LAGOS, Nigeria, May 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Chevron USA and BNP Paribas agreed recently in
District Court in Texas to turn
over documents and correspondence between the two companies and
other entities to the Nigerian oil company that has sued Chevron
over the sale of three oil mining leases in the Niger Delta.
The agreement came during a hearing April
27 in a lawsuit filed in Houston by Brittania-U Nigeria Limited. In the
lawsuit, Brittania-U accuses Amni International Petroleum
Development Company Limited, Belema Oil Producing Limited and other
entities of "tortious interference" for allegedly raising questions
about Brittania-U's ability to pay for the leases during a bidding
process two years ago. Chevron and BNP are not defendants in the
Houston lawsuit. However,
Brittania-U's lawyers subpoenaed their records believing they
contain evidence relevant to the case, officials said.
Brittania-U filed suit in federal court in Nigeria in December
2013 accusing Chevron Nigeria Limited, Chevron USA. and its partners of breach of bid
arrangement in the sale of the oil mining leases. Brittania-U is
asking that Chevron be compelled to finalize the sale or pay
$11 billion in damages.
Brittania-U officials later filed suit in Houston alleging that Chevron backed out of
the deal after Amni, Belema and others raised questions about the
company's finances.
This week in Nigeria, a judge
nullified Chevron's sale of its 40 percent interest in the oil
mining leases to the Seplat Consortium of Nigeria, ruling that no sale can take place
until Brittania-U's lawsuit against Chevron is resolved. The
consortium includes the Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Amni
and Belema.
In Houston, Judge Caroline Baker denied the defendants' motions to
dismiss. Chevron and BNP argued that Texas courts lacked jurisdiction over the case
because it involved the sale of foreign real estate and that the
case belonged in Nigeria – not
Texas.
Baker then heard Brittania-U's motion to compel Chevron and BNP
Paribas to turn over a variety of documents, including
correspondence among officers, employees or agents of Chevron
discussing the bidding process, the leases or Brittania-U's
finances; correspondence between Chevron, Amni, Seplat, Belema Oil
and BNP Paribas discussing the matters; and any contracts between
Chevron and Belema, Amni and Seplat in the last five years.
During the hearing and partially due to Baker's ruling on the
motions to dismiss, Chevron and BNP Paribas agreed to turn over
many of the documents, officials said.
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SOURCE Brittania-U Limited