Zoltan Ban: 28 FEB 2018
Summary
- Shell’s long term vision of oil prices is rather negative, leading to moves to cut reliance on high-cost projects.
- Natural gas on the other hand is seen as a growth industry for the longer term, which is why it invests in upstream, as well as downstream & LNG.
- While I think Shell’s views on oil prices going forward is overly negative, I do think that prices will be volatile, so it is the right strategy.
Perhaps nothing highlights Shell’s (RDS.A) (NYSE:RDS.B) current leadership mindset more than its decision to sell its oil sands interests for net $7.25 billion last year. It is a mindset borne out of the belief at the top of this company’s leadership structure that there is a strong probability that oil prices will stay weak for perhaps decades to come, as demand destruction due to environmental concerns, as well as technological change will perhaps cause a peak in demand as soon as a decade from now. I personally do not share this view, yet as an investor in this company I am glad that it is making some of the structural changes that Shell is currently undertaking, because I do believe that it will transform it into one of the better energy companies out there. It will not only thrive during the good times, but it will also prove to be resilient during the bad.
Shell’s vision
Shell’s vision for the future was best summed up in a Fortune article. It is based on the assumption that lower oil prices perhaps forever is a real possibility that it needs to prepare itself for.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
