NOVEMBER 18, 2019

(Reuters) – A crude oil spill onto a barge docked at Royal Dutch Shell’s oil refinery at Puget Sound, Washington, late on Friday was contained on Saturday, the company said in a statement.

Twenty gallons of oil leaked onto the barge, out of which 5 gallons reached the waters of Fidalgo Bay, Shell said in another statement on Sunday. Clean-up operations were completed and all recoverable product was removed from the water, the company said.

The source of the crude spill was identified as a pressure relief valve on the barge and the source was secured, the company said earlier. read more

Oil supermajor Royal Dutch Shell has appointed investment bank Citi to run the $1 billion (£781.5m) sale of its oil and gas assets in Egypt’s Western Desert.

Sources told Reuters that the sale should be officially launched at the end of the month.

Shell announced plans for the sale, which includes a portfolio of 19 oil and gas leases with production of 100,000 barrels of oil per day, in October.

The company said that it was getting rid of the onshore assets so it could focus instead on developing its offshore footprint in the country. read more

Javier Blas and Alaric Nightingale, Bloomberg News: 15 Nov 2019

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has made US$1 billion from trading fuel oil this year, making it one of the standout winners from rules designed to make the shipping industry greener.
Shell said last month that it made substantial money in fuel-oil trading in the third quarter, but the company didn’t disclose the size of the profits. Shell traders celebrated hitting the $1 billion mark so far, likely the biggest by any one company in fuel oil this year, by ringing a bell on the company’s trading floor in London earlier this month, people familiar with the matter said. read more

By Kevin Orland: 14 November 2019, 12:00 GMT Updated on 14 November 2019, 16:38 GMT

*Shell Canada head Crothers points to LNG project, gas stations

*Company has no plans to divest remaining oil-sands stake

Royal Dutch Shell Plc is reassuring investors, workers, and anyone else who will listen that it’s the international oil major that’s staying in Canada as others pull up stakes.

Shell’s future in the country is largely as a natural gas producer and exporter focused on the $30 billion LNG Canada project, though the company is also committed to its local chemicals and retail businesses, Shell Canada head Michael Crothers said in an interview. read more

Nathalie Thomas in Edinburgh: 11 Nov 2019

At the vast Pernis refinery in Rotterdam, where Royal Dutch Shell processes 20m tonnes of crude oil a year, any glitches or unplanned downtime can be costly. The equipment and operating conditions at Europe’s largest refinery are monitored using 50,000 sensors that generate 100,000 measurements a minute. Last year Shell started using machine learning to better analyse and process that data. The model was designed to predict failures in control valves, and it allowed workers to carry out maintenance or adjust operating conditions as needed. Shell has since expanded the programme to 19 assets. read more

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SHELL RELATED EXTRACTS FROM AN ARTICLE BY JACOBIN PUBLISHED UNDER THE HEADLINE “THE NIGERIAN ACTIVIST WHOSE DEATH SHAMED SHELL”

AN INTERVIEW WITH ROY DORON / TOYIN FALOLA: 10 NOV 2019

Twenty-four years ago today, environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed by the Nigerian state. His death brought international attention to the rapacious behavior of oil companies like Shell — and their complicity in the most violent forms of repression.

Born in 1941, Ken Saro-Wiwa came of age as Nigeria gained independence and became a lifelong advocate for the importance of minority rights within a unified national identity. A member of the Ogoni ethnic group, who at only half a million hold little sway in a country of two hundred million, Saro-Wiwa was central to mobilizing a popular movement that demanded accountability for companies like Shell that were extracting oil in the creeks of the Niger Delta. read more

Esther Kiobel: 2019

YOU AGAIN NOVEMBER 10

(A POEM IN MEMORY OF DR. BARINEM NUBARI KIOBEL):

BY ESTHER BARINEM-KIOBEL

I stare at your open mouth
I writhe in pain and lie speechless with despair as companion
I asked God why he forsook me
l went fainted for a while
My heart singing the melody of agony at your thought
I was revived by good people around me
They preached to me. I got strong and I got moving again
Oh! November 10! You again!
You can’t torment me
Because I sing of a hero
A rare gem whose blood was spilt to rescue his people
And never allowed cowardice to eat up his soul read more

Nov. 8, 2019

LONDON — Royal Dutch Shell said there was a gas leak on Friday on a unit at its 404,000 barrel per day Pernis oil refinery in the Netherlands.

