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July, 2010:

Former Interior Secretary: Attitude of ‘Mutual Problem Solving’ With Oil Industry Under Bush

The Washington Independent

By Andrew Restuccia 7/20/10 12:52 PM

Former Interior Department Secretary Gale Norton told a congressional panel today that the department, under her tenure, saw its relationship with the oil industry when permitting and licensing offshore drilling projects as one “of mutual problem solving.”

Norton’s remarks came during a House Energy & Commerce Committee joint-subcommittee hearing on the Interior Department’s involvement in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Norton, who served as Interior secretary from 2001 to 2006 under President Bush, took a job with Royal Dutch Shell after resigning, leading to a Department of Justice probe. read more

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Alaskan Eskimos say oil drilling threatens way of life

BBC NEWS

“The Gulf of Mexico may have been a wake-up call for some but not for Shell,” says Pete Slaiby, vice-president of Shell Alaska.

Barrow’s Inuit blanket toss in action

Indigenous Eskimos living on the edge of the Arctic Ocean fear new oil drilling could destroy their unique way of life, but many Alaskans believe the Arctic’s energy reserves could be economically and politically important. The BBC’s Rajesh Mirchandani visited the Arctic town of Barrow during a traditional spring whale-hunting festival. 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.

Oil Sands Rising as BP Spill Casts Palls Over Future of Deepwater Drilling

Bloomberg

By Irene Shen and Matt Walcoff – Jul 20, 2010

Suncor Energy Inc. and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., two of the largest oil-sands producers, rank among the biggest winners as a U.S. halt on new Gulf of Mexico drilling leads investors to alternative crude sources.

Canadian energy stocks are drawing the highest premium since 2005. Standard & Poor’s/TSX Energy Index of Canadian stocks now trades for 32.1 times reported profit from the past year, more than twice as much as fuel producers in the MSCI World Index, the benchmark for equities in 24 developed markets. 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.

Film about Shell’s controversial Corrib Gas Project wins major award at Galway International Film Festival

‘The Pipe’ has won the best documentary award at the prestigious Galway Film Fleadh, selling out both screenings and receiving standing ovations on both occasions. A documentary film, four years in the making, ‘The Pipe’ tells the story of the people of Rossport in the West of Ireland, and the efforts of the Shell Oil company to lay a high pressure, raw gas pipeline through their community.

?httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELmkWOMNxQE

The rights of farmers over their fields, and of fishermen to their fishing grounds, have come into direct conflict with one of the world’s most powerful oil companies. When the citizens look to their State to protect their rights, they find that the government has put Shell’s right to lay a pipeline over their own. Risteard Ó Domhnaill’s compelling documentary follows three very different characters as the local community is plunged into turmoil, not only by their opposition to the project, but more tragically, by the struggles within their own campaign. ThePipe tells the story of a pipeline that can bring economic prosperity or destroy a way of life shared for generations. 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.

Bye-bye BP?

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Bye-bye BP? The British oil company faces a dramatic restructuring after Gulf Coast oil spill

BY Helen Kennedy

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER: Sunday, July 18th 2010, 2:53 PM

Noonan for News: A BP gas station in Harlem was cleaned after being vandalized last month. The company’s image, however, may never recover. BP may sell off its gas stations and scale back US operations, a British newspaper reported Sunday.

Even as the news from the Gulf Coast looked bright – the cap on the broken well continued to hold back the oil gusher for a third day –  the firm’s future seemed to darken.

The Sunday Times of London reported that directors at the oil giant once known as British Petroleum had been discussing a dramatic restructuring of the company with major shareholders.

Options reportedly include splitting up the conglomerate by selling off its refineries and gas stations, and doing more engineering in-house rather than outsourcing it. 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 should face criminal probe for its role in freeing Lockerbie bomber, Sen. Chuck Schumer says

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

BY Erin Durkin
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Monday, July 19th 2010, 4:00 AM

Zeitvogel/Getty: An anti-BP sign is displayed at a home in Louisiana.

BP should face a criminal investigation into its role in freeing the Lockerbie bomber, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

Schumer and victims’ relatives called on Attorney General Eric Holder to look into whether the oil giant broke federal laws by lobbying the British government to free Libyan terrorist Abdel Baset al-Megrahi to help them close a $900 million oil deal with Libya.

“No matter how powerful the corporation, how important the foreign government, a blood money deal is a blood money deal,” Schumer 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.

