Royal Dutch Shell Group .com Rotating Header Image

April, 2015:

NAM apologizes for Groningen earthquakes

Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 20.52.22

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55CAUTION: NON-PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF EXTRACTS FROM A DUTCH ARTICLE

The Dutch Petroleum Company (NAM) has apologized for the earthquakes in Groningen and the problems caused by these earthquakes.

This is evident from the reaction of Gerald Schotman, Managing Director of NAM, on the report of the Safety Board (OvV) about the earthquake risks in Groningen.

“I deeply regret that the earthquakes caused problems for many people and I want to apologize,” said Schotman.

Schotman regretted that NAM had not carried out extensive research into the safety risks. “We could have been more curious about what happens in and above the soil in Groningen.  That did not happen, I am sorry.” 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.

Another can of worms for Shell

Screen Shot 2015-04-20 at 16.59.04

By John Donovan

The lid on the corruption scandal in Ireland involving a “Mr Fix” company OSSL, its client Shell E&P Ireland, and various recipients of Shell’s generous bribes distributed by OSSL, keeps coming off. 

Recipients have included senior Irish Police Officers, who took delivery of £30,000 of free alcohol kindly supplied by Shell. 

One local family had a tennis court installed at their property as another spectacular gift from Shell. They must think it’s perfectly normal for an oil company to install tennis courts to buy influence. 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.

BG Group prioritizes Australia, Brazil

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 19.54.26
By Daniel J. Graeber published 21 April 2015 by UPI

BG Group prioritizes Australia, Brazil

READING, England, April 21 (UPI) — British energy company BG Group said Tuesday it would change how it discloses financial data to reflect the importance of Brazilian and Australian assets.

BG Group said, starting May 8, it would unveil a number of disclosure mechanisms aimed at improving transparency and simplification of financial statements.

“[The changes will] also reflect the growing importance of Brazil and Australia on the group’s performance,” the company said in a statement. 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 Readies Defenses as Oil Industry Responds to Shell’s BG Raid

Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 09.02.35

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 15.59.22Article by Rakteem KatakeyMatthew Campbell and Dinesh Nair published 21 April 2015 by Bloomberg.com

As the oil industry takes stock of Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s $70 billion move for BG Group Plc, one company has more to chew on than most.

BP Plc, the U.K.’s most storied oil producer and prime mover in previous rounds of consolidation, is now thinking what was once unthinkable: that it could be next in the cross-hairs.

BP executives are concerned the company is vulnerable to an opportunistic bid, according to people familiar with the situation. In response, they’ve stepped up internal reviews of takeover scenarios and war-gamed defense strategies with advisers from firms including Morgan Stanley, said the people, all of whom asked not to be identified discussing a private matter. Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp., the two largest U.S. producers, are seen as the only realistic predators. 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 Learned Some ‘Expensive Lessons’ in Arctic, Jewell Says

Screen Shot 2015-04-21 at 08.52.51

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.49.45Article by Harry Weber published April 20, 2015 by Bloomberg.com

Royal Dutch Shell Plc learned “some very painful and expensive lessons about contractors” from its mishaps drilling in the Arctic in 2012, U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said.

Shell learned how to better manage companies it relies on for critical aspects of its offshore drilling programs, Jewell told reporters at the IHS CERAWeek conference in Houston on Monday. The U.S. government has “raised the bar” on safety in terms of offshore drilling in recent years, she said.

The Interior Department this month confirmed Shell’s exploration lease in Alaska, clearing the way for the company to resume drilling that was halted after a stranded rig and legal challenges. Greenpeace activists boarded an oil rig in the Pacific Ocean, seeking to halt Arctic 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.

BP, Shell ship Canada crude cargoes from Texas to Europe: ClipperData

Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 13.58.27

Screen Shot 2014-10-28 at 11.51.59(Reuters) – BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell each have shipped cargoes of Canadian crude oil out of the Texas coast this month, according to industry firm ClipperData, highlighting a once-rare journey that is expected to become more common.

The two Aframax tankers loaded from Enterprise Products Partners LP’s export terminal in Freeport, Texas, according to the firm, which tracks crude tanker movements. They are currently en route to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Spain, data show. 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.

What the BP Oil Disaster Tells Us About Arctic Drilling: Keep Out!

Screen Shot 2015-04-20 at 18.35.44

Screen Shot 2015-04-20 at 18.36.24

BY CAROL BROWNER AND MICHAEL CONATHAN 4/20/15

Screen Shot 2015-04-02 at 14.53.31Five years ago today, an explosion on board the oil rig Deepwater Horizon killed 11 men and unleashed one of the largest and costliest offshore oil disaster this nation has ever experienced. By the end of 2014, BP, the company primarily responsible for the disaster, estimated the overall economic losses from the spill at over $43 billion.