The leak has been stopped and the situation at the refinery is under control, a spokesman said.

Shell did not specify the unit involved.

The company separately reported on Nov 6 that while taking one of the units at Pernis offline for scheduled maintenance flaring occurred.

Shell did not specify which unit that was.

(Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar; editing by Jason Neely) read more

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Q & A WITH ESTHER KIOBEL (The lead plaintiff in litigation by four Ogoni 9 widows currently suing Shell in the Dutch courts for alleged complicity in the murder of their husbands and other alleged crimes and abuses of human rights in Nigeria.)

1) Twenty-four years ago, your husband was one of the Ogoni nine executed by Abacha. How have you and the family been coping?

HMMMMMM! WE LIVE BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT STRENGTHENS US.

2) What exactly was your husband’s offence?

MY HUSBAND’S OFFENSE WAS HIS REFUSAL TO BETRAY HIS PEOPLE IN AN EXECUTIVE MEETING AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. THEY SAID ON FALSE CHARGES THAT HE, MITEE, AND KEN SARO WIWA CONSPIRED TO KILL THE FOUR PROMINENT OGONIS WHO WERE HAVING MEETING AT GIOKOO. JUST FALSE ALLEGATION TO GET THEM KILLED FOR NO JUST CAUSE. read more

Shell Says We Have to Decarbonize Planet Earth

We have to decarbonize planet earth in the coming decades.

That’s what Ed Daniels, head of strategy at Shell, stated during a presentation at Web Summit on Tuesday in Lisbon, Portugal, which was attended by Rigzone.

“I feel an immense amount of responsibility that our company along with governments and society has to do,” Daniels told audience members during the presentation, which included a Q&A session with Neanda Salvaterra, an energy reporter at The Wall Street Journal.

“I’m simultaneously energized and frightened by the scale of the challenge,” Daniels added. read more

By Billy Ludt | November 6, 2019

EDP Renewables SA (EDPR), through its fully-owned subsidiary EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) and Shell Energy North America (SENA) have closed on a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for 200 MW that will bring the Sandrini Solar Park to Kern County, California.

Located near Bakersfield, the 200-MW Sandrini Solar Park, which is anticipated to be operational in 2022, represents an estimated capital investment of more than $200 million and will generate enough clean electricity to annually power more than 91,000 average California homes. read more

by David McPhee: 05/11/2019, 9:38 amUpdated: 05/11/2019, 11:08 am

Oil giant Shell has today announced a deal to buy up a 100% stake in a French floating wind firm.

Shell has agreed to purchase 100% of Brittany-headquartered Eolfi, a French renewable energy developer specialising in floating wind projects.

The firm said the deal would “enhance” Shell’s existing wind team and a floating wind pilot project – in conjunction with Innogy and Stiesdal Offshore Technologies.

It said the deal was also “a significant step for Shell in France”, where Shell will look to grow its offshore wind business. read more

Shell appoints new head of downstream business

* Downstream business seen as key to Shell’s energy transition

* Vigeveno previously led Shell’s global commercial business 

By Ron Bousso

LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has appointed Huibert Vigeveno to head its downstream businesss, the refining, trading and marketing operations that are to become a key pillar for the oil and gas company as it transitions to cleaner energy.

Vigeveno, 50, previously led Shell’s global commercial business and rose to prominence when he oversaw the integration of smaller rival BG Group after its $53 billion acquisition in 2016. read more

Bloomberg: Shell and EDP to Build Massachusetts’ Second Offshore Wind Farm

Christopher Martin: Bloomberg News Oct. 31, 2019, 7:01 PM

*Partners are planning to complete 804-megawatt project in 2025

*Mayflower wind farm will be about 20 miles south of Nantucket

Massachusetts picked a venture of Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Energias de Portugal SA to build the state’s second offshore wind farm.

