By Gwladys Fouche
OSLO, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Commodities trader Gunvor and the oil trading desks of Statoil and other energyfirms are considering joining a global initiative aimed atshedding light on companies' dealing with governments ofresource-rich countries.
The latest transparency drive by the Extractive IndustriesTransparency Initiative (EITI) could lead to the disclosure ofthe billions of dollars in payments made between commoditiestraders and national oil companies of energy-rich nations suchas Nigeria and Azerbaijan.
EITI is a global standard to promote open and accountablemanagement of natural resources. It includes governments, oilfirms, investors and civil society organisations.
Gunvor and the trading desks of Statoil and Shell discussed the first steps of how these payments could bedisclosed in a telephone call with EITI on Dec. 4.
"Our hope is that, in all EITI member countries that havenational oil companies that sell oil on behalf of thegovernment, citizens in these countries will have theopportunity to see information about the sale of their oil byNOCs to trading companies," Jonas Moberg, head of the Oslo-basedEITI Secretariat, told Reuters.
For many countries such as Iraq, the Republic of Congo,Azerbaijan and Nigeria, the majority of oil revenues come fromthe sale of crude by national oil companies to commoditiestraders, the EITI said.
EITI encourages transparency by tallying up revenuesdeclared by states and comparing them with payments declared byoil and mining firms.
Some 49 countries are EITI members, including Nigeria, Iraqand Azerbaijan. They have disclosed around $1.7 trillion in oil,gas and mining revenues collected between 1999 and 2014.
The Dec. 4 call included representatives from the governmentof Switzerland, where many trading houses are based, andnon-governmental organisations. The next step is a meeting ofthe participants in January in London.
Trafigura, which was also on the call, disclosesits payments to EITI member countries since last year, the firstcommodities trader to do so.
Gunvor spokesman Seth Thomas Pietras said the trading housewas considering joining the initiative, while Norway's Statoil,which sits on the EITI board, said it would disclose thepayments its oil trading division makes to the national oilcompanies of EITI member countries if the drive is implemented.
Statoil has published payments it makes to EITI governmentsfor more than a decade.
Shell, a founding member of the EITI, took part in the callas a representative for oil firms. A company spokesman said itwould continue to support the development of EITI guidance. (Editing by Louise Heavens)