April 15th, 2014:
Extractive industries: will they ever publish what they pay?
Greenland in transition
Extracts from an article by Nick Snow published 14 April 2014 by Oil & Gas Journal
Greenland expects its oil, gas, and minerals to be crucial as it continues its gradual transition to independence, its first US representative said on Apr. 3. “We have begun developing our oil and gas,” noted Inuuteq Holm Olsen, who began a 5-year assignment at the Danish Embassy in Washington 2 months ago. The US Geological Survey estimates there are billions of barrels of oil equivalent offshore Greenland, although there have been no commercial finds… ExxonMobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Chevron Corp., BP PLC, and other multinationals have been partners in consortiums buying offshore licenses there.
Safety at risk under Malcolm Brinded
Entirely the wrong man to entrust with an oversight function in relation to the safety of rail passengers. He was shunted out of Shell under a cloud. If that is a model of the Shell Prelude in the background of the photograph, it is not an encouraging omen.
Mining giant BHP Billiton has appointed former Royal Dutch Shell executive Malcolm Brinded to its board as a Non-executive Director. He is also a Non-executive Director of the Network Rail Board in the UK, where he chairs the Safety, Health and Environment Committee. (Information published today)
Ironic bearing in mind the evidence assembled by Bill Campbell, the highly respected former HSE Group Auditor of Shell International confirming that Brinded already has the blood of Shell offshore employees on his hands. The evidence relating to Shell’s notorious “Touch F*** All” safety culture on the Brent Bravo North Sea Platforms while Brinded was in charge, includes tape recorded conversations with senior Shell officials.
Royal Dutch Shell plc Notice of 2014 Annual General Meeting
Royal Dutch Shell plc (the “Company”) announces that its 2014 Annual General Meeting will be held at the Circustheater, Circusstraat 4, The Hague, The Netherlands at 10:00 (Dutch time) on Tuesday May 20, 2014. The Notice of Annual General Meeting (the “Notice”) can be viewed and downloaded from http://www.shell.com/agm
The AGM will be webcast on the day so shareholders unable to attend in person can still follow proceedings. Details of the webcast arrangements can be found in the Notice of Annual General Meeting.
Shell to discuss possible western Pennsylvania shale gas plant at public meetings
U.S. eyes European safety standards for oil refineries
Extracts from an article by Susan Buchanan published 14 April 2014 in “The Louisiana Weekly” and The Huffington Post
Oil refiners can learn from Europe as they try to reduce accidents at plants in Louisiana and other states, U.S. safety experts say. After a string of disasters, President Obama issued an executive order last August to improve chemical facility safety. A year before his directive, a fire at Chevron Corp.’s refinery in Richmond, Ca. filled the air with black smoke and particles, sending 15,000 residents in search of medical attention. An April 2010 explosion at Tesoro’s refinery in Anacortes, Wa. killed seven workers.