The 804-megawatt Mayflower wind farm will be built about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the island of Nantucket and completed in 2025, according to a statement late Wednesday.

The other Massachusetts project, Vineyard Wind, is expected to become the first major offshore U.S. wind farm with 800 megawatts of capacity. That’s planned for completion in 2022.

It’s being developed by Iberdrola SA’s Avangrid utility and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, and was delayed in August for an additional… read more

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) -3% pre-market and trades nearly 4% lower in London despite beating Q3 earnings estimates, as the company warns global economic conditions could slow the timetable for its $25B share buyback program.

“Prevailing weak macroeconomic conditions and challenging outlook inevitably create uncertainty about the pace of reducing gearing to 25% and completing the share buyback program within the 2020 time frame,” CEO Ben van Beurden says.

Gearing – the ratio between debt and market cap – rose in the quarter to 27.9% from 23.1% a year earlier. read more

Sam Meredith: 31 Oct 2019

• Net income attributable to shareholders on a current cost of supplies (CCS) basis, used as a proxy for net profit, and excluding identified items, came in at $4.767 billion for the third quarter of 2019.
• That compared with a profit of $5.624 billion in the same quarter a year ago and $3.462 billion in the second quarter.
• Shares of the Anglo-Dutch oil company are down more than 1% when compared to the same period in 2018.

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell reported weaker-than-expected third-quarter net profit on Thursday, citing lower energy prices and chemicals margins.

Net income attributable to shareholders on a current cost of supplies (CCS) basis, used as a proxy for net profit, and excluding identified items, came in at $4.767 billion for the third quarter of 2019. That compared with a profit of $5.624 billion in the same quarter a year ago and $3.462 billion in the second quarter. read more

Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) — Slumping energy prices, sluggish global demand and shrinking chemical margins are weighing on the oil industry as its biggest names prepare to announce quarterly results to investors demanding ever-higher payouts.

The so-called supermajors — Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Chevron Corp., Total SA and BP Plc — are expected to disclose a 42% plunge in third-quarter earnings, on average, when they post results this week. That drop-off is too steep to blame on the 18% decline in crude oil prices, which means executives will have some explaining to do. read more

TUE, OCT 29, 2019 – 1:15 PM

[SINGAPORE] Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday that its refinery-petrochemical complex on Bukom Island in Singapore encountered “an unplanned operational disruption” last week

“We can confirm there was flaring at the Pulau Bukom Manufacturing Site on October 24,” a company spokeswoman said in an e-mail. Flaring is a major safety device used to keep the plant safe during unplanned operational disruptions, she added.

Shell declined to say which unit was affected. Bukom is the largest wholly owned Shell refinery globally in terms of crude distillation capacity at 500,000 barrels per day, according to the company’s website. read more

Shell brings in Ocean Endeavor for drilling work at Fram field

by David McPhee: 29/10/2019, 6:00 am Updated: 29/10/2019, 6:38 am

Oil giant Shell has brought in Diamond Offshore’s Ocean Endeavor for drilling work at its Fram gas field in the North Sea.

Drilling work is set to begin today and should last up to 110 days, according to the latest Kingfisher Bulletin from the Seafish non-departmental public body.

The Fram field, operated by Shell, lies 136 miles east of Aberdeen.

Shell UK and Esso Exploration and Production UK have stakes of 32% and 68% respectively.

Diamond Offshore’s third quarter results announced the deal with Shell was part of a £70 million backlog of North Sea contracts that included work for its Ocean Patriot and Ocean GreatWhite drilling rigs with Apache and Siccar Point, respectively. read more

Why it is hard to be a saint in the city

Greta Thunberg’s speech at the UN’s Climate Action Summit last month stirred a lot of the world’s views about the environment and this is creeping more and more into our everyday lives.

I saw one headline last week stating that “climate change is the most serious issue for the majority of voters” but notably it added that these same voters are reluctant to meet the cost of tackling the crisis.