Ratings downgrade for Ireland despite huge Corrib gas reserves

By John Donovan

It is sad to see that the “Celtic Tigers” credit rating has today been downgraded by Moodys to Aa2.

“Today’s downgrade is primarily driven by the Irish government’s gradual but significant loss of financial strength, as reflected by its deteriorating debt affordability,” said Moody’s lead analyst for Ireland Dietmar Hornung. (extract from Irish Times Article)

Ireland is unfortunately another country where corrupt politicians sold off valuable national hydrocarbon assets to unscrupulous oil companies for a pittance. read more

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BP in shareholder talks on break-up

By Karl West
Last updated at 10:37 PM on 18th July 2010


Under-fire oil company BP has started talking to leading shareholders about a radical restructuring, including a break-up of the business.

The early stage discussions with investors have focused on a possible sale of the group’s petrol stations and refineries, scaling back its troubled US operations and ramping-up in-house engineering instead of outsourcing.

Spinning off the oil major’s so-called ‘downstream’ assets has long been mooted by analysts and investors. 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 oil cap may not have stopped leak

guardian.co.uk home

Government demands answers as engineers detect seepage and possible methane gas leak on seabed of Gulf of Mexico

Matthew Weaver: Monday 19 July 2010 08.22 BST

Oil sheen is seen among vessels assisting near the source of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

BP‘s new cap over its damaged Gulf of Mexico oil well may not have been as successful as the company had hoped after engineers detected seepage and a possible methane gas leak on the seabed.

Admiral Thad Allen, who is in charge of the US government’s response to the disaster, has written to BP demanding answers to “undetermined anomalies at the well head”. He ordered BP to provide a plan for reopening the well by 1am today (BST). 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 to Sea campaigner released from jail

The Irish Times – Monday, July 19, 2010

Pat O’Donnell: jailed for abusive behaviour towards a garda

BY LORNA SIGGINS

ERRIS FISHERMAN Pat O’Donnell has pledged to continue his opposition to the Corrib gas project on health, safety and environmental grounds, following his release from prison at the weekend.

Mayor of Roscommon Cllr Luke “Ming” Flanagan sent a message of support to Mr O’Donnell during a rally held by Shell to Sea supporters in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, to mark the fisherman’s release on Saturday morning. read more

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Shell BP Merger? A perfect fit

By John Donovan


Updated 18 July 2010

Why all the talk of an American predator devouring a fatally wounded BP?

Royal Dutch Shell and BP have a shared corporate culture that makes for a perfect fit.

For many decades Shell and BP traded as a single entity in the UK under the name of Shell-Mex & BP Limited.

Both have made extravagant claims in multimillion dollar global greenwash advertising campaigns about their lofty business ethics and undying commitment to the environment.

Both companies in reality have flouted environmental laws and regulations and as a consequence, inflicted terrible pollution that has ruined the lives of ordinary people e.g. Shell’s notorious track record in Nigeria and BP’s in the USA.
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.

Buncefield explosion: Five companies fined £9m

Daily Telegraph

Total, the French energy giant, and four other companies must pay £9m in fines for safety violations that led to an oil depot explosion measuring 2.4 on the Richter scale.

Buncefield fuel depot fire

A court ordered Total to pay the largest sum of £6.2m for its involvement in the blast at Buncefield five years ago – Europe’s largest ever fire outside a war zone. It caused £1bn of damage, injured 43 people and forced 2,000 residents to be evacuated from their homes near the site in Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire Oil Storage, Total’s joint venture with Chevron that controlled the depot, was separately fined £2.45m.

“We fully accept our responsibilities for the events that took place and recognise the devastating consequences that the incident had on the surrounding communities and businesses,” said Lee Young, Total UK’s head of legal and company secretary. 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.

Blair in secret talks with Gaddafi: Lockerbie families’ fury as ex-Premier is treated like a ‘brother’ by dictator just days after denying links with Libya

By James Chapman and Nabila Ramdani
Last updated at 10:25 PM on 16th July 2010 Comments (203)

DAILY MAIL FRONT PAGE LEAD STORY SATURDAY 17 JULY 2010

EXTRACT: 2004: Prime Minister Tony Blair makes the first government visit to Libya since 1943. He offers the Colonel the ‘hand of friendship’. Big trade deals followed involving BP, Shell and BG Group.

