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Shell Stanlow Refinery

Essar Energy turns around Stanlow refinery

Essar Energy plc has turned around UK’s second largest refinery Stanlow within a year of taking it over from Royal Dutch Shell, posting a pre-tax profit of USD 197 million in six month to September 30.

Essar Energy turns around Stanlow refinery

Monday, November 26, 2012, 18:31

New Delhi: London-listed Essar Energy plc has turned around UK’s second largest refinery Stanlow within a year of taking it over from Royal Dutch Shell, posting a pre-tax profit of USD 197 million in six month to September 30.

“Current price EBITDA at Stanlow rose to USD 197.2 million, compared with USD 22.2 million in the first eight months of ownership to March 2012,” the company said announcing its second quarter earnings.

Shell divested its refinery assets for not being profitable. read more

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U.K. Deal Marks Latest Shift For European Refining Sector

AUGUST 2, 2011

By ALEXIS FLYNN

Essar Energy Monday completed a deal to buy the U.K’s second-biggest refinery at Stanlow, in Northwest England, from Royal Dutch Shell PLC, marking another step in a changing of the guard for the European refining sector as the fully integrated oil majors sell out to a new coterie of owners.

Essar Energy, a subsidiary of the giant Mumbai-based Essar conglomerate owned by Shashi and Ravi Ruia, paid Shell $350 million for what Essar Energy’s Chief Executive Naresh Nayyar says is a valuable, strategically positioned asset that gives the company an outlet to export surplus products made by its giant refinery at Vadinar in the Indian state of Gujurat. read more

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Sunday 31st July is the last day of Shell’s ownership of Stanlow Refinery

EMAIL RECEIVED BY JOHN DONOVAN

John,

After 82 years Sunday 31st July is the last day of Shell’s ownership of Stanlow.

Can I thank you for all the help, and publicity, you have given us over the last few years. We are looking forward to becoming part of Essar and are not sorry to see Shell go.

Keep up the good work.

Regards

ENDS

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Shell changes talent mix to meet energy market challenges

Skilled recruitment continued as 7,000 people laid off

Royal Dutch Shell has continued recruiting despite laying off up to 7,000 staff in the past few years as it continuously “reprofiles” its talent mix, its HR chief HR has said.

Hugh Mitchell (right), Shell’s chief HR and corporate officer, told the Economist’s Talent Management Summit yesterday that as demand for energy increases worldwide, employers in the sector face a “phenomenal” skills challenge.

New energy demands from countries such as China and India are putting more pressure on the industry to get the right talent, he told delegates at the London event. read more

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Joint Statement by Shell Stanlow refinery parties

Joint Statement from Shell, Essar and the Employee Representatives from the consultation meeting held 14th March 2011

Shell and Essar management have today formally met for the second time to consult with the employee representatives for Stanlow refinery and the associated marketing businesses.

This has included sessions with both non-unionised and unionised representatives on general terms and conditions (as outlined at the first meeting) plus a joint session on pensions.

In response to concerns raised on pensions, Essar recognised the value that Stanlow employees attach to the pension provision and have revised their defined benefit pension proposals.  These now provide for the replication of the Shell pension benefits in the Essar pension plan, so that existing staff will retain their current pension benefits. read more

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Essar’s Stanlow deal hits union bump


S Kalyana Ramanathan / London March 5, 2011, 0:34 IST

Essar Energy’s $350-million deal to buy Shell UK’s oil refinery and associated assets at Stanlow, near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, has hit a road block. The employee union has rejected the deal in its current form due to differences over pension payout and other issues.

Union members who spoke to Business Standard after the first round of consultation on March 1 said that while they were keen to become part of the Essar Group, they would not allow Shell to wash its hands off certain agreements it had entered into with the employees. read more

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Refinery workers reject plans for Shell Stanlow sale to Essar

Out of the frying pan and into the fire… to go from a situation that is bad, to one that is even worse…

By John Donovan

Representatives of the Unite union had a meeting on 1 March with Shell and Essar to discuss the proposed employee transfer arrangements arising from Shell’s pending sale of the Stanlow Refinery to Essar Oil.

