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More Steelworkers Cross Picket Lines as Refinery Strike Drags on

Article by Zain Shauk published 4 March 2015 by Bloomberg.com

More Steelworkers Cross Picket Lines as Refinery Strike Drags on

(Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc said more than 20 percent of about 800 union workers at its Deer Park refinery in Texas have crossed picket lines, undermining a strike that has entered its second month.

Workers also have begun returning to their jobs at refineries owned by Motiva Enterprises LLC, a joint venture between Shell and Saudi Arabian Oil Co., said Kelly Op De Weegh, a Motiva spokeswoman. LyondellBasell Industries NV and Tesoro Corp., two other refinery owners affected by the strike, are seeing a growing number of employees coming back to work, according to spokespersons for the companies who wouldn’t provide a specific estimate. read more

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NPD investigates shooting at Motiva supervisor’s home

By JohnDonovan

Several months ago we published an article about certain events at the Shell-Motiva Norco site in Louisiana involving alleged victimisation of employees:

VICTIMIZATION OF EMPLOYEES RAMPANT AT SHELL-MOTIVA NORCO SITE

Here is another article involving a Motiva Supervisor, this time published by beaumontenterprise.com: 

NPD investigates shooting at Motiva supervisor’s home

By Manuella Libardi: Published 4:03 pm, Monday, March 2, 2015

Nederland police are still investigating a Saturday shooting at the home of a Motiva Enterprises supervisor that damaged his vehicle.

Police Chief Darrell Bush said two shots were fired in the 800 block of N. 10th St. early Saturday. The gunman shot at the supervisor’s vehicle and some pellets also hit the house. read more

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JP Morgan Warns Royal Dutch Shell Investors

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By: MICHEAL KAUFMAN
Published: Mar 2, 2015 at 12:24 pm EST

In a report published on Monday, JP Morgan has advised the stock market participants to keep an eye on the “five key factors” that could undermine RoyalDutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) earnings during the first quarter of fiscal 2015 (1QFY15).

JP Morgan is of the view that Shell high-margin assets are under attack on weaker crude prices. The sell-side research firm maintained its $49-56.75 price per barrel estimates for Brent crude. As the news crossed wires, the stock is trading down 1.67% at $64.28 as of 10:59 AM EST. read more

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USW Negotiations with Royal Dutch Shell deadlocked

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By: MICHEAL KAUFMAN
Published: Feb 23, 2015 at 1:28 pm EST

Tensions between Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) and the United Steelworkers (USW) union rise as more union workers have walked out of three additional US refineries. The latest negotiations between Shell and USW took place on February 20. However, no agreement between the two parties could be reached.

The USW workers on Friday midnight decided to impose a strike at the US Motiva Port Arthur refinery in Texas .On Saturday, the USW then decided to impose strikes in the Motiva Convent, Shell Chemicals Norco plants, and the Motiva Norco Refinery. Motiva Enterprises is a joint venture between Shell and Saudi Aramco. read more

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U.S. refinery strike widening to include largest refinery

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Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.31.03HOUSTON Sat Feb 21, 2015 12:13am EST

(Reuters) – The U.S. refinery strike was widening on Friday night as workers at the nation’s largest refinery gave notice of a walkout beginning at 12 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Saturday, the United Steelworkers union (USW) said.

Shortly after talks between union and oil company representatives ended on Friday night, the union notified Motiva Enterprises [MOTIV.UL] of a strike by its members at the company’s 600,250 barrel per day (bpd) refinery in Port Arthur, Texas. read more

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Shell fined nearly $1 million for falsely selling green motor fuel

Screen Shot 2015-01-20 at 21.26.18SHELL FOUND TO HAVE MISLABELLED ULTRA-LOW SULFUR DIESEL

From ClickGreen staff. Published Tuesday 20 Jan 2015 under the headline:

Shell slapped with near-$1 million fine for falsely selling green motor fuel

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a settlement with three companies affiliated with Shell Oil Company to resolve Clean Air Act violations, including selling gasoline and diesel fuel that did not conform to federal standards.

The violations resulted in excess emissions of harmful air pollutants from motor vehicles, which pose public health threats and environmental impacts. The companieswill pay a $900,000 penalty to resolve these violations.