As a financial adviser, I must say my experience is that investing and ethics typically don’t go hand in hand. I must, however, add there has noticeably been more of a focus on socially responsible investments (SRI) from my clients in recent times. read more

SELECTION OF WEBPAGE HEADER IMAGES ALL FROM WEBSITES OPERATED BY JOHN DONOVAN, ALL FOCUSSED ON ROYAL DUTCH SHELL

Header images on royaldutchshellplc.com

Header images on royaldutchshellgroup.com

Oct 25, 2019

MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil have paid $1.7 million to Somalia to lease offshore blocks for 30 years, the country’s state news agency reported on Friday.

“Shell/Exxon Mobil have paid $1.7 million to Somalia as the preliminary rent for 30 years,” SONNA reported.

Shell and Exxon Mobil had a joint venture on five offshore blocks in Somalia prior to the toppling of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in the early 1990s.

The country has been mired in insecurity since Barre left and is battling Islamist group al Shabaab that frequently carries out bombings in the capital Mogadishu and elsewhere in the country. read more

Shell Egypt to sell assets in Western Desert

CAIRO, Oct 20 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell plans to sell its onshore upstream assets in Egypt’s Western Desert to focus on expanding its Egyptian offshore gas exploration, Shell Egypt said on Sunday.

Having won three oil and two gas concessions in Egypt last February, senior executive last week told Reuters that the company would start operating the new areas in the second half of next year.

“We remain committed to Egypt and see our future in supporting the government’s energy hub vision by growing Shell positions across the offshore and LNG value chain,” Wael Sawan, Shell upstream director, said in a statement. read more

October 18, 2019

Greenlots, a subsidiary of Shell New Energies, has announced its participation in the development of the world’s largest electric vehicle charging network.

Greenlots EV chargers will be installed in Ford’s FordPass Charging network.

The Charging Network will be launched in 2020 and will allow Ford EV drivers to charge seamlessly across all the major charging networks in the US and select regions in Canada.

The network is the first of its kind rollout in the EV market and is to accelerate the adoption of electrified transportation across North America. read more

Ehab Farouk: OCTOBER 17, 2019

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell is aiming to start operating in its concession areas in Egypt in the second half of 2020, a senior executive said.

Shell won three oil and two gas concessions in Egypt in February.

Eni, BP and Exxon Mobil also won some of a total of 12 tenders as Egypt looks to sustain an investment upswing spurred by major discoveries.

Shell has also applied to take part in a bidding round in Egypt for oil and gas drilling in the Red Sea, Gerald Schotman, executive vice president upstream JVs at Shell, told Reuters. read more

Greenpeace activists climb Shell North Sea platform saying ‘clean up your mess’

By Ron Bousso

LONDON (Reuters) – Greenpeace activists boarded two Royal Dutch Shell oil platforms in the British North Sea on Monday in protest against plans to leave parts of the giant structures in place after production shuts down.

Pictures provided by Greenpeace show two people in yellow hats scaling one of two giant, rusty structures and unfurling a banner reading “Clean up your mess, Shell!”

Shell confirmed that protesters boarded the Brent Alpha platform and the Brent Bravo concrete legs. read more

Shell to offset fuel carbon emissions at UK petrol stations

Oil giant Shell has announced plans to offset carbon emission from fuel at a number of its UK petrol stations.

The new project will see Shell offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from customers’ fuel purchases on their behalf.

The energy firm is planning to roll the initiative out across 1,000 Shell UK service stations.

Sinead Lynch, Shell UK country chairwoman, said: “Switching to an electric vehicle is the best way for drivers to reduce their CO2 footprints and they can now charge on a growing number of our UK forecourts with 100% renewable electricity.

“But today the majority of people still use petrol and diesel. We can help them address the impact of their emissions by offsetting their fuel purchases, starting now.” read more

Shell eyes North Sea oil and gas developments amid drive to go gree

By Mark Williamson Group Business Correspondent

THE head of Royal Dutch Shell’s UK business has said the oil giant is set to approve more developments in the North Sea amid calls from activists for curbs on activity to help tackle climate change.

UK country chair Sinead Lynch said Shell is looking at projects across its North Sea heartlands. The firm thinks it can generate good returns in the area while supporting the effort to reduce carbon emissions in the UK to zero, net of amounts absorbed.

