Launch of MAOR, a new group concerned with gas and oil exploration in Donegal

by News reader Thu Apr 12, 2007 09:26

Shell pays out over reserves affair

Royal Dutch Shell is to pay European and other non-US investors more than £178m to settle claims over the scandal surrounding the overstatement of its oil and gas reserves.

The company shocked shareholders in 2004 by slashing its proven reserves figures by some 20 per cent .

The affair cost three of its senior executives their jobs, sparked a probe by US regulators and sent the firm's shares plunging.

Shell said it had agreed to pay out some £178.3m, plus administrative costs, "without admitting any wrongdoing".

It has always insisted that the overstatement was a genuine error and not a deliberate exaggeration.

It has said it plans to offer the same deal to US investors in proportion to their shareholding in the company.

The agreement is dependent on the Amsterdam Court of Appeals ruling that the settlement will be binding on all shareholders.

Non-US investors include ABP and PGGM, as well as organisations representing individual shareholders.

Royal Dutch Shell is the West's second-largest oil company by market value.

It is worth some £108bn at its current share price.

by Mary. D Thu Apr 12, 2007 09:54

Sound good but what does MAOR stand for ?

by Goblin Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:03

Sometimes I am so disgunted with the short-sighted greed and small-mindedness of our forelock tugging politicians that I contemplate emigration.

This will be Corrib all over again, huge revenues lost to the Irish people as our mickey mouse government lays down the red carpet for Statoil and Shell.

Standard practice world-wide is royalties with 25% Tax on top. Are we an independant nation or not?

We have without doubt the greatest bunch of amateurs and pretenders in Government here than in ANY other country. And watch as these clowns get re-elected by the fucking sheep that is the Irish Public.

by PBP Watch Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:51

Could someone confirm whether any of the people involved in this are SWP/PBP/IAWM?

by daffy duck - none Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:22

What is it about people like PBP Watch that want to see the tentacles of the SWP everywhere? Do they see groups like the SWP, SP, SF etc. ad nauseam as the enemy, as the people who are exploiting the oil and gas of the Irish people? Wise up, man, cos you can be sure PBP Watch is a man with too much time on his hands.
Get yourself a life. Get out there and do something about the rape of our resources at the hands of multi-nationals.
If you have so much spare time, get to the meeting in Letterkenny at 2 on Saturday and ask the organisers yourself.
You might learn something about co-operation between activists as well while you're there.
This is far more important than finding out which sect everyone is a member of.
There are far more crucial issues to be faced than the participation of left groups in political activities.
It's really important that groups like this get as much support as possible because they are the ones who are trying to raise public awareness on this scandal.
And try to lose your fear of the bogey man.
Once you do that, you'll find that there's a great big world out there, full of exciting things to do and really interesting people to meet.
Go on. You owe it to yourself, and to us as well!

by YETI Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:27

last night at the Free Mumia talk in Dublin, Donal from the SWP collected email addresses and phone numbers from the crowd.

My prediction is that those who gave their details will start to receive info about PBP, or the anti-war movement, or some such SWP front.

by mg Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:53

I am not a fan of the SWP or their fronts. However in their defence that email list is meant to be an open list where all participants in the list can email details of their campaigns or any such info. I signed up to it however I think indymedia and indymedia's event list should be utilised far more.

by Amanda - MAOR Fri Apr 13, 2007 14:12 donegal.maor at gmail dot com

MAOR is an Irish word meaning guardian or stewardship, and is an acronym for Mobilise, Act, Overcome, Reclaim. We are a group of Donegal residents who have formed in response to the issues surrounding hydrocarbon (gas and oil) exploration and licensing in Donegal.

There are currently 9 Frontier Exploration licenses and 5 Petroleum Prospecting Licenses outstanding for areas off the Donegal coast (a number are shared with Mayo). Areas which may be affected by exploration and in turn, commercial mining include; Malin Head, Tory Island, Gaoth Dobhair, Burtonport, Killybegs and Ballyshannon. The terms of the companies’ contracts are the same as those of Shell, Statoil and Marathon in Rossport, which concerns our group greatly. These terms mean that the people of Ireland get no profits or royalties from our natural resources with companies having to pay very little, if any tax, as the low 25% tax rate is offset against costs accrued over a previous 25 year period. We will not get reduced prices for our natural resources as the companies will sell our resources back to us at full market prices. We are not guaranteed a supply of our resources in an emergency. Communities face possible Compulsory Acquisition Orders in the event of onshore refineries, which also bring a range of environmental, health and safety concerns. Given the hostile offshore conditions off the Donegal coast, onshore refineries similiar to Rossport are highly likely.