“Fuel standards established under the Clean Air Act play a major role in controlling harmful air pollution from vehicles and engines,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

Screen Shot 2015-01-20 at 21.40.11“If unchecked, these pollutants can seriously impair the air we breathe, especially during summer months when they can reach higher levels. This settlement makes clear that if companies fail to produce fuels that comply with federal standards, they will be held accountable.” read more

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High Noon on oil prices: OPEC vs U.S. Shale

From an article by Catherine Ngai published on 6 Jan 2015 by Reuters under the headline: Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.31.03

“High Noon on the Gulf Coast: Canada, Saudi oil set for showdown”

NEW YORK (Reuters) – As a test of wills between OPEC nations and U.S. shale drillers fuels a global oil market slump, a brewing battle between Canadian and Saudi Arabia heavy crudes for America’s Gulf Coast refinery market threatens to drive prices even lower.

While the stand-off between the oil cartel and U.S. producers of light, sweet shale oil has captured the limelight in recent months, the clash over heavier grades – playing out in the shadowy, opaque physical market – may put even more pressure on global prices that have halved since mid-2014. read more

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Shell Oil and Motiva Enterprises $4.5M Settlement after U.S. DOL Investigation

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SETTLEMENT DOCUMENTS SUPPLIED BY AN INSIDER SOURCE

Shell reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor for failure to pay overtime in the USA.

Shell required Production Department Operators to make shift relief in full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) but, the company would not pay individuals for the time necessary for donning or doffing PPE thereby violating the Federal Fair Labor Stands Act, which requires employees to be paid for all time worked.

Here are the two separate judgments for Shell and their alliance company “Motiva”. read more

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VICTIMIZATION OF EMPLOYEES RAMPANT AT SHELL-MOTIVA NORCO SITE

Screen Shot 2014-09-19 at 19.20.35The article printed below was supplied to the Company Secretary & General Counsel Corporate of Royal Dutch Shell Plc., Mr Michiel Brandjes, on Monday 15 Sept 2014. I asked Mr Brandjes to also bring the article to the attention of Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden and the Shell-Motiva Security Supervisor named in the working headline. The parties were given the opportunity to take issue with the stated facts, comment and/or take legal action to prevent publication. No response has been received. It follows that Shell has also not disputed the authenticity of quoted internal email correspondence. Readers are free to draw their own conclusions.

WORKING HEADLINE: SHOVE-OFF BY JO KERKHOFF – VICTIMIZATION OF EMPLOYEES RAMPANT AT SHELL-MOTIVA NORCO SITE

This is the true story of a former U.S. Secret Service Agent and former Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. He was hired by a contractor firm in June of this year to become Project Manager with responsibility for the security force at the Shell-Motiva Norco site in Louisiana. The site is spread over 700 acres, inclusive of a major refinery.

I have confirmed the remarkable background of this individual, who has worked in some of the most stressful operational settings. This includes his assignment as the Incident Commander for the rescue, relief, recovery and federal law enforcement activities in preparation for and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, where he commanded vast personnel resources as well as small boats, aircraft and vehicles, for which he was granted seven high-level awards and commendations. read more

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Another serious shutdown at Shell Motiva refinery

Reuters article published Tue Jul 15, 2014 under the headline: “Damaged heater likely shut distillation unit at Motiva refinery”

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(Reuters) – A heavily damaged heater on a newly commissioned 325,000 barrel per day (bpd) crude distillation unit is the likely cause of a unexpected shutdown that may last up to five months at Motiva Enterprises 600,000 bpd Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, according to experts.

In late April, Motiva, a joint-venture of Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Saudi Aramco, started the new crude distillation unit (CDU), which was the centerpiece of a 5-year, $10-billion project to make the refinery the largest in the United States. 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.

Motiva Port Arthur refinery reaches throughput milestone – sources

“If it had been built better, if it had been designed better, it could be running more crude…”

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Extracts from a Reuters article by Erwin Seba published by The Chicago Tribune on 3 July 2014

HOUSTON (Reuters) – The nation’s largest refinery hit a throughput milestone last week, processing 615,000 barrels in one day for the first time since a series of setbacks that followed its $10 billion expansion, sources familiar with operations said. The 2.5 percent increase in crude oil intake one day in late June, trumpeted in a company email, showed the continuing impacts of a troubled start-up after the expansion, the sources said. “If it had been built better, if it had been designed better, it could be running more crude,” said one of the sources. A Motiva official declined to comment. 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 Saudi relationship in serious danger?

