Nigerian investors attempting to end gas flaring in Nigeria have publicly accused Shell and other international oil companies of obstructing their plans. The Nigerian companies signed a Memo of Understanding with the Nigerian government to divert the gas to domestic power generation in December 2009.
The international oil companies continue to flare gas causing a health and ecological disaster, despite repeated court orders and community protests. Now there are apparently refusing to engage with proposals to end the flaring. Shell, which controls 92 out of the known 189 flare-sites in the Niger Delta, was names as particularly uncooperative, denying access to sites.
A representative of these third party investors (which include Nigerian oil companies Turan Oil and Petrolog Group),stated that “Things are difficult for us, the IOC’s are not allowing us access to the flow stations that we are supposed to invest in, it is with great frustration that we have come to this meeting. If it is true that Nigeria has a large amount of gas that is wasting away and we have the money to invest and stop this wastage, then we are we being treated unfairly.”, they lamented.