The disaster that began five years ago today must serve as a reminder that offshore oil and gas exploration and development never comes without risk. In the Arctic Ocean, where Royal Dutch Shell is preparing to return to drill sites it last explored in 2012, that risk is unacceptably high. Simply put, the United States should not permit oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean. 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.

A Dutch can of worms for Shell and Exxon

Screen Shot 2015-04-20 at 16.59.04

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55By John Donovan

The financial repercussions from the Shell/Exxon induced earthquakes in the Groningen area of the Netherlands,  which are increasing in strength and frequency, is getting even more serious.

Reuters is reporting that the estimated cost to reinforce more than 150,000 Dutch homes to withstand the earthquakes caused by extracting gas in the Groningen gas field has increased to at least 30 billion euros ($32 billion). 

That does not include the cost of repairing widespread damage already inflicted on properties in the area. 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.

Groningen quake zone: another shaker

Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 13.58.27

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55

Reinforcing homes in Dutch gas extraction quake zone estimated at 30 bln euros

Mon Apr 20, 2015 9:01am EDT

(Reuters) – The estimated cost to reinforce more than 150,000 Dutch homes to withstand earthquakes caused by extracting gas in the massive Groningen field was increased to at least 30 billion euros ($32 billion), the province said on Monday.

Gas extraction at the field, Europe’s largest, which reached more than 50 billion cubic meters last year, is causing increasingly stronger and more frequent earthquakes. The strongest was in 2013 and was 3.6 magnitude. 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.

BG Deal May Leave Shell’s Arctic Ambitions In Limbo

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 09.05.09

Screen Shot 2015-04-20 at 08.40.18

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 08.12.04By Nick CunninghamSun, 19 April 2015

Royal Dutch Shell’s purchase of BG will turn the combined company into a natural gas behemoth. But one casualty of the merger could be one of Shell’s iconic drilling campaigns: the Arctic.

The Arctic is thought to hold 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil reserves, and 30 percent of its undiscovered natural gas reserves, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. That makes the Arctic “one of the last energy frontiers,” as Shell put it. Sitting off the coast of Alaska could be around 30 billion barrels of 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.

‘Big Oil’ poring over troubled waters

Screen Shot 2015-04-18 at 23.53.17

‘Big Oil’ poring over troubled waters

Screen Shot 2015-01-13 at 09.23.28By Mark Robinson, 17 April 2015

The severity of crude oil’s collapse meant that its effects were always likely to be felt far beyond petrol station forecourts. Reduced assumptions on future pricing convinced oil and gas majors, already given over to renewed capital discipline, to also accelerate the reduction in exploration and appraisal commitments.

The effect on valuations for oil companies and their ancillary industries has been well documented by the Investors Chronicle, but the trouble doesn’t end there. The fall-away in valuations across the wider industry has also made tertiary finance more difficult to attain for mid-tier and smaller oil companies. It also means that secondary capital issues are more expensive to complete – even for oil companies with existing production. The end result is that there are a lot of distressed energy assets up for grabs at knockdown prices. 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.

Giant oil rig arrives in Port Angeles as protesters take to waters off Ediz Hook

Screen Shot 2015-04-18 at 19.46.56

Screen Shot 2015-04-18 at 19.53.25Giant oil rig arrives in Port Angeles as protesters take to waters off Ediz Hook

By Chris McDaniel and Paul Gottlieb: Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — A 355-foot-tall offshore oil rig entered Port Angeles Harbor at 7:10 a.m. for a two-week stay, and it was met with protesters in kayaks and inflatable boats obeying a Coast Guard safety perimeter around the huge vessel.

Greenpeace protesters wrapped up early in the afternoon, said Cassidy Sharp, Greenpeace spokeswoman for the Arctic Works campaign. It was uncertain if protesters will be active on Sunday.

Protest was made without incident, said Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Dana Warr. 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.

Protesters meet Arctic drill rig in Washington harbor

Screen Shot 2015-04-06 at 23.32.06
Associated Press article published by The Houston Chronicle 17 April 2015

Protesters meet Arctic drill rig in Washington harbor

PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) — Protesters in kayaks greeted a rig that could be used for oil drilling in the Arctic as it arrived Friday in Washington state following a journey across the Pacific that included being boarded by Greenpeace activists.

hearst/item/standalone.tpl mid:freeform.30111 perfect pixel

The 400-foot Polar Pioneer was due to be offloaded in Port Angeles, on the Olympic Peninsula, to have equipment installed.

About three dozen protesters took to the water, many of them in kayaks, as the rig arrived in the harbor at 7 a.m., the Peninsula Daily News reported (http://is.gd/hgRrhp ). 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.

