BBC News: Shell ‘could be target for Total’
Shell has struggled to rebuild confidence after the reserves crisis
15 August 04
Oil giant Shell could be bracing itself for a takeover attempt, possibly from French rival Total, a report claims.
Bosses at the Anglo-Dutch group are said to have admitted that the company is vulnerable to a predator, according to the Observer newspaper.
Total would be an obvious contender because it is believed to be the only firm capable of getting any merger proposal past the regulators.
Shell has been vulnerable since it downgraded its reserves estimates.
Reserves crisis
The company shocked the market in January by announcing that its oil and gas stocks were 20% lower than previously thought. But that was not the end of the matter – it subsequently downgraded its reserves another three times.
The crisis forced the resignations of three top executives, including chairman Sir Philip Watts and the head of exploration and production Walter van de Vijver.
The company agreed to pay more than £80m in penalties to settle inquiries by US and UK regulators into the firm’s restatement of reserves.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for Shell said the company would not comment on the latest takeover speculation.
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 conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