“The North Sea for us is definitely an area where we want to continue to play,” said Ms Lynch, who reckons Shell could be in the area for decades. read more

Shell still has appetite for Mideast investments, says CEO

Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden

OCTOBER 9, 2019 / 10:30 AM

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) has no intention to change its plans to invest in the Middle East, Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said on Wednesday

“We have absolutely no intention to change our attitude and appetite for investing in the Middle East. Far from it,” van Beurden told the Oil & Money conference.

Shell pulled out of the Majnoon oilfield in Iraq two years ago and earlier this year sold its stake in a refinery in Saudi Arabia. It is a major investor in Qatar and Oman. read more

Just Energy to sell U.K. operations to Shell for C$17M

Oct. 8, 2019 5:45 PM ET|About: Just Energy Group Inc. (JE)|By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Just Energy (NYSE:JE) +4.7% after-hours on news it agreed to sell its U.K. operations to Shell Energy Retail Ltd. (RDS.A, RDS.B) for ~C$17M.

JE says the sale of Hudson Energy Supply UK will help narrow its geographic focus and concentrate on its core operations.

In addition, JE says it has identified another C$20M/year in cost savings, to bring total annualized cost savings initiatives announced so far to C$60M.

The company also says the strategic review process initiated in June is ongoing, and it has not set a specific timeframe for the conclusion of the review. read more

By Leonard Hyman and William Tilles

Not long ago, Bill Gates offered some investment advice. That, in itself, constitutes news, but the content and the reactions make up a more interesting story.

Gates told the Financial Times, in essence, that investors who want to do something about climate change should stop making up lists of companies they do not want in their portfolios based on involvement in fossil fuel production or use. They should, instead, invest in disruptive technologies that will provide actual solutions to climate change. read more

OCTOBER 4, 2019

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has promoted its current Australia chief, Zoe Yujnovich, to the role of executive vice president for conventional oil and gas from Jan. 1, based in the group’s headquarters in The Hague, Shell Australia said on Friday.

In her new role, Yujnovich will report to Shell’s upstream director and be responsible for delivering growth across 18 countries, including Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Oman, the UK and Iraq.

Yujnovich, an Australian, joined Shell in Canada in 2014 from the mining industry and since February 2017 has run its Australian business, which accounts for about a quarter of the group’s invested capital. read more

Shell approves upgrade Britain’s North Sea Pierce field to produce gas

By Reuters• last updated: 03/10/2019 – 15:04

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L> and Ithaca Energy have given the go-ahead for upgrading the Pierce oilfield in the British North Sea so that it can produce natural gas, Shell said on Thursday.

The project involves modifying the existing floating production, support and offloading (FPSO) vessel and installing a sub-sea gas export line from the FPSO to the SEGAL pipeline.

It also involves drilling new wells in the field, which now produces oil and reinjects gas into the reservoir. read more

Shell Takes 20% Stake in Indian Solar Firm Orb Energy

(Bloomberg) — A Royal Dutch Shell Plc division took a 20% stake in Indian solar firm Orb Energy Pvt Ltd. as part of a drive to deliver a reliable source of electricity to 100 million people in the developing world by 2030.

Orb Energy, based in Bengaluru, south India, provides credit to small and medium sized firms to invest in solar panel systems. Founded in 2006, Orb Energy has sold over 160,000 solar systems in India with a total capacity of 75 megawatts.

“This is a vital and growing sector, with great potential to contribute to the country’s renewable energy ambitions,” Brian Davis, vice president in the Shell Energy Solutions division said in a statement. read more

Gordon Deegan: 2 Oct 2019

The Canadian-owned entity that acquired Shell Ireland’s 45 per cent interest in Corrib gas has already taken €414.8 million in dividends from the operation of the gas field.

Nephin Energy Holdings, which is owned by the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, has just filed its first set of accounts since the Canadian group agreed in 2017 to purchase Shell Ireland’s interest in Corrib Gas for €903 million.

