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September 10th, 2012:

APNEWSBREAK: Shell halts Chukchi Sea drilling

By Dan Joling on September 10, 2012

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell on Monday was moving its drill ship off a prospect in the Chukchi Sea, a day after drilling began 70 miles off the Alaska coast because sea ice was moving toward the vessel.

Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith tells The Associated Press that drilling was stopped for safety reasons.

“As a precautionary measure and in accordance with our approved Chukchi Sea Ice Management Plan, Shell has made the decision to temporarily move off the Burger-A well to avoid potentially encroaching sea ice,” he said by email. “Once the ice moves on, the Noble Discoverer will re-connect to anchors and continue drilling.” 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.

Gasoline Gains as Flooding Slows Louisiana Refinery Start

By Barbara Powell – Sep 10, 2012 4:34 PM GMT+0100

Gasoline gained after a report that flooding and mechanical issues have slowed the startup of Motiva Enterprises LLC’s Convent, Louisiana, refinery as it tries to return to production after Hurricane Isaac.

Futures rose as Motiva expects to need another week to get the main production units running at the 255,000-barrel-a-day plant, according to two people familiar with operations. Three refineries in the Gulf Coast are starting and six are at reduced rates after the storm, which knocked out 13 percent of the area’s refining capacity when it struck Aug. 29. 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.

Plains to Buy BP Oil and Gas Assets for $5.55 Billion; Unveils $560 Million Deal with Shell

Dow Jones and Company, Inc.  09/10/2012 7:39 AM ET

Plains Exploration & Production Co. (PXP) has agreed to buy BP PLC’s (BP) deepwater Gulf of Mexico oil and gas properties for $5.55 billion.

BP is selling its interests in three assets: the Marlin hub–consisting of the Marlin, Dorado and King fields–Horn Mountain, and Holstein. The deal also includes BP’s stake in two non-operated assets: Ram Powell and Diana Hoover, which BP had revealed it would sell in May.

Monday, BP said the divestment is in line with its global strategy of playing to its strengths, including the development of giant fields and deepwater exploration. 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.

Irish Supplier Accuses Shell of Bribery, Cover-up and Sinister Threats

By John Donovan

Printed below is a leaked email to a Shell EP Ireland manager, Mr Brian Foley, sent by a thoroughly disenchanted local supplier to the Corrib Gas Project in Ireland, an enterprise dogged by controversy.

This includes several months imprisonment of local landowners, the Rossport Five and a hunger-strike by another jailed campaigner, the retired school principal, Maura Harrington, the current spokesperson for the Shell to Sea campaign.

Two sources have confirmed the authenticity of the email, which makes serious allegations that seem to have drawn several Shell officials, mangers and executives into the story, including the Chief Executive Officer of Shell EP Ireland, Mr Michael Crothers. 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 Oil’s drilling in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea draws Greenpeace’s criticism

Lisa Demer: The Anchorage Daily News

Posted on Mon, Sep. 10, 2012 05:55 AM

After a day of slower-than-expected preparations in the Chukchi Sea, Shell Alaska officially began drilling into the seafloor above its Burger prospect at 4:30 a.m. Sunday, the company said.The action marks the first drilling offshore in the Alaska Arctic in two decades and is being closely watched by Alaskans and the oil industry — and criticized by environmentalists.

A YouTube video posted by Shell shows the drill bit, labeled Shell Burger “A” and dated Sept. 8, creeping down from the ship’s center into the gray sea as the operation got under way Saturday. The drilling machinery clanked and whirred.

By 6:30 a.m. Sunday, crews had drilled more than 300 feet into the ground for a narrow pilot hole that will eventually be about 1,400 feet deep, Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said. It’s used to check for unexpected natural gas pockets, oil or obstructions before a wider hole is drilled. 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.

Royal Dutch Shell to Sell 50% Working Interest Holstein Field for $560 Million

Royal Dutch Shell to Sell 50% Working Interest Holstein Field for $560 Million

Sep 10, 2012 7:57 AM EDT

Oil and natural gas production company Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA.LN), said Monday it has agreed to sell its 50% working interest in the Holstein Field, comprised of Green Canyon Blocks 644, 645 and 688 in the Gulf of Mexico, to Plains Exploration & Production (PXP) for $560 million, subject to closing.

MAIN FACTS:

-Shell received an unsolicited offer from Plains Exploration for Shell’s working interest.

-The transaction is effective Oct. 1, and is expected to close by year-end 2012. 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 Corrib Gas Project Corruption and Cover-up Allegations

Subject to Shell serving an interim injunction and/or replying to our email sent earlier this morning, it is our intention to publish at 3pm today allegations of corruption and related cover-up involving senior Shell executives, managers and officials of Shell EP Ireland. Shell has the opportunity to state that the allegations are entirely without foundation. 

THIS SELF-EXPLANATORY EMAIL WAS SENT EARLIER TODAY TO MR MICHIEL BRANDJES, COMPANY SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE. ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

Dear Mr Brandjes

Printed below is a self-explanatory email received today.

If you wish to investigate this matter kindly let me know by 3pm UK time today. If I receive no response by then, I will assume that the email is authentic and that this is another one of those occasions where Shell does not wish to comment on the allegations being made. Readers will then be able to draw their own conclusions. 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.

EMAIL FROM JOHN DONOVAN TO SHELL OFFICIAL MICHIEL BRANDJES: 10 SEPT 2012

EMAIL FROM JOHN DONOVAN TO MICHIEL BRANDJES, COMPANY SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE: SENT 10 SEPT 2012

From: John Donovan <[email protected]>
Subject: Shell Corrib Gas Project Allegations of Corruption
Date: 10 September 2012 08:43:45 GMT+01:00
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected], [email protected]

Dear Mr Brandjes

Printed below is a self-explanatory email received today.

If you wish to investigate this matter kindly let me know by 3pm UK time today. If I receive no response by then, I will assume that the email is authentic and that this is another one of those occasions where Shell does not wish to comment on the allegations being made. Readers will then be able to draw their own conclusions. 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 begins petroleum drilling off Alaska coast

by Dan Joling, Associated Press: 10 Sept 2012

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — More than four years after Royal Dutch Shell paid $2.8 billion to the federal government for petroleum leases in the Chukchi Sea, a company vessel on Sunday morning sent a drill bit into the ocean floor, beginning preliminary work on an exploratory well 70 miles off the northwest coast of Alaska.

Drilling began at 4:30 a.m., said Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith. Shell Alaska vice president Pete Slaiby called it historic.

“It’s the first time a drill bit has touched the sea floor in the U.S. Chukchi Sea in more than two decades,” Slaiby said in a prepared statement. “This is an exciting time for Alaska and for Shell. We look forward to continued drilling progress throughout the next several weeks and to adding another chapter to Alaska’s esteemed oil and gas history.” 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.