BP’s botched Arctic deal and the extent of the Foreign Office’s support
Blog post -
Mar 28, 2011
An article on the front page of the Business Section of the Telegraph today has used Freedom of Information requests obtained by PLATFORM to show how BP has used the Foreign Office to cement a controversial deal in Russia, even when the legality of the deal was in doubt. A Channel 4 Dispatches episode this evening by investigative journalist...
Royal Dutch Shell profiting from Sultan’s absolute rule in Oman
Blog post -
Mar 5, 2011
Unrest has reached Oman, the usually “sedate” and “tranquil” Sultanate on the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Inspired by uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain, Omani youth took to the streets to challenge government corruption, cronyism, unemployment and a lack of democracy. Protests spread across the desert country, with police firing bullets and teargas from...
Oil, British foreign energy policy and Middle East repression
Blog post -
Feb 24, 2011
British oil interests are tightly interlinked with our governments’ recent political and military support for Gaddafi’s regime. Libya’s oil reserves – the largest in Africa – long had Western companies drooling. Shell beat its competitors to the chase, signing a $1 billion gas contract in 2004 during Tony Blair’s first visit to Libya. After three...
Secret documents uncover UK’s interest in Libyan oil
Blog post -
Sep 1, 2009
PLATFORM generated two articles in Sunday’s Observer that highlight the collaboration between the Foreign Office and Shell over Libya. The documents referred to show the deep and long-term foreign policy backing provided by the British government to Shell in its efforts to break into Libya. Corporate executives have easy access to the highest level of...
