SBM: Large Payments were made in Corruption Probe

Dutch oilfield services firm SBM Offshore said Thursday that an internal investigation into potentially improper sales practices in Africa has confirmed that substantial payments were made to government officials. The firm added that the investigation – which has been carried out by outside legal counsel and forensic accountants since it was first announced April 10 2012 – is expected to be completed during 2013.

The investigation is into alleged payments involving sales intermediaries in certain African countries during the period 2007 to 2011. The investigation is trying to determine whether these alleged payments violated anti-corruption laws.

Although SBM said that it could not make any definitive statements regarding the findings of the investigation so far, it said that initial feedback received to date indicates that substantial payments were made, mostly through intermediaries, which appear to have been intended for government officials.

The alleged payments came to the attention of SBM's management board after a review of its compliance procedures in late 2011. In the course of the investigation allegations were made of improper payments in countries outside Africa but to date no conclusive proof of such allegations has been established, the firm added.

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SBM: Large Payments were made in Corruption Probe

Dutch oilfield services firm SBM Offshore said Thursday that an internal investigation into potentially improper sales practices in Africa has confirmed that substantial payments were made to government officials. The firm added that the investigation – which has been carried out by outside legal counsel and forensic accountants since it was first announced April 10 2012 – is expected to be completed during 2013.

The investigation is into alleged payments involving sales intermediaries in certain African countries during the period 2007 to 2011. The investigation is trying to determine whether these alleged payments violated anti-corruption laws.

Although SBM said that it could not make any definitive statements regarding the findings of the investigation so far, it said that initial feedback received to date indicates that substantial payments were made, mostly through intermediaries, which appear to have been intended for government officials.

The alleged payments came to the attention of SBM's management board after a review of its compliance procedures in late 2011. In the course of the investigation allegations were made of improper payments in countries outside Africa but to date no conclusive proof of such allegations has been established, the firm added.

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Shell Faces New Probe Into Alaska Drilling

Another probe is under way into Royal Dutch Shell's 2012 Alaska drilling season, this time for possible violations of international marine environmental rules, Reuters reported on its website Thursday citing a U.S. Coast Guard official.

The Coast Guard has asked federal prosecutors to consider taking action on possible violations of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships committed in the operations of Shell's Kulluk drillship, said Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo, head of the Coast Guard in Alaska, in the report.

Rear-Adm. Ostebo said he had commissioned one investigation already launched into the Dec. 31 grounding of the Kulluk and that the Coast Guard has forwarded findings of safety and environmental violations on the Noble Discoverer, Shell's other Alaska drillship, to U.S. prosecutors for possible enforcement action.

"Last week, I also referred a separate Kulluk investigation into potential MARPOL violations from 2012 to the Department of Justice for their review and potential follow-on action," Rear-Adm. Ostebo was quoted as saying at a field hearing convened by Senator Mark Begich.

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