Western Sahara: The world seismic industry receives warning from Norwegian NGO

Today, a warning letter has been sent to all offshore seismic survey companies. In the letter, the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara warns that "Companies which sign deals with Morocco or the oil companies Total or Kerr-McGee in order to map Western Sahara or the seafloor offshore the Moroccan-occupied territory, should prepare for massive negative PR, shareholder sell-outs, and possible law-suits".

The warning follows after the Support 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.

The Support 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. "Supporting Morocco's theft of Western Sahara's hydrocarbons would be both immoral and dangerous", says Erik Hagen at the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara. "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".

For further information, please contact

Erik Hagen,

The Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara

Mobile +47 45265619 erikhagen@yahoo.com