Unite was appalled at the proposed plans and is accusing Shell of reneging on its final salary pension scheme promise to employees when they joined the company.

The union says:

“We cannot allow Shell to walk away from their obligations to their loyal staff”.

Workers also have deep concerns over Essar’s alleged ruthless track record in the treatment of employees arising from Essar acquisitions in North America. read more

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Essar Energy to provide $1bn bank guarantee for Shell’s Stanlow refinery

21 Feb, 2011, 06.35AM IST, Pradeep Pandey,ET Bureau

MUMBAI: Essar Energy will provide a bank guarantee of $1 billion to close the offer it made to acquire Shell’s Stanlow refinery in the UK, according to a person who is part of ongoing negotiations with banks. This bank guarantee would be over and above the $350 million that Essar Energy agreed to offer for the assets of Stanlow refinery.

“The company (Essar) will finalise the bankers who will furnish the guarantee in the next three to four months,” said the person who requested anonymity as the transaction is still underway. read more

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Essar agrees break fee on Shell’s Stanlow

FT.com

By David Blair in London and Tom Burgis in Mumbai: Published: February 19 2011 01:30

Essar Energy has taken a significant step towards buying Shell’s refinery at Stanlow, on the south bank of the Manchester Ship Canal near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.

Essar has until March 31 to confirm that it wants to buy Stanlow. If it decides not to proceed, it will be liable for a break fee of $50m. If Essar decides to go ahead, Shell will have three days to decide whether to accept – and it will be liable for a $10m fee if it turns down the offer. read more

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Essar may pump Indian fuel into UK

Petrol from India is likely to find its way into the UK market for the first time, after Essar Energy bought Royal Dutch Shell’s Cheshire oil refinery for $350m (£216m).

Essar may pump Indian fuel into UK Photo: ALAMY Rowena Mason By Rowena Mason 7:15AM GMT 19 Feb 2011

It is the latest deal in the struggling UK refining industry, which has found it difficult to stay profitable in recent years and is expected to face increasing global competition.

The $350m price tag is about half what Shell was initially expected to get for the Stanlow refinery, following 18 months of negotiations with Essar.

The Indian company, which listed on the FTSE 100 last year, has promised that jobs will be safe and the refinery will remain open.

A spokesman for Essar said the company had already identified a number of investments it wanted to make to increase output from 75pc to nearer 100pc capacity. read more

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Shell receives offer for Stanlow refinery in the UK

As one Stanlow insider put it…

“John, Looks like we have been sold by the cowboys to the Indians.”

Shell receives offer for Stanlow refinery in the UK

18/02/2011

Shell today confirmed it has received an offer from Essar Energy to buy its 272,000 barrel-per-day Stanlow refinery and associated local marketing businesses in the UK for a total expected consideration of some $1.3 billion.

In light of Essar’s offer, the two companies today signed an exclusivity agreement until 1st April 2011, under which break fees would be payable if either company fails to sign an asset sales agreement.

Pursuing this deal is aligned with Shell’s strategy to concentrate its global manufacturing portfolio on larger and more sophisticated assets. read more

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Essar Energy, Shell may sign U.K. refinery pact

Feb. 18, 2011, 2:08 a.m. EST

By Eric Yep

MUMBAI (MarketWatch) — India’s Essar Energy PLC (ESSR.LN) is likely to sign an initial agreement this week for a possible acquisition of Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s (RDSB.LN) Stanlow refinery in the U.K., a person with direct knowledge of the matter said Friday.

London-listed Essar Energy and Shell are in the final stages of discussions and will likely announce exclusive talks on the refinery sale this week, the person, who declined to be named, told Dow Jones Newswires. read more

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Shell, BP to Close, Sell Oil Refineries in Europe, U.S.

