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June 25th, 2005:

The bad sport who rained on Shell’s unification parade

ShellNews.net: Who is the bad sport raining on Shell’s unification parade? Which veteran Shell shareholder has dampened the biggest Corporate Overhaul in Shell’s history? The answer: Alfred Donovan, the 88 year old Shell AGM party pooper. Why has he embarrassed the hell out of Shell for over decade?

Saturday 25 June 2005

In a recent Wall Street Journal article (“Shell wages legal fight over web domain name”) staff reporter, Chip Cummins, described as a “rare coup”, Alfred Donovan’s registration of the domain name “royaldutchshellplc.com”.

News of Shell’s huge embarrassment on the eve of its unification dual AGM’s in The Hague and London has spread in newspapers and websites around the globe, with coverage in The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Gulf-Times in Qatar, plus Reuters, Yahoo! News, MSN Money, etc on the Internet. There has also been coverage in Russia, Germany, and countless news stories in the Netherlands, where the HQ of Royal Dutch Petroleum Company is located. The Reuters story (“Shell shareholders to back unification”) says that Mr Donovan “beat Shell to register the domain name”. 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.

Deutsche Welle (Germany): Brent Spar Revisited, 10 Years On

Deutsche Welle (Germany): Brent Spar Revisited, 10 Years On

Saturday 25 June 2005

In 1995, Greenpeace stood up against Shell Oil, which wanted to sink an obsolete oil platform in the North Sea. The oil concern relented, but the standoff changed Greenpeace, Shell and the North Sea.

In the spring of 1995, the Shell oil exploration company and Greenpeace were in the midst of a standoff. Shell announced it would sink the Brent Spar oil platform in the North Sea, and Greenpeace activists occupied the platform for a full two weeks in protest.

The media and politicians were drawn to the issue. Helmut Kohl, Germany’s chancellor at the time, came out opposed to the company’s plan. A widespread call to boycott Shell gas stations in Germany overrode party lines. 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.

This Day Online (Nigeria): Ogoni: Shell Faces Infrastructure Crisis

This Day Online (Nigeria): Ogoni: Shell Faces Infrastructure Crisis

Saturday 25 June 2005

By Isichei Osamgbi, 06.25.2005

As the Reverend Father Mathew Hassan Kukah’s Panel on Ogoni-Shell reconciliation gets underway, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is set to face fresh crisis, though this time in the area of maintenance of its age long facilities which have moved fast into very bad states.

A report made available to THISDAY, in response to recent press reports on the Ogoni reconciliation, the company appraised the huge cost of getting its facilities back into shape, noting the full implications, which are set to double its material cost of being operationally absent in the Ogoniland for about a decade, running into millions of dollars. 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 Post (Ireland): Shell in talks to sell retail and commercial businesses

The Post (Ireland): Shell in talks to sell retail and commercial businesses

Posted Saturday 25 June 2005

Shell announced today it is in negotiations with a number of prospective buyers for its retail and commercial businesses in Ireland.

The businesses include its retail service station network, supply and distribution assets and facilities, commercial fuels, lubricants and marine businesses.

The Corrib Natural gas project, which is part of Shell’s Exploration and Production business in Ireland, will not be affected in any way by this announcement.

In addition, Shell’s aviation, bitumen and chemical businesses are unaffected. 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 NEW YORK TIMES: Oil Prices Settle at Record Near $60

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Oil Prices Settle at Record Near $60

Saturday 25 June 2005

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — Crude oil futures settled at a record near $60 a barrel Friday as prices rose on speculative buying and fears of supply disruptions due to refinery glitches.

Analysts said the bullish momentum was supported mainly by talk of several minor refinery snags in California, including an outage at Shell’s Martinez plant, fueling fears of supply disruptions at the start of the high-demand summer driving season. OPEC suggestions that it was willing to hike output left markets unimpressed, they said. 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.

Share of the month update

The Times: Share of the month update

Saturday June 25, 2005

WE ARE off to the races again in the stock markets, with signs of a resurgence of super growth in China dispelling earlier fears of global economic slowdown. Renewed investor confidence and massive liquidity are driving up prices of shares despite the surge in the price of oil to $60 a barrel.