Tony Blair was flown to Libya for secret talks with Colonel Gaddafi just days after denying he was an adviser to the dictator.

Mr Blair was ‘entertained as a brother’, a senior Libyan government source has revealed.

He told the Daily Mail that the former prime minister had offered Gaddafi, with whom he is on first-name terms, ‘a great deal of invaluable advice’.

Secret talks: Tony Blair was flown to Libya to discuss international and domestic issues with Colonel Gaddafi – days after denying he was an adviser to the dictator 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.

How BP’s oil spill mess could be much worse

washingtonpost.com

By Kyle Thompson-Westra

Sunday, July 18, 2010

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been with us nearly three months, and the news just isn’t getting better. Even when there’s hope of a cleanup, an accident sends us back nearly to square one. The American public is incensed, the finger-pointing refuses to end, the U.S.-British “special relationship” is straining, an offshore moratorium is declared but overruled, and even as the blown-out gulf well was sealed Thursday, anxiety lingered about whether the cap would hold. It’s a mess in every sense of the word. 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.

Quebec court delays closure of Shell refinery

A Quebec court has extended an injunction on Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s plans to close its Montreal refinery in a partial victory for the plant’s union as it tries to save about 500 jobs.

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 Canada refinery needed $600M investment

The Montreal Gazette

The Gazette July 16, 2010 4:28 PM

The Shell refinery in Montreal East is slated to become a fuel-storage facility, resulting in the loss of about 500 jobs.
Photograph by: Marcos Townsend, Montreal Gazette

Shell Canada disclosed Friday its 130,000-barrels-daily Montreal East oil refinery needed $600 million of capital investment to stay competitive and avoid conversion into a distribution terminal.

In an advertisement carried in several newspapers, the company said any potential buyer of the refinery “had to be able to finance a fair purchase price, the cost of working capital ($400-$500 million) and needed capital investments (another $600 million).” 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.

Gazprom, Shell Sakhalin Gas Venture Reports Unexpected Profit

BusinessWeek Logo

July 16 (Bloomberg) — OAO Gazprom and Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Sakhalin-2 venture in Russia posted an unexpected profit last year after oil and liquefied natural gas shipments beat targets to offset losses from a delay in the project.

The partners had estimated a loss because a delay in the start of LNG output forced them to compensate customers for contracted volumes, two people familiar with the results said, declining to be identified in line with company policy. The Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Island-based venture doesn’t report financial results. Sakhalin is off Russia’s far eastern coast. read more

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BP, Shell and the Design of Deep Wells

THE NEW YORK TIMES

July 15, 2010, 5:31 pm

By ANDREW C. REVKIN

You’ve doubtless heard that BP has, on the 87th day of the oil gusher and in its 10th try, apparently stopped the flow of oil from its Macondo well (the current stoppage is a test of the new system). That’s great news, of course, presuming the tests show that the well, from top to bottom, can hold the immense pressure of the gas and oil still pressing upward from deep in the earth. Otherwise, the process could lead to new leaks beneath the seabed, just as turning off the nozzle on a damaged garden hose causes leaks to spring elsewhere. 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 Asset Buyers May Face Lawsuits

Apache Corp. may agree to pay $10 billion to $11 billion in cash next week for some of BP’s Alaskan assets, according to people familiar with the deal. Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Tullow Oil Plc have also said they may be interested in buying some of BP’s properties. Laws prohibiting fraudulent transfers could allow victims to sue a buyer to recover money deemed essential to pay claims, and successor liability could leave a purchaser with BP’s obligations, if BP files for bankruptcy.

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 says oil has stopped leaking

BBC NEWS

15 July 2010 Last updated at 21:11

BP says it has temporarily stopped oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from its leaking well.

It is the first time the flow has stopped since an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig on 20 April.

The well has been sealed with a cap as part of a test of its integrity that could last up to 48 hours.

BP executive Kent Wells said the oil had been stopped at 1425 local time (1925 GMT) and he was “excited” by the progress.

“It is very good to see no oil go into the Gulf of Mexico,” said Mr Wells. read more

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BP faces 7-year offshore drilling ban

BBC NEWS

15 July 2010

A US Congressional committee has agreed measures that would ban BP from new offshore drilling for seven years.

The House committee on natural resources voted in favour of precluding companies with poor safety records from offshore oil exploration permits.

The proposed law does not name BP, but would apply to any company that has experienced 10 or more deaths in the last seven years.

