Western Sahara Resource Watch

Irish oil company wants to speed up oil hunt

The Irish oil company Island Oil and Gas - and their partners in San Leon - today announced their intention to upgrade their licence in occupied Western Sahara from a frontier licence to an exploration licence.

Published 25 February 2009

War profiteers

Irishmen Bryan Benitz and and Paul Griffiths are leading a company that is planning to profit from an occupation.

Published 02 February 2009

Aggressive onshore plans

Morocco has apparently launched a big onshore exploration programme in Western Sahara.

Published 29 January 2009

Open letter to Island Oil & Gas

24th of December 2008, the oil reconnaissance contract held by the Irish oil company Island Oil & Gas for oil exploration in occupied Western Sahara expired. Today WSRW sent the company a letter demanding them to not renew their engagement.

Published 24 December 2008

Letter from WSRW to Island Oil and Gas, 2006

Sent 13 December 2006, the day after Island Oil & Gas announced its contract with Moroccan authorities on occupied land in Western Sahara.

Published 23 December 2008

Irish government hopes oil company will respect international law

Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin TD, hopes the Irish oil company Island Oil and Gas would respect international law. Island operates in Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco.

Published 10 July 2008

South African bank no longer funding WS oil explorer

The South African bank RMB has written to WSRW that they do no longer finance the operations of Island Oil and Gas. The Irish oil company Island has an agreement for oil exploration in occupied Western Sahara in violation of international law.

Published 09 July 2008

Irish MEP demands Island out

Irish MEP, Kathy Sinnott, demands that Island Oil and Gas immediately stops their activities in occupied Western Sahara. "The presence of your company undermines the illegitimacy of the Moroccan occupation", she writes in a letter to the company\'s CEO, Paul Griffiths.

Published 18 May 2008

AEI: RMB in Gun Sights

The Norwegian NGO Western Sahara Resources Watch (WSRW) has written to the chief executive of the Rand Merchant Bank to ask that RMB refuse to bankroll the Irish company Island Oil & Gas which recently acquired a block in Western Sahara from Morocco's Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines (ONHYM). Africa Energy Intelligence, N° 46102/04/2008

Published 05 April 2008

Upstream Online: RMBloan for Sahara is queried

Pressure group Western Sahara Resource Watch has picked another target in its campaign to stop companies participating in oil exploration on Moroccan licences in and off Western Sahara, writes Barry Morgan. Upstream Online, 4 April 2008

Published 05 April 2008

WSRW demands South African bank to prevent oil hunt in Western Sahara

A South African Bank called RMB is the main financial backer of the Irish oil company Island Oil & Gas. Island is exploring for oil in the occupied Western Sahara in violation of international law. Today, Western Sahara Resource Watch sent a letter to RMB asking them to stop the flow of money to the Irishmen. Read the letter here.

Published 27 March 2008

Longreach document, 2007

A company document from 2007 reveals several of the oil firm\'s plans in the occupied territory.

Published 28 December 2007

New oil deals on occupied land

Morocco is entering new oil contracts with European firms to illegally search for oil in Western Sahara.

Published 28 November 2007