Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold and Royal/Dutch Shell, A Comparison:

Freeport Shell

Company value (# of shares times share price) $6.8 billion $120 billion

Country of operation Indonesia Nigeria

Type of government dictatorship military junta

Year minerals extraction began 1972 1958

Value of minerals extracted in 1995 $1.8 billion $1.5 billion

Profits earned on the operations in 1995 $199 million $180 million

Indigenous tribes located in area of extraction Amungme, Dani Ogoni

Royalties paid to indigenous people $0 $0

Rent paid to indigenous people $0 $0

Comments from environmental reports OPIC said "the Project has created The World Bank said

released last year and continues to pose unreasonable there was "poor or no

or major environmental, health, or treatment of effluents

safety hazards with respect to the by Shell."

rivers that are being impacted by

the tailings, the surrounding terrestrial

ecosystem and the local inhabitants."

Sources: The New York Times, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, OPIC, Shell Oil, Shell Nigeria home page on the WWW, Smith Barney, E-Trade, Securities & Exchange Commission EDGAR database. -- R.B.