Dutch set to land Shell with Nigeria deal charge

Royal Dutch Shell is facing criminal charges in the Netherlands over a £1bn deal to buy an offshore Nigerian oilfield in 2011.

Shell said it had been told by the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s office that it had nearly concluded an investigation and was preparing to prosecute in relation to a settlement of disputes to buy the oil block, known as oPl 245.

It is the latest case to be brought against Shell over the deal. The company is already facing bribery charges in a trial in Milan over the transaction.

The anglo- Dutch oil supermajor joined forces with Italian rival Eni to buy the site off the coast of the West african country, giving it access to 9bn barrels of oil.

But previously leaked documents suggest it knew a lot of the money it spent would fall into the hands of a convicted money launderer, former Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete, and be used to bribe government officials in the country.

Taking control of the site meant negotiating with Etete, whose company Malabu bought the rights to oPl 245 in 1998.

Shell shares rose 0.1pc, or 2p, to 2366.5p.