From: Martin Shearman (Restricted) Sent: 24 May 2010 12:22 To: Neil Wigan (Restricted); [name withheld] Cc: Subject: RE: Platform report on Congo oil contracts: COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE Neil [information withheld] Martin From: Neil Wigan Sent: 24 May 2010 11:17 To: [name withheld] Cc: [names withheld] Subject: RE: Platform report on Congo oil contracts: COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE [Name withheld] Thanks. [information withheld] [information withheld] [information withheld] [information withheld] Neil From: [[name withheld]] Sent: 20 May 2010 20:09 To: Neil Wigan (Restricted) Cc: [[names withheld]] Subject: Platform report on Congo oil contracts PLATFORM - a UK NGO who lobby against oil companies - released a report last week criticising two deals signed between GoDRC and British oil companies Tullow Oil and Heritage Oil in 2006, and a deal in 2008 between GoDRC and South African Oil companies Divine Inspiration and H-Oil. Both deals are under review by GoDRC, and their current status is uncertain, although Mende has claimed that they were cancelled. See below for a summary of the report and suggested press lines. Draft press lines Some press reporting of the Platform report suggests that the embassy lobbied on Tullow's behalf and was complicit in encouraging GoDRC to sign a bad deal with the British oil companies. But there are no specific accusations in the text of the report against the embassy. The press lines seek to make this clear, and to highlight UK commitment to transparency in business. Grateful for comments. · There are no specific accusations in the report against the British Embassy in Kinshasa. · [If asked: Tullow have specifically asked us in the past to approach the Congolese government with a request for clarity on the status of their investment. We have done this.] · Clearly oil revenue, managed in the right way, can bring prosperity to the DRC, and help promote regional integration. · The priorities of the British Embassy in Kinshasa are consolidating peace and reducing poverty. · We offer advice and support to British businesses interested in the DRC when requested. · DRC remains a very challenging environment - it is second to last (186 of 187) on the World Bank Doing Business report. · The UK believes that transparency in business is vital to a developing economy - that's why we strongly support the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and are one of the biggest donors. We welcome the work DRC has done to date on EITI validation and encourage further progress. Summary of the report [information withheld] {[name withheld]} {[name withheld]} {[name withheld]} {[name withheld]} Subject: RE: Tullow Oil [information withheld] [names withheld]} [information withheld] {[name withheld]} From: Andrew Pocock Sent: 15 June 2010 16:28 To: [name withheld] Cc: [name withheld] Subject: Tullow Oil [name withheld], I saw something about the Minister being interested in meeting Tullow Oil. I think this a good idea. They have interests in Ghana, are drilling in Uganda [information withheld] I've just had a meeting with the Ugandan High Commissioner, whom Mr Bellingham will want to invite in before his trip to Kampala in July. She is briefed monthly by Tullow at their HQ in Chiswick. She said it allowed Tullow to give her virtual tours of some of their installations. I don't know how interested the Minister would be in seeing this, but one option might be to go to Tullow, rather than have them come to him. It's not far and could be interesting, if they were willing. Andrew Andrew Pocock | Director Africa | Africa Directorate | Foreign and Commonwealth Office [information withheld] [name withheld] Thanks, and to Jonathan, for this and your steer. The Minister was convinced of seeing Tullow in the UK anyway, but this simply adds more impetus. We're aiming to visit them on 15 July. I presume that timing would suffice? Please keep us informed on how this develops, particularly on the media side. An update, as we see it, would be useful ahead of seeing Tullow. [information withheld] Thanks [name withheld] -----Original Message----- From: [name withheld] Sent: 29 June 2010 14:06 To: [name withheld] Cc: Jonathan Allen; [names withheld] Subject: FW: Congo strips Tullow of oil block rights - [name withheld] You will recall from the VTC on the Minister's DRC trip that one of the recommendations was for the Minister to meet with representatives from Tullow oil here in London. The email below from post reports that Kabila has stripped Tullow oil of their [information withheld] probably isn't a bad idea for the Minister to hear their side of story (and show concern for a UK company) before he heads out. Grateful for your steer if you would like us to set this up. [name withheld] -----Original Message----- From: Neil Wigan Sent: 29 June 2010 12:02 To: [names withheld] Cc: Martin Shearman Subject: Congo strips Tullow of oil block rights - [name withheld] et al I saw Tim O'Hanlon (VP for Africa of Tullow; their