Another sudden high level departure from Shell surrounded by intrigue

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 16.04.38By John Donovan

Another sudden high level departure from Royal Dutch Shell PLC surrounded by intrigue

Andrew Longden,  Executive VP of Treasury and Corporate Finance of Royal Dutch Shell Plc is departing the company in June, in unexplained circumstances. 

*In November 2003, Mr. Longden joined Shell as its Group Treasurer, with overall responsibility for treasury, risk management, M&A and pensions management for the Shell group worldwide. He was a Member of the working group that was responsible for devising and executing the merger of Shell Transport and Royal Dutch. He serves as a Director of Shell International Finance B.V. Mr. Longden serves as also a Trustee of the Shell UK Pension Scheme. 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 Said to Hire Barclays to Arrange $15 Billion BG Loan

Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 17.23.30

Article by Stephen Morris published 17 April 2015 by Bloomberg.com

Royal Dutch Shell Plc hired Barclays Plc to help arrange a 10 billion pound ($15 billion) loan to help fund its purchase of BG Group Plc, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

The short-term bridge facility will replace an existing 3 billion-pound loan provided by Bank of America Corp. on April 8, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the transaction is private. The loan will help fund the cash component of the purchase price, the people said.

Shell agreed last month to buy smaller competitor BG Group for $70 billion in cash and shares in the oil and gas industry’s biggest deal in at least a decade. The acquisition has been met with skepticism from shareholders who are concerned the price may be too high, could dilute earnings and relies on a quick rebound in crude to about $90 a barrel to ensure success. 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.

Landmark Deal Curbs Flaring Pollution

Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 17.16.50

Top oil-producing nations and companies pledge to eliminate the waste of natural gas that also exacerbates global warming

April 17, 2015 |By Lisa Friedman and ClimateWire

Top oil-producing nations, including the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Angola, as well as Royal Dutch Shell PLC and other companies say they will stop flaring natural gas by 2030 as part of a landmark agreement with the World Bank.

The deal was unveiled this morning during the World Bank’s Spring Meetings, where leaders said the voluntary agreement will curb 40 percent of the global gas flaring that results in 300 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

“Gas flaring is a visual reminder that we are wastefully sending CO2 into the atmosphere,” said World Bank President Jim Yong Kim in a statement. “Together we can take concrete action to end flaring and to use this valuable natural resource to light the darkness for those without electricity.” 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.

Giant oil rig arrives in Port Angeles as protesters gather on Ediz Hook

Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 17.10.51By Chris McDaniel and Paul Gottlieb published 17 April 2015 by Peninsula Daily News

Giant oil rig arrives in Port Angeles as protesters gather on Ediz Hook

PORT ANGELES — A 400-foot-tall offshore oil rig that is expected to be the focus of nonviolent protests later this morning entered Port Angeles Harbor at 7:10 a.m. for a two-week stay.

The Polar Pioneer, being transported piggyback on the MV Blue Marlin, a semi-submersible heavy-lift ship, is expected to anchor in the harbor for routine outfitting before being floated on to Seattle.

Owned by Transocean Ltd., the drilling rig is being escorted by a variety of enforcement agency vessels including Coast Guard control boats and a Clallam County Sheriff’s Office patrol boat. 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.

Total, BP say feel no M&A pressures after Shell deal

Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 13.58.27

Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 17.07.09PARIS/LONDON | BY MICHEL ROSE AND DMITRY ZHDANNIKOV: Thursday 16 April 2015

(Reuters) – French oil major Total (TOTF.PA) and British rival BP (BP.L) are under no pressure to make acquisitions after the recent takeover of BG Group by Anglo-Dutch rival Shell (RDSa.L), they said on Thursday.

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) unveiled plans last week to buy BG Group (BG.L) in the first oil super-merger in more than a decade, seeking to extend its lead in gas production and close the gap with the world’s biggest oil major, U.S. ExxonMobil (XOM.N).

Speaking at a conference in Paris, Total’s chief executive said Shell’s acquisition “made sense” but that there were other ways to grow in a falling oil price environment. 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 plan is out: Company hopes for Chukchi drilling this year; BOEM says plan complete

Screen Shot 2015-04-17 at 16.52.18

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 09.05.35By Alan Bailey of Petroleum News: Week of April 19, 2015

Shell plan is out: Company hopes for Chukchi drilling this year; BOEM says plan complete

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has deemed Shell’s Chukchi Sea exploration plan complete, has published the plan on the BOEM website and is inviting public comments on the document. Shell wants to resume its Chukchi Sea exploration drilling program during this summer’s Arctic open water season and has begun mobilizing its drilling fleet. However, the company will need a government approved plan before it can start drilling – a public comment period is part of the regulatory procedure that can lead to plan approval. 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.

