BAGHDAD: A father whose son died of cancer caused by gas flaring from BP’s oil field in Iraq told the British multinational oil and gas company at its annual meeting that “cancer is common like the flue in his hometown Rumaila where the entity drills oil.
The BBC, during an investigation, discovered high concentrations of chemicals related to cancer in a BP oil field barely 2,000m from Rumaila, where Ali Hussein Julood’s son died from leukaemia on April 21. Julood’s son died of cancerous pollutants allegedly caused by gas flaring by BP. The Lebanon-based BP said that it sent the family its condolences.
Hussein Julood told the BBC that his son, Ali, lost his life as the company attempted to make record profits. According to Ali’s doctor, the high pollution in the area most certainly contributed to his leukaemia, leading to his death.
A BBC News Arabic investigation revealed that the Iraqi communities living close to oil fields, where gas is openly burned, are at high risk of leukaemia.
The “wasteful” burning of gas released during oil drilling, or gas flaring, results in chemicals linked to cancer. In contravention of Iraqi law, wherein it is mandated that flaring take place at least 10-kilometre away from people’s houses, but flaring occurs less than 2,000m in Rumaila where Ali lived.
The BBC named BP and Eni, the two significant oil firms engaged in some of southern Iraq’s largest oil exploration projects, responsible for various ailments.
Using a webcam and an interpreter from south Iraq, Julood spoke at BP’s annual general meeting in place of his late son, who had planned to ask a question but passed away before he could. Julood explained the entire situation in front of the BP board.
According to an official report leaked to the BBC, as gas flaring has increased over the past five years, there has been a 20 per cent rise in cancer cases in this area. Ali’s greatest wish, according to Julood, was an end to the pollution and gas flare-ups. He said that his late son adored the outdoors and his garden was his favourite spot on earth. And he hoped that youngsters enjoyed outside play and unrestricted breathing.
At its annual meeting, the oil giant announced that flaring at Rumaila is still being reduced. The BBC also discovered millions of tonnes of unreported emissions from gas flaring at oil fields where BP, Eni, ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell operate. Most shareholders supported Helge Lund on Thursday, despite some of the largest pension funds in the UK voting against reappointing BP’s chairman due to a decision to reduce its climate goals.
It follows the energy giant’s reduction in the aim for emissions by the decade’s end. Climate protesters disrupted the annual meeting in addition to the dissenting votes. “Constructive challenge and engagement” are important to BP, it claimed.
The five pension funds, including Nest, the Universities Pension Scheme, LGPS Central, Brunel Pension Partnership, and Border to Coast, are worried that BP’s fossil fuel projects, which are projected to lose value as the world goes towards net zero emissions, could be financially at risk as a result of the new standards.
