April 4th, 2007:

By Catherine Belton
Published: April 5 2007 03:00 | Last updated: April 5 2007 03:00

When an Eni-led consortium walked out of yesterday’s Yukos auction with a bundle of prime gas assets for a knockdown price of just $5.83bn, it came as little surprise to hear soon afterwards that Gazprom would take control.

The deal – in which Eni agreed to buy a 20 per cent stake in Gazpromneft and three gas producers – gives the Italian energy major for the first time direct access to Russia’s vast reserves. read more

By Oscar Beard

When I first met with John Monaghan during my time in Ireland, the first thing he mentioned was the pollution of the local water supply which was coming directly from the Shell/Statoil Corrib Gas Project at Bellanaboy Bridge.

This has been reported before on Indymedia.ie. Now their latest reports are starting to point to what we uncovered whilst out there.

In order to construct the refinery foundations 500,000 tons of wet Atlantic peat must be removed. Shell started this but halted operations when high-aluminium content “doib” soil was exposed. The aluminium made contact with on-site surface water and proceeded to contaminate surrounding streams and rivers, all of which lead to Carrowmore Lake, the drinking water supply for over 10,000 residents in the Erris community. read more

(Amrik Ahluwalia holds a sample of crude oil and sand obtained from Shell Canada’s Alberta oil sands operations. Ahluwalia is heading up a team of 40 Shell Canada employees studying the feasibility of establishing a refinery for the oil, known as heavy crude, near Sarnia.)

April 5, 2007
Oil & Gas
BY MARY BAXTER

Massive project would be a boon to industry

Establishing construction worker camps is one of the possibilities that will be considered for handling a massive project proposed for the Sarnia area. read more