By Nidaa Bakhsh – Feb 9, 2011 12:01 AM GMT+0000

Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc, Europe’s largest oil companies, plan to close and sell refineries in the U.S. and Germany on declining demand for fuels such as gasoline in developed nations.

BP plans to sell its 475,000 barrel-a-day Texas City refinery in Texas and its 266,000 barrel-a-day Carson plant in California, the London-based company said on Feb. 1.

Shell plans to stop oil-processing at its 110,000 barrel-a- day Hamburg facility in 2012 after failing to find a buyer, the company based in The Hague said on Jan. 12.

Following are two tables. The first lists refineries around the world that have shut, are slated for permanent closure or conversion, units idled for economic reasons, and those that are up for sale. The second shows refinery sales that have been agreed or completed since early 2010. Capacity is shown in thousands of barrels of oil a day.

FOR SALE, CLOSURE OR CONVERSION

Company      Refinery         Status                 Capacity

EUROPE

Shell        Hamburg          Plans to convert       110
             Germany          site into terminal
                              in 2012, after
                              failing to find
                              buyer, company
                              said on Jan. 12.

Shell        Stanlow          Up for sale.           233
             U.K.             Announced in August
                              2009.

NORTH/CENTRAL AMERICA

Shell        Montreal         Conversion to          130
             Canada           terminal after
                              operations ceased in
                              Oct. 2010.

ASIA PACIFIC

Showa Shell  Keihin           Permanent closure      120
             Japan            of Ogimachi crude
                              unit in September
                              2011.

 COMPLETED OR AGREED SALES

Company      Refinery         Status                 Capacity

Shell        Gothenburg       Agreed sale to St1     78
             Sweden           Oy of Finland on Oct.
                              27.

Shell        Heide            Agreed sale to         91
             Germany          U.K.’s Klesch & Co.
                              on Aug. 20.

Shell        Marsden Pt       Shell sells 17%        109
             New Zealand      share to Infratil
                              and government
                              pension fund in
                              March 2010.
  read more

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Essar finalises to buy Shell’s UK refinery for $350 mn

19 Jan, 2011, 03.17PM IST, Darshan Mehta,ET

MUMBAI: Essar Oil has finalised the acquisition of Shell’s Stanlow refinery in UK for $350 million dollars, a source close to the deal told ET NOW. The Stanlow refinery is part of the Royal Dutch Shell group with a capacity of 2.37 lk barrels per day. The deal will be announced in the first week of February.

As per the deal, Essar will pay $50 million on signing of the deal, another $100 mn on closing of the deal and $100 mn dollars each in the next 2 years after closing the deal. With crude prices over $91 per barrel, the refining business is becoming more attractive and the sector as such is seeing a turnaround on higher energy demand. European companies are selling their non profitable plants to cut expenses and they fit into Indian refiners global strategy of expansion. read more

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Essar Reopens Talks to Buy Shell’s Stanlow Refinery, Times Says

By Lucy Meakin – Jan 16, 2011 1:35 PM GMT+0000

India’s Essar Oil Ltd. reopened talks to buy Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Stanlow refinery, the Sunday Times reported, citing an unidentified company spokesman.

Shell has given Essar six weeks to submit a firm bid for the U.K. facility, the London-based newspaper said, citing people close to the situation.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lucy Meakin in London at [email protected].

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Daniel Tilles at [email protected]. read more

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Essar bids for Shell’s Stanlow refinery -union rep

Reuters Africa

Tue Dec 21, 2010 1:17pm GMT

* Essar makes bid, given deadline to make firm offer

* Shell will withdraw plant from sale if no deal

* Shell continues to withdraw from European refining

By Tom Bergin

LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc has told employees at its Stanlow refinery that India’s Essar group has made a “credible” bid for the plant, a union official said.