Nephin paid a dividend of €382.4 million to its Canadian parent last year and a further €32.4 million in April and May of this year. read more

Shell request sees Survitec increase lifeboat capacity on Shearwater gas hub

Jackdaw will be tied back to the Shearwater platform, pictured.

by David McPhee: 02/10/2019, 7:20 am

A request by Shell has seen offshore safety firm Survitec increase lifeboat capacity on the oil and gas giant’s Shearwater gas hub.

The project, commissioned by Shell last year, asked Survitec to to increase lifeboat capacity on Shearwater by more than 22%.

The replacement of three 49-person capacity lifeboats increased total capacity from 147 to 180.

Andrew Sinclair, Shell project manager said: “This project was a priority for the Shearwater Asset allowing for a ramp up in project and maintenance activity to help unlock the platforms potential and secure a bright future for the facility.” read more

Shell to book writeoff as high as $350 million

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA.LN) said Monday that it expects to report extra upstream well write-offs of $250 million to $350 million in the third quarter, compared with the same period last year.

In a statement ahead of its third-quarter earnings the oil major said it expects upstream production to be between 2.6 million to 2.7 million barrels of oil equivalent a day and downstream oil product sales volumes of 6.7 million to 7.4 million barrels a day.

Shell said that integrated gas production for the quarter is expected to be between 930,000 and 960,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. read more

Anjli Raval, Senior Energy Correspondent: 27 Sept 2019

The preceding three years offered plenty to talk about. Oil prices had collapsed; Shell had embarked on a complex $53bn takeover of natural gas giant BG Group and the company’s offices had been raided over a controversial Nigerian deal. Shell’s top brass were wrestling with a dilemma that has since beset every major oil and gas company. How should a company that generates most of its profits by meeting the world’s still-robust demand for oil and gas navigate the future as the political tide turns increasingly against fossil fuels. read more

JUDITH EVANS: 27 Sept 2019

A deal to sell Southbank Place near Waterloo station, which also includes the London headquarters of Royal Dutch Shell, to the Singaporean group Bright Ruby was called off on Friday, according to two people briefed on the situation.

FULL FT ARTICLE

Bloomberg: Kazakhstan Seeking Additional $1B From Shell, Eni

Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Eni SpA and their partners in the Karachaganak oil and gas venture may be required to pay an additional $1 billion to settle a dispute with Kazakhstan over revenue sharing, said people familiar with the matter.

The claim from the Central Asian nation’s government comes on top of last year’s similar-sized settlement from the Karachaganak partners. Kazakhstan has a history of disputes with international investors over revenue, taxes and cost-sharing at its energy projects. read more

The Punch:

OML 25: SPDC, Belema oil resolve dispute, resume operations in 10 days

Sept 17, 2019

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation with its joint venture partners, Shell Production Development Company and Belema OIL, have resolved the dispute on the operation of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 25.

The feuding group at the signing of the dispute closure agreement in Abuja, on Tuesday agreed that operations at the oil well would take off in the next 10 days.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Silva, while signing the agreement, thanked all the parties stressing that the step signified the beginning of a new chapter in the industry. read more

By Jessica Jaganathan: SEPT 19, 2019

SINGAPORE, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has loaded the first cargo of low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) from its Pulau Bukom refining site in Singapore, it said on Thursday.

Demand for stable low-sulphur marine fuel supplies is rising as the shipping sector prepares for the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) lowering of the cap on sulphur in marine fuels to 0.5% from 3.5% beginning in January 2020.

This is the first time Shell has made LSFO from its own upstream crude, the company said in a statement. read more

by David McPhee: 18/09/2019, 12:36 pm

Oil giant Shell has announced that Saudi Aramco has bought up its 50% interest in the Shell Saudi Arabia (Refining) Limited’s (SASREF) joint venture in Jubail Industrial City.

The deal has been agreed for more than £500 million.

Shell said the completion of the deal is contingent on “receipt of all necessary regulatory consents”.