The Washington Post has reported today that the Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans is considering flying to Saudi Arabia in an attempt to defuse the situation, which includes threats of looming sanctions against Dutch interests, including Royal Dutch Shell.

By John Donovan

Royal Dutch Shell Group has had a long relationship with the Saudi regime.

In the USA, Motiva Enterprises is a joint project of Shell and Saudi Aramco. The company owns three refineries and 35 refined product terminals.

Extract from the Motiva website

Motiva markets Shell gasoline in 49 states and the District of Columbia together with Shell Oil Products US. Together we lead the industry in national retail volume and market share in one of the world’s best known gasoline brands. We also refine and market gasoline and other petroleum products under the Shell brand across the eastern and southern parts of the US, providing product to over 8,200 Shell-branded retail outlets. 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 Co. will pay $4 million to settle False Claims Act allegations

Extract from an article published by LAW360.com on 27 Feb 2014 under the headline…

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 16.29.29Law360, New York (February 27, 2014, 4:15 PM ET) — Shell Oil Co. will pay $4 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that it sought payments from a Massachusetts fund for hazardous waste cleanup at its gas stations while it also received reimbursements from its insurers, state authorities said Thursday. Shell and its joint venture, Motiva Enterprises LLC, sought false reimbursements from Massachusetts’ Underground Storage Tank Petroleum Product Cleanup Fund program for more than a hundred gas stations throughout the state, but did not reveal to authorities that it also received payments from insurers, according… read more

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Motiva oil refinery fire doused, no injuries reported

Extract from an article by David J. Mitchell and Ryan Broussard published 24 Feb 2014 by The Advocate

read more

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Dan Romasko Named President, CEO of Motiva Enterprises LLC

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HOUSTON – January 27, 2014 – Dan Romasko, former Executive Vice President of Operations for Tesoro Corporation, has been named President and CEO of Motiva Enterprises LLC.  He replaces Bob Pease, who has served with distinction for the past 5 years and will return to Shell, effective February 1.

FULL ARTICLE

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Insider rumours circulating that Shell may divest Shell Oil Co

Screen Shot 2014-01-04 at 14.31.56By John Donovan: According to a Shell insider source, rumours are circulating that Royal Dutch Shell Plc may divest Shell Oil Company in order to generate money. And presumably to get rid of the difficult USA influence.  Since Saudi Aramco are joint owners on a 50-50 basis with Shell in Motiva Enterprises, operating three US refineries and 7,700 Shell branded gasoline stations, the Saudis would be the most logical buyer, perhaps followed by Chevron.  read more

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Motiva Convent Plant Said to Mothball Catalytic Cracker by 2016

Motiva Enterprises LLC plans to shut the fluid catalytic cracker at the Convent, Louisiana, refinery, by October 2016 because it’s unprofitable to operate…

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By Barbara Powell Dec 18, 2013 6:07 PM GMT

Motiva Enterprises LLC plans to shut the fluid catalytic cracker at the Convent, Louisiana, refinery, by October 2016 because it’s unprofitable to operate, a person familiar with operations said.

The refinery’s crude units don’t produce as much feedstock, such as vacuum gasoil, as the unit can process. Motiva found it too costly to purchase additional feed, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. A catalytic cracker upgrades vacuum gasoil into gasoline and other fuels. read more

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Shell/Motiva had five of the largest releases of air pollutants from Louisiana refineries

Louisiana refineries and associated chemical plants had higher air emissions from accidents in 2012, new report says

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By Mark Schleifstein, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune: November 12, 2013

Extract

The biggest air pollution accident in 2012 was the release of 648,733 pounds of mostly carbon monoxide on May 8 by Motiva Enterprises in Norco. Motiva also recorded the second largest release, 239,879 pounds of chemicals, half of which was carbon monoxide, on Aug. 28; and the fifth largest, 128,104 pounds of chemicals of which 50 percent was carbon monoxide, on June 28.

