Thursday, 8 June, 2006
AMSTERDAM: Total SA, Europe’s third-largest oil company, said it doesn’t expect to delay oil and gas projects, after rising costs forced competitors such as Royal Dutch Shell Plc to reconsider some energy investments.
Paris-based Total expects no delays to projects such as the $3.7bn liquefied natural gas project in Yemen scheduled to start in 2008 and the Dolphin project in Qatar, chief executive officer Thierry Desmarest said at a press conference at the International Gas Union Conference in Amsterdam yesterday.
“Up to now, we have been able to continue without postponing projects,’’ Desmarest said. “We have not had to really delay projects and don’t expect to at this stage.’’
Desmarest is avoiding more expensive technologies such as converting gas to liquid fuel, in an effort to keep Total’s costs among the lowest in the oil and gas industry.
Shell, Europe’s second-largest oil company, said May 5 rising costs may delay some projects. The costs for Shell’s Sakhalin project in Russia have about doubled to $20bn.
Gas-to-liquids technology, which makes diesel from natural gas, originated in Nazi Germany when it ran short of petroleum fuel. It was developed further in South Africa during the trade embargo of the apartheid era.
“We have not been the most enthusiastic on gas to liquids in the past,’’ Desmarest said. “We don’t expect huge developments.”.
Total will continue research and development of gas-to-liquids projects, looking for “some possibilities of a better outlook,’’ Desmarest said. – Bloomberg
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.
