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- In Federal Republic of Nigeria v MT Asteris (Charge FHC/L/239c/2015) the Federal High Court convicted a vessel and its crew of charges that included conspiracy to deal, dealing with, attempting to export and storing crude oil without lawful authority or a licence. The vessel had been arrested while drifting in Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone and Lloyds List data showed that the vessel had been trading in Nigeria. The vessel had 3,423.097 metric tons of petroleum products on board but no documents confirming their origin.
- Following Shell’s £55m settlement of an oil spill claim in the Bodo community in Nigeria, two new claims have been filed against Shell in the High Court by London solicitors, Leigh Day, in respect of spills in the Ogale and Bille communities.In the Ogale action, it is alleged that leaks are due to pipelines and infrastructure being several decades old and in a poor state of repair. In 2011 the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) published an Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland which included extensive testing of the Ogale Community. UNEP’s recommended: (i) Emergency measures to provide adequate sources of drinking water to impacted households; (ii) Immediate steps to prevent existing contaminated sites from causing further pollution and; (iii) A substantial programme of clean up and decontamination of impacted sites. It is alleged that Shell has failed to comply with the recommendations of the UNEP Report and to clean up the sites polluted by their oil.In the Bille action it is alleged that creeks, mangroves and island communities have been devastated by oil leaks since the replacement of the Bille Section of the pipeline in 2010. The key issue in the claim will be whether Shell can be liable for failing to protect their pipelines from damage caused by third parties.On 2 March 2016 at the Technology and Construction Court, His Honour Judge Raeside QC, ruled that formal legal proceedings against Shell can now be served on Shell Nigeria (the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd) who will be joined to the English proceedings alongside Royal Dutch Shell plc.