A Shell spokesman confirmed that the Anglo-Dutch oil giant was in talks with Essar and had given the group until the end of February to come up with a firm bid. read more

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Royal Dutch Shell in detailed negotiations with Essar

18 December 2010

Shell has confirmed that they are in detailed negotiations with Essar for the sale of Stanlow Refinery and associated marketing businesses. They have set a deadline of the end of February to reach agreement on the terms of any sale.

If Stanlow is not sold by then it will continue to operate as a Manufacturing Complex within the Shell Group.

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Essar Energy Still In Talks With Shell To Buy Europe Refineries

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

AUGUST 19, 2010

LONDON (Dow Jones)–India’s Essar Energy PLC (ESSR.LN) is still in talks with oil major Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) to buy refineries in Europe, Essar’s vice chairman Prashant Ruia said Thursday.

“Our discussions with Shell are still very much on,” Ruia told reporters on a conference call.

Shell entered talks with Essar over the sale of the three refineries–Stanlow in the U.K. and the Heide and Harburg refineries in Germany–late last year. read more

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Short-termism at Royal Dutch Shell

UPDATED MONDAY 26 APRIL 2010

“In an obsessively cost conscious environment such as the one that rules in Shell at the moment all labour-intensive sectors are at risk –irrespective of their intrinsic value or their competence – or even the likely long-term demand for their products and services.”

Posting on Shell Blog by Wilt Staph on Apr 24th, 2010 at 12:14 pm

A couple of decades ago Shell had five refineries in the United Kingdom – when the sale of Stanlow is completed soon they will have none. Is this because refining is a sunset industry with no growth potential and no chance of earning returns? Not if you take note of reliable global demand forecasts it isn’t. The “US Joint Forces Command” – the top of the American armed forces pyramid – has recently said that globally a “severe energy crunch is inevitable without massive expansion of production and refining capacity”. Most other forecasters agree that the planet will need substantially more not less refining capability in the years ahead. So why has Shell retreated so dramatically from refining and what are the implications for the “new Shell” which will emerge from the radical reviews underway under Peter Voser? read more

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Essar flotation warning may rattle Shell Stanlow Refinery workers

Essar Energy’s own advisers have warned investors about “a complex structure and a lack of clarity on the flow of funds between the UK unit and its Indian subsidiaries” – ahead of the company’s flotation.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Advisers warn of risks in Essar Energy flotation

Essar Energy’s own advisers have warned investors about “a complex structure and a lack of clarity on the flow of funds between the UK unit and its Indian subsidiaries” – ahead of the company’s flotation.

By Garry White and Richard Fletcher
Published: 6:00AM BST 15 Apr 2010

The oil and power company unveiled plans for a $2.5bn (£1.6bn) London flotation last week. The deal will be the City’s largest public offering in four years.

In pre-marketing research, seen by The Daily Telegraph, JP Morgan Cazenove raises a number of concerns about corporate governance.

The investment bank – which is joint book runner alongside Deutsche Bank – also warns of a history of high-profile delays and cost over-runs at the group’s Vadinar refinery in Gujarat. A timely and on budget execution of the next phase was very important to “banish concerns about project execution capabilities and fully restore reputation“, wrote the analysts. read more

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Essar to consider Shell refinery buy in May or June

Reuters UK

Thu Apr 8, 2010 8:16am BST

MUMBAI, April 8 (Reuters) – Indian conglomerate Essar Group will consider buying European oil refineries from Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) in May or June, a top official said on Thursday.

Prashant Ruia, chief executive officer of Essar Group, said the company would consider the acquisition after a planned listing in London of Essar Energy to raise about $2.5 billion.

(Reporting by Pratish Narayanan and Sumeet Chatterjee; Editing by Surojit Gupta)

REUTERS ARTICLE
read more

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Essar Energy Plans to Raise $2.5 Billion in Offer of 25% Stake

BusinessWeek Logo

By Rakteem Katakey

April 8 (Bloomberg) — India’s Essar Group, seeking to buy three refineries from Royal Dutch Shell Plc, said it may raise $2.5 billion by selling shares in the U.K. and elsewhere.

