Australia’s Woodside Energy (WDS.AX), opens new tab, which operates Senegal’s Sangomar oil and gas field, has filed a complaint with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes against the West African country over taxes, a spokesperson for the company said on Monday.
The complaint filed on May 30 named Senegal’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy as the respondent. It gave no further details.
The company, which holds an 82% participating interest in Senegal’s first offshore project, filed a court action in the country last August over a tax assessment dispute.
Both parties made progress to resolve outstanding tax issues, Woodside’s spokesperson said. However, given the lack of resolution on certain matters, the company has filed a request for international arbitration, he added.
“Woodside strongly believes we have acted in accordance with applicable regulations… and there are no outstanding taxes payable,” the spokesperson said via email.
Senegal’s energy ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Reporting by Bate Felix; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Tomasz Janowski
(Reuters)
