afrol News, 27 May - Today, a warning letter has been sent to all offshore seismic survey companies against engaging in the Moroccan-occupied territory of Western Sahara. Companies doing so "should prepare for massive negative PR, shareholder sell-outs, and possible law-suits," the warning says.

The Norwegian Western Sahara Committee, one of the most active NGOs supporting Saharawi liberation, today increases its pressure against oil and seismic companies wanting to engage off the promising coast of the occupied territory. Oil companies Total (former TotalFinaElf) or Kerr-McGee have signed a controversial contract with the Rabat regime to explore oil resources off Western Sahara and need to sub-contract seismic companies in order to map the offshore seafloor.

Eirik Kirkerud of the Norwegian committee warns the world's seismic companies of legal and "ethical aspects of such involvements," that is sure to cause reactions from activists. The warning follows after the Committee succeeded in stopping the Norwegian company TGS-NOPEC from engaging in any further contracts in the area.

TGS-NOPEC's contracts with the French and US oil companies on initial seismic surveys as part of their reconnaissance contracts with Morocco trigged a massive campaign, prompting the seismic company to stop. Although TGS-NOPEC completed their initial contracts, they admit that increased knowledge about the controversies in the area now prevent them from entering into new contracts. Meanwhile, TGS-NOPEC had been subject to massive negative PR through more than one hundred Norwegian and international news articles and substantial shareholder sell-outs.

Earlier this month, the campaign took a new turn, as the Norwegian fund administrator Skagenfondene, sold its 100.000 shares in Kerr-McGee, taking a two million dollar loss. Due to the massive negative attention on Kerr-McGee's activities in the occupied territories, they regarded the shares as too risky. Skagenfondene was the biggest Norwegian shareholder in the company.

The Norwegian Committee points out that seismic surveys preparing for future hydrocarbon exploitation have been heavily condemned by the Saharawi exile government. "Seismic mapping is the first step towards exploitation of Western Sahara's oil and gas, which would clearly be illegal according to International Law," says Erik Hagen of the Committee in a statement.

- Supporting Morocco's theft of Western Sahara's hydrocarbons would be both immoral and dangerous, says Mr Hagen. "The reconnaissance contracts have shown to raise the tension in the conflict and harden Morocco's uncompromising attitude towards the Saharawi's right to self-determination through a referendum, and the conflict may as a result shift to warmer. Participating seismic companies should also prepare for possible law-suits following such activities."

The letter has been sent to a total of 51 companies, with copies to Total (former TotalFinaElf), Kerr-McGee and the Moroccan state oil company (ONAREP). The Moroccan government, in cooperation with Kerr-McGee and Total, is now to call for tender seismic survey contracts offshore Western Sahara.

By staff writers

© afrol News

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