Essar Energy Ltd., a holding company for the group’s energy businesses, plans to offer a 20 to 25 percent stake to institutional investors, the company said in an e-mailed statement today. The proceeds will be spent on the group’s power, refinery and oil and gas exploration projects.

Essar, owned by billionaires Shashi and Ravi Ruia, is raising funds as it seeks to acquire refineries, steel plants and coal and iron-ore mines across the world to compete with rivals. Indian companies including Reliance Industries Ltd. and Bharti Airtel Ltd. have sought assets overseas to take advantage of cheaper valuations after the worst global financial crisis in 70 years. read more

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Essar to Decide on Shell Assets by June

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

MARCH 30, 2010

By AMOL SHARMA

MUMBAI—Indian conglomerate Essar Group will decide by June whether to move forward with the purchase of three European oil refineries from Royal Dutch Shell PLC as part of its global expansion plans, the company’s chief executive said.

The companies extended their exclusive talks in November without specifying a time frame. Essar Group CEO Prashant Ruia said the company is studying whether the deal makes sense now, given the low refining margins globally in the oil business. read more

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Rumors: Shell Stanlow Refinery and Essar

Posting by Wilt Staph on Mar 28th, 2010 at 7:10 pm

Britain’s refinery capacity is around 92 million tonnes which is in the same ballpark as domestic consumption. Arguably, then, Stanlow which can process around 12m tonnes (13% of the UK total) is not surplus to requirements. But rumours abound that if Essar does buy the plant they will seek to close the refining capacity and just use it as a storage and entrepot depot. Around 900 Shell employees will be made redundant and few will have a chance of a job with Essar if they do close the refinery. read more

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Shell to cut a further 1,000 jobs

Shell is to cut a further 1,000 jobs. Photograph: Graham Turner

guardian.co.uk home

Royal Dutch Shell announced a further 1,000 job cuts today as the Anglo-Dutch firm admitted it had been slow to respond to the global slump.

The oil group, which has 100,000 staff worldwide, cut 5,000 posts last year and had already announced a further 1,000 job losses for this year.

Chief executive Peter Voser said the group would axe another 1,000 posts by the end of 2011 as he presented his strategic update for the firm. read more

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Rather than a fire sale, Shell may close refineries

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Shell: Refinery Sales Could Be Stalled By Potential Essar IPO

By Lananh Nguyen Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES MARCH 16, 2010, 12:33 P.M. ET

LONDON (Dow Jones)–India’s Essar Oil Ltd.’s (500134.BY) potential London listing could stall the company’s negotiations to buy three European refineries from Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB), Shell’s Chief Financial Officer Simon Henry said Tuesday.

“While those negotiations [for an initial public offering] are going on, it’s very difficult for them to go forward,” with the purchase of the Heide and Harburg refineries in Germany and the Stanlow plant in the U.K., but the companies are still in talks, Henry said at a Shell strategy update in London. read more

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Essar still in Talks With Shell to Buy Refineries

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

By ERIC YEP

MUMBAI — India’s Essar Oil Ltd. Wednesday said it is still in talks with Royal Dutch Shell PLC to buy three refineries in Europe, dismissing a local media report that the two companies had put the negotiations on the back burner.

“Shell and Essar can confirm that they are still in negotiations around the possible sale and purchase of Shell’s three refineries at Stanlow in the U.K., and Heide and Harburg in Germany,” Essar spokesman Manish Kedia told Dow Jones Newswires. read more

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Indian group bidding for Cheshire refinery plans London listing

CRAIN’S MANCHESTER BUSINESS

7:37 am, March 10, 2010

Essar, an Indian industrial conglomerate which is the preferred bidder for the Stanlow oil refinery in Cheshire (right), is planning a London stock market listing to raise up to $3bn.

The listing of its oil and power businesses could value them at up to $12bn and would be the largest ever overseas fundraising by an Indian company.

The group, controlled by brothers Shashi and Ravi Ruia, wants the money to fund expansion.