LONDON, April 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ —

                      FOR THE 12 MONTHS UP TO 13 MARCH 2007
               Prospectus (Directive 2003/71/EC) Regulations 2005
                    and paragraph 5.2 of the Prospectus Rules
    This annual information update is filed pursuant to Prospectus Rule 5.2
made by the Financial Services Authority and not for any other purpose and
by filing this annual information update neither Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:
RDS.A , NYSE: RDS.B) (“the Company”), nor any other person, takes any
responsibility for, or makes any representation, express or implied, as to
the accuracy or completeness of, the information contained or referred to
below herein. The information referred to below is not necessarily up to
date as at the date of this annual information update and the Company does
not undertake any obligation to update any such information in the future.
Furthermore, such information may have been prepared in accordance with the
laws or regulations of a particular jurisdiction and may not comply with or
meet the relevant standards of disclosure in any other jurisdiction.
Neither this annual information update, nor the information referred to
below constitutes, by virtue of this communication, an offer of any
securities addressed to any person and should not be relied on by any
person.
    1. Announcements made via a Regulatory Information Service (London
Stock Exchange)
    Date       Description of Contents of Announcement
    14/03/2006 Annual Report and Accounts
    14/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    17/03/2006 Statement re LPG business
    17/03/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    20/03/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    20/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    21/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    22/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    23/03/2006 Director Declaration
    23/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    27/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    28/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    29/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    30/03/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    30/03/2006 Section 198 Notification
    30/03/2006 Section 198 Notification
    30/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    31/03/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    04/04/2006 Issuance of Standard Financial Guarantees
    04/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    06/04/2006 Section 198 Notification
    06/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    07/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    10/04/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    10/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    10/04/2006 Annual Information Update
    11/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    12/04/2006 Section 198 Notification
    12/04/2006 Annual Report and Accounts
    12/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    13/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    19/04/2006 Section 198 Notification
    19/04/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    19/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    20/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    21/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    24/04/2006 Section 198 Notification
    24/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    26/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    27/04/2006 Director Declaration
    27/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    28/04/2006 Motiva Announces Progress on Refinery Expansion Project
    28/04/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    02/05/2006 Section 198 Notification
    02/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/05/2006 1st Quarter Results
    03/05/2006 Executive Director R. Routs – Contract
    04/05/2006 Dividend Declaration
    04/05/2006 Royal Dutch Shell Strategy
    04/05/2006 Director Declaration
    04/05/2006 Section 198 Notification
    04/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    08/05/2006 Shell Canada to make bid to acquire BlackRock Ventures
    09/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    09/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    10/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    10/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    10/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    10/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    10/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    10/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    11/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    12/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    15/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    15/05/2006 Holding(s) in Company
    15/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/05/2006 Result of AGM
    16/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    16/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    17/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    17/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/05/2006 Holding(s) in Company
    19/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    22/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    23/05/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    23/05/2006 Section 198 Notification
    23/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    24/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    26/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    30/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    31/05/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    01/06/2006 Section 198 Notification
    01/06/2006 Section 198 Notification
    01/06/2006 Director Declaration
    01/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/06/2006 Section 198 Notification
    05/06/2006 Section 198 Notification
    05/06/2006 Buy Back of Own Shares
    06/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    07/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    08/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    09/06/2006 Buyback Own Shares
    12/06/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    12/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    13/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    14/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/06/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    16/06/2006 Shell Canada acquires BlackRock Ventures
    16/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    19/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    20/06/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    20/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    21/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    22/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    23/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    26/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    27/06/2006 RDS buybacks to continue in June close period
    28/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    29/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    30/06/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/07/2006 Director’s Shareholding
    03/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    04/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/07/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    05/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    06/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    07/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    10/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    11/07/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    11/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    12/07/2006 Notice of Results – Q2 2006
    12/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    13/07/2006 Director Declaration
    13/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    14/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    17/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    19/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    20/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    21/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    24/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    26/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    26/07/2006 Second quarter unaudited results
    26/07/2006 Dividend Declaration
    26/07/2006 Qatar and Shell Launch Integrated Pearl GTL Project
    26/07/2006 Shell to go ahead with Singapore petrochemicals complex
    27/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    28/07/2006 Filing of Annual Report and Accounts 2005
    31/07/2006 Shell – formal proposal to expand Athabasca oil sands
    31/07/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    31/07/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    31/07/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    01/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    01/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    01/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    02/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    02/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    03/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    04/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    07/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    07/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    08/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    08/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    09/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    09/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    10/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    10/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    11/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    11/08/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    11/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    14/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    17/08/2006 Annual Information Update
    17/08/2006 Section 198 Notification
    17/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    21/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    22/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    23/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    24/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    29/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    30/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    31/08/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    01/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    04/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    06/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    07/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    08/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    11/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    12/09/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    12/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    13/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    14/09/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    14/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    19/09/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    20/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    21/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    22/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/09/2006 Buy Back of Own Shares
    26/09/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    26/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    27/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    28/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    29/09/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    02/10/2006 Holding(s) in Company
    02/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    04/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    06/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    09/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    10/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    1/10/2006  Director/PDMR Shareholding
    11/10/2006 Notice of Results
    11/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    12/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    13/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    17/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    19/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    20/10/2006 Section 198 Notification
    20/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    23/10/2006 RDS proposes to acquire minority shares Shell Canada Ltd
    23/10/2006 Holding(s) in Company
    23/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    24/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/10/2006 Section 198 Notification
    25/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/10/2006 3rd Quarter Results
    25/10/2006 Dividend Declaration
    25/10/2006 Dividend Declaration
    25/10/2006 3rd Quarter 2006 Unaudited Results
    26/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    27/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    30/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    31/10/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    01/11/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    01/11/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    01/11/2006 2007 Interim dividend timetable
    01/11/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    01/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    02/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    06/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    07/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    08/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    09/11/2006 Buyback of own shares
    10/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    13/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    14/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    17/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    20/11/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    20/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    21/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    23/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    24/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    27/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    28/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    29/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    30/11/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    01/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    04/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    06/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    07/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    08/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    11/12/2006 Section 198 Notification
    11/12/2006 Section 198 Notification
    11/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    12/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    13/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    14/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/12/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    15/12/2006 RDS Buybacks to Continue in Close Period
    15/12/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    15/12/2006 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    15/12/2006 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/12/2006 Section 198 Notification
    18/12/2006 Section 198 Notification
    20/12/2006 Notice of Results and Strategy Update
    21/12/2006 Section 198 Notification
    21/12/2006 Gazprom-RDS-Mitsui-Mitsubishi sign Sakhalin II protocol
    21/12/2006 Sakhalin II shareholders agreement with Ministry
    28/12/2006 Holding(s) in Company
    02/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    03/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    04/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    08/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    09/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    10/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    11/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    12/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    15/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    16/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    17/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    18/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    19/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    19/01/2007 Voting Rights and Capital
    22/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    23/01/2007 RDS announces recommended offer Shell Canada
    23/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    24/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    25/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    26/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    29/01/2007 Shell to sell Los Angeles Refinery & related assets
    29/01/2007 Holding(s) in Company
    29/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    30/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    31/01/2007 Holding(s) in Company
    31/01/2007 Holding(s) in Company
    31/01/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    31/01/2007 Fourth quarter and full year 2006 unaudited results
    31/01/2007 Dividend Declaration
    31/01/2007 February 2007 strategy update
    01/02/2007 Holding(s) in Company
    01/02/2007 Buyback of Own Shares
    05/02/2007 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    05/02/2007 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    05/02/2007 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    09/02/2007 Files formal offer for minority shares Shell Canada
    14/02/2007 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    14/02/2007 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    19/02/2007 Director/PDMR Shareholding
    21/02/2007 Holding(s) in Company
    28/02/2007 Voting Rights and Capital
    08/03/2007 Non-Executive Directorate – Succession
    Details of all regulatory announcements can be found in full on the
London Stock Exchange website at: http://www.londonstockexchange.com
    2. Documents filed at Companies House read more

