“Beneath troubled waters Noble Energy’s exploitation of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea”, May 2017

…This briefing paper examines the impact of Noble Energy’s activities on existing (armed) conflicts in the region, and analyses the company’s compliance with applicable international frameworks, notably the OECD Guidelines…and the…UNGPs. Where applicable, this paper also looks at potential individual criminal liability for involvement in violations of international criminal law…In relation to the occupied Palestinian territory, [t]he company has extracted gas from the Noa field, which is contiguous to the Palestinian Border Field, off the Gaza coast, risking extraction of Palestinian gas from the Border Field, which would potentially amount to the international crime of pillage…[S]imply moving ahead with operations in areas made inaccessible to Palestinians, Noble Energy is directly linked to adverse human rights impacts including the denial of self-determination, the imposition of unlawful movement restrictions, and the collective punishment of a civilian population through the illegal blockade by the Israeli navy…In relation to Lebanon, Noble Energy failed to carry out human rights diligence when obtaining licences near and in the disputed maritime zone, in particular regarding the license for Alon D. The Israeli-issued license for Block Alon D overlaps with a disputed maritime zone, thereby directly linking Noble Energy’s possession of the license to a potential infringement of Lebanon’s territorial integrity, and the Lebanese people’s right to self-determination…