The April explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers.

Major blow

According to the draft legislation, the deaths must have taken place at drilling, production facilities, or refineries, and must have broken US health and environment laws. read more

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What is going on in Brinded’s inner circle?

Posted on Shell Blog by “Seeberger” on Jul 14th, 2010 at 11:32 pm

What is going on in Brinded’s inner circle?

First, Brinded’s big ex-buddy Roly Poly Finlayson quits to go to BG; then ex Brinded Boy, Mark Carne gets sacked at BG by Chapman only to be taken back on at Shell by Brinded (no doubt with a promotion) and he in turn gets the Italian ex-stallion Restucci demoted to go to Oman!

Clearly all cannot be well between Brinded and his friends but the re-hiring of Carne in particular is a gross insult to all those who have recently been displaced as result of Voserification!

Posting on Shell Blog by “guest1” on Jul 15th, 2010 at 9:35 pm

Like a true dictator hanging on to power, Brinded is once more surrounding himself with yesmen and removing those that may be or become a threat. Everyone knows: disagreeing with Brinded means removal. Mafia dons and dictators like Stalin work in a similar fashion. I wonder if there are other similarities? Power corrupts. And we all know Brinded has power. The Board of Shell is failing once more. Failing to step in now means that corrupt people once more get their way. And all this is bad for business. read more

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Financial Times: Shell restates net income upwards

Financial Times: Shell restates net income upwards

“Royal Dutch/Shell showed yesterday that the debacle this year over proved reserves was having minimal impact on its financial performance, at least in the short term.”

By James Boxell

Jul 14, 2004

Royal Dutch/Shell showed yesterday that the debacle this year over proved reserves was having minimal impact on its financial performance, at least in the short term.

It restated net income for the first quarter of 2004 upwards by $226m (£121m) to $4.7bn. It had previously restated net income for 2003 downwards by $203m to $12.5bn. Most of the adjustments were related to technical issues of how it reports inventories. 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.

Senator Lautenberg should also investigate Shell’s Libyan links

By John Donovan

The Financial Times reports today that “Democratic senators in the US are calling for an investigation into BP’s business interests in Libya, accusing the British oil company of being part of a deal to free a convicted terrorist in return for oil licences.”

The FT goes on to say: “The Senate foreign relations committee is set to consider a request from Frank Lautenberg, a Democratic senator from New Jersey, for an investigation into whether BP helped secure the early release of Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber freed by Scottish authorities last year.” read more

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Shell Says Sakhalin LNG Project With Gazprom Turns Profit

Bloomberg

By Ilya Khrennikov – Jul 14, 2010

Shell Says Sakhalin LNG Project With Gazprom Turns Profit, Vedomosti Says

Royal Dutch Shell Plc said its liquiefied natural gas venture with OAO Gazprom on Russia’s Sakhalin Island reached operational profitability, Vedomosti reported, citing Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser.

Shell is seeking licenses to produce oil in Russia, both by itself and with domestic companies, Voser was cited as saying in an interview published in the Moscow-based newspaper today.

Voser also reiterated Shell’s interest in joining Russia’s second LNG project, run by OAO Novatek on the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic, Vedomosti reported. read more

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Arrow approves takeover by Shell-PetroChina

REUTERS

SYDNEY | Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:59am BST

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Arrow Energy (AOE.AX) shareholders approved a $3.05 billion takeover by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and PetroChina’s (0857.HK) on Wednesday, clearing the way for a final legal go-ahead due later this week.

Shareholders voted to demerge Arrow’s international assets into Dart Energy, a newly listed entity, and to sell the bulk of the company, including the coveted coal-seam gas assets to a consortium of Shell and PetroChina in an agreed deal. read more

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Takeover Rumors: Why Would Anyone Want to Buy BP?

From left, ExxonMobil chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson, Chevron chairman and CEO John Watson, ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva, Shell Oil president Marvin Odum and BP America chairman and president Lamar McKay testify on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday, June 15, 2010: Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP

By Vivienne Walt Tuesday, Jul. 13, 2010 Who would want BP? Perhaps one of the least-loved companies in the world right now, the energy giant is spending more than $30 million a day trying to clean up its catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. And that figure could pale in comparison with its legal liabilities for the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion if judges rule against the company in the dozens of lawsuits that have been filed in U.S. courts.

