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June 8th, 2010:

Shell second highest number of oil spills in U.S. waters

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By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

Oil spills escalated in this decade

The number of spills from offshore oil rigs and pipelines in U.S. waters more than quadrupled this decade, a trend that could have served as a warning for the massive leak in the Gulf of Mexico, according to government data and safety experts. The spills — and the amount of oil that leaked — grew markedly worse even when taking increases in production into account, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data shows. The leaks came as the oil industry repeatedly claimed that offshore drilling was never safer.

From the early 1970s through the ’90s, offshore rigs and pipelines averaged about four spills per year of at least 50 barrels, according to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). One barrel is equal to 42 gallons. The average annual total surged to more than 17 from 2000 through 2009. From 2005 through 2009, spills averaged 22 a year.

The company with the most spills from 2000 through 2009 is BP, which leased the well spewing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf since April 20, according to the data. The oil giant and its affiliated companies reported 23 spills of 50 barrels or more, not including the latest blowout. Oil firm Shell was next with 21, according to MMS spill reports. 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.

Libya Offers $2 Billion for Shell Africa Units, Adviser Says

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By Jihen Laghmari

June 8 (Bloomberg) — Libya Oil Holding Co. offered to buy some of Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s downstream business in Africa for $2 billion, said Faissal Werfelli, a legal adviser in Tunisia to Europe’s largest oil company by market value.

Shell’s operations in South Africa are excluded from the proposed deal, Werfelli said in an interview in Tunis yesterday. Libya’s Alrahila Oil Services and the Vitol Group have also expressed interest in buying Shell’s downstream assets, he 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.

BP: Shell and Exxon Mobil are both said to be licking their chops

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press: BP’s costs for cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon accident could run as high as $23 billion, according to Credit Suisse.

Imagining the Worst in BP’s Future

New York Times: A version of this article appeared in print on June 8, 2010, on page B1 of the New York edition.

By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN

It seems unthinkable, even now, that the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could bring down the mighty BP. But investment bankers get paid to think the unthinkable — and that is just what they are doing.

The idea that BP might one day file for bankruptcy, particularly as part of a merger that would enable it to cordon off its liabilities from the spill, is starting to percolate on Wall Street. Bankers and lawyers are already sizing up potential deals (and counting their potential fees). 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.