The Shell Chemical East plant on the Motiva Enterprises “campus” in Norco had the third and fourth largest accidents, with 198,959 pounds of chemicals, with a little over half being carbon monoxide, on June 23; and 180,629 pounds, again with about half being carbon monoxide, on Dec. 6. read more

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Company town: One woman’s fight to save her town

Her concerns grew stronger after an explosion at Shell’s refinery in 1988. (The plant is now owned by Motiva, a joint-venture between Shell and Saudi Aramco, the Saudi national oil company). The explosion toppled a 16-story tower, and cracked walls and ceilings in houses and ceilings around Norco. It set off alarms 25 miles away in New Orleans.

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Published on Tuesday, 12 November 2013

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Margie Richard with a photo of her sister Naomi, who died at the age of 43. Richard suspected that emissions from Shell had something to do with making her sister sick. (Photo by Reid R. Fraiser / The Allegheny Front)

by Reid R. Frazier: The Allegheny Front

NORCO, La. — In June 2012, Pennsylvania officials flew to Louisiana to visit a couple of petrochemical plants owned by Shell, a company they were about to give big economic incentives to build a plant in Beaver County, Pa.

But they didn’t visit Margie Richard, who once lived in Norco, but now lives outside New Orleans.

If they had, they would have gotten another story about Shell’s operations here, a story about toxic emissions, industrial accidents, and how a very determined school teacher brought one of the largest companies in the world to the negotiating table. read more

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Discovery ensues in Motiva explosion suit

According to the lawsuit, on July 31, 2011, Carrell was working at the Motiva facility when an explosion occurred, causing him to suffer bodily injuries.

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By David Yates

Discovery continues to dominant litigation brought by Jasper County resident Tommy Carrell Jr., who sued Motiva Enterprises for alleged injuries he received in an explosion that occurred in July 2011 at the Port Arthur refinery.

As previously reported, the suit was filed Feb. 5 in Jefferson County District Court. motiva

Court records show the latest filing in the suit was a certificate of discovery filed Aug. 27.

The document shows Motiva served Carrell with its second request for production. read more

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Gulf Gasoline Strengthens on Incident at Port Arthur Refinery

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U.S. Gulf Coast gasoline strengthened relative to futures in New York after Motiva Enterprises LLC reported an incident at the largest refinery in the region.

Motiva’s Port Arthur, Texas, refinery report a “process incident” and flaring from an alkylation unit and fluid catalytic cracker, according to a filing with state regulators. The 600,000-barrel-a-day plant halted startup of a unit yesterday after emissions, a notice to the U.S. National Response Center said. Destin Singleton, a spokeswoman for the plant, declined to comment on specific units. read more

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Shell screwing dealers in Northeast USA?

Screen Shot 2013-03-31 at 09.24.40RECEIVED BY EMAIL

Shell, through its subsidiaries and lackeys this time, is again engaging in unfair business practices in the Northeast US and screwing over their dealers.

See the attached Federal Complaint that has been filed.

Court Document – Complaint filed 20 August 2013

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Problems at Motiva plant

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Petrodollars: A lot of smart oil people caught up in problems at a Motiva plant

By News Desk: September 16, 2013

A big expansion project at the Port Arthur, Texas refinery owned by Motiva–the Shell-Saudi joint venture–has been far from the success story envisioned by the two partners. In this week’s Oilgram News column Petrodollars, Janet McGurty looks at the problems there.

Motiva’s Port Arthur refinery expansion woes have people wondering how it could all go so wrong for a group of companies with so much expertise.

The refinery, which was expanded from 325,000 b/d to 600,000 b/d, is owned by Shell and Saudi Aramco. read more

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Shell’s oil sands deliverer becomes downstream boss

Abbott also takes on a headache in the form of the company’s Motiva U.S. refining joint venture operation, where a new refinery unit faces piping and vibration problems .

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Thu Sep 12, 2013 1:10pm BST

By Andrew Callus

(Reuters) – Shell is to make John Abbott head of its fuels and chemicals business, pitching the deliverer of its Canadian oil sands expansion project into an industry debate over whether the “downstream” business he will run still fits with oil and gas extraction.

A 53-year-old Briton who joined Europe’s top oil company straight from university in 1981, Abbott is credited with bringing Royal Dutch Shell’s Athabasca oil sands expansion project in Canada on stream in the period 2008-2012. read more

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SHAMBLES AT MOTIVA PORT ARTHUR REFINERY

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By John Donovan

Anyone who has read the postings made on this website in recent years by insiders working on the Motiva Refinery expansion project should not be in the least surprised by the series of serious mishaps following the restart, which taken together, can only be described as a complete and utter shambles.

