Reuters: Total declines comment on Shell report
Mon 16 August, 2004 07:37
PARIS (Reuters) – Total has declined comment on a report in The Observer that said executives at Royal Dutch/Shell were concerned about a potential takeover bid from the French oil group.
The paper said a tie-up between the two groups was “the subject of fevered speculation”, but did not cite any sources and said there were no indications that board members or advisers had spoken about a combination of the companies.
“We do not comment on rumours,” a spokeswoman for Total said on Monday.
A Shell spokeswoman said: “We cannot comment on market rumour or speculation.”
The paper cited one unnamed oil analyst as saying: “On paper it’s a fit, but it’s not that easy. Who would be in charge would be the major issue.”
Earlier this month, a senior industry source told Reuters that Shell would unify the boards of its Dutch and British holding companies and that the group might consider a full merger of the two, or for one holding company to take over the other.
Currently, Royal Dutch owns 60 percent of the overall group, while Shell Transport & Trading has 40 percent. A review of the company’s corporate governance will be published in November.
In January, Shell disclosed a 20 percent downgrade to its proved oil and gas reserves.
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.
