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May 8th, 2005:

Chavez: Venezuela May Charge Oil Companies Back Taxes

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Chavez: Venezuela May Charge Oil Companies Back Taxes

Posted 8 May 2005

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

CARACAS — Venezuela may charge private oil firms a retroactive tax on some fields in the latest attempt to squeeze more money from the oil industry, President Hugo Chavez said Friday evening.

Last month Venezuela adjusted the income tax rate on 32 operating agreements to 50% from 34%, saying the oil firms were paying a cheap industrial rate.

“The billing in this case could be retroactive,” said Chavez during a televised address Friday, referring to the recent tax increase. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

PERSONAL INVESTOR: The best isn’t too much of a good thing

THE TIMES: PERSONAL INVESTOR: The best isn’t too much of a good thing

Posted 8 May 05

By Graham Searjeant

PENSION funds are being advised by one of the few overpowerful consultants who dictate such matters to limit their holdings in Britain’s biggest and most successful companies to 5 per cent of their UK share portfolios.

Taken literally, this would, on average, mean cutting BP holdings by more than a third, shedding about a quarter of HSBC and Vodafone and pruning the already shrunken GlaxoSmithKline. This is not helpful when the market needs all the weight of new cash that it can get. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

THE BUSINESS: Shell’s change of tack puts it back on course

THE BUSINESS (EU): Shell’s change of tack puts it back on course

8 May 05

Black Gold: $3.2bn is earmarked to double production at Canada’s Athabasca oil sands project

ROYAL Dutch/Shell wasn’t built on a Texas gusher like most of its counterparts in the US. Instead, founder Marcus Samuel invented the first oil supertankers, using them to undercut US oil imports to Europe with crude from the Far East. The first of his designs, the Murex, made its maiden voyage in 1892 and a trading empire was born.

Today, Shell chairman Jeroen van der Veer’s task of bringing the company back from last year’s crisis isn’t unlike changing course on one of the Murex’s unwieldy successors. But the recovery story is nonetheless building momentum. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.