 4743 Sofienberd, 0506 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47-22-201.045
Fax:
+47-22-204.788
E-mail: harald.eraker@fifi.no Tor.Traasdahl@pr.uninett.no
Greenpeace
Research Laboratories
Contact
person: David Santillo
Address: Earth Resources Centre-University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QE,
United
Kingdom
Phone:
+44-1392-263.917
Fax:
+44-1392-263.907
Email: d.santillo@exeter.ac.uk
Legambiente
Contact
person: Fulvia Fazio
Address:
Via Salaria 403, 00199 Roma, Italy
Phone:
+39-6-862.681
Fax:
+39-6-862.8474
Email: legambiente@legambiente.com
NC-IUCN
Contact
person: Rietje Grit
Address:
Plantage Middenlaan 2B, 1018 DD Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Phone:
+31-20-626.1732
Fax:
+31-20-627.9349
Email: trp@nciucn.nl Grit@nciucn.nl
Rettet
den Regenwald e.v.
Contact
person: Susanne Breitkopf
Address:
Poseldorfer Weg 17, D-20148 Hamburg, Germany
Phone:
+49-40-410.3804
Fax:
+49-40-450.0144
Email: regenwald@umwelt.ecolink.org
Organisations
in North America
Contact
person: Shannon Wright
Address:
221 Pine Street 5, CA 94104, San Francisco, USA
Phone:
+1-415-398.4404
Fax: +1-415-398.2732
Email: shannon@ran.org
Rainforest
Action Network works to protect the Earth's rainforests and support the rights
of their inhabitants through education, grassroots organising, and non-violent
direct action. Since it was founded in 1985, the Rainforest Action Network has
been working to protect tropical rainforests and the human rights of those
living in and around those forests. Through financial contributions and
networking services, RAN supports the efforts of indigenous and environmental
groups in tropical countries to achieve ecologically sustainable solutions
within their own regions.
RAN
activities have an emphasis on grassroots education and action, its networking
capabilities and a commitment to mobilising citizen activists to respond quickly
and directly to the forces that threaten the rainforests.
Contact
person: Amit Srivastava
Address:
PO Box 29344, CA 94129 San Francisco, USA
Phone:
+1-415-561.6472
Fax:
+1-415-561.6493
Email: amit@corpwatch.org corpwatch@corpwatch.org
CorpWatch counters corporate-led globalization through education and activism. It works to foster democratic control over corporations by building grassroots globalization--a diverse movement for human rights, labor rights and environmental justice.
International
Organisations
World
Rainforest Movement
(International
Secretariat)
(Member
International Committee/Steering Committee)
Contact
person: Ricardo Carrere
Address:
Maldonado 1858, CP 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay
Phone:
+598-2-403.2989
Fax:
+598-2-408.0762
Email: rcarrere@wrm.org.uy
(Member International Committee)
Contact person: Paul Horsman
Address:
Canonbury Villas, London N1 2PN, United Kingdom
Phone:
+44-171-354.5100
Fax:
+44-171-696.0012
Email: Paul.Horsman@uk.greenpeace.org
Following
you will find a list of useful publications, magazines and internet sites.
OILWATCH - a
useful book providing an overview on issues concerning oil exploitation. The
book is available in Spanish, English and French. The following issues are
discussed: oil in the tropics; impact on the environment and livelihood;
instruments to monitor the oil activity in tropical areas; bio-indicators;
framework for restoration; fundamental rights and environment; how to present a
demand in an international tribunal; international legal tools for the
protection of the environment and Human Rights and factors constraining the
impact of action groups.
Voices of Resistance, Oil Exploitation in the Tropics - is also a publication of Oilwatch, also available in Spanish.
Tegantai
- is a magazine published by Oilwatch. It is published in Spanish, English, and
French and gives information on activities of oil companies and the effects of
oil winning all over the world. Also distributed by email.
Drillbits and Tailings - is bi-monthly newsletter published by Project Underground. It provides information on mining, oil and gas. The distribution is done by email and back issues can be found on the internet.
