Chevron staff charged over Brazil oil spill
Federal prosecutors in Brazil have filed criminal charges against 17 Chevron and Transocean company executives over an oil leak in the Atlantic Ocean in November 2011.
Prosecutors on Wednesday accused the executives of environmental crimes, of misleading Brazil's oil regulator about their safety plans and not providing accurate information in the wake of the spill.
"Chevron will vigorously defend the company and its employees."
- Kurt Glaubitz, Chevron spokesperson
At least 416,000 litres of oil seeped through cracks on the ocean floor near a Chevron appraisal well off the Rio de Janeiro coast.
The well drilled by Transocean has since been sealed, but a small amount of seepage has re-appeared in recent days, raising concerns that the damage is not yet over.
Chevron were initially fined $27 million for the oil spill by the Brazilian government in December 2011.
The charges come as Brazil works to develop massive offshore oil fields discovered in recent years that hold upward of 50 billion barrels of oil.
The federal prosecutors' office in Rio de Janeiro said in an emailed statement that the two companies and 17 of its executives had been charged with "crimes against the environment."
If found guilty, the executives could face up to 31 years in prison.
"Everything indicates that Chevron was imprudent and that area should not have been developed,'' said Carlos Minc, the environment minister for Rio de Janeiro state.
A judge will decide if the case will go to trial, which would be a lengthy process given the number of defendants, the complexity of the case and the Brazilian legal system's room for numerous appeals.
'Charges are outrageous'
Chevron said after the November leak that it had underestimated the pressure in an underwater reservoir, so that crude rushed up a bore hole and eventually escape into the surrounding seabed about 370kms off Rio's coast.
The oil escaped through at least seven narrow fissures on the ocean floor, all within 50 metres of the well head.
"These charges are outrageous and without merit. Once all the facts are fully examined, they will demonstrate that Chevron and its employees responded appropriately and responsibly to the incident," said Chevron spokesman Kurt Glaubitz. "Chevron will vigorously defend the company and its employees."
Prosecutors have asked for all the assets of those charged be seized, that each person be fined $555,555 and each company $5.6 million.
Among those charged on Wednesday with environmental crimes are six US citizens, five Brazilians, two French and Australian nationals, one Briton and one Canadian.
They include the heads of the Brazilian subsidiaries of both Chevron and Transocean. A judge ruled late last week that none of the executives could leave Brazil.
Source: Agencies
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/03/20123225656977253.html
Brazil to file charges on Chevron executives
A federal judge grants a request from prosecutors, barring 17 executives from leaving Brazil, pending criminal charges.
Brazilian prosecutors have said they will file criminal charges against 17 executives of Chevron and drilling contractor Transocean for a new oil leak near the offshore well where at least 110,000 gallons (about 416,000 liters) spilled late last year.
A federal judge in Rio de Janeiro state granted a request from prosecutors on Saturday, barring the 17 executives from leaving Brazil, pending criminal charges.
Charges are expected to be filed on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the prosecutors' press office.
Those targeted include George Buck, chief operating officer for Chevron's Brazilian division, federal prosecutors' spokesman Marcelo del Negri said by telephone.
Other than Buck, he did not know how many of the executives worked for California-based Chevron and how many for Transocean, the drilling contractor for the well where the leak occurred last year.
A spokeswoman for Chevron in Brazil said the company had no comment because it had not been notified of the decision. She asked not to be identified in line with internal regulations.
New oil seepage
On Thursday, Chevron confirmed that there was a "small new oil seepage" and that it was working to collect the crude.
The size of the new leak is unknown, Brazil's National Petroleum Agency, known as ANP said, explaining the leak was detected because an oil slick appeared on the ocean surface.
An ANP spokeswoman said the new leak was "not coming from the well; it's been sealed. It seems to be coming from fissures on the ocean floor near the well," where the leak occurred last year. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying she was not authorized to discuss the matter.
Chevron has asked ANP for permission to halt all production activities, saying it wants to conduct a "comprehensive technical study" to better understand the reservoirs where it's drilling.
Ibama, Brazil's environmental protection agency said in a statement posted on its website that Chevron has until March 20 to provide "detailed information on the action taken to mitigate the environmental impact" of the new leak.
The new leak is another challenge for plans to safely extract oil from the offshore finds Brazil has seen in recent years. It's estimated at least 50 billion barrels of oil lie off Brazil's coast, the biggest discoveries in the Americas in three decades.
Oil started leaking from cracks on the ocean floor at the site of a Chevron appraisal well last November 7, about 370 kilometres off the northeastern coast of Rio de Janeiro state. About two weeks later, ANP said that the leak was under control.
Source: Agencies
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/03/201231815012180836.html
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