News about Cairn Energy
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So far, no oil and gas have been discovered in Western Sahara. Two exploration licences are today operated by foreign companies, both from Israel, both offshore. 

Published 28 August 2024
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Israel's NewMed Energy today announced it has signed a deal with Morocco to produce natural gas offshore Boujdour, bringing former Cairn Energy back into the occupied territory. 

Published 06 December 2022
Following Cairn Energy's departure from Western Sahara, it has toned down the pro-Moroccan statements that it used to reproduce.
Published 23 July 2018
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17 years of US private company engagement in exploring the oil potential of Western Sahara has come to an end.

Published 07 February 2018
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Over the past 24 hours, WSRW has observed a resumed seabed exploration north of Dakhla, in the block operated by American oil company Kosmos Energy in collaboration with Scotland's Cairn Energy.

Published 26 October 2017
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The seismic study programme of Kosmos Energy and Cairn Energy offshore occupied Western Sahara ended on 12 April.
Published 15 April 2017
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Kosmos and Cairn Energy are exploring for oil offshore Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco. This photo taken yesterday shows one of their supply vessels.

Published 28 March 2017
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Kosmos Energy and Cairn Energy have over the last weeks undertaken another round of seismic studies offshore Western Sahara. The vessels' movements indicate the location for a new possible drilling site.
Published 23 March 2017
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Kosmos and Cairn have renewed their licence - but did San Leon Energy abandon one of its licences? A new map from ONHYM suggests changes to the highly controversial oil exploration in the occupied territory.

Published 31 July 2016
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Norway's sovereign wealth fund has today announced it has excluded Kosmos Energy and Cairn Energy from its portfolios because of their oil search in Western Sahara. Approx. 54 million dollars of shares were sold.
Published 28 June 2016
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Cairn Energy consistently includes occupied Western Sahara as part of Morocco.

Published 23 June 2016
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Scotland's Cairn Energy states that its joint venture with American firm Kosmos Energy has dropped the oil exploration licence in occupied Western Sahara, but ... that it is now reapplying for part of the very same area.

Published 18 April 2016
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"A hostile act likely to perpetuate the conflict and colonialism in Western Sahara". The Peace and Security Council of the African Union reiterates its position on the illegal exploitaiton of Western Sahara's natural resources.

Published 18 February 2016
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The Luxembourg government fund has blacklisted the American oil company Kosmos Energy and its Scottish partner Cairn Energy due to "association to illegal exploitation of natural resources (Western Sahara)".
Published 22 January 2016
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"No oil drilling should take place in the territory until the Saharawis have had the chance to exercise their right to self-determination and have freely and fairly decided the political status of their homeland", the appeal to the Security Council writes. Read the full letter, and list of signatures, here.

Published 15 April 2015
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Cairn Energy launched today its annual report showing total failure to understand the background of the occupied territory in which it holds interest. Former UN Legal Counsel has already slammed the operation they carry out to be in violation of international law.
Published 27 March 2015
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So far, over 100 organisations worldwide have endorsed our open letter calling on the UN Security Council to condemn Morocco's oil development in Western Sahara. Has your organisation signed up yet? Join us here!
Published 23 March 2015
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In celebration of International Women's Day, yesterday 8 March 2014, the women of the Saharawi refugee camps held a protest against foreign companies that are complicit in Morocco's plunder of their occupied homeland: Western Sahara.

Published 09 March 2015
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Kosmos Energy today announced that it is expecting the first results from its controversial drilling in occupied Western Sahara sooner than anticipated: in early March.
Published 23 February 2015
“I have seen that they [Kosmos executives] think their actions are in conformity with my legal opinion, and my determined opinion is that they are not”, says Ambassador Hans Corell, author of the UN Legal Opinion on oil exploration and exploitation in Western Sahara.
Published 13 January 2015
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On 19 December 2014 , the American oil company Kosmos Energy began to drill for oil in occupied Western Sahara, through an illegal deal with the occupying regime, Morocco. "The company is adding fuel to the fire", stated WSRW.

Published 12 January 2015
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The drillship Atwood Achiever - which is to undertake drilling in waters of occupied Western Sahara - is no longer in Las Palmas and has vanished into thin air.

Published 17 December 2014
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The drillship 'Atwood Achiever' has today entered the port of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. There it will do its final adjustments before starting the drilling in occupied Western Sahara.

Published 16 December 2014
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The oil platform ‘Atwood Achiever' late last night entered the waters of occupied Western Sahara. “Kosmos Energy is to undertake the first drilling in Western Sahara ever. It is hard to imagine a more brutally unethical oil drilling, anywhere in the world”, WSRW states.

Published 14 December 2014
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The oil platform Atwood Achiever has still not left Senegalese waters on its way to occupied Western Sahara.
Published 21 November 2014
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The oil plattform 'Atwood Achiever' could arrive occupied Western Sahara Friday 15 November. There it will do the first drilling in occupied territory, ever.

Published 12 November 2014
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A demonstration against the Scottish company Cairn Energy took place yesterday in front of its offices in Stavanger, Norway.

