An appeals court in Milan denied Nigeria’s $1.1 billion compensation request against Italian energy group Eni and British oil and gas company Shell. The decision was made in the civil proceedings related to a $1.3 billion oilfield deal and was read out in the court on Friday.
Prosecutors had dropped the related criminal proceedings in July, clearing Eni and Shell in one of the oil industry’s biggest alleged corruption cases. After the civil suit was dismissed, Shell was pleased with the results. The case revolved around a deal where Eni and Shell acquired the OPL 245 offshore oilfield for $1.3 billion after a dispute over ownership. Prosecutors alleged that $1.1 billion of the amount was then given to politicians and middlemen in Nigeria. Nigeria’s lawyer said the country was deciding whether to appeal the decision to Italy’s top administrative court.
Read More: Court rejects Nigeria’s $1.1bn damages request against Eni, Shell