By JAD MOUAWAD
Published: April 5, 2007

LAGOS, Nigeria, April 4 — A year after being forced to shut more than half of its oil operations in Nigeria because of militant violence, Royal Dutch Shell says that it has reached an agreement with local communities allowing it to return safely to the Niger Delta and that it expects to resume full production within five to six months.

Shell lost about 500,000 barrels a day in production from its fields in the western part of the oil-rich delta after a rebel group called the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, attacked several production and export operations in early 2006, forcing their closings. Since then, continuing violence in the region has curtailed up to a fifth of Nigeria’s total oil production. read more

CALGARY, Alberta–Oil major Royal Dutch Shell cut the size of Shell Canada Ltd.’s board as it takes control of the Canadian unit following the buyout of minority shareholders.

Royal Dutch Shell said Wednesday that Shell Canada’s board of directors will be reduced to eight from 12 as the parent exercises its right to name the directors.

The company said Louise Frechette, Ida Goodreau, David Galloway and Raymond Royer had resigned from the board, leaving five independent directors and three insiders, including Shell Canada Chief Executive Clive Mather. read more

April 5, 2007
Carl Mortished, International Business Editor

Gazprom is trying to revive foreign interest in its giant Shtokman gas development after Chevron announced that it was quitting the contest to take part in the $20 billion project.

Chevron said yesterday that it no longer wished to take part in Shtokman, which is the world’s biggest undeveloped gasfield, situated in the Barents Sea.

“We sent a letter to Gazprom, saying we weren’t going to move forward to the next stage,” a spokesman for Chevron said. read more

By Fred Pals

April 4 (Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s 420,000- barrel-a-day Pernis refinery in Rotterdam had to shut down several units earlier today because of a power outage, a spokesman said.

“There was a power outage at 2 a.m. and some units went off line,” Shell spokesman Wim van de Wiel said by phone from The Hague today. The units have already returned to full capacity, said Van de Wiel.

The Pernis refinery is Europe’s largest. Shell, the biggest oil company in Europe by market value, suffered a power outage at Pernis in July 2005 that forced the company to curb production there for four days. read more

By Caroline Byrne

April 4 (Bloomberg) — Clifford Chance LLP, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Allen & Overy LLP, the three leading legal advisers on European mergers in the first quarter, see no slackening in the pace of takeovers in 2007.

The number of European transactions in the first quarter rose 4.7 percent to 2,346 from 2,240 a year earlier, while the value increased 6.5 percent to $486.4 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Two-thirds of the European deals involved Britain and Germany, the data show. read more

By Oliver Klaus
Last Update: 5:40 AM ET Apr 4, 2007

DUBAI (MarketWatch) — Occidental Petroleum Corp. will bid in mid-April for an estimated $10 billion sour gas development in Abu Dhabi while BG Group PLC will not pursue the project any further, company officials have said.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., which produces almost all the oil in the United Arab Emirates, has prequalified a number of international oil companies including Occidental, BG, BP PLC and Royal Dutch Shell PLC to submit bids for the project by April 15. read more

By Amandeep Sandhu

As the conflict over the British hostages held by Iran plays out, another conflict is taking place in the boardrooms of banks and oil companies. The United States is leading a quiet charge, focusing on the Iranian financial and energy sectors.

While the US has had sanctions in place against Iran since the Iranian revolution in 1979, there is a new, pointed sanctioning aimed at starving Iran of capital. The US is waging a quiet campaign on the Iranian economy by starving it of capital by pressuring global oil companies and financial institutions. read more

Apr 04, 2007

ABUJA—Two Lebanese construction workers, a British oil worker and a Dutch security manager kidnapped in Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta have been released, officials and industry sources said on Wednesday.