A Halt to Groningen Production Could Significantly Impact on Shell’s Remaining Reserves

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55POSTING ON SHELL BLOG: 17 APRIL 2015

RELATES TO ARTICLE: Shell/Exxon Induced Earthquakes undermine Dutch Gov Revenues

According to figures published on this site, Shell replaced just 26% of the reserves that it produced in 2014. The Groningen field represents a significant fraction of Shell’s remaining reserves. If Groningen production is halted to reduce the risk of earthquakes, the impact on Shell’s remaining reserves will be significant.

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.

Do you have grounds for a lawsuit against Shell? Have you, your firm or family been cheated or injured by Shell?

Screen Shot 2015-04-16 at 17.12.44If the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then you may find this article by John Donovan to be of interest…

The first difficulty faced by potential litigants considering suing Shell, is finding a law firm with the required resources which does not have a conflict of interest and is willing to confront an opponent quite literally prepared to stop at nothing.

In this connection we may be able to assist by providing introductions at law firms in the UK or Holland with a track record of winning cases against Shell.

The owner of this website has been a participant in countless proceedings with Shell stretching back to 1993.  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/Exxon Induced Earthquakes undermine Dutch Gov Revenues

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55By John Donovan

The Groningen gas field is a giant natural gas field located near Slochteren in Groningen province in the northeastern part of the Netherlands. Discovered in 1959, it is the largest natural gas field in Europe.

It is operated by the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij BV (NAM), a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil, with each company owning a 50% share. For decades all went well.

The venture was a money spinner for Shell, Exxon, the Dutch government and the local population. 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, Greenpeace tussle in court over Arctic oil drilling

Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 13.58.27

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.49.45BY BARBARA LISTON: Thu Apr 16, 2015 7:03am EDT

(Reuters) – Greenpeace volunteers who occupied a Shell Offshore oil drilling vessel en route to the Arctic Ocean last week acted dangerously and jeopardized company property and human life, according to arguments filed in Alaska federal court by Shell lawyers Jeffrey Leppo and Ryan Steen of Seattle.

Not so, responded Greenpeace lawyer Michael Moberly of Anchorage, who wrote that the captains of the Greenpeace ship Esperanza and Shell’s Blue Marlin were in constant communication throughout the environmentalists’ Arctic drilling protest. 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 failing to do enough to prevent ‘major accidents’ at north east site

Screen Shot 2015-04-16 at 15.14.54

An article by Ashleigh Barbour published 16 April 2015 by The Press and Journal 

Shell failing to do enough to prevent “major accidents” at north east site

Offshore giant Shell has been accused of breaking safety rules at its site at the huge St Fergus gas terminal.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued an improvement notice for the second time in just over a year after it emerged not enough was being done to prevent “major accidents” at the complex north of Peterhead.

The HSE accused Shell of failing to take “all measures necessary” to identify tasks which had the potential to cause a “critical” situation.

It told the company: “You have failed to adequately identify the safety critical tasks which have potential to initiate, escalate, recover from, or mitigate the consequences of, a major accident at the St Fergus gas plant.” 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 plc: Notice of 2015 Annual General Meeting

Screen Shot 2014-10-30 at 09.22.43LONDON, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —

Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS.A) (NYSE: RDS.B) (the “Company”) announces that its 2015 Annual General Meeting will be held at the Circustheater, Circusstraat 4, 2586 CW The Hague, The Netherlands at 10:00 (Dutch time) on Tuesday May 19, 2015. 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. 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.

After The BG Group Plc Deal, Is Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Dividend At Risk?

Screen Shot 2015-04-16 at 07.32.25

Screen Shot 2015-04-16 at 07.33.25

By Rupert Hargreaves – Wednesday, 15 April, 2015

Shell’s (LSE: RDSB) merger with BG Group will create a Footsie titan. The enlarged group will make up around 10% of the index, and provide 10% of the index’s dividends.

And at present levels the company supports a dividend yield of 6.2%, a yield that’s hard to turn down. 

However, some analysts have begun to voice their concerns about the sustainability of Shell’s dividend payout after it acquires BG. Should dividend investors be worried? 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 Exxon Mobil-BP Merger Rumor That Just Won’t Go Away

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 15.59.22SeekingAlpha.com article by Dave Dierking published 15 April 2015

The Exxon Mobil-BP Merger Rumor That Just Won’t Go Away

Summary

  • The rumors of the viability of an Exxon Mobil-BP merger surfaced once again recently following the Royal Dutch Shell-BG merger.
  • Exxon Mobil could be compelled to make such a transaction due to BP’s relatively inexpensive valuation and the tens of millions of dollars in cost savings a merger would create.
  • The potential scope and size of such a merger – the combined entity would be worth close to $500B – make it unlikely to occur.
  • Exxon Mobil could be turned off by BP’s outstanding litigation concerns and costs as well as BP’s Russian investment in Rosneft.