The market has, for now, shrugged off concern at the high cost of energy and is focused on putting money to work in good shares. Oil shares are the hottest. Hitherto, they hardly felt the heat from the higher price of oil. Now they are bid up but could still go higher. 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.

Private Investor: Slick returns are all thanks to the rising price of oil

The Independent (UK): Private Investor: Slick returns are all thanks to the rising price of oil

Sean O’Grady

Published: 25 June 2005

OK, so the Footsie is marking time at the moment, but things could be a lot, lot worse, and indeed they have been. At the mo, I’m happy to report that quite a few of my blue chips are continuing to make steady, unspectacular progress.

Rolls-Royce, in particular, has become a strong performer, and I’m in the money on all the various tranches of shares I’ve bought in the past 10 years or so. I reckon the average of these is about 200p while the shares are now heading for the 300p mark. 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.

Stakeholders still win through Shell and back

Daily Telegraph (UK): Stakeholders still win through Shell and back

Saturday 25 June 2005

The Cheshire Building Society will lend you money at 4.99pc, fixed for 25 years. Although this is a fixed-rate mortgage aimed at house buyers who want the unprecedented certainty that such a loan provides, such a long-term fix presents an extraordinary opportunity for those who already have a house with little or no debt on it.

Few lenders now insist that the money they advance is actually used to buy your home; if the security is good enough, and they are happy about your ability to repay (or at least to service) the loan, then they are eager to lend, as early-bird buy-to-let investors can testify. Encouraged by the experience of owning their own home, they have done well. The market now betrays many of the signs of overheating, as rents stagnate and latecomers gamble by buying off developer’s plans. 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.

‘We didn’t ask to sell the shares, yet they expect us to pay up’

Daily Telegraph (UK): ‘We didn’t ask to sell the shares, yet they expect us to pay up’

Saturday 25 June 2005

(Filed: 25/06/2005)

Kent couple Peter and Sheila Jamieson are furious that they are having to pay a large capital gains bill because of Shell’s plans to merge its Dutch and British parts into one company.

Mrs Jamieson, 84, is facing a £33,000 tax bill on her 4,800 Royal Dutch Petroleum shares, worth £167,000, because of the restructuring which is being voted on by shareholders next week.

She said: “The American and Dutch shareholders are not having to pay because the law is different. We have not asked to sell the shares… and they expect us to pay capital gains tax. It’s disgusting.” 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.

Shell shareholders face £80m tax bill

Daily Telegraph (UK): Shell shareholders face £80m tax bill

Saturday 25 June 2005

By Christopher Hope, Business Correspondent (Filed: 25/06/2005)

Oil major accused of ‘unacceptable arrogance’ • Some investors ‘wait and see’ • Chief says fairness was the aim

British shareholders in Royal Dutch Petroleum will have to pay nearly £80m in capital gains tax as a result of next week’s restructuring of Shell into one company.

The Association of Private Client Investment Manager and Stockbrokers accused Shell of “real, unadulterated, unacceptable arrogance” for failing to ease the tax hit. 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 NEW YORK TIMES: Shell Shareholders to Back Unification

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Shell Shareholders to Back Unification

Another dampener on Shell’s biggest corporate overhaul since the two holding firms tied up in 1907, is a spat over the rights to the web domain “royaldutchshellplc.com.” Disgruntled shareholder Alfred Donovan beat Shell to register the domain name. Shell has sued Donovan for the rights to the domain but while the matter plays out, Donovan uses the site to lambaste Shell management.

Posted Saturday 25 June 2005

By REUTERS

DUBLIN (Reuters) – Royal Dutch/Shell shareholders are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favor of scrapping the oil giant’s century-old dual-listed structure on Tuesday.

Skip to next paragraph Shell hopes the unification of its Dutch and British parent companies will improve management efficiency and accountability, areas on which the firm needs to reassure investors after a damaging reserves overbooking scandal last year.

“It’s what investors have been calling for. Hopefully it will sail through … we hope it’s going to augur a new era,” said Richard Lewis, who manages $8 billion, including Royal Dutch shares, for New Star Asset Management in London. 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.