Despite the general impression created by the Federal Government that the country lacked adequate funding to improve on its infrastructure, particularly electricity and roads, Shell, the biggest

oil firm in the country has revealed that its operation alone generated $39 billion (about N5.85 trillion) for the government in the last five years.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser made the shocking revelation at Fortune Global Forum in Cape Town yesterday while defending the Hague-based Shell’s record in Nigeria.

According to him, “Shell has over the last five years delivered $39 billion to the central government” in Nigeria, he said.

“These funds are probably not used in the best way across the Niger Delta to increase the living standards. We cannot be stepping into the shoes of the government.”

Meanwhile, Voser said an oil spill from a BP Plc well in the Gulf of Mexico, the biggest in U.S. history, is unlikely to halt deep-water drilling.

Shell which operates some deep offshore fields in Nigeria has been repeatedly accused of polluting the Niger Delta environment where it is a leading oil producer.

“Our expectation is for it (deep-water drilling) to continue,” Voser said.

“This is really based on our belief that the energy system going forward over the next few decades will actually need all the energy” that can be developed.

U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a six-month moratorium on all drilling in waters deeper than 500 feet in the wake of the April explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the subsequent spill.

On June 22, U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman ruled the ban, which sought to give a presidential commission time to study offshore safety improvements, was overly broad and prohibited federal regulators from enforcing it. Four days later, the U.S. government asked a federal appeals court in New Orleans to delay the enforcement of that order.

Changes to safety standards currently under consideration in the US are “pretty much in line with our global standards,” Voser said. “We have revamped all our designs and safety procedures. From a Shell point of view we would not have drilled this well in the same way” as BP.

texazzpete:

How will it be reflected when all you people know how to do is blame the oil companies, forgetting that the Federal Government collects at least 80% of all the oil revenues from onshore Niger Delta?

All we hear is Shell! Mobil! Chevron! Agip! Meanwhile the major beneficiary is traipsing around freely.

Ask your people to focus their energies on their Local, State and Federal government. Keep waiting for mobil to construct roads for you while your local government chairmen consume all the millions handed over to them for development purposes.

xterra2:

Generates $39 billion for POLITICIANS not Nigeria