Even well before Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) made a $70 billion bid to buy BG (NYSE:BG), talks of the merger & acquisition market in the energy sector heating up have persisted for months. The Shell-BG merger it’s thought could just be the first domino.

Analysts are keeping an eye on other big name oil companies like Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) and BP (NYSE:BP) as other firms that could be looking to make an acquisition or even combine in a merger themselves. Logically speaking, it would make more sense for the two companies to make acquisitions themselves to fill in holes in their businesses where they might be lacking. As oil prices have plunged, the value of energy stocks have dropped as well and the perception could be that many of these companies are now “on sale” and could fuel this additional M&A discussion. 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 CEO Wages Immune to Price Slump as Shareholders Vote on Pay

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 13.42.25

Article by Rakteem Katakey published 15 April 2015 by Bloomberg.com

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 13.44.27

Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, pauses as the company announce their fourth-quarter results in London on Jan. 29. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Oil’s plunge has forced the world’s biggest energy producers to lay off workers and stall projects. Their chief executive officers have so far proved immune.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe’s biggest oil company, paid CEO Ben Van Beurden a total of $32.2 million last year, almost three times the amount his predecessor Peter Voser earned in 2013, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence. At BP Plc, where shareholders will vote on compensation at the annual general meeting on Thursday, CEO Bob Dudley’s total pay rose 4.9 percent to $15.4 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.

Exxon-Shell gas venture may have to adjust Groningen output after court ruling

Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 13.58.27

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55Exxon-Shell gas venture may have to adjust Groningen output after court ruling

AMSTERDAM: Wed Apr 15, 2015 6:09am EDT

(Reuters) – Gas production joint venture NAM is studying the impact of a court ruling that halted production at a small part of the massive Groningen gas field because of safety concerns, the Dutch government said on Wednesday.

In a letter to parliament, Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp said that NAM may have to adjust production in other areas to compensate for the lost production near the town of Loppersum.

NAM (Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij) is a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil. 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 starts supplying natural gas to Ukraine

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 13.30.02

Shell starts supplying natural gas to Ukraine

Ukraine will be receiving gas via Slovakia 

Royal Dutch Shell will start gas supplies to Ukraine via Slovakia in April 2015, according to Ukrainian media. 

The company plans to provide at least 120 to 130 million cubic meters this month at a cost of USD 253 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Ukraine is receiving gas from a number of European suppliers including Statoilgas (Norway), RWE Supply & Trading (Germany), GDF Suez, E.ON Global Commodities (Germany) and other traders.

As was reported earlier this week, Russia does not plan to extend its gas transit contract with Ukraine after the existing deal expires in 2019. Some 40 percent of Russian gas supplies to Europe go through Ukraine, while Moscow has been cutting on gas exports via the neighbouring country. 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.

En route to Seattle, controversial Arctic drill rig will stop in Port Angeles on Friday

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 13.15.58Article by Chris McDaniel published 14 April2015 by Peninsula Daily News

En route to Seattle, controversial Arctic drill rig will stop in Port Angeles on Friday

PORT ANGELES — The Polar Pioneer — a huge semi-submersible offshore drilling rig that had been hounded of late in the Pacific by Greenpeace activists ­— is expected to arrive in Port Angeles Harbor on Friday.

The 400-foot-tall rig owned by Transocean Ltd., may remain in the harbor for at least two weeks while routine outfitting is conducted before it is towed to Seattle.

As of Tuesday, no protests had been organized by Greenpeace activists in or near Port Angeles, but that doesn’t mean they won’t happen. 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 ACQUIRE BG: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NORTH SEA

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 12.57.29

Screen Shot 2015-04-15 at 12.58.06

14 April 2015

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 08.12.04Shell announced an offer of a £47bn ($70bn) acquisition of BG in the second biggest oil and gas deal on record after Exxon and Mobil’s £51bn ($75.3bn) merger in 1998.  Shell and BG expect to make annual savings of £1.7bn ($2.5bn) and the combined company is estimated to be worth £180bn ($266bn). The transaction will create the largest independent LNG producer in the world forecast to produce nearly a fifth of global LNG supply in 2017-18. The other major prize for Shell is BG’s Brazilian oil portfolio of mean total reserves and resources amounting to 6 billion boe and gross production expected to peak at 2.6 million boepd. 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.

Coast Guard creates ‘First Amendment zone’ in Puget Sound for anti-Shell protests

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 09.05.35Article by Joel Connelly published 14 April 2015 by seattlepi.com

Coast Guard creates ‘First Amendment zone’ in Puget Sound for anti-Shell protests

The U.S. Coast Guard, with help from activist groups, has identified an informal  “First Amendment Zone,” just north of Terminal 5, where protesters can take to the water against Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling fleet when it arrives at the Port of Seattle.