Essar, which also has interests in steel and telecoms and has total annual revenues of about $15bn, was named preferred bidder last October for Shell’s refinery near Ellesmere Port, which employs 1,000 full-time workers and 800 contractors. read more

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Shell to Seek 800 Million-Euro Offers for LPG Unit

BusinessWeek Logo

By Anne-Sylvaine Chassany and Fred Pals

Feb. 23 (Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc, which is seeking to focus on exploration and production, may sell its liquefied petroleum gas distribution unit, four people with knowledge of the plan said.

Shell hired Credit Suisse Group AG to manage a sale of the division, which is valued at more than 800 million euros ($1.1 billion), said three of the people, who declined to be identified because the talks are private. The company sent information last week to potential bidders including private equity firms, they said. Rainer Winzenried, a spokesman for The Hague-based Shell, declined to comment. read more

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Indian Energy Firms Pursue Assets Abroad

Following on its international acquisitions in steel and outsourcing in recent years, Essar is in talks with Shell to pay as much as $1 billion for three oil refineries in the U.K. and Germany, people close to the situation say. Last year, the company bought out the 50% stake that Shell, BP PLC and Chevron Corp. owned in a major refinery in Kenya.

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Stealthy Shell sales could bag $10bn

PETER VOSER, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, is selling $10 billion (£6.4 billion) of assets as part of his drive to revitalise the oil giant.

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Essar Still In Talks With Shell To Buy Three Refineries

"Negotiations are going on with Shell," Shashi Ruia, chairman of the diversified Indian conglomerate, said Thursday on the sidelines of a conference, declining to indicate when the talks would be completed. Essar Group, which controls Essar Oil Ltd. (500134.BY), is in talks to acquire Shell's Stanlow refinery in the U.K. and the Anglo-Dutch company's Heide and Harburg plants in Germany.

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Essar Oil Says Shell Refinery Deal to Take More Time

BLOOMBERG

By Rakteem Katakey and Francine Lacqua

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) — Essar Oil Ltd., operator of India’s second-largest non-state refiner, said a deal to buy three refineries from Royal Dutch Shell Plc will take more time.

“It’s going to be a few more months before we have a clear decision on the transaction,” Prashant Ruia, chief executive officer of the Essar Group, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV at Davos in Switzerland today. “It’s a bit too early to talk about the value of the transaction.” read more

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Labour issues hold up Shell’s sale of Stanlow refinery

FINANCIAL CHRONICLE Mumbai

Labour issues hold up Essar’s deal with Shell

By Yassir A Pitalwalla   Jan 19 2010, Mumbai

Royal Dutch Shell has for the second time extended its exclusive negotiations with Essar Energy Holdings on the sale of three of its European refineries. The two sides still have to settle issues relating to personnel, pensions and health, and safety and environment liabilities.

The exclusive talk period was first extended in November and is believed to have ended in December.

David Williams, spokesperson for Royal Dutch Shell, confirmed to Financial Chronicle that the exclusive negotiations were still on but declined to give details. An Essar spokesperson gave the same response.

An industry official said Ruia family members and senior executives, including Essar Oil’s managing director Naresh Nayyar, are negotiating with Royal Dutch Shell. He said some issues had already been settled. But pensions, human resource deployment and contracts and potential liabilities with respect to health safety and environment are still unresolved issues.
read more

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Safety issue at Shell Stanlow refinery

FROM A SHELL STANLOW INSIDER

I write to make people aware of an incident which happened recently at Stanlow refinery. A hydrogen sulphide leak had developed and an operator, using BA equipment, went onto the unit to investigate. While he was on the unit the BA set developed a problem and he hastily made an exit from the unit. Following the incident the operator submitted a safety report highlighting the failure of the set.