Despite all that, there have been rumors in recent days that BP’s biggest rivals are circling the company for a possible takeover or merger, even as its public image is surely at one of the lowest points in its 102-year history. The speculation began on July 11, when Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper published an article saying that both Chevron and ExxonMobil had sought clearance from U.S. officials to explore a possible deal with BP, valuing the company at about $100 billion. The paper quoted an unnamed source in the oil industry as saying, “There have been talks at a high level.” (See pictures of people protesting BP.) 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.

High Court dismisses Todd claim over Pohokura “collusion”

Wellington, July 13 NZPA - The High Court has dismissed a claim that Shell colluded with Austrian oil company OMV by restricting the gas and oil they allowed to be produced from the Pohokura gas field and so disadvantaged third partner Todd.

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BP shares rise as new well cap hailed as a success

guardian.co.uk home

Shares in BP have jumped almost 5% in early trading in London after news overnight that the oil giant has successfully fitted a larger containment cap on the well that has been spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April.

BP will today run a series of tests on the new cap to see whether it can halt the flow of oil, diverting the entire stream to ships on the surface. The original cap was loosely fitted onto the wellhead and only recovered a fraction of the estimated 35,000-60,000 barrels of oil per day spewing out of the failed blowout preventer on the sea bed. read more

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In BP’s Record, a History of Boldness and Costly Blunders

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Thunder Horse, 2005 The 15-story oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico pitched in rough seas in the wake of Hurricane Dennis, tilting dangerously.

A version of this article appeared in print on July 13, 2010, on page A1 of the New York edition.

By SARAH LYALL

This article was reported by Sarah Lyall, Clifford Krauss and Jad Mouawad and written by Ms. Lyall.

Hurricane Dennis had already come and gone on July 11, 2005, when a passing ship spotted a shocking sight in the Gulf of Mexico: Thunder Horse, BP’s hulking $1 billion oil platform, was listing precariously to one side, looking for all the world as if it were about to sink. read more

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Appointment of ombudsman to Corrib gas advised

The Irish Times – Monday, July 12, 2010

LORNA SIGGINS, Western Correspondent

A FORMER board member of Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil has advised that the appointment of a new ombudsman trusted by “all stakeholders” may be the only route to resolution of the Corrib gas dispute in north Mayo.

However, the Government should never have permitted construction of the gas infrastructure in the current location, Stein Bredal, a former trade union representative on Statoil’s board, said in Galway at the weekend. Statoil is a partner with Shell and Vermilion Energy in the Corrib gas project. read more

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BP shores up its defences to resist US swoop

Daily Telegraph: For conspiracy theorists, this has always been the end game. A catastrophic oil spill. A political pummelling from President Barack Obama. And then, when BP is suitably softened up, a swoop from Exxon with a £100bn bid, providing an American solution to a very British problem.

…any move by an American predator for BP would be political dynamite…

By Helia Ebrahimi
Published: 9:01PM BST 11 Jul 2010

The theory is so seductive that it has seeped through Washington ever since it became clear just how damaging the Gulf of Mexico spill was going be to what was, back in April, Britain’s biggest company.

How could Exxon, or indeed its smaller US rival, Chevron, resist? Here was one of their biggest competitors in meltdown, its value almost halving in a matter of months and the reputation of its chief executive Tony Hayward as ruined as the Deepwater Horizon rig. 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.

Exxon given the nod for £100bn BP takeover

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 8:43 AM on 12th July 2010

Takeover plans: Oil giant Exxon have been given the nod by Washington to mount a £100billion bid for BP

Oil giant Exxon has been given clearance by Washington to mount a £100billion bid for BP as the embattled British company undertakes a high-stakes gamble to cap the Gulf of Mexico spill.

The U.S. government has told Exxon that it will not stand in its way if it chooses to attempt a takeover.

Sources said the American oil group – which was responsible for the world’s biggest oil spill until the disaster in the Gulf – had expressed a ‘serious interest’ in the deal. read more

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BP builds defence in takeover threat

Daily Telegraph: Speculation grows that ExxonMobil sought White House clearance to bid for rival oil giant.

By Helia Ebrahimi
Published: 7:29AM BST 12 Jul 2010

BP is gearing up to unveil a $40bn (£26.5bn) defence strategy in the teeth of growing speculation that US predators have been given the green light by Washington to swoop on the British company.

