Oil Industry Braces for U.S. Trial on Rights Abuses

The execution of the Nigerian author and advocate Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 left lingering questions in the minds of many about the relationship between the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and Nigeria

Chevron, for example, could face up to $27 billion in liability in Ecuador for pollution of the jungle.

Exxon Mobil is being sued by Indonesian villagers from the province of Aceh who allege human rights violations committed by soldiers hired to guard a natural gas plant.

And these legal challenges are just the latest tests for an industry increasingly hard pressed to find new sources of petroleum.

NY Times