Human Rights Watch says Perenco oil operations pose health risks in DR Congo

Human Rights Watch said pollution linked to Perenco's oil operations in western Democratic Republic of Congo posed serious health risks to nearby communities, while the company denied that its activities caused pollution.

Perenco is the only oil producer in DR Congo and operates several sites along the country's Atlantic coast in Kongo Central province.

In a report released Monday, HRW said Perenco engaged in gas flaring at five sites near residential areas. Gas flaring is the controlled burning of natural gas released during oil production.

The rights group said Perenco's gas flaring and waste burning had contributed to poor air quality on its concession and created health risks for residents. It said residents had reported symptoms including chest pain and nausea, which they linked to smoke from burning at a waste treatment facility about two kilometres from a village.

HRW also said Perenco had not prevented oil spills from wells and pipelines from leaking into soil and riverbeds. It cited a site visit, interviews with community members and independent studies from 2013 and 2025 that it said documented environmental contamination associated with oil operations in the area.

According to HRW, Perenco told the group that its operations did not cause pollution and that it considered scientific studies conducted on-site to be methodologically inadequate. The company also said it had stopped flaring at 220 spots in its concession.

HRW said the Congolese government commissioned an environmental audit of Perenco's activities in late 2024, but that no date had been given for publication of the findings. The group called for all environmental monitoring data to be disclosed immediately.