Kidnappings for ransom or to press for benefits from oil firms are common in the lawless delta, which accounts for all oil production from Nigeria, the world’s eighth-biggest exporter of crude.

After Wednesday’s releases, there are now no more foreign hostages being held in the Niger Delta. read more

By Maria Levitov

April 4 (Bloomberg) — The Russian government will consider within two months draft legislation to legally restrict foreign ownership of companies in strategic industries, including energy and metals.

The bill will set up a commission chaired by the prime minister to reject foreign bids for majority stakes in Russian companies across 40 industries deemed essential to national security, said Vladimir Taraskin, head of the Energy Ministry’s legal department.

The legislation comes after Royal Dutch Shell Plc and its partners agreed in December to sell a majority stake in the offshore Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project in the Russian Far East to state-controlled OAO Gazprom. After the sale, threats to cancel key permits for violations of environmental laws stopped. read more

By Nasser Karimi, Associated Press Writer: April 4, 2007

TEHRAN, Iran –Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that his government would free the 15 detained British sailors and marines as a gift to the British people.

Ahmadinejad also gave medals of honor to the Iranian coast guards who intercepted the 15 British sailors and marines in the Gulf, saying Iran will never accept tresspassing of its territorial waters.

“On behalf of the great Iranian people, I want to thank the Iranian Coast Guard who courageously defended and captured those who violated their territorial waters, the president told a press conference. read more

Italy’s energy giants Eni and Enel have won the latest auction of assets from bankrupt Russian oil firm Yukos.

Their jointly owned unit, Enineftegas, has paid 151.5bn roubles ($5.8bn; £2.9bn) for Yukos’ gas production firms Arcticgas and Urengoil.

The winning bid trumped rival offers, including one from Rosneft, Russia’s state-controlled oil firm.

More Yukos assets will be auctioned in May. The firm went bankrupt last year after massive back tax demands.

Enineftegas’ winning bid also secured it Yukos’ 20% stake in Gazprom Neft, the oil-producing arm of Russia’s state-controlled gas company Gazprom. read more

Iran President says he will free 15 British sailors as ‘an Easter gift to Britain’…

A Scottish oil worker who was kidnapped in Nigeria at the weekend has been released.

BBC Scotland can reveal Gordon Gray, from Crieff in Perthshire, was handed over to Nigerian government officials on Wednesday morning.

The worker with Aberdeen-based Dolphin Drilling was taken by armed men from the Bulford Dolphin drilling rig in the Niger Delta early on Saturday.

Mr Gray is said to be in good health. Relatives have been informed.

‘Express thanks’

Dolphin Drilling said the married father-of-one was released and then handed over to the Nigerian government. It is not known if any ransom was paid. read more

April 4, 2007: From Reuters

London – The following are details of the main investments of the largest, fully publicly traded oil companies in the world by market capitalisation, in wind power, solar, hydrogen, geothermal energy and biofuels:

Exxon Mobil

The world’s largest non-government-controlled oil firm by market value sold its solar power business in the 1980s and now has no investments in renewable energy.

Exxon does not believe renewables are commercially viable on a significant scale without government incentives, and opposes such incentives. read more

By Diane Munro and Mark Shenk

(Bloomberg) — Crude-oil production by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries dropped 190,000 barrels a day in March, a Bloomberg News survey showed.

Output fell 0.6 percent to an average 29.88 million barrels a day, according to the survey of oil companies, producers and analysts. The output total includes Angola, which became the 12th OPEC member on Jan. 1.

The 10 members of OPEC with production quotas, all except Angola and Iraq, cut output by 200,000 barrels, or 0.8 percent, to 26.31 million barrels a day. That’s the lowest since April 2004. The members with targets have slashed production 5.5 percent during the past eight months, the survey shows. read more

Published: Apr 04, 2007

DRILLING of five new development wells on the Corrib gas field off the West coast has begun with Shell and its partners aiming to have the wells completed by the end of the year.

The Corrib Gas Partners recommenced drilling activities in the Corrib Gas field, 83km off the West coast last week.

In a statement issued yesterday the partners said that at the end of this season’s drilling, sometime in the late autumn, they plan to have five wells complete and ready for production. read more

EXTRACT: Loop’s three owners, Marathon, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Murphy Oil Corp., are debating whether to implement phase two. The project would add capacity to the pipeline, the sole barrier to increasing the amount of oil shipped through the port.

