Locals protest oil exploration in Exxon block In a mountainous stretch of small villages where ExxonMobil has contracted to explore for oil and gas, Saifullah Hamad Mustafa stood over a small shallow hole in which dynamite would soon explode, creating the vibrations needed to analyze geological structures thousands of meters below.”I hope they don’t find oil here, because if they do, they will spoil the environment and want to kick people out,” said Mustafa, a member of the local council of Betwata, a picturesque hillside village of aro… This content is for registered users. Please login to continue. If you are not a registered user, you may purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial .