Chevron to Face Criminal Charges Over Frade Spill Offshore Brazil

A Brazilian prosecutor plans to file criminal charges against Chevron Corporation and some of its managers for their role in the Frade oil spill that occurred offshore Brazil in November, according to a Reuters report citing Brazilian government officials.

Reuters says that the filing will likely include a request for an indictment of the chief executive of Chevron’s Brazilian unit, George Buck, in addition to other employees. The report also adds that some employees working for Transocean, the owner of the rig, are also expected to be charged.

gCaptain reported in December that Brazil’s Federal Police had been asking a federal prosecutor to indict as many as 17 Chevron Corp. and Transocean Ltd. employees over the oil spill. Both Chevron and Transocean had confirmed that the Federal Police were recommending indictments however both said that they acted appropriately and responsibly.

Some analysts believe that indictments against Chevron and Transocean employees may not be in the best interest of Brazilian authorities considering it would set a precedent for criminal charges in the case of even relatively small spills and could potentially backfire if Brazil’s state-run oil giant Petrobas has a spill.

When asked about the indictments, a Chevron spokesman told Reuters, “Chevron believes that the charges are without merit.”

Read the Reuters Report: Chevron to face criminal charges over Brazil spill