Britannia-U,Chevron, Seplat, oil blocks battle : S-Court adjourns case sine-die

The Supreme Court, yesterday, adjourned further hearing on the controversy surrounding the sale of oil mining lease on three disputed oil blocks, OML-52, OML-53 and OML-55, sine-die (indefinitely).


‎A registrar of the court informed all the parties in the matter that Justice Suleiman was “unavoidably absent”yesterday owing to the death of his family member.
‎It will be recalled that the the controversial oil blocks has been issue of litigation between three ‎major oil firms operating in the country- Britannia-U Nigeria Limited, Chevron and Seplat.

‎At the last adjournment on May 18, 2015, the Supreme Court restrained Chevron and Seplat from selling the disputed oil blocks. 

Specifically, the apex court ordered Chevron not to take any step or action regarding the sale of the oil mining lease (OMLs) 52, OML 53 and OML 55 – to Seplat Petroleum Development Company, pending the determination of an appeal by Britannia-U Nigeria Limited.

Brittania-U Limited’s appeal is against an earlier ruling by the Appeal Court, Abuja, which vacated an order of interlocutory injunction by a High Court, restraining Chevron and Seplat from proceeding to conclude any deal on the two oil leases.

The apex court had earlier in a ruling by a five-man panel led by Justice Tanko Muhammad, ordered all the parties to maintain status quo on the matter.
It was the ruling on the court that, “No party is allowed to take any step that will affect the res (subject matter) of the appeal”.
The status quo order was sequel to refusal by lawyers representing parties in the case to give undertaking that their clients would not take steps that would affect the subject matter of the appeal before the Supreme Court.