Eni Paid No Intermediary, Bribes To Acquire Nigeria Oilfield
MILAN, April 13 (Reuters) - Italian oil and gas group Eni reiterated on Thursday it had not paid any intermediary or any bribes to acquire the OPL-245 oilfield in Nigeria.
Speaking at the group's annual shareholder meeting chairwoman Emma Marcegaglia said Eni had only ever dealt with the Nigerian government.
Courts in Nigeria and Italy are investigating the purchase of OPL 245. Eni and major Royal Dutch Shell paid $1.3 billion for the rights to the block in 2011.
On Wednesday Shell said for the first time it was aware that some of the payments it made to Nigeria would go to a company associated with former Nigerian oil minister and convicted money launderer Dan Etete.
Etete awarded the block in 1998 for $20 million to Malabu Oil and Gas, a company in which he was a leading shareholder.
Marcegaglia said Shell's comments did not change Eni's position, adding the company had not paid any money to Etete or sealed any deal with Malabu.
She added Eni has made no provisions for the Nigeria probe.
At the same meeting, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said in the future the group did not rule out a share buy-back programme but added for the time being he had no intention to discuss the issue with the board.
(Reporting by Giancarlo Navach, writing by Stephen Jewkes, editing by Francesca Landini)
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.
- Weatherford CEO's Rebound Plan Relies On Getting Smaller
- Iran Says Oil Market Is Too Tight For US Zero Exports Target
- China's Squeezed 'Teapots' Eye Petchem Path To Riches
- Baker Hughes: US Drillers Add Oil Rigs For Second Week In Three
- Venezuela Hands China More Oil Presence, But No Mention Of New Funds
- Falcon Oil Declares Commercial Flow Test Results for Shenandoah Well
- Japan Failing to Meet Corporate Demand for Clean Power: Amazon
- Macquarie Strategists Expect Brent Oil Price to Grind Higher
- UK Oil Regulator Publishes New Emissions Reduction Plan
- PetroChina Posts Higher Annual Profit on Higher Production
- McDermott Settles Reficar Dispute
- US, SKorea Launch Task Force to Stop Illicit Refined Oil Flows into NKorea
- Pennsylvania County Joins List of Local Govts Suing Big Oil over Climate
- Russian Navy Enters Warship-Crowded Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks
- USA Commercial Crude Oil Inventories Increase
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea
- Standard Chartered Reiterates $94 Brent Call
- India Halts Russia Oil Supplies From Sanctioned Tanker Giant
- DOI Announces Proposal for Second GOM Offshore Wind Auction
- Centcom, Dryad Outline Recent Moves Around Red Sea Region
- PetroChina Set to Receive Venezuelan Oil
- Czech Conglomerate to Buy Major Stake in Gasnet for $917MM
- US DOE Offers $44MM in Funding to Boost Clean Power Distribution
- Oil Settles Lower as Stronger Dollar Offsets Tighter Market
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Major Oilfield Discovery
- VIDEO: Missile Attack Kills Crew Transiting Gulf of Aden
- Norway Regulator Blasts Proposal to Halt New Oil and Gas Permits
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Another Major Oilfield Discovery
- What Is the Biggest Risk to Offshore Oil and Gas Personnel in 2024?
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Vessel Sinks in Red Sea After Missile Strike
- Exxon Rights in Stabroek Do Not Apply to Hess Merger with Chevron: Hess
- Analysts Reveal Latest Oil Price Outlook Following OPEC+ Cut Extension
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea