STAND Demands Immediate Termination of Oranto Oil Deal

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 ADNews-Monrovia,Liberia: The political pressure group Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), in collaboration with We the People Movement, organizers of the pending  December 17 “Lead or Leave” protest, has issued a strong warning against what it calls a “reckless and unlawful” Production Sharing Contract signed between Atlas/Oranto Petroleum and the Boakai administration through the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA).

The contract covers offshore oil blocks LB-15, LB-16, LB-22, and LB-24 and is valued at more than US$1 billion. STAND described the agreement as “a brazen attack on Liberia’s sovereignty, a blatant abuse of public trust, and a deliberate handover of the nation’s natural wealth to a private few.”

According to STAND’s investigation, the deal was executed in secrecy without competitive bidding, transparency, or public accountability. The group alleges that the contract represents a reversal in Liberia’s governance and a violation of both national and international laws.

“This is not investment; it is exploitation,” STAND said in a statement. “It is a ruthless betrayal of the Liberian people, a shameless plunder by a cabal of corrupt political elites who continue to enrich themselves while the masses languish in poverty.”

STAND said the Atlas/Oranto agreement, reportedly negotiated and signed in Paris, violates several Liberian laws and international transparency standards. These include:

• The Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 2019, which requires open, competitive bidding and public disclosure of contracts.
• The Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2010, which mandates transparent procurement processes.
• The Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) Act of 2009, which requires publication of all natural resource contracts.
• The Environmental Protection and Management Law of 2003, which demands environmental and social impact assessments before extractive operations.
• Article 7 of the 1986 Constitution, which directs that national resources be managed for the maximum benefit of the Liberian people.

The group added that the deal also violates Liberia’s international obligations under the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Global Standard, both of which require transparency and accountability in natural resource management.

STAND expressed dismay that the government would partner again with Oranto Petroleum, which it said has a “tainted record” in Liberia. Between 2004 and 2007, Oranto allegedly acquired oil blocks LB-11, LB-12, and LB-14 through opaque negotiations and later sold them to Chevron for over US$200 million, without drilling a single well or delivering any benefit to Liberia.

The group further claimed that Oranto lacks the technical and financial capacity for deepwater exploration, which typically costs between US$80 million and US$200 million per well. STAND said this raises doubts about the company’s intent, suggesting its real motive is to speculate and resell the blocks rather than develop them.

In its statement, STAND and the December 17 “Lead or Leave – Enough is Enough” coalition called on the National Legislature to immediately reject and cancel what they described as an “illegitimate and unlawful” agreement.

Their demands include:

1. Immediate cancellationof the Atlas/Oranto Petroleum Production Sharing Contract for blocks LB-15, LB-16, LB-22, and LB-24.
2. Full publicationof all existing and pending Production Sharing Contracts under the LEITI framework.
3. Open and competitive biddingfor all future oil blocks, in line with the Petroleum Act of 2019.
4. An independent investigationinto all officials and entities involved in negotiating and approving the deal, with full legal accountability.

“Liberia’s natural resources are the collective inheritance of its people, not a private estate for corrupt elites,” the statement read. “They must not be bartered away through secret agreements that betray the public trust.”

STAND described the Oranto Oil Deal as a “national disgrace” and “criminal affront” to the Liberian people, arguing that it perpetuates the corruption that has long undermined Liberia’s development.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to mobilize citizens for peaceful protest on December 17, under the banner “Operation Octopus.”

“Nothing will be the same,” STAND concluded. “Lead or leave.”