Parker reports Recon Africa to Canadian ombudsman
STAFF REPORTER
WINDHOEK
A Canadian national living in Namibia has reported Recon Africa to the Canadian ombudsman in protest against the company’s ongoing drilling project in the Kavango East Region.
ReconAfrica is a Canadian based company registered in Vancouver and is currently exploring for oil in an area of ecological significance in Namibia and Botswana.
In a letter addressed to the Canadian ombudsman seen by Namibian Sun, consumer rights activist Rob Parker claimed Namibia is being shortchanged and that the drilling project poses a threat to the environment.
The oil company has begun drilling its first well in the Kavango basin.
“This organisation and their subsidiaries fall within the clear mandate of the Canadian Ombudsperson, which is why we are writing to you on this urgent matter and respectfully request your intervention and assistance. Drilling operations are presently ongoing in Namibia.
Unfair deal
“The deal sees Recon get a whopping 90% of the deal and the Namibian government a paltry 10%. It does bear noting that recent scandals have brought to light the news that foreign companies cut deals with Namibian decision-makers and middle men and the benefits that should flow to the state instead go to benefit private interests,” he wrote.
Parker accused the company of failing to carry out sufficient consultations with communities affected, including the San.
“The company gave ongoing and sustained indications to investors that fracking is a possibility, but denies this in public,” he alleged.
The deal further advantages the company at the expense of Namibia’s sovereignty, he said.
“The company is moving forward on the basis of a fatally flawed and biased environmental impact assessment (EIA) pursuant to Namibian standards that falls far below any internationally accepted standards and practices on environmental impact assessment and consultation,” he said.
He added the actions of Recon do not reflect the Canadian government’s agenda to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050, and accused the company of disregarding basic industry standards by drilling a few hundred feet from homes and mahangu fields.
Questionable intentions
“The company claims that they have no intention to do any fracking but there are good reasons to question their stated intentions. Investor presentations dating from May 2019 to March 2020 all make mention of ‘modern ‘frac stimulations’ and ‘horizontal wells’, ie fracking,” he wrote.
Recon, said Parker, have brought on board Nick Steinsberger, who is known in international media circles as ‘the father of fracking’.
Parker further said the EIA does not significantly address key questions as to the long- and short-term impacts of the company.
“There are inconsistencies within the EIA on how many exploratory wells can be drilled and [it] fails to identify the water needs required for each well. The EIA states that specific sites for drilling could change. How would the EIA still be accurate if the sites have changed?
“If you couple the fatal flaws in this EIA and the lack of consultation with the local community, the fact that the assessor is clearly biased and exaggerates a broader economic impact while downplaying negative assessments and that there is no statement of independence and that assessor is on record multiple times advocating for the project, this casts doubt upon the validity of this document which is being used as the basis to proceed,” Parker said.
He also said the impact on wildlife is being downplayed.
WINDHOEK
A Canadian national living in Namibia has reported Recon Africa to the Canadian ombudsman in protest against the company’s ongoing drilling project in the Kavango East Region.
ReconAfrica is a Canadian based company registered in Vancouver and is currently exploring for oil in an area of ecological significance in Namibia and Botswana.
In a letter addressed to the Canadian ombudsman seen by Namibian Sun, consumer rights activist Rob Parker claimed Namibia is being shortchanged and that the drilling project poses a threat to the environment.
The oil company has begun drilling its first well in the Kavango basin.
“This organisation and their subsidiaries fall within the clear mandate of the Canadian Ombudsperson, which is why we are writing to you on this urgent matter and respectfully request your intervention and assistance. Drilling operations are presently ongoing in Namibia.
Unfair deal
“The deal sees Recon get a whopping 90% of the deal and the Namibian government a paltry 10%. It does bear noting that recent scandals have brought to light the news that foreign companies cut deals with Namibian decision-makers and middle men and the benefits that should flow to the state instead go to benefit private interests,” he wrote.
Parker accused the company of failing to carry out sufficient consultations with communities affected, including the San.
“The company gave ongoing and sustained indications to investors that fracking is a possibility, but denies this in public,” he alleged.
The deal further advantages the company at the expense of Namibia’s sovereignty, he said.
“The company is moving forward on the basis of a fatally flawed and biased environmental impact assessment (EIA) pursuant to Namibian standards that falls far below any internationally accepted standards and practices on environmental impact assessment and consultation,” he said.
He added the actions of Recon do not reflect the Canadian government’s agenda to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050, and accused the company of disregarding basic industry standards by drilling a few hundred feet from homes and mahangu fields.
Questionable intentions
“The company claims that they have no intention to do any fracking but there are good reasons to question their stated intentions. Investor presentations dating from May 2019 to March 2020 all make mention of ‘modern ‘frac stimulations’ and ‘horizontal wells’, ie fracking,” he wrote.
Recon, said Parker, have brought on board Nick Steinsberger, who is known in international media circles as ‘the father of fracking’.
Parker further said the EIA does not significantly address key questions as to the long- and short-term impacts of the company.
“There are inconsistencies within the EIA on how many exploratory wells can be drilled and [it] fails to identify the water needs required for each well. The EIA states that specific sites for drilling could change. How would the EIA still be accurate if the sites have changed?
“If you couple the fatal flaws in this EIA and the lack of consultation with the local community, the fact that the assessor is clearly biased and exaggerates a broader economic impact while downplaying negative assessments and that there is no statement of independence and that assessor is on record multiple times advocating for the project, this casts doubt upon the validity of this document which is being used as the basis to proceed,” Parker said.
He also said the impact on wildlife is being downplayed.
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