Greenpeace,oil cos cleared of Australia naptha deal
Date: 12-Sep-02
Country: AUSTRALIA
It was alleged that environmental campaigners Greenpeace may have made arrangements with some oil companies that resulted in the companies refusing to purchasing naptha from Southern Pacfic Petroleum's shale oil project in Queensland state.
An ACCC investigation found there was no breach of the competition provisions and that the oil companies had not purchased naptha after making independent commercial decisions.
SPP's controversial Stuart Oil Shale project has been targeted by Greenpeace, which claims the production plant produces high greenhouse gas emissions, dioxin releases, air and water pollution and affected the health of local people.
Earlier this year, activists protested at about 100 retail service station sites of oil refiner and marketer Caltex Australia after the company bought a cargo of 50,300 barrels of naptha from SPP.
Caltex has ruled out any further purchases, along with Royal Dutch/Shell and BP Plc . Although Mobil Oil Australia, a unit of ExxonMobil , has signed a long-term naptha sales contract with SPP.
Shares in the thinly traded Southern Pacific Petroleum were up one cent or 2.1 percent to A$0.49 yesterday, while shares in Caltex were up 3.6 percent at A$1.71 in a stronger overall market.