Human
Rights and Environmental Operations Information on the Royal Dutch/ SHELL Group
of Companies, Kretzmann, S. and
Wright, S. - 1996/1997 - Independent Annual Report, 1997
The
application of strategic environmental assessment in relation to offshore oil
and gas resource exploration,
Report 1 prepared for WWF-UK by Berry Marine Consultants, October 1997
The
application of environmental impact assessment in relation to offshore oil and
gas exploration, Report 2
prepared for WWF-UK by Berry Marine Consultants, October 1997
Environmental
best practice and the move toward zero discharge in the offshore oil and gas
industry, Report 3 prepared for
WWF-UK by Berry Marine Consultants, October 1997
Operational
Discharges from offshore oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities:
regulatory requirements and enforcement practices,
Petroconsultants (UK), November 1997
Guidelines
for the Development and Application of Health, Safety and Environmental
Management Systems, E&P
Forum, July 1994
Environmental
management in oil and gas exploration and production, An overview of issues and
management approaches, UNEP,
E&P Forum, 1997
Oil
and Gas Exploration and Production in Arctic and Subarctic Onshore Regions,
Guidelines for Environmental Protection,
IUCN, E&P Forum, 1993
Oil
and Gas Exploration and Production in Mangrove Areas,
IUCN, E&P Forum, 1993
The
Oil Industry: Operating in Sensitive Environments,
IPEICA, E&P Forum, September 1997
Arctic Offshore Oil and Gas Guidelines, Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, June 1997
Information
Sources on Internet
Several internet sites are dedicated to oil. The oil companies can be found by searching on oil or the name of the oil company. A comprehensive general gateway to information on the oil and gas industry is Oil Survey a collection of resources for the oil and gas industry from the Independent Oil & Gas Information Center. This site also offers environmental information on the subject - but not on Oilwatch!
Action groups like Oilwatch provide information on the world wide web as well, sometimes responding to sites of oil companies. With this medium, people can have easily access to relevant information and a wide audience is reached.
The
following is a short-list of interesting websites for more information on oil
from the environmental point of view.
The internet site of RAN. It has a long list of organisations concerned with the forests and other environmental issues, such as oil. The publication Drilling to the Ends of the Earth: the case against new fossil fuel exploration is avaliable online.
The website of Project Underground features information on oil, more specific it follows the Ogoni struggle against Shell. Also copies of their Drillbits & Tailings can be found here.
The Mineral Management Service's website offers information on the following issues: Environmental and applied research programs; technical information about offshore oil and gas development. Legal, technical and statistical information about royalty management, news releases and announcements about MMS Laws, regulations and memoranda of understanding governing MMS programs General information about MMS. The Website also offers a catalogue of links to related information resources on the Internet and to the DOI Virtual Reading Room an information resource for scientists, policy analysts, lawyers and the public interested in all aspects of the management, use and conservation of all types of natural and cultural resources.
World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC). It can be consulted to see calamities about oil and has articles on general oil subjects.
National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)
is
a collection of over 250 spatial data servers, that have digital geographic data
primarily for use in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), image processing
systems, and other modelling software. These data collections can be searched
through a single interface based on their descriptions, or "metadata."
Website of Energy Information Administration, a US government organisation with statistical information on energy use worldwide and other related articles.
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) from the USA. EDF tackles a broad range of regional, national and international environmental issues. In recent years EDF has become a leading advocate of economic incentives as a new approach to solving environmental problems. The Website includes an extensive list of publications on several subjects including oil.
The UNEP Offshore Oil and Gas Environment Forum’s website was created as a medium to locate and disseminate environmental information concerning the sustainable development of the offshore oil and gas industry.
Center
for Economic and Social Rights - Rights
Violation in the Ecuadorian Amazon, The Human Consequence of Oil Development,
USA, 1994
E&P
Forum (The Oil Industry International Exploration & Production Forum) - Oil
Industry Operating Guideline for Tropical Rainforests
1991, April 1991
Friends
of the Earth Netherlands (Vereniging Milieudefensie) - Wetland or Wasteland? Report; Oilwatch trip to Venezuela, Curação,
Peru and Ecuador, Netherlands, July 1997
International
Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC) - Environmental Guidelines for Worldwide Geophysical Operations
Kretzmann,
S. and Wright, S. - Human Rights and
Environmental Operations Information on the Royal Dutch/ Shell Group of
Companies 1996/1997 - Independent Annual Report, 1997
OILWATCH
, Acción Ecológica - Oilwatch,
Quito (Ecuador), 1996 (available in Spanish, English and French)
Oilwatch
-
Tegantai no 6 (magazine of the
Oil Resistance Network (Oilwatch Secretariat) - August 1996
Oilwatch - Minutes of Oilwatch Asian Workshop 20 - 21 March. Workshop on Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, 1997
Appendix
Oilwatch
Declaration for the Kyoto Conference on Climate Change
Bearing
in mind that:
Therefore,
we the undersigned call for:
That
all public funds now spent by governments, multilateral, and bilateral
overseas development agencies on subsidising fossil fuel extraction in
the energy sector be used instead entirely for investments in clean,
renewable, and decentralised forms of energy.
Oilwatch: December 1997, For the planet and its people, The above declaration has been signed by more than 180 organisations worldwide. |
Ó Both ENDS, July 2001