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September 24th, 2007:

New York Public Radio: New York Officials Protest Iranian Investments

WNYC Newsroom

NEW YORK, NY September 24, 2007 —Two New York lawmakers want the state to join a handful of other states that have divested holdings from Iran. Congressman Anthony Weiner and State Senator Jeff Klein say the city and state’s pension funds should divest of 22 companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

REPORTER: According to Congressman Weiner, these include Royal Dutch Shell – the parent company of Shell Oil – which has billions of dollars in Iran.

WEINER: If they don’t have support for their energy sector, if companies like Shell Oil no longer invest in Iran, Iran dries up and withers on the vine. 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.

Reuters: Russia’s Tatneft picks Shell to help tap heavy oil

Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:53 PM BST

MOSCOW, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Russia’s mid-sized oil firm Tatneft (TATN3.MM: Quote, Profile , Research) has chosen oil major Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile , Research) as a strategic partner to help it develop deposit of heavy bitumen oil, the company said on Monday.

It gave no details of the agreement. “The deal will be signed on September 27,” said a Tatneft spokesman.

Tatneft has said it controls deposits which may contain billions of tonnes of heavy bitumen oil. 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.

BBC News: Nigerian militants call off truce

Monday, 24 September 2007

Militants from Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta have called off a voluntary ceasefire, promising a fresh campaign of violence and kidnappings of oil workers.

In a statement e-mailed to reporters on Sunday, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said attacks would recommence from midnight.

Mend announced a voluntary truce after the May inauguration of President Umaru Yar’Adua, but says talks have failed.

Previous attacks on oil installations have slashed ouput of Nigerian crude. 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 Sakhalin Times: Corruption is here to stay in Sakhalin

24 September 2007

In an unprecedented case, a traffic policeman was sentenced to two years in prison for extorting a bribe from a motorist. The court ruling, which was termed as harsh by some, is a step in the right direction. For starters, it sends the right message to traffic policemen across the city that there will be no tolerance for corruption.

With new laws stipulating higher fines for those that break traffic rules, many Sakhaliners may actually just be tempted to pay a smaller bribe than the fine. Such people should also bear the full brunt of the law.  Fighting traffic police corruption is like fighting drug traffic – revenues exceed all possible risks. The only effective way against this kind of corruption is punishing drivers as well as policemen. Giving a bribe is as serious a felony as taking one. 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 Sakhalin Times: Shell invited to participate in further Sakhalin projects

24 September 2007

Sakhalin Governor Alexander Khoroshavin invited Shell to take part in more projects in the region, the regional press-service said today.

The governor met Shell CEO Jeroen Van der Veer, who is on a brief visit to Sakhalin to check the progress on the Sakhalin-2 Liquefied Natural Gas plant.

“The governor expressed hope that Shell would take part in further projects in the Sakhalin Region and participate in the socio-economic development of the region,” the Sakhalin Administration’s press-service 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.

Former Shell Executive Paddy Briggs comments on WSJ forecast of Exxon-Chevron BP-Shell supermergers

September 24th, 2007

THE RELEVANT WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE:

The Wall Street Journal: Big Oil’s Latest Roadblock (*WSJ forecasts Exxon-Chevron and BP-Shell mega-mergers)

PADDY’S COMMENTS

The bigger and the more international a corporation becomes the less vulnerable it is to governmental and supra-governmental regulation. ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, BP and Shell are arguably already big enough and geographically diverse enough to be almost beyond the reach of the regulators. I say “almost” because, as Shell has found to its cost, if you operate in the US you can be vulnerable in the US courts even for offences committed elsewhere. But Shell will have learned from the reserves fiasco and no doubt the lawyers have been busy reducing the company’s vulnerability to controls and regulations. The oil companies are amongst businesses most vocal advocates of free enterprise and self-regulation. Indeed Shell’s “Corporate Social Responsibility” initiatives need to be seen in this light. The premise is that if you demonstrate your corporate rectitude and your strong internal controls and rules then the external regulators will leave you alone. This was the route followed for years by the tobacco giants and it worked – although in the end their hands were eventually tied in civilised countries by the application of anti-advertising laws. 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.

New Orleans City Business: Shell president: Energy crisis ‘one hurricane away’ in U.S.

Hofmeister hits 50 cities to bolster oil industry image
By Emilie Bahr
September 24, 2007

One major storm will equal one major economic headache for the United States, according to a top Shell Oil Co. executive.

The United States must expand domestic oil and gas production while developing renewable sources and energy-efficient technology to secure its energy supply, according to John Hofmeister, the Houston-based president of Shell Oil Co.

Hofmeister’s stop Tuesday at a lunch at the New Orleans World Trade Center’s Plimsoll Club was No. 44 in a 50-city tour, said Shell spokeswoman Darci Sinclair. She said the tour is aimed at countering negative images about the oil industry and raising public awareness of the issues affecting the energy sector. 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.