Published 06 November 2014
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The US oil company Kosmos Energy and the Scottish company Cairn Energy will drill for oil offshore Western Sahara. It is clearly in violation of international law, according to the UN - and it destroys the UN peace efforts. Here is what you need to know.
Published 30 October 2014
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The Canary Islands are opening their eyes to the dangers of Morocco’s illegal oil programme in Western Sahara. The currents would take any spill right onto shores of the tourist magnet.
Published 27 October 2014
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The Atwood Achiever, the drill ship that has been commissioned by Kosmos Energy, has been spotted this morning off the coast of South Africa, just south of Cape Town.
Published 23 October 2014
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Western Sahara Resource Watch has today launched a report on Kosmos Energy’s unscrupulous plans for test well drilling in occupied Western Sahara. In a few weeks time, the company may permanently damage the Saharawi people's aspirations and rights to freedom and independence, as it commences unethical and illegal oil drilling in Africa's last colony.

Published 16 October 2014
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The vessel 'Atwood Achiever' which will drill in occupied Western Sahara is getting closer. After some ten days under the radar, crossing the Indian Ocean, the vessel has now appeared off the coast of Madagascar.

Published 14 October 2014
WSRW has asked the United Nations’ Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) to report on Morocco's petroleum exploration in occupied Western Sahara to the General Assembly.
Published 13 October 2014
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The “on-the-ground” partners of oil company Kosmos Energy in occupied Western Sahara do not base their work on local expertise. Far from it. They are led by directors with a clear pro-Moroccan approach to the conflict. Kosmos Energy is looking for the answers they want to hear - from the wrong people.

Published 03 October 2014
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The oil rig Atwood Achiever is only a few weeks away from arriving Western Sahara. After a stop-over in Singapore, it is now heading towards the occupied territory.

Published 01 October 2014
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The Atwood Achiever, the oil rig commissioned by Kosmos Energy to drill for oil in occupied Western Sahara, is currently at anchor in Singapore. In a few weeks time, the rig may permanently damage the Saharawi people's aspirations to freedom and independence, as it commences unethical and illegal oil drilling in Africa's last colony.
Published 23 September 2014
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A Moroccan national who dedicates her life to campaign the Moroccan position of the Western Sahara conflict is working on the upcoming “Social Impact Assessment” of Kosmos Energy. Drilling in the occupied territory to begin in November.
Published 10 September 2014

Kosmos Energy's supply vessel Geo Service 1 was observed yesterday in occupied Western Sahara.
 

Published 05 July 2014
The UN secretariat has previously stated any further oil search in Western Sahara would be illegal. Polisario requested the UN Secretary General to intervene.
Published 01 July 2014

Two of the vessels used by Kosmos Energy for its final exploration programme were last week observed in Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara.
Published 30 June 2014
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Kosmos Energy officials are next week to undertake a mission to Western Sahara to meet with pro-Moroccan sham groups in Western Sahara, according to WSRW's sources. The company is ever closer to destroy the future of the Saharawi people.
Published 29 June 2014
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The rig ship 'Atwood Achiever', which will drill in occupied Western Sahara in a few months, is soon to travel to the territory. Now it is testing offshore Korea.

Published 29 June 2014
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At the Spanish government owned harbour of Las Palmas today, Geo Service 1 is bunkering supplies for the illegal Moroccan oil studies offshore occupied Western Sahara. The studies take place not too far away from Spanish waters.

Published 17 June 2014
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A subsidary of the Chinese national oil company CNPC this month started a new study offshore occupied Western Sahara on behalf of Kosmos Energy. "Severely undermining the UN peace efforts for the occupied territory", stated WSRW, condemning the operation.

Published 30 May 2014
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Published 24 April 2014
Saharawis have a clear message for the US Oil company Kosmos Energy, that has announced its plans to drill for oil in occupied Western Sahara in October this year.
Published 19 March 2014
A company that installed key equipment of the Atwood Achiever told Norwegian broadcaster today it would never had taken on the assignment had they known the vessel would be used in Western Sahara. It has withdrawn from commitments to deliver service to the rig while in the territory.
Published 17 March 2014
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The US company Kosmos Energy is going to drill in Western Sahara for the first time since the Moroccan occupation. In six months time, it might be too late to stop the company.

Published 10 March 2014
WSRW has asked Cairn Energy to reconsider its involvement in occupied Western Sahara. Through its partnership with American oil firm Kosmos Energy, Cairn will take part in further exploration works in the territory, including exploratory drilling.
Published 21 February 2014
The Saharawi government has today issued a press release on the plans of petroleum firms Cairn Energy PLC and Kosmos Energy LLC for exploratory drilling in the waters of occupied Western Sahara in 2014. Read their statement here.
Published 20 November 2013
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Dutch seismic services firm Fugro NV, and its Norwegian subsidiary Fugro-Geoteam, state they do not want to undertake any more assignments in Western Sahara under the current political situation in the country.

Published 06 May 2010