The acquisition is understood to support Saudi Aramco’s longer term plan to increase the “complexity and capacity” of its refineries, as part of its downstream growth strategy. read more

Qatar Petroleum and Shell in LNG marine fuel venture

Reuters: 18 Sept 2019

DUBAI, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Qatar Petroleum and Shell agreed on Wednesday to establish a partnership to accelerate the development of liquified natural gas (LNG) fuelling infrastructure around the world.

“The joint venture between the two companies will invest in LNG marine fuelling, bunkering vessels and other infrastructure in key locations to meet the needs of marine customers and help to reduce emissions of the global shipping industry,” a Shell statement said. read more

LONDON (Reuters) – Investors managing $15 trillion in assets turned up the heat on oil and gas sector on Wednesday ahead of a United Nations summit in New York aimed at accelerating efforts to fight climate change.

Energy companies are on the front line of the global transition to a low-carbon economy, with investors potentially on the hook for hefty losses if the companies do not overhaul their business models in time.

In its most detailed analysis of the energy sector, the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) said 31 out of 109 energy firms were aligned with commitments governments have so far made under the 2015 Paris Agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions. read more

Nigeria: Shell Decries Crude Theft, Vandalism in Niger Delta

With a daily loss of about 10,000 barrels of oil from its pipelines to crude oil theft, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has cried out for help from government, communities and other stakeholders to stem the incessant attack on oil assets in the Niger Delta.

“These are critical national assets with 55 percent government interest and they produce the crude oil that accounts for over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange and the bulk of government revenue. Hurting these assets means hurting the nation’s revenue, the economy of the states, the health of the people and the environment,” SPDC’s General Manager External Relations, Igo Weli, said yesterday at a media workshop on Pipelines Right of Way Encroachment and Vandalism held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital. read more

While it is unclear whether sanctions would stop the project, they would certainly alienate major European energy companies, including Royal Dutch Shell…

By Ike Brannon and Eric Miller

A central plank of President Trump’s foreign policy toward Europe has been a demand for greater “burden-sharing” in the costs of defending the continent. Since the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, the United States has paid the lion’s share of the bill for the Alliance. In 2006, NATO Defense Ministers formally agreed that each of its 29 members would spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defense. Yet, according to a March 2019 NATO report, only 7 of the 29 members have reached the 2% goal. read more

Liz Hampton: SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

Sept 10 (Reuters) – A group of oil and gas companies has agreed to begin testing blockchain, a technology at the heart of digital currencies, in a bid to lower administrative costs in their field operations while also reducing payment disputes and chances for fraud.

The OOC Oil & Gas Blockchain Consortium, whose members include Chevron Corp, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil Corp, Equinor and Royal Dutch Shell , among others, has awarded a contract to Data Gumbo to pilot the technology for water handling services in the Bakken shale field in North Dakota. read more

Shell ‘absolutely’ looking at big Scottish North Sea offshore wind projects

by David McPhee: 06/09/2019, 7:10 am Updated: 06/09/2019, 7:42 am

Shell’s energy transition manager, Joanna Coleman, confirmed last night that the oil and gas giant was “absolutely” targeting the North Sea for future big offshore wind development.

Ms Coleman was representing Shell at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen yesterday to outline her firm’s plans to move to lower carbon and renewable energy in the UK.

She spoke about Shell’s work in developing carbon capture and storage in Peterhead, alongside its plans for hydrogen and electric vehicles.

But she added that her firms “focus” is offshore wind deployment in the UK.

Asked about the Scottish North Sea, Ms Coleman said: “We’ll need to look at what acreage the Crown Estate Scotland puts out to bid and decide which blocks we want to bid on. read more

Marissa Luck Sep. 6, 2019 Updated: Sep. 6, 2019 6:55 a.m.

When car enthusiast John Hennessey started a YouTube channel more than a decade ago, he just wanted his Sealy auto modification shop to keep up with the times.

Fast forward 12 years and Hennessey’s social media presence has exploded to 340,000 YouTube subscribers and 1 million Instagram followers watching his mechanics modify high-end cars and trucks to go ridiculously fast. Hennessey, who describes himself as the“Chief Horsepower Evangelist” at his company, rubs elbows with famous Indy 500 and NASCAR drivers at automotive industry events. read more