OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

1. OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY • Investigating Corruption In Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry By: Sunday Dare News Digest International Magazine

2. FACT FILE: NIGERIA-OIL AND GAS A. 6th largest producer of oil on the world B.5th largest supplier to the USA, providing about 15 per cent of US supplies C.Africa’s leading oil producer for decades, overtaken 2-months ago by Angola. D.Nigeria produces about 1.2 million barrels of oil per day (this has dropped dramatically to about half) E.Nigeria earns about $24 billion dollars annually from its Oil sector F. Nigeria’s Oil and Gas industry is a heaven of corruption (all stakeholders have been involved in one form of corruption or another) G. About 4 major oil multi-national companies are in joint venture partnership with Nigeria’s national oil company, NNPC H. The three major shareholders in the oil sector are: Nigerian government, Oil Multi-nationals (Chevron, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Texaco) and the Niger Delta people.

3. CONTINUE-FACT FILE: NIGERIA-OIL AND GAS I. Nigeria’s remains one of the six most corrupt countries in the world according to TI rating. (Corruption is fueled by wealth from oil industry J. Nigeria has one of the largest reserves of Natural Gas (LNG) in the world. (It has been flared for decades, now it is been harnessed for commercial purposes)

4. INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION CORRUPTION IS A DIFFICULT PROBLEM FOR AN ENERGY INDUSTRY BASED OVERSEAS ESPECIALLY IN DEALING WITH A COUNTRY LIKE NIGERIA WITH ITS REPUTATION FOR CORRUPTION

5. FACT FILE :NIGERIA GAS -Nigeria has the 10th largest proven reserves of Natural Gas (LNG) in the world. -Nigeria is believed to at present have more Gas reserves than oil. About 160 trillion cubic feet. Will last 109 years. -Current annual production figure is 17 million tons per year -USA is expected to provide the biggest market for Nigeria’s LNG and the world’s leading GAS exporter in 5-6 years

6. CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA’S GAS INDUSTRY -In a rush to build gas plants and infrastructure to package Nigeria’s gas for the export market corruption has reared its head. The project commenced in 1999 -A $4 BILLION gas plant has been conceived to be built on Bonny Island off Nigeria’s coast -Contract was awarded to a group of international companies notable among which was a subsidiary of Halliburton, an American company. -Halliburton and top Nigerian oil officials currently under investigation for bribery scandal to the tune of $137 million. -Consultancy- total $137 million reportedly paid out to Nigerian officials and foreign consultants in order to avoid competitive bidding.

7. CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA’S GAS INDUSTRY –cont’d -Jeffery Tessler, the foreign consultant hired by Halliburton was paid $32.5 million for his brief, which was “…to maintain favorable relationships with government officials…” -After revelations, investigations have commenced by the US government and Nigeria’s corruption agency, EFCC into the bribery scandal to win the contracts. -Construction of the first, second, third and fourth trains of the Gas Plant has been completed with the completion of the fifth train near jeopardy due to corruption.

8. MEDIA INVESTIGATIONS:What we are doing and how;

9. INVESTIGATING THE GAS BRIBERY SCANDAL 1-Background- Collecting all relevant materials to development of Nigeria’s Gas industry (Policy papers, history of gas flaring, plans for the development of the sector) 2-Researching all that has be published or done on the gas corruption scandal. (NPR did a brilliant series tilted “Promise and Peril” on the gas industry and corruption in Nigeria) 3-Finding all documents relating the to the bids submitted by all foreign companies for the construction of the Gas plant. 4-Working with/Interview EFCC officials who have been involved in the investigation in the last two years and secure relevant documents. 5-Finding the case files for each of the people and company under investigation (from Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC) 6-Halliburton: Identifying LNG Nigeria’s officials and cabinet ministers involved in the final decision to give Halliburton the contract, how they got and how the money was paid out.

10. INVESTIGATING THE GAS BRIBERY SCANDAL –cont’d 7-Perusing records of all oil and gas contracts handled by Halliburton in Africa with a view to finding a pattern of payoffs or skipping competitive bidding 8-Following the money-Find out to whom and which bank accounts (local and foreign) the bribe monies was paid into. 9-Interviewing/investigating all those connected with the bribery scandal 10-Background check on Jeffery Tesler, Halliburton’s consultant who handled the slush payments. Seek to interview him. 11-Halliburton-digging into their work in Africa. Zero in on the Nigerian Gas plant contract and interview Halliburton officials. Find out Dick Cheney’s role in all of this since the pay out happened under his watch. 12-USA- get information and interviews with US officials handling the case. Visit the website of SEC to see the filings of Halliburton. Reveal information about US laws against paying bribes overseas in order to secure contracts 13-Most of the corruption/payouts took place outside Nigeria. Find out the modus operandi of such deals, which are very prevalent and involving several African government officials.