-
Iraq steps toward long-term oil contracts
In late January, the International Monetary Fund finally released its Standby Agreement, signed with the Iraqi government a month previously. The Agreement provided a future financing facility, but more significantly allowed the cancellation of 30% of Iraq’s debt owed to the Paris Club of creditor nations – in exchange for Iraq’s compliance with the IMF’s…
-
Signing away Iraq’s democracy
This report was first published in Platform’s carbon web newsletter, issue 3. As Carbon Web goes to press, Iraqi politicians are still haggling over the key roles in forming a new government. The outcome will be closely watched not only by Iraqis, but as a recent PLATFORM report reveals, by multinational oil companies, hoping to…
-
Peak oil – an oil geologist’s perspective
There is considerable debate, both within and outside the oil industry, on whether global oil production has peaked here an oil geologist argues that we should take the threat seriously – This report was first published in Platform's carbon web news letter, issue 3. Peak oil has become a hot topic. The term is used to…
-
BP’s Christmas ruined as Turkey is delayed
Safety failures delay the opening of BP’s BTC pipeline by a year – This report was first published in Platform’s carbon web newsletter, issue 3. BP’s reputation faces a battering as completion of its flagship Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) has been delayed by more than a year. The pipeline will not come on stream before April, due to…
-
Signing away Iraqs democracy
PLATFORM’s new report exposes the true cost to Iraq of the oil majors’ agenda As Carbon Web goes to press, Iraqi politicians are still haggling over the key roles in forming a new government. The outcome will be closely watched not only by Iraqis, but as a recent PLATFORM report reveals, by multinational oil companies, hoping to…
-
Iraq Constitution lays ground for oilfield selloff
As Iraq goes to the polls in this month’s referendum on the draft Constitution, the fate of the country’s oil reserves has once again escaped public scrutiny – despite their central importance to Iraq’s future economy. According to Oil Ministry officials, contracts will be signed with foreign oil companies during the first nine months of…
-
BP’s stranglehold on Azerbaijan
This interview was first published in Platform’s carbon web newsletter, issue 2. There are few independent and publicly critical voices emanating from Azerbaijan. With the current regime of President Ilham Aliyev – like that of his father Heydar before him – enforcing its hegemonic control through both brute force and a strong hold over…
-
Nigeria Ten Years On
10 years on from Saro-Wiwa the Niger Delta remains one of the world‘s most unstable oil provinces, despite US-UK ambitions. – This report was first published in Platform’s Carbon web newsletter, issue 2. Ten years ago on 10th November, 9 men were hanged in a squalid courtyard at Port Harcourt Prison, Delta State, Nigeria.…
-
The End of the Empire of Gog & Magog
Presentation at `Desire Lines` conference on Arts & Ecology, Dartington College, Totnes, Devon. Saturday 10th September 2005. James Marriott. THE END OF THE EMPIRE OF GOG & MAGOG (Slide showing on screen at start : Robin Territories at Dartington 1935 – 1945) First of may I say thank you to Alan (Bolden), Lara (Riley) and…