Shortly after the event the operator received a phone call at home from one of my colleagues who tried to persuade him to change his statement about the incident, and to say that the BA set had failed during the pre-use checks. By saying this he was told that the HSE would not need to be involved! The person who contacted the operator was Stuart Warburton, manager of fire and security department. read more

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Shell: Mulls Sale Of Gothenburg, Sweden Refinery

December 15, 2009

LONDON (Dow Jones)–Oil major Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) may sell its Gothenburg refinery and marketing operations in Sweden, the company said Tuesday.

“Shell has started to gauge potential interest in the Gothenburg refinery and marketing businesses,” company spokeswoman Kirsten Smart said in an emailed statement. “It is very early days and we are at a very early stage of the process,” she added.

The move is in line with a shift in Shell’s global downstream strategy toward larger, more flexible and sophisticated refinery sites. read more

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Shell, Essar Aim To Close Refineries Deal By Christmas -Sources

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

December 11, 2009

LONDON (Dow Jones)–Essar Oil Ltd. (500134.BY) aims to agree terms for the purchase of three European refineries from Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) before Christmas, two people familiar with the matter told Dow Jones Newswires Friday.

Shell and Essar aimed to conclude negotiations by Nov. 30, but had to extend that deadline. Progress toward a deal has been slower than expected and there is still some due diligence work to complete, said one person. A price for the transaction isn’t yet agreed, the person added. read more

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Essar’s Shell acquisition may cost $1.2 billion

Ruias-controlled Essar Oil (EOL) is looking to seal a deal with Royal Dutch Shell at $1-1.2 billion (between Rs 4,670 and 5,600 crore) for acquiring the global petroleum giant’s three refineries in Europe. EOL has presented its valuation of assets to the Shell management and the negotiations are on verge of completion, said banking sources close to the development.

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StanChart extends $1 bn credit line to Essar Oil

Standard Chartered Bank has extended a $1-billion (Rs 4,600 crore) line of credit to Essar Oil to part-finance its acquisition of Royal Dutch Shell’s refinery assets in Europe, a senior banker told ET NOW, as the Indian company moves closer to sealing a deal estimated to be worth over $2 billion.

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Shell talks to sell refineries to India’s Essar ‘going well’: report

Shell in October announced the "exclusive" talks to sell the assets, comprised of Britain's Stanlow refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, and two German facilities in Hamburg and Heide. "The fact that the exclusive negotiations have been extended beyond November shows that the discussions are going well," the paper quoted an unnamed Essar manager as saying.

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Shell: Talks On Sale Of European Refineries To Essar Extended

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

NOVEMBER 30, 2009, 5:55 A.M. ET

LONDON (Dow Jones)–Exclusive talks between Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) and India’s Essar Oil Ltd. (500134.BY) over the sale of three European refineries will continue for an unspecified period beyond Monday’s deadline, a Shell spokesman said.

“Shell and Essar jointly confirm that negotiations for the sale and purchase of our three refineries at Stanlow and Germany will continue beyond the end of November,” the spokesman said.

As part of plans to sell 15% of its global refining capacity, or about 600,000 barrels a day of capacity, over the next three years in a restructuring program, Shell is selling the Heide and Harburg refineries in Germany and the Stanlow plant in the U.K. read more

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Essar may seal refinery deal with Shell in a month

“Both the companies have reached consensus on several issues regarding the deal and supply and product offtake agreements have been signed. Essar will supply products to Shell from the refinery after the takeover,” said a source close to the development. He, however, refused to divulge the financial details of the deal saying negotiations were underway on that front.

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Shell and Essar talk

THE SUNDAY TIMES

Shell and Essar talk

Royal Dutch Shell is considering buying a 10% stake in Essar Oil. The Indian group is in talks to buy three of the oil giant’s refineries, including at Stanlow near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. The potential $365m (£221m) investment is being discussed as part of that transaction and would give Shell a stake in a group in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.

TIMES ARTICLE

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Stanlow Refinery Sale: Union warns Essar Oil of dispute with Shell

By John Donovan

Talks with Shell regarding expansion of union recognition for workers at the Stanlow Refinery have broken down. Unite the Union intends to pursue the issue through “legal channels”.

