Myanmar crisis puts IOCs in a bind

Oil companies active in the country face difficult choices as pressure to disengage intensifies

IOCs are feeling the heat over their continued engagement in Myanmar, more than three months after a coup that ousted the country’s democratically elected government and triggered accusations over the alleged flow of oil and gas revenues to the military junta’s coffers. NGOs and activist groups have ramped up pressure for targeted sanctions against the junta and an additional targeted measure against state-owned Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise (MOGE). Myanmar's parallel civilian government called on France’s Total—operator of the offshore Yadana development with a 32pc stake—to halt all revenues going to MOGE.  And human rights organisations have now called on companies to place revenue pay