Southern District of Texas Grants Section 1782 Discovery Against Texas E&P Companies for DRC Administrative Challenge to Lake Kivu Methane Auction

Two Congolese environmental NGOs successfully obtained Section 1782 discovery from Texas-based oil and gas companies in preparation for an administrative lawsuit challenging a 2022 methane gas block auction in Lake Kivu, DRC, alleging the auction violated Congolese law through lack of transparency, failure to obtain Council of Ministers approval, and inadequate environmental evaluation and community consultation. Judge Drew B. Tipton of the Southern District of Texas granted the petition for discovery including document production and depositions, finding the statutory requirements satisfied and that the proceeding need only be in reasonable contemplation under Intel Corp. v. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.