Lloyds List: Record oil prices as refineries run flat out

Martyn Wingrove, Lloyds List
Published: Sep 24, 2007

SHELL and Saudi Aramco’s plant expansion decision comes at a time when refining capacity in North America is running flat out to meet growing demand, resulting in high refining margins and tight supplies.

This has helped push oil product and crude prices to record levels in the US and around the world, with crude trading over $81 a barrel last week after peaking at $84.10.

US oil product output is down this month, as key refineries such as BP’s Texas City and Whiting are running at low levels for prolonged upgrade work, and the Port Arthur refineries are coming back up after being closed for hurricanes. 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.

Financial Times: Eni in Kazakhstan

Published: September 24 2007 03:00 | Last updated: September 24 2007 03:00

As much as Paolo Scaroni tries to keep investors focused on Eni’s opportunities elsewhere, talk keeps coming back to Kashagan, the giant oil field in Kazakhstan. The chief executive of Italy’s big oil company is battling to persuade the Kazakh government that delays and cost overruns at the Eni-led project need not lead to a radical rewriting of terms or, worse, the end of the road for Eni’s involvement. He has until October 22 to reach a friendly agreement or the gloves come off. 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 Wall Street Journal: Big Oil’s Latest Roadblock (*WSJ forecasts Exxon-Chevron and BP-Shell mega-mergers)

Wall Street Journal image

Governments Reduce Access
To Aid National Champions
Amid Scramble for Supply
September 24, 2007; Page C10

Big Oil has a big problem. It may not be apparent from the huge profits that oil and gas companies are gushing. But the industry’s future depends on its ability to rove the earth in search of new reservoirs of oil and gas.

Yet as energy resources grow scarce, governments are restricting Western drillers’ access to their fields. They’re fostering their own champions, many of which are flush with capital, have learned from the majors and can easily contract drilling expertise from firms like Schlumberger, a Franco-American oil-services company. 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 Wall Street Journal: Drilling Needs Yield Boon for Chinese Firm

China Oilfield Services’ Revenue, Profit Surge Amid Expanding Offshore Energy Production

September 24, 2007

BEIJING — The combination of rapid economic development and rising energy prices is accelerating demand for oil exploration in China — particularly off of its coast.

Analysts say few companies are in a better position to benefit than China Oilfield Services Ltd., known as COSL, which provides parent Cnooc and other oil companies with services needed to drill offshore.

While some analysts see the Hong Kong-listed stock as expensive, many call the company a “buy,” thanks to its better-than-expected earnings in the first half of 2007 and its position as Asia’s only integrated provider of oilfield services. Its main customer is Cnooc, China’s largest offshore oil producer. 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 Fall to $81.34 a Barrel

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: September 24, 2007
Filed at 1:06 a.m. ET

SINGAPORE (AP) — Oil prices fell Monday after a tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico dissipated without causing damage to key oil and gas infrastructure.

Light, sweet crude for November delivery lost 28 cents to $81.34 a barrel in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, midmorning in Singapore. The contract fell 16 cents to settle at $81.62 a barrel amid profit taking on Friday.

November crude became the benchmark front-month contract after the October contract expired Thursday at a record close of $83.32. Prices reached $83.90 in intraday trading, also a record. 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 Courier Mail (Australia): State may set petrol prices

By Steven Wardill
September 24, 2007 12:00am

PETROL retailers could be told what to charge under the latest official plan to prevent motorists being ripped off.

A high-level inquiry investigating why the State Government’s 8.3¢-per-litre petrol subsidy is failing to be fully passed on to motorists is considering the unprecedented step of recommending “benchmark” pricing.

Such a system would see prices independently determined, with petrol companies having to adhere to the set prices to recoup the entire subsidy. 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.

Bloomberg: Oil Falls a Second Day as Production Rises in Gulf of Mexico

By Gavin Evans and Christian Schmollinger

Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) — Crude oil fell for a second day in New York as producers in the Gulf of Mexico returned workers to rigs and platforms after a storm threat passed.

Daily U.S. oil output in the Gulf increased by 161,989 barrels since Sept. 22, the nation’s Minerals Management Service said yesterday. Producers including BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc sent workers back to the region after a tropical depression made landfall without becoming a storm. September is the busiest month of the Atlantic hurricane season. 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.

Reuters: Shell sells stake in Australian field to Petronas

Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:32 AM BST

SYDNEY, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Shell Development Australia, a unit of Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile , Research), said on Monday it has signed an agreement with Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas (PGAS.KL: Quote, Profile , Research) to sell a stake in an Australian gas field.

Petronas’ subsidiary, Petronas Carigali (Australia) Pty Ltd, will buy a 25 percent stake in the Evans Shoal joint venture in the Timor Sea off northern Australia.

The Evan Shoal gas field, which has estimated recoverable reserves of 6.6 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas and 31 million barrels of condensate, is seen as having the potential to underpin a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. 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.