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Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Chevron USA and BNP Paribas agreed recently in a Texas District Court to turn over documents and correspondence between the two companies and other entities to the Nigerian oil company Brittania-Uthat is suing Chevron. The suit is over the sale of three OMLs in the Niger Delta.
The agreement came during a hearing April 27 regarding the lawsuit filed in Houston by Brittania-U. In the lawsuit, Brittania-U accuses Amni International Petroleum Development Co., Belema Oil Producing, and other entities of “tortious interference” for allegedly raising questions about Brittania-U’s ability to pay for the leases during a bidding process two years ago. Chevron and BNP were subpoenaed by the plaintiff to turn over the files as they contain evidence relevant to the case.
Brittania-U filed suit in federal court in Nigeria in December 2013 accusing Chevron Nigeria Ltd, Chevron USA, and its partners of breach of bid arrangement in the sale of the oil mining leases. Brittania-U is asking that Chevron be compelled to finalize the sale or pay $11 billion in damages.
Brittania-U officials later filed suit in Houston alleging that Chevron backed out of the deal after Amni, Belema, and others raised questions about the company’s finances.A judge recently nullified Chevron’s sale of its 40% interest in the OMLs to the Seplat Consortium, ruling that no sale can take place until Brittania-U’s lawsuit against Chevron is resolved. The consortium includesSeplat Petroleum Development Co., Amni, and Belema.
Judge Caroline Baker of the District Court of Texas denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss. Chevron and BNP argued that Texas courts lacked jurisdiction over the case because it involved the sale of foreign real estate and that the case belonged in Nigeria – not Texas.
Baker then heard Brittania-U’s motion to compel Chevron and BNP Paribas to turn over a variety of documents, including correspondence among officers, employees or agents of Chevron discussing the bidding process, the leases, or Brittania-U’s finances; correspondence between Chevron, Amni, Seplat, Belema Oil and BNP Paribas discussing the matters; and any contracts between Chevron and Belema, Amni and Seplat in the last five years.
During the hearing and partially due to Baker’s ruling on the motions to dismiss, Chevron and BNP Paribas agreed to turn over many of the documents.
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