Troubled Motiva refinery, biggest in U.S., faces lengthy 2014 work: sources

MOTIVA PORT ARTHUR REFINERY: ANOTHER SHELL PROJECT HUMILIATION

Motiva Enterprises is jointly owned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Saudi Aramco. read more

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Troubled Motiva refinery, biggest in U.S., faces lengthy 2014 work: sources

The biggest U.S. oil refinery could shut its main crude distillation unit for up to three months next year to replace a vibrating pipe that prevents the 325,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) unit from running at full capacity, sources familiar with operations said. That would be another blow to the Motiva Enterprises, 600,000-bpd plant since the $10-billion (U.S.)refinery, in Port Arthur, Tex., opened last year. Motiva is owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco.

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ERWIN SEB: HOUSTON — Reuters: Published

The biggest U.S. oil refinery could shut its main crude distillation unit for up to three months next year to replace a vibrating pipe that prevents the 325,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) unit from running at full capacity, sources familiar with operations said.

That would be another blow to the Motiva Enterprises, 600,000-bpd plant since the $10-billion (U.S.)refinery, in Port Arthur, Tex., opened last year. Motiva is owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco. read more

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Fire hobbles Motiva oil refinery, biggest in U.S.

Sources said refinery managers spoke of their frustration on Monday with problems that have plagued the expanded plant.  “It was a bad weekend for us,” said one source. “We’re all feeling snake-bit. It just seems like we get up and going and then something else goes wrong.”

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Tue Aug 20, 2013 2:28am IST

* ‘Feeling snake-bit’
* Second fire in week
* Vibration problem lingers

By Erwin Seba

PORT ARTHUR, Texas, Aug 19 (Reuters) – A fire at the largest oil refinery in the United States has knocked out more than half of its output for at least two weeks, the latest in a string of mishaps following a $10-billion expansion at the Motiva plant in Port Arthur, Texas.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc – which owns the refinery with Saudi Aramco – said the fire on Saturday, the second in a week, slowed and shuttered units at the 600,000 barrel-per-day plant and hurt production. read more

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Blaze hits Shell plant in Texas

Screen Shot 2013-08-20 at 00.16.26 Published: Tue, August 20, 2013

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL has shut down parts of a refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, after a fire broke out following a £6.4billion expansion scheme.

Shell closed units at the Motiva refinery, which is run by a joint venture of the oil giant and Saudi Refining, after the second blaze in a week is said to have started near the biggest of the plant’s three crude oil units.

The first attempt to start the unit, at the end of a five year upgrade of the refinery, was hampered by a chemical leak in June 2012.

The unit has been running at reduced rates since it began production early this year.

The company may shut the crude unit in the autumn of 2014 to fix the problems. read more

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Shell shuts unit at Motiva Texas refinery

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NEW YORK | Mon Aug 19, 2013 2:12pm BST

(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L) said it shut down an unspecified unit at its joint-venture 600,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, on Saturday, following an operational problem.

“Several units that are integrated to this unit will run at reduced rates and others are being shut down,” while repairs are underway, shell spokeswoman Kimberly Windon said in an email on Monday.

Sources said Motiva shut a hydrocracker at the refinery following a fire on Saturday. read more

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Exclusive: Largest U.S. refinery to run below capacity for months

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HOUSTON | Fri Aug 16, 2013 12:45pm EDT

(Reuters) – A new piping problem may force the newest crude distillation unit at Motiva’s Port Arthur refinery, the largest plant in the United States, to run up to 75,000 barrels-per-day below capacity through fall of next year.

Sources familiar with refinery operations said one of the pipes taking crude oil into the 600,000 bpd refinery’s new CDU has suffered continuous vibration problems when it runs at or near full capacity for more than five months. read more

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Discovery ongoing in discrimination suit against Motiva

FROM THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

By David Yates:

With a trial slated for September, discovery is still ongoing in litigation brought against Motiva Enterprises, which alleges the company discriminated against a black Port Arthur woman by allowing a white male certain privileges. EDTX-seal

As previously reported, Carolyn Warwick filed a lawsuit July 10 in Jefferson County District Court against Motiva Enterprises.