BP will outline what will effectively be a defence document at its second quarter results on 27 July. Although no approach has been made, ExxonMobil of the US is understood to have sought clearance from the White House for a bid that could create a $400bn global juggernaut. 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.

Government washes its hands of BP takeover

The Independent

Monday, 12 July 2010

By James Moore, Deputy Business Editor

BP will not be able to rely on support from the British Government if it is the target of a takeover bid, it emerged yesterday, as rivals considered whether to take a tilt at the embattled oil company. A spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) declined to comment on reports that the US oil major Exxon, has been in contact with the Obama administration over a possible bid for its beleaguered FTSE 100-listed rival. But a spokeswoman for the DBIS said: “Takeovers and mergers are commercial matters for companies.” read more

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Motiva Shutting Part of Port Arthur Refinery for Repairs to Gasoline Unit

Bloomberg

By Timothy Coulter – Jul 11, 2010

Motiva Enterprises LLC is curtailing operations at its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, because of a leak tied to part of the main gasoline producing unit.

The waste heat boiler at the fluid catalytic cracking unit sprung a leak, the company said in a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

“In order to prevent an emergency shut down with subsequent emissions, a plan is in place to conduct an orderly shutdown,” according to the filing. Repairs will begin tomorrow, the filing shows. read more

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Attorney General hints BP’s partners may face criminal investigation

The Independent

Workers in Waveland, Mississippi, wear protective clothing as they clean up the oil that continues to wash ashore from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: Getty Images

Transocean, the Swiss owner of the doomed Gulf of Mexico rig, faces the wrath of Americans as the cost of oil catastrophe reaches $3bn

By David Usborne

Sunday, 11 July 2010

Companies partnered with BP in developing the crippled Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico could possibly also be targeted in the sweeping criminal investigation under way in Washington, Eric Holder, the US Attorney General, will say this morning.

Any switch of attention to the other players in the disaster, likely to include Transocean, owner of the doomed rig, may offer partial relief for BP which so far has been alone in taking the wrath of the White House and shouldering the costs of the catastrophe, which last week topped $3bn (£2bn). read more

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Report: BP, Apache Corp. in talks on asset sale

Miami Herald

The Associated Press

Posted on Sunday, 07.11.10

LONDON — A British newspaper says that BP is talking with Apache Corp. of the United States about possibly selling $18 billion worth of assets.

BP spokesman Robert Wine said the company would not comment on “market speculation.”

The Sunday Times said Apache Corp., based in Houston, was discussing the possibility of acquiring BP assets including a stake in the Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska. The newspaper did not cite a source for its report. read more

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New Age antics at Shell during the reign of Cornelius Herkstroter

...Herkstroter, aided by an army of American consultants, is, in effect, putting his executives on the psychiatrist's couch. He's asked scores of Shell employees to run the gamut of New Age consulting. They've helped each other climb walls in the freezing Dutch rain. They've dug dirt at low-income housing projects and made videotapes of themselves walking around blindfolded. They've tracked their time to figure out whether they're adding any value. They've even taken Myers-Briggs personality tests to see who fits in at the new Shell and who doesn't.

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Appeal to President Obama for immediate investigation of Shell Oil

Again, I appeal to President Obama and his Cabinet for and IMMEDIATE investigation of SHELL OIL with reference to our ancestral inheritance and others like us who want our ancestral properties and rights returned to us immediately. I hope all of the above falls under President Obama's new overhaul laws regarding Shell and others now drilling in Louisiana.

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Probe of Ex-Interior Secretary Norton’s Handling of Shell Winds Down, Sources Say

THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY

By Peter H. Stone | July 09, 2010

A Justice Department probe into whether former Interior Secretary Gale Norton (right) illegally gave preferential treatment to Royal Dutch Shell Group, which later hired her for an executive job, is expected to end soon without any charges, say sources familiar with the inquiry.

The probe was looking in part at Interior’s decision to grant three lucrative oil shale leases on federal lands in Colorado to a Shell subsidiary in January 2006. Norton left the top job at the department in March 2006, and said she had not lined up a new position. About nine months later, Shell hired Norton as general counsel for its U.S. unconventional resources unit. read more

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Spill Commission Hires Science Adviser

THE NEW YORK TIMES

By JOHN M. BRODER July 9, 2010, 3:02 pm

The seven-member commission assembled by President Obama to investigate the BP spill has hired Richard A. Sears, a longtime Royal Dutch Shell scientist, engineer and offshore drilling expert, to be its chief technical adviser. Mr. Sears is on loan to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a visiting scientist at the university’s Laboratory for Energy and the Environment.

