800 Thai fishermen sue Chevron subsidiary over oil spill

On 24 January, a committee of more than 800 Thai fishermen filed a lawsuit against Star Petroleum Refining Public Company (SPRC), a subsidiary of US energy giant Chevron, after an accidental spill of nearly 60 tonnes of oil in January 2022.

Following the spill, which was caused by a leak from a marine pipeline operated by SPRC near Rayong province, dozens of ships released more than 80,000 litres of chemicals onto the affected area, causing environmental damage. The committee is seeking $150 million in compensation, most of which will go into an environmental rehabilitation fund.