According to the Petroleum Affairs Division (Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources) there is a potential 10 billion barrels of hydrocarbons off the West Coast of Ireland. At current market prices, the value of these Irish resources is approximately 450 billion euros - from which the people of Ireland will see little benefit. This is extremely concerning given the high levels of economic and social disadvantage along the West Coast of Ireland, and the state institutions which are losing out from this give away of potential revenue, particularly Health and Education.

Emerging from the contracts and future exploration and drilling are a range of issues, particularly pressing is that four of the licenses holders off Donegal are obliged to carry out exploratory drilling within the next year as a condition of their licenses. As a group MAOR is focused on three key areas surrounding the aforementioned issues: licensing and exploration, environment (including infrastructure), and community.

Alongside preparing for our launch, the group is currently planning a range of road-shows in County Donegal to let people know what is happening across the spectrum of issues surrounding exploration and drilling. Important to also mention is that MAOR is non-party political and comes from a genuine community oriented view, and not influenced by any party’s political agendas. We are Donegal residents, concerned about our county and have been doing this work on a completely voluntary basis.

If you are concerned about any of the issues mentioned, come along to our launch and show your support. Our launch will be held on Saturday the 14th April at 2p.m. in the Market Square, Letterkenny. There has been absolutely NO consultation about any of the issues, and at the end of the day it will be all of our communities which will lose out.
For further information email donegal.maor@gmail.com or ring 086 3622378.

by W. Finnerty. Fri Apr 13, 2007 17:00

Copied from above:

"There has been absolutely NO consultation about any of the issues, ..."

Allowing for the fact that the Republic of Ireland signed the international United Nations "Aarhus Convention Agreement" in 1998, this "NO consultation" business has to be COMPLETELY out of order (I believe). The basic principles of the Aarhus Convention Agreement can be found via http://www.google.com/search?q=Aarhus+Convention+Agreem...earch , and they include and depend on the following kind of very basic ideas and arrangements:

1) "It links environmental rights and human rights."

2) "It links government accountability and environmental protection."

3) "The subject of the Aarhus Convention goes to the heart of the relationship between people and governments."

After signing the Aarhus Convention Agreement in 1998, and after reaping the huge financial benefits involved (i.e. billions of Euros), all three of the main branches of the Republic of Ireland government (Legislative, Government, and Judiciary) then appear to have done EVERYTHING they possibly could to hide the "Aarhus Agreement " information from the voters, as they all continue to do to this day: and with the full support and backing of the "establishment" media it seems. Some further information on these points, which includes mention of the way the entire government is BLATANTLY violating Article 29.5.1 of Bunreacht na hEireann (the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland) regarding this issue of the Aarhus Convention Agreement can be found at http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=72344&con...34512 .

Finally, and with the 2007 GENERAL ELECTION in mind, a few words ("cupla focal") from the late, great "legal maestro" himself, who was also a linguist, and who actually learned to translate at least one ancient Irish folk tale for himself it seems ("Oisin in Tir na nOg"):

"To secure these inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." --Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776. ME 1:29, Papers 1:429 (For context see: http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff0150.htm )

by damien Fri Apr 13, 2007 19:49

Firstly, the Aarhaus convention was never ratified - so it has no legal standing in Ireland. Secondly you claim :

"after reaping the huge financial benefits involved"

What befits are you talking about? could you provide an exanple?

by W. Finnerty. Sat Apr 14, 2007 12:35

If you identify yourself properly (so I know who you really are) I will answer your query.

Otherwise, and as far as I am concerned, I would like to respectfully suggest to you that you find the answer to your own question by your own means.

by damien Sat Apr 14, 2007 13:33

The terms of use of indymedia permit anonymity - and rightly so.

In the mean time I think the readers will understand that your refusal to provide any evidence for you rediculous claims, is simply because you dont have any evidence.

by W. Finnerty. Sun Apr 15, 2007 08:53

The terms of Indymedia also permit me (and others) to ignore your fragmented, corrupt, malicious, and bad-mannered ravings - all delivered in a completely cowardly fashion from behind a wall of anonymity.

I do not have any problems regarding the fact that Indymedia allow anonymity: my concern relates to people like you who are abusing this otherwise useful facility - in ways which enable you (and your kind) to say whatever you like, but NEVER have to take ANY responsibility for ANYTHING you write: regardless of how damaging and/or upsetting it might be for the victims of your abuse.