The oil leaks in Nigeria are comparable to the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Both oil concern BP and Royal Dutch Shell have been crossed off the list of most sustainable companies, writes the Dutch financial daily Financieele Dagblad on Friday based on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes Review 2010.

 
The authors of the index want to speak with one voice. If BP is to be removed from the index, than Shell should be too, reports the newspaper, quoting anonymous sources. In a reaction, a Shell spokesperson said he is surprised.
 
"If this has anything to do with Nigeria, it would be very undeserved," he said. "The situation in Nigeria cannot be compared to the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in any way. In the last five years time Shell spilled 15,000 barrels of oil in Nigeria; BP lost millions of barrels. We are awaiting complete clarity about on Dow Jones' reasoning."
 
“There are companies active in the Niger delta that are les transparent, like Total and Chevron. And there are lot’s of examples when you in other parts of the world’ Shell told Radio Netherlands. “I don’t want to bagatalize the situation in the Niger delta, but life there is better compared to a year ago. And don’t forget that illegal oil drains caused 70% of the leaks in the Niger delta.” 
 
The Dutch NGO ‘Friends of the Earth Netherlands’ states that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is indeed similar to the situation in the Niger Delta. The environmental non profit filed a class action law suit against Shell, demanding financial compensation for four Nigerian farmers.
 
“Shell has leaked millions of barrels too, but over a longer period of about 60 years.” a ‘Friends of the Earth’ spokesperson says. “The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico was a quick catastrophe, this is a slow one.”
 
The biggest difference between the two disasters is that the Gulf of Mexico is cleaned up and the stakeholders are compensated by BP. The oil company has created a billion dollar fund that is independently managed, handing out money to victims that have suffered from the spill. But according to ‘Friends of the Earth’ the damage in the Niger delta is not paid for.
 

“We find it very interesting that a completely independent institution like the Dow Jones Sustainability Index is saying the same thing we have been saying for so long. You can’t apply double standards; compensating American fishermen and leaving their Nigerian counterparts in a disgusting cesspit.”