“I didn’t choose this area:  I gave them a chart and asked them where they wanted to be,” Capt. Joe Raymond, captain of the port, said Tuesday.

Raymond initiated a meeting on Monday with organizers of a “sea of kayaks” protest. He described the zone as “an excellent place” for protesters wishing a high-visibility presence while not interfering with ferries, tugs and other marine traffic in the harbor. 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.

Chevron A Safer Bet Than Shell

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 17.26.47SeekingAlpha.com article published 13 April 2015

Chevron A Safer Bet Than Shell

Shell has lost a huge amount of money in its shale bets in North America to the tune of $900 million alone in 2014. As a result, Shell is cutting spending by 20% to lower its North American shale exposure to try and keep losses at a minimum.

Summary

  • Shell’s shale bets has been disastrous in North America. The company lost $900 million alone in 2014 and continues to hemorrhage profits.
  • Shell’s refining operations need to be restructured, as its current operations will likely affect profitability negatively over the next few years.
  • Chevron has a lower debt-to-equity ratio than Shell. If oil drops to $30 a barrel, Chevron has more resources to keep rewarding shareholders vs. Shell.

Income investors are attracted to Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) because of the very attractive yield of 6%+. Nevertheless, as income investors we need to do more fundamental work on our underlyings instead of just looking at dividend payouts. In my opinion, Shell’s yield is not backed up by the fundamentals presently. We don’t necessarily need huge capital gains in our underlyings (as we manage an income portfolio), but protecting the downside is always our priority.

Let’s take a look at Shell and I’ll explain why, in my opinion, there are better opportunities in the energy space — such as Chevron (NYSE:CVX) — at the moment, irrespective of the high yield Shell is currently paying out. To start, we have to look at Shell’s track record. Why? Because the company is promising a $15 billion all cash dividend in addition to the repurchase of $25 billion of stock between 2017 and 2020. 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.

Dutch Court Limits Loppersum Gas Output in Groningen Region

Article by Isis AlmeidaElco and Van Groningen published 14 April 2015 by Bloomberg.com

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 17.13.41

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55

Dutch court limits fracking on earthquake fears

A Dutch court suspended gas production from the Loppersum area of the Groningen natural gas field, Europe’s biggest, as earthquakes linked to production damaged homes.

Loppersum, which pumps less than 10 percent of the field’s output, may produce “small volumes of gas” only if “extraction from other locations is no longer possible and if necessary for the security of supply,” the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State in The Hague said Tuesday on its website. Dutch and U.K. gas prices reversed earlier gains. 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.

Nigeria: Govt Receives $48 billion From Shell in Four Years

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 17.07.04

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38Nigeria: Govt Receives N9.6 Trillion From Shell in Four Years

By Roseline Okere: 14 April 2015

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) paid $48 billion (N9.6 trillion) revenues to the Nigerian government from 2010 to 2014.

Also, the company paid $3 billion (N600 billion) share of royalties and taxes to the Nigerian government in 2014, with $1.8 billion from SPDC and $1.2 billion from Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company SNEPCo in the year under review.

Shell, which made this disclosure in its 2014 sustainability report released at the weekend, stated that 95 per cent share of revenue after cost went to the Nigerian government from each barrel of oil that SPDC produces. 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 Wins Lawsuit Against Greenpeace

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 16.51.17

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 16.49.02

Royal Dutch Shell Wins Lawsuit Against Greenpeace

Royal Dutch Shell was granted a restraining order against six Greenpeace activists who boarded the company’s vessel last week

By: MICHEAL KAUFMANPublished: Apr 14, 2015 at 11:22 am EST

A group of Greenpeace protesters have left the vessel carrying Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) oil rig, six days after they illegally climbed it to register their protest against offshore drilling in Arctic, the environmental group said in a statement on Saturday.

The decision to abandon the vessel was prompted by rough weather conditions, claims Greenpeace. The call was made only hours before a US District Court judge ruled in favor of Shell, when the company filed a legal complaint against the activists. A temporary restraining order has been granted for Greenpeace protesters to keep away from Shell’s drilling rigs and the vessel. They had climbed the vessel on April 6, when it was around 750 miles off the coast of Hawaii. 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 Sell 25% Of Its UK Petrol Stations

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 13.43.02

By: MICHEAL KAUFMANPublished: Apr 14, 2015 at 8:11 am EST

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) has agreed to sell 25%, or 185, of its petrol stations in the UK. The sale of the petrol stations is part of the company’s cost-cutting strategy amid the declining crude oil price. Another strategy of the company is to grow its fuel dealer network instead of owing the retail outlets directly.

As reported by the Guardian, last year in September, Shell had indicated intentions of selling 250 of its petrol stations and cutting the total number of 1,000 petrol stations it owned by 50%. 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.