Court records show that a certificate of written discovery was filed on April 2, serving upon all counsel Motiva’s first set of interrogatories and first request for production of documents. read more

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Shell: Motiva’s Port Arthur Refinery Restart to Take ‘Several Days’

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Published April 16, 2013 by Dow Jones Newswires

Motiva Enterprises LLC’s Port Arthur, Texas, refinery is in the early process of preparing units for restart, following an unexpected loss of power Sunday from its utility provider, said Kimberly Windon of Shell Oil Co., spokeswoman for the joint venture that operates the refinery.

“The refinery is safely progressing through a structured and planned restart sequence that will encompass several days,” Ms. Windon said.

The electrical malfunction resulted in a plant-wide shutdown of Motiva’s 600,000-barrel-a-day refinery and also of Valero Energy Corp.’s (VLO) 310,000-barrel-a-day refinery in the same area. read more

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Motiva Port Arthur refinery shuts down after power outage

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By Barbara Powell
Bloomberg News

Motiva Enterprises LLC’s Port Arthur, Texas, refinery is completely shut down after losing power yesterday, a person familiar with operations said.

There isn’t a timeline for restarting the plant, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public. The refinery is the largest in the U.S. with a capacity of 600,000 barrels a day.

Gulf Coast: Refineries expanded, but not constructed

Entergy Corp. restored electricity to the three plants in Port Arthur, owned by Motiva, Total Petrochemicals USA Inc. and Valero Energy Corp., which account for 1.08 million barrels a day of refining capacity. read more

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Worker at Motiva Refinery in Norco dies after pumps fall on him

Screen Shot 2013-03-19 at 11.03.01

Screen Shot 2013-03-05 at 15.42.20By Bob Warren, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune: on March 14, 2013

A worker was killed at the Motiva Refinery in Norco Wednesday when two large cylinders fell on him, authorities and a company official said. Michael Louque, 56, of Grammercy, was pronounced dead at St. Charles Parish Hospital in Luling, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

The Sheriff’s Office said Louque, who worked for River Parish Maintenance, was loading the equipment onto a flatbed truck when the load shifted and the pumps fell on him. The Sheriff’s Office initially said he was loading pumps, but Roger Landry, president of River Parish Maintenance, said it was actually 16-foot-long cylinders that weigh more than 1,000 pounds. read more

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Judge Fines Motiva $10M in Tank Explosion

Screen Shot 2012-12-05 at 22.49.02FROM OUR 2005 SHELL NEWS ARCHIVE:“Motiva, a joint supply venture between Shell and Saudi Refining…”: “…pleaded no contest to state charges of criminally negligent homicide…”: “The company… has paid more than $60 million to settle lawsuits”: “It is still the subject of a federal lawsuit…”

Screen Shot 2013-01-24 at 21.49.23

Judge Fines Motiva $10M in Tank Explosion

Screen Shot 2013-03-18 at 15.46.51

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Posted 18 March 2005

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Refineries operator Motiva Enterprises LLC was fined $10 million Thursday after the company pleaded guilty to criminal charges relating to a fatal tank collapse and explosion at a refinery in 2001.

Motiva, a joint supply venture between Shell and Saudi Refining, pleaded guilty to negligently endangering workers at its former refinery in Delaware City as well as discharging pollutants into the Delaware River and negligently releasing sulfuric acid into the air, both in violation of the Clean Air Act. read more

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Motiva Restarts Expansion Segment Of Port Arthur Refinery- Source

Motiva Enterprises LLC has successfully restarted the expansion segment of its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery after months of setbacks and false starts, a person familiar with the refinery’s operations said.: The process of restarting the unit began late last year, but was further delayed by the discovery of new pipe leaks and a small fire.

Published January 22, 2013 by Dow Jones Newswires

Motiva Enterprises LLC has successfully restarted the expansion segment of its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery after months of setbacks and false starts, a person familiar with the refinery’s operations said.

The refinery will run the segment at 200,000 to 225,000 barrels per day for about three to four weeks before ramping up to its full capacity of 325,000 barrels, the person said.

A spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell Plc. (RDSA) said only that the unit is on track to be restarted in early 2013. read more

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Selection of Shell related article links 19 January 2013

Selection of Shell related article links kindly supplied by a regular contributor

Scope of damage to Shell drill vessel more clear: Alaska Dispatch-The Kulluk, a floating rig that’s been used in Shell’s offshore oil and gas exploration in Alaska’s Arctic, suffered damage “consistent with what is …

The Cordova Times – Opinion: We’ve been warned: Cordova Times-Jan 18, 2013

Algeria’s oil and gas industries pillars of its economy: Irish Times-The huge oil and gas industries are pillars of the Algerian economy. … Statoil, Gazprom and Shell retaining a big presence despite a 1971 … read more

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Motiva Shuts Down Texas Refinery Expansion Unit Due to Leak

By Dow Jones Business News,  January 07, 2013, 01:19:00 PM EDT

By Alison Sider

Motiva Enterprises LLC said the crude unit of its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery expansion leaked while being restarted Sunday and was shut down.

Kimberly Windon, spokeswoman for Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA), said the company still plans to have the VPS 5 crude distillation unit fully restarted “in the early part of this year.”

“We anticipate making the necessary adjustments/repairs and returning the unit to normal operation in an expeditious manner,” Ms. Windon wrote in an email Monday. read more

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Motiva Reports Compressor Shutdown at Port Arthur, Texas, Refinery – Filing

Published December 31, 2012 by Dow Jones Newswires

Motiva Enterprises LLC reported that a wet gas compressor at its Port Arthur, Texas, refinery experienced an emergency shutdown Saturday, according to a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The company reported that charge rates were reduced to help stabilize operations for the restart of the compressor.

A spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell PLC couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Motiva is a joint venture between Shell and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. read more

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Motiva Port Arthur Restart Delayed Until Next Week – Source

Published December 21, 2012 by Dow Jones Newswires

Motiva Enterprises LLC most likely will not be able to restart for a few more days a main processing unit at its refinery expansion in Port Arthur, Texas, a person familiar with the refinery’s operations said Friday.

Motiva has been struggling to restart the 325,000-barrel-a-day refinery expansion’s crude distillation unit since the unit went down in early July. The $10 billion expansion was to bring the combined refinery’s capacity to 600,000 barrels a day and make it the largest in the U.S. and one of the 10 largest in the world. 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.

Troubled Motiva refinery crude unit shut by small fire

Wed Dec 12, 2012 1:41pm EST

* Repairs to fractured pipe could take several days, sources say

* 325,000 barrel per day crude unit was in process of restarting

* New crude unit had previously been shut due to corrosion issue

* Gasoline prices jump on fire, pare gains after damage report

By Erwin Seba

PORT ARTHUR, Texas, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Motiva Enterprises aborted the restart of a major new crude oil unit at its Port Arthur, Texas, plant after a fractured pipe caused a small fire late on Tuesday, the latest glitch to bedevil the country’s biggest refinery. read more

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Flaring at Shell Chemical plant in Norco to continue through Sunday

By Naomi Martin, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on December 08, 2012 at 10:57 PM, updated December 08, 2012 at 11:28 PM

A malfunctioning Shell Chemical unit located on the Motiva Enterprises campus in Norco that lost power on Thursday was restarted about 10 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release from the company. The company warned residents that the flaring and smoke that had preceded Thursday’s power outage will continue through Sunday. read more

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In second upset of the week, Shell Chemical loses power, warns of high levels of smoke

By Juliet Linderman, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on December 06, 2012 at 3:17 PM

Just five days after an equipment failure at the Shell/Motiva plant caused massive flares to shoot flames and leak thick black smoke into the air above St. Charles Parish for days on end, the Norco chemical complex announced on Thursday morning that it had lost power in the second plant malfunction of the week. In a release, Shell Chemical representatives warned Norco residents of more flaring and high levels of smoke. read more

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Shell Chemical equipment failure causes flame and flares in St. Charles

David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune By David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune

Shell Chemical, located on the Motiva Enterprises campus in Norco, has been experiencing elevated flares, shooting flames and leaking thick black smoke into the air above St. Charles Parish. According to a report submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center, the plant is releasing unknown amounts of hydrogen sulfide, butadiene and benzene, a known carcinogen.