By BRIAN BASKIN
April 4, 2007; Page B5C

GALLIANO, La. — Stationed in a cluster of squat offices in Louisiana cattle country, a small crew keeps watch over the Ellis Island of foreign oil.

In one building in the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port’s, or Loop, central command complex, cameras fixate on three buoys bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico 40 miles away. The buoys demarcate where supertankers deliver crude to the only points on the U.S. coastline capable of receiving such large oil vessels. Computers in a second building track Loop’s pipeline as it comes onshore, terminating just north of Galliano. Some of the crude will be stockpiled at Loop; for the rest, the process will end days later at refineries from Texas to Illinois. read more

Martin LaMonica, for News.com: The solar industry is finding that size matters.

Suppliers of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are in the midst of a multiyear investment boom, with an eye toward producing electricity as cheaply as the entrenched standard: fossil-fuel power generation.

Electricity from PV panels now costs substantially more than power from conventional fossil-fuel sources. Industry executives say, however, that ramping up the volume of panel production–regardless of any solar cell technology improvements–will bring solar closer in line with today’s power rates. read more

Last Updated: 12:33am BST 04/04/2007

A round-up of headlines from across the financial sectors, provided by Bloomberg News.

• Royal Dutch Shell had the lowest level of oil spills and natural gas flaring in at least a decade last year, while worker fatalities rose, company data showed. The company restarted drilling at the Corrib natural-gas field off the western coast of Ireland, part of a $1.1bn (£558m) project that had been held up by protests.

• Melrose Resources, an oil and natural-gas explorer, said full-year profit fell because of the cost of financing a US acquisition. read more

04 April 2007  
By ANDREA R. MIHAILESCU
Author : Energy Analysis Editor 

China’s state-controlled offshore oil and gas company CNOOC said it plans to continue seeking overseas acquisitions and tie-ups. In addition to expanding projects where it already has established a presence such as Southeast Asia, Nigeria, Morocco and Canada, CNOOC also wants to engage in exploring new projects, Zhong said.

Since it rescinded its $18.5 billion bid for Los Angeles-based Unocal due to U.S. political opposition, CNOOC has been pursuing oil deals in Africa, including Nigeria and Kenya.When asked if CNOOC was concerned about oil nationalization moves under way in South America’s largest producer, Venezuela, Zhong said the company was not overly concerned.Sakhalin receives billions for oil, gas projectsRussia’s projects in the Far East on Sakhalin Island are expected to attract $2.3 billion in investments from foreign and local investors in 2007.
 
The offshore oil and gas projects Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 are some of the most expensive projects in the world.One more oil platform called PA-B will be placed in the Sea of Okhotsk in the summer under the Sakhalin-2 project, operated by Sakhalin Energy, the press service of the Sakhalin regional committee for foreign economic relations said Tuesday. The platform will make complete a group of four sea platforms and one coast platform that will begin the oil and gas output in 2008. read more

By Gavin Evans

April 4 (Bloomberg) — Global oil companies have shown “substantial interest” in bidding for exploration rights in the Great South basin off New Zealand’s southern coast, Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven said today.

Proposals closed on April 2 for 40 exploration permits covering 360,000 square kilometers (140,000 square miles) of ocean. Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the biggest oil and gas producer in the country, said it didn’t submit a bid.

The basin, last explored during the oil shocks of the 1970s, is considered by the government’s Crown Minerals unit to have some of the best potential for large discoveries. Extending as much as 500 kilometers from the country’s South Island, it may contain fields holding as much as 7 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to some estimates. read more

By Dinakar Sethuraman

April 4 (Bloomberg) — Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and other oil companies may increase spending on exploration in deep water 44 percent to $18 billion by 2011, a report by Douglas-Westwood Ltd. said.

Drilling expenditure in shallow water, depths less than 400 feet, are likely to decline slightly from $46 billion last year, the U.K.-based consultant said in a report dated March 30, titled The World Offshore Drilling Spend Forecast 2007-11. Companies spent $12 billion on deep water exploration last year from a total of $58 billion on offshore drilling . read more

EXTRACT: There were plenty of other targets it could have chosen in the Netherlands if it wanted to. How about taking a pop at Royal Dutch Shell Plc? In 2004, it emerged that the Anglo-Dutch oil company had overstated its reserves, leading to lawsuits from investors and fines by regulators. True, Shell has stabilized since then, but it is hard to escape the impression it has been eclipsed by longtime competitor BP Plc. Taking a medium-term view, nobody would describe Shell as a star of the European oil industry. read more

By Gavin Evans

April 4 (Bloomberg) — New Zealand Refining Co., operator of the country’s only oil refinery, named Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Ken Rivers as chief executive officer.