lead on this deal) on Sunday night. [information withheld] [information withheld] [information withheld] Tim will give briefings to FT ([name withheld] - Africa Editor) and Reuters ([name withheld] - DRC bureau) so grateful if you and Asha could agree defensive lines should we be approached. [information withheld] Neil [name withheld] Meeting between Henry Bellingham and Steven O’Brien (DFID PUSS) – 30 June 2010 DRC The Minister said this would dovetail well with the FCO role in stimulating trade and supporting British Business such as Tullow Oil. On O’Brien’s request, the Minister agreed he should join the forthcoming meeting with Tullow if diaries allow [information withheld] _____________________________________________ From: eGrams AD(SCAW) (Restricted) Sent: 02 July 2010 13:48 To: DL AD(SCAW) - All Staff (Restricted) Subject: FW: GHANA: OIL FUTURES:Id=4873006 Importance: Low ------------------------------------------- From: eGram Gateway (Conf) Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 1:47:32 PM To: eGrams eD AD(SCAW) (Restricted) Subject: GHANA: OIL FUTURES:Id=4873006 Importance: Low Auto forwarded by a Rule UNCLASSIFIED - SENSITIVE Ghana’s first oil is due, on target, this December. [information withheld] From ACCRA Precedence LEAD eGram No. 8317/10 Despatched 02/07/2010 11:24:00 GMT Detail 1. Tullow Oil, a British company (now in the FT Top 30) leading the consortium developing Ghana’s Jubilee oil field, have been holding their Board meeting in Ghana this week, marking the early arrival of the FPSO – the giant floating platform that will enable Tullow to deliver the production of “first oil” on schedule by the end of this year. This is a good time to take stock of the impact on the country. Para 4 below is commercially sensitive and should not be disclosed. 2. The scale of the Jubilee field, where commercial quantities were discovered in 2007, is not vast. Proven reserves are still in the 1-2 bn barrels bracket. This could expand, but it is all likely to be in (costly) deep water[information withheld] 3 [information withheld] 4. This is all manageable. But there are four substantive issues that could undermine the aspiration to make oil a blessing not a curse: [information withheld] {[name withheld]} [Contact for this eGram: Nick Westcott ] From[name withheld] Sent: 03 August 2010 14:56 To: [name withheld] Subject: RE: Meeting with Tullow Oil [name withheld] It was great to see you last week, and glad our paths cross again! I’ve contacted Rosalind, our Vice President, External Affairs who is the appropriate person to talk to about such matters. Her details are below: Rosalind Kainyah, Vice President, External Affairs, Tullow Oil Plc 3rd Floor, Building 11, Chiswick Park 566 Chiswick High Road London W4 5YS Tel: +44 (0)20 9886 1000 [information withheld] In the course of our communication, Rosalind advised that the Minister for Africa, Henry Bellingham, has a meeting with our CEO Aidan Heavey arranged for September 16th. It therefore might be appropriate to meet after that meeting. Regards [name withheld] Tax disputes could potentially undermine or at least delay Tullow's interests in Uganda. Useful information to be aware of ahead of the Minister's meeting with Tullow and in related bilaterals in Uganda. Happy to discuss. [name withheld] _____________________________________________ From: eGrams AD(EAGLS) Sent: 02 July 2010 10:25 To: [names withheld] Subject: FW: UGANDA: OIL ISSUES ------------------------------------------- An update on developments in Uganda’s nascent oil sector. On the commercial front progress has temporarily stalled because of a tax dispute between the government and [name withheld] over the sale of [name withheld] Ugandan assets to Tullow Oil. [information withheld] From KAMPALA Despatched 02/07/2010 08:17:00 GMT Detail 1. [information withheld] Business 2. [name withheld] agreed in December 2009 to sell its stake in Uganda for [information withheld] to [name withheld]. In January 2010 Tullow (50% co- owner of [name withheld]’s two blocks) exercised pre-emption rights to buy [name withheld]’s stake on terms that matched the [name withheld] offer [information withheld]Tullow announced in February a proposed “farm-out” partnership with the [name withheld] [name withheld], which would give all three partners an equal, one-third share in the blocks. 3. [information withheld] Impasse? 4. The government claims that [name withheld] should pay around [information withheld] in capital gains tax on its deal with Tullow. [name withheld] argues that CGT is not applicable to this transaction, based on their interpretation of Uganda’s Income Tax Act and historical precedent (no capital gains tax was paid when Tullow acquired Hardman Oil’s interests in 2007, which were then much less valuable). [information withheld] Regulation 5. [information withheld] Shearman {[name withheld]} [information withheld] RELEVANT EXTRACTS FROM MR BELLINGHAM’S VISIT BRIEF, July 2010 Steering Brief [It is worth drawing on the important role British business (e.g.