A Frank Discussion On Royal Dutch Shell’s Dividend

Screen Shot 2015-04-09 at 22.55.14SeekingAlpha.com article published 13 April 2015

A Frank Discussion On Royal Dutch Shell’s Dividend

Summary

  • Before the BG acquisition, Royal Dutch Shell had a dividend payout ratio of 90% for 2015.
  • The acquisition of BG Group will put Shell on the hook for $15 billion in annual dividends as BG shareholders will own 19% of the company.
  • Royal Dutch Shell has built up a large cash position and indicated a desire to maintain the current dividend for the rest of 2015, making no dividend promises thereafter.

Before Shell (NYSE:RDS.B) announced an intention to purchase BG Group (OTCQX:BRGYY), the downtick in oil prices had created a very thin gap between the company’s dividend payout obligations and annual profits. Shell is on the hook for paying $11.8 billion in annual dividends to shareholders. For most of the past five years, this high dividend payout wasn’t an issue — Shell made well over $20 billion in profits annually between 2010 and 2012, so the current payout wouldn’t have even consumed half of the profits. 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’s Artic Fate To Be Decided Soon

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 09.05.09

Article by Andy Tully published Monday 13 April 2015 by OilPrice.com

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 09.11.56

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 09.05.35The US government has begun its full review of an application by Royal Dutch Shell to resume offshore drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean off the Alaskan coast.

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), an arm of the Interior Department, said April 10 that it had satisfactorily finished its initial review of Shell’s application, submitted March 31, to drill in the Chukchi Sea and now could begin its final analysis.

The Anglo-Dutch energy company has a lease on drilling rights in the region and plans to drill an exploratory well there this summer. Besides getting the BOEM’s approval, it must also undergo federal reviews of its plans for worker safety, the protection of indigenous wildlife and plans for the disposal of wastewater. 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.

Judge orders Greenpeace away from Shell vessels

ARTICLE BY TIM BRADNER PUBLISHED BY ALASKA JOURNAL OF COMMERCE 13 APRIL 2015

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 09.01.36

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 09.05.35The free ride is over for six Greenpeace activists who hitched a ride mid-Pacific on the Shell-chartered Blue Marlin, a heavy-lift ship carrying the semi-submersible rig Polar Pioneer to the Pacific Northwest, its way-stop on the rig’s journey to drill in the Chukchi Sea.

The protesters quit the rig shortly before U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason issued a Temporary Restraining Order late Saturday blocking Greenpeace from interfering with the Blue Marlin, the Polar Pioneer or the drillship Noble Discoverer, also en route to the Northwest. 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 Will Exxon Mobil Fare After The Shell-BG Deal?

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.27.29SeekingAlpha.com article published 13 April 2015

How Will Exxon Mobil Fare After The Shell-BG Deal?

Summary

  • It seems as though Exxon Mobil could be the next integrated oil company in line to announce a merger.
  • According to Credit Suisse, it is possible that Shell, post-merger, could surpass Exxon Mobil as the largest publicly traded producer three years from now.
  • Exxon’s better position in terms of reserve replacement might be able to placate some investor concerns relating to future growth of the company.
  • PetroChina was able to marginally leave behind Exxon’s $352.6 billion capitalization, as the former’s capitalization stood at $0.2 billion higher.
  • I believe that deal or no deal, Exxon is one of the best picks for your portfolio for the long run, mainly because of its project portfolio and bright prospects.

Following the announcement of the Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B)-BG Group (OTCPK:BRGXF, OTCQX:BRGYY) merger, it seems as though Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) could be the next integrated oil company in line to announce a merger. And why shouldn’t it? The company seems to be in a position of financial strength that most of its competitors lack. Moreover, in the current volatile environment, a merger seems to be a better option to expand the company’s production base as opposed to undertaking drilling activities to fuel growth in production, going forward. 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.

Dutch Court to Rule on Gas Output From Europe’s Biggest Field

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.23.10

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 08.30.55Article by Isis Almeida published 13 April 2015 by Bloomberg.com

The Netherlands, the biggest gas producer in the European Union, said Feb. 9 it would limit output from the field during the first half of the year, sending prices up 13 percent that week. Unrelated to the court case, the government has also said it would decide July 1 on cutting a full-year output cap to 35 billion cubic meters (1.2 trillion cubic feet), 11 percent below a previous target.