Posted: Thursday, December 06, 2012, 3:00 PM

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 Chemical/Motiva to restart unit causing massive flare in St. Charles

The Shell/Motiva Manufacturing Complex announced Wednesday morning that it is now in the process of restarting the unit that, due to equipment failure, has caused an elevated flare to continually spit massive flames and thick black smoke into the air above St. Charles Parish since early Sunday morning.

By Juliet Linderman, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on December 05, 2012 at 9:35 AM, updated December 05, 2012 at 9:52 AM

The Shell/Motiva Manufacturing Complex announced Wednesday morning that it is now in the process of restarting the unit that, due to equipment failure, has caused an elevated flare to continually spit massive flames and thick black smoke into the air above St. Charles Parish since early Sunday morning. The Norco plant released a statement notifying residents that it hopes to have the situation under control by this coming weekend. read more

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Toxic flaring at Shell/Motiva continues after equipment failure

The $500,000 settlement is an accumulated penalty for violations that occurred during the years 2003-2010. During that time there were 265 violations at the Norco facility (and more than 140 violations at the Motiva refinery in Convent)

3 December 2012

An equipment failure at the Shell/Motiva manufacturing complex in Norco caused the release of unknown amounts of butadiene, hydrogen sulfide and benzene, according to a report submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center.

The elevated flaring, which began Sunday and caused a smoky backdrop to Norco’s annual Christmas Parade, has continued throughout Monday. The company says they are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

“We also continue to conduct extensive monitoring around the site and in the community,” the statement said. “No injuries have been reported associated with this situation, and air monitoring results indicate no environmental impact at this time.” read more

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Can Shell placate environmental critics?

FROM OUR NOVEMBER 2004 SHELL NEWS ARCHIVE

BBC2 TV Newsnight: Can Shell placate environmental critics?

Hilton Kelley claims Port Arthur has been “devastated by pollution”. “We had a great community one time,” says Hilton Kelley “Sandwich shops, taxi stands, nightclubs – we had all these things. Now it’s devastated by pollution. “Many of the residents have died from cancer – kids have moved away – they no longer want to live here.” Hilton, together with 1,200 residents of Port Arthur, has launched a class action lawsuit against Shell, claiming breach of environmental human rights. So what are the facts?”

By Paul Mason, Business correspondent, Newsnight: Broadcast 28 Oct 2004

Residents of Port Arthur, Texas, claim the Shell-owned oil refinery bordering their town is damaging their environment and health.

With a major restructure underway after being caught mis-stating its oil reserves, how did a small US town’s problems shoot to the top of Shell’s corporate agenda?

Oil built Port Arthur.

It was the nearest port to the first Texan oil gusher in 1901. By 1903 Texaco had built its first refinery here. 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.

Unit Upset At Shell Oil Company Refinery In Deer Park, Texas

November 15, 2012

A refining unit was “upset” and flaring ensued at Shell Oil Company’s 327,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Deep Park, Texas, on Nov. 12, according to the U.S. National Response Center.

A Nov. 14 power outage hit the 255,000 barrel-a-day refinery owned and operated by Motiva, a Shell/Saudi Refining joint venture, in Convent, Louisiana, according to the U.S. National Response Center. An unknown amount of emission resulted, but it wasn’t known which unit was affected. read more

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Selection of article links 2 November 2012

Selection of article links provided by a regular contributor

John

These articles may be of interest to your visitors:

Sandy causes 300000 gallon oil spill on U.S. East Coast

Motiva, a joint venture of Shell Oil and Saudi Refining, said the spill occurred earlier this week when Sandy damaged two diesel storage tanks …

Shell’s Natural Gas Marketing Aiming Squarely at Nuclear Energy …

Energy Collective: While browsing this morning, I ran across a well-designed, and probably well-funded ad campaign from Shell Oil touting natural gas as a …

Seeing Through the Smoke: Oil, Security, and the Environment in … read more

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Shell nearly there on Pearl, Port Arthur restart early 2013

LONDON | Thu Nov 1, 2012 5:29am EDT

Nov 1 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Finance Director Simon Henry said the company was “nearly there” in ramping up to full output at its Pearl Gas to Liquids (GTL) facility in Qatar and that the company was “on track” to restart the 325,000 barrels-a-day damaged Port Arthur refinery unit in the United States.

He was speaking at a presentation of Shell’s third-quarter results.

SOURCE

LONDON | Thu Nov 1, 2012 5:21am EDT 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.