Rivers, who starts the new role on Aug. 16, currently runs Shell’s Stanlow refinery in the U.K., New Zealand Refining said in a statement to the country’s stock exchange today. He replaces Jerome Kerrigan, who was appointed for a one-year term last July pending a global search for permanent replacement. read more

April 4 (Bloomberg) — Shares in Nexus Energy Ltd. jumped to their highest for five weeks after the Australian oil and gas explorer said it found more natural gas than expected at a well on the Crux field off northwestern Australia.

Shares in the Melbourne-based company gained as much as 12 cents, or 14 percent, to 98 cents on the Australian Stock Exchange. They were at 96.5 cents at 12:19 p.m. Sydney time.

Nexus is drilling appraisal wells at the Crux field to help better define the amount of gas and condensates it holds before deciding how to develop the project. The Crux-2 ST1 well found gas over a depth of 158 meters, including 102 meters area that is expected to be economic, and the field is now expected to hold enough condensates to underpin development, Nexus said. read more

04.04.07

British companies last year racked up their biggest profits since records began in 1965, official figures have revealed.

As evidence of a booming economy, businesses made £284billion, the Office for National Statistics reported – more than the gross domestic product of Belgium or Switzerland. That was up from £266billion in 2005.

The record returns were due to an explosion in revenues from financial services, rapid growth in high street spending and soaring sales generated by oil firms. read more

(Drilling is being undertaken using the Sedco 711 drilling rig, a semi-submersible drilling unit)

Wednesday April 4th 2007   
  
DRILLING of five new development wells on the Corrib gas field off the West coast has begun with Shell and its partners aiming to have the wells completed by the end of the year.

The Corrib Gas Partners recommenced drilling activities in the Corrib Gas field, 83km off the West coast last week.

In a statement issued yesterday the partners said that at the end of this season’s drilling, sometime in the late autumn, they plan to have five wells complete and ready for production. read more

(Sky Wind Power)

Power generation: If people object to wind farms cluttering up the countryside, one answer might be to put them in the air

IF IT ever seems windy where you live, be thankful you do not live 10km up in the air. At that height, the jet-stream winds blow stronger and more constantly than ground level winds, carrying up to a hundred times more energy.

So, just as oil companies are drilling deeper and in more remote locations in search of new reserves, pioneer wind-power engineers are looking higher in the sky for new sources of energy. Conventional turbines will not take them there—the highest to date is just over 200 metres tall. So they are trying to invent a whole new technology for harvesting wind: electricity generators that fly. read more

By F. Andy Messing/Chase Bode
April 4, 2007

As Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez continues to move further to the left, and instability escalates in the Middle East, Nigeria, the fifth-largest oil supplier to the United States, has become even more important.

However, due to neglect in Nigeria’s main oil-producing region, the Niger Delta, future oil supplies are in jeopardy.

As in the lead-up to the 2003 presidential elections, that region can expect increased violence before the April 21 elections. read more

LONDON, April 3 /PRNewswire/ — The international oil and gas company, Energy Equity Resources Limited (EER), continues to grow: company assets have more than doubled in the past 12 months. Its operational base is in a new office block at 35 Portman Square, near London’s Marble Arch.

The company has strengthened its management team with several eminent individuals from the industry. Among the early board appointments was Dr. Phil Vingoe, a well-known industry figure, who was Chief Geophysicist, General Manager Global Exploration and Technology Director, at BP’s Exploration division. In 1995 he left to launch Australian independent, Novus Petroleum. He became MD of Sasol Petroleum International in 2000, the upstream arm of South Africa’s oil, gas and chemicals group, Sasol Ltd. Dr. Vingoe’s MSc and PhD in Geophysics were obtained from Birmingham University and he studied at Harvard Business School. read more

By Chika Amanze-Nwachuku, 04.04.2007

The  British central labour union has called on all British oil companies to pull out of the Niger Delta on the back of rising kidnappings of foreign workers in the region by militants.

The UK union leader, Mr. Graham Tran yesterday demanded for a complete withdrawal of UK companies from the Niger Delta until the safety of foreign workers can be guaranteed in the region.

Notable British-based oil companies operating in Nigeria include Shell, which account for more than 40 percent of Nigeria’s oil and production and British Gas, a key partner of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the $6 billion Olokola LNG project. read more