“Groningen represents further loss of supply, so if a cut is announced to 35 billion cubic meters, the market will react,” May Mannes, head of gas and liquefied natural gas analysis at Platts’ Eclipse Energy Group, said April 9 by phone from London. “But we see more Norwegian continental shelf gas, LNG supplies and Russian flows stepping up. We don’t expect anything dramatic.” 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 financial support for the scandal ridden Brunei Royal Family

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 21.40.31

By John Donovan

A regular contributor, a retired Shell executive, having spotted the latest side bar feature on this website (focused on Shell’s relationship with the depraved Sultan of Brunei), drew my attention to the latest spectacular Brunei Royal Wedding.

It took place in the monarch’s lavish 1,788-room residential palace.”

Prince Abdul Malik, the Sultan’s son and second in line to inherit the throne, celebrated his wedding (picture immediately below) in what has been described as mind-boggling splendour 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.

Bold Bens Big Bet

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 19.54.26By John Donovan

On Friday afternoon, a contributor posted a comment on our Shell Blog under the headline:

“Bold Bens Big Bet”

Very bold of Ben van Beurden. Most courageous Shell leader for many a year. Still many pitfalls, as can be seen in some of the most recent articles about the BG takeover. Not least the fluctuating oil price. Good luck to him.

On Sunday, The Sunday Times published a number of articles on the same subject with similar comments and a near identical teaser headline on the front page of the Business Section 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 wins restraining order against Greenpeace

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 16.18.30

Article by Jennifer A. Dlouhy published 13 April 2015 by fuelfix.com

Shell wins restraining order against Greenpeace

WASHINGTON — Hours after stormy weather forced Greenpeace activists to climb off an Arctic drilling rig in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Shell won a temporary restraining order blocking the group from similar protests.

The ruling, by U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason, bars Greenpeace and its activists from boarding, barricading or interfering with the movement of the drillship Noble Discoverer, the drilling rig Polar Pioneer or the heavy-lift vessel Blue Marlin.

Gleason stopped short of granting Shell Oil Co.’s request for a broader temporary restraining order that also would bar Greenpeace from encroaching on other support vessels that make up the company’s large Arctic drilling fleet, though the judge will consider the issue — and whether a permanent injunction is warranted — during an April 28 hearing in Anchorage. 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 sells 185 UK petrol stations as retail divestments continue

Screen Shot 2015-01-29 at 13.58.27

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 16.04.38Mon Apr 13, 2015 

(Reuters) – Shell (RDSa.L) has agreed to sell 185 service stations across Britain to two independent dealers, it announced on Monday, further reducing its presence in the European retail energy market.

Shell announced downstream and retail divestments last year in countries including Italy, Norway and Germany as part of cost cuts prompted by weak oil prices.

Shell has agreed to sell 90 of 185 stations to Motor Fuel Group, which already manages BP-branded service stations, while the sale of 68 others has been agreed with Euro Garages, the company said, without disclosing financial details. 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 standing above its peers

Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 16.04.38Article by Daniel J. Graeber published 13 April 2015 by UPI

Shell standing above its peers

LONDON, April 13 (UPI) — Shell’s grab of energy giant BG Group and a legal victory for frontier work offshore Alaska leaves rivals in the dust, though environmentalist are unimpressed.

The board of directors at Shell and BG group issued a joint statement last week saying they’ve reached an agreement for the Dutch acquisition of its British rival.

A weekend editorial from The Telegraph newspaper in London said the grab is an “audacious” move in a “new wave of oil industry consolidation” that’s greeted a slump in oil prices that’s lasted nearly a year. The deal, valued at around $70 billion, is among the largest acquisitions since the Exxon Mobil merger was completed in 1999. 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 Sells 185 Service Stations for Undisclosed Sum

Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 21.32.14

Screen Shot 2015-04-03 at 09.56.31Shell Sells 185 Service Stations for Undisclosed Sum

Published April 13, 2015 Dow Jones Newswires

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) said Monday it has accepted offers for the sale of 185 owned service stations to selected independent dealers for undisclosed sums, and exchanged contracts for 158 of them.

The oil major, which last week announced plans to by natural gas firm BG Group PLC (BG.LN), said the 185 service stations are spread across Great Britain and will retain the Shell brand. Dealers will continue to sell Shell’s fuels for at least the first five years following the sale, it added. 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 Makes A Huge Bet On LNG and Pre-Salt

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 20.28.10

Screen Shot 2015-04-08 at 08.12.04Shell Makes A Huge Bet On LNG and Pre-Salt

Anglo-Dutch oil major, Royal Dutch Shell Plc., recently announced plans for a mammoth – $70 billion – acquisition of BG Group Plc. to further extend its leadership position in the global LNG (liquefied natural gas) market and increase its exposure towards the exploration and development of deepwater hydrocarbon reserves, primarily the pre-salt reserves offshore Brazil.

The company plans to acquire BG Group in a cash and stock deal valued at 1,350 pence per BG share. The company will pay BG shareholders 383 pence in cash and 0.4454 class B shares in itself for each share of BG held. 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.