The union sent a related letter today (printed below) to Essar Oil Limited, the company named by Shell as the preferred bidder for the refinery. A deadline for the completion of negotiations between Shell and Essar for the sale of the refinery is only days away.

Part of the deal with Essar reportedly involves Shell taking a stake in the Indian company.
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TNK-BP looking at acquisitions in oil refining – Stanlow?

Some oil refineries have been put up for sale. These include Royal Dutch Shell's (RDSa.L) Stanlow in Britain and its Harburg and Heide in Germany as well as Grangemouth in Scotland, currently operated by Ineos. [ID:nLQ224893]

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Stanlow Refinery Sale: Sadly Shell has revealed its true colours

Received from a worker at Shell Stanlow Refinery

Authentic Shell email sent 18 November

Says company has used “underhanded tactics”

—–Original Message—–
From:   Wood, Ron P SUKOP-OMP/11/06
Sent:   18 November 2009 14:04
To:
Cc:     ‘[email protected]
Subject: Recognition Update

All,

As planned Alan Rowlands and I , along with our Full Time Officer Graham Daley, met with HR today where we had hoped to be in a position to sign your Recognition Agreement. Unfortunately HR raised, for the first time, that Shell always insists on a ballot in these situations. When we challenged this the only example they could give involved 10 employees working in a joint venture at Gatwick Airport in 2006!!! read more

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Clarification on sale of Shell Stanlow refinery as deadline approaches

Reference our recent article – Shell Stanlow Refinery in terminal decline with large job losses? – we understand from an insider source that following questions asked by the unionised employees at Stanlow, Slide 35 on the Essar Analysts Presentation has now been changed to show Stanlow as a Refinery / Terminal. It had originally been described solely as a Terminal implying a downgrading in its status, with consequential job cuts.

The workforce might be more assured about Essar plans if the “terminal” option/description was deleted entirely from slide 35.
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Shell Stanlow Refinery in terminal decline with large job losses?

Ed O’Keeffe Photography

By John Donovan

On 30 October 2009, we published a leaked email from Frank Willsdon, the General Manager of the Stanlow refinery (above), confirming that Shell is “in negotiations with Essar for the potential sale of Stanlow, Heide and Harburg refineries.”  Willson also stated: “For the time being Shell will not be holding discussions with any third party other than Essar…”

Essar Oil operates a refinery in the west coast of India and over 1,000 oil retail stations across India. read more

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Essar Oil says Shell talks exclusive till Nov 30

NEW DELHI, Nov 3 (Reuters) - India's Essar Oil (ESRO.BO) said on Tuesday its exclusive talks with Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L) to buy three of the global oil major's European refineries will run until Nov 30.

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Leaked Shell Email from Frank Willsdon, General Manager, Stanlow Refinery

From a Shell Insider

Email sent today to all Shell Stanlow Refinery employees from Frank Willsdon (right), General Manager: Stanlow, UK

Subject: Stanlow Strategic Review Announcement

Dear colleagues,

Further to the townhall meeting and team briefings held earlier today, I can confirm that we are in negotiations with Essar for the potential sale of Stanlow, Heide and Harburg refineries. For the time being Shell will not be holding discussions with any third party other than Essar, although this does not guarantee a sale and it is too early for Shell to confirm a deal or comment on timescales.

Given this latest development in the strategic review, we are now going to establish a UK staff consultation forum in readiness for consultation.    The Consultation Forum is being established for employees who may be affected by the potential sale of the Stanlow refinery and associated local marketing businesses – this includes some employees who are only partially impacted and may not be included in any transfer.  Electoral Reform Services (ERS) will be administering the process of nomination and election of the forum representatives on our behalf and will be contacting you in the coming days.  Those employees covered by the Collective Bargaining agreement in Stanlow will not be required to elect representatives as they will be nominated from within the current Shop Stewards committee and will not therefore receive the email from ERS. read more

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