Richard A. SearsRichard A. Sears

Mr. Sears, whose most recent title at Shell before his retirement last year was vice president and external research coordinator, has broad experience with offshore oil operations. read more

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FORTUNE GLOBAL 500 RANKING BY REVENUE WORLD’S LARGEST CORPORATIONS: 2010

Number 1: Wal-Mart Stores

Number 2: Royal Dutch Shell

Number 3: Exxon Mobil

Number 4: BP

Number 5: Toyota Motor

RANKINGS FOR FIRST 100

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BP: The non-executive directors failed to use their critical judgment

Daily Telegraph

By Norman Tebbit July 9th, 2010

In its Business News (July 7) the Telegraph questioned how well the four BP non-executive directors required to oversee safety, ethical and enviromental matters had discharged their responsibilities. At around £100,000 a year they are not badly paid. They should have been alert to the dangers of a lack of operational experience not only of their executive colleagues, but further down the line, among those more immediately assessing the quality of sub-contractors’ operations. read more

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Federal court rejects drilling moratorium

AlaskaDispatch

A Federal appeals court has refused to restore a moratorium on offshore drilling as requested by the Obama administration.

The AP is reporting that a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling following an afternoon hearing in New Orleans.

While the appeal court’s ruling could open the door to a resumption of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico pending another hearing later this summer, the AP says, the decision likely won’t affect Shell’s Arctic drilling operation, planned for this summer. That’s because the U.S. Interior Department also raised separate concerns about the challenges of operating in — and cleaning up an oil spill — in the Arctic. read more

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Shell May Buy A$2 Billion Stake in Santos Project, Review Says

BusinessWeek Logo

By Rebecca Keenan

July 9 (Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc is in talks to buy a A$2 billion stake in Santos Ltd.’s Gladstone liquefied natural gas project in Australia, the Australian Financial Review reported, without saying where it got the information.

Shell may buy between 30 and 35 percent of the project, the newspaper reported. Korea Gas Corp. and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., also known as Sinopec, are in talks with Santos to sign long-term sales agreements, it said. read more

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Shell chief sees some attractive BP assets – CNBC

Thu Jul 8, 2010 8:08pm GMT

NEW YORK July 8 (Reuters) – The head of Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDSa.L: Quote) U.S. arm told CNBC that the company could be interested in some BP Plc (BP.L: Quote)(BP.N: Quote) assets if its peer tried to sell off properties.

“If BP decided to sell assets clearly there are some things that would make sense for our portfolio. But that’s a later decision because of what’s happening now,” Shell Oil Co President Marvin Odum said.

BP, which has been battling the oil spill from a well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico since April, has announced plans to sell $10 billion in assets to help shore up its cash position. read more

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BP: Gulf oil spill could be stopped this month

washingtonpost.com

By Joel Achenbach

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 8, 2010; 8:47 AM

The end may be near for the runaway gulf oil well, according to the most optimistic statement yet from a BP executive.

The long-anticipated “bottom kill” of the well — a massive dose of mud and cement shot through a relief well now being drilled in order to stop the gushing of oil from the well that exploded nearly three months ago — could take place before the end of July.

“In a perfect world with no interruptions, it’s possible to be ready to stop the well between July 20 and July 27,” BP managing director Bob Dudley said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. read more

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Pensions weigh options from BP spill

By ALAN SAYRE , 07.08.10, 12:03 AM EDT

NEW ORLEANS — The exasperation with felt by residents of the Gulf states is spreading to shareholders – and some are taking the oil giant to court. read more

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Shell ordered to delay measures to convert Montreal refinery

Montreal Gazette July 7, 2010

MONTREAL — Shell Canada Ltd. said Wednesday it will comply immediately with an order issued by Quebec Court judge Claude Auclair for a temporary halt to any dismantling work at its East Montreal refinery to covert it to a fuel-distribution terminal.

“This is a temporary order and it does not affect our plan for the refinery’s conversion, with work starting in September,” said a company spokesperson in Montreal.

The Shell Canada refinery’s union, affiliated with the Quebec Federation of Labour, claimed the company had contravened a provincial law that requires permission from the ministry of natural resources before any dismantling work of a refinery can go ahead. read more

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