July 12th, 2006:

From Yale Center for the Study of Globalization

The globe has entered an era of instability according to Moisés Naím, editor in chief of “Foreign Policy,” and that has opened opportunities for small, but highly competitive forces in the business, political and financial worlds. Some examples: Multinational corporations like Royal Dutch Shell no longer protests movements toward nationalization of oil supplies in small Latin American countries like Bolivia, and the 155-year old “New York Times” suddenly regards eight-year old Google as a major competitor. Incumbent candidates of government elections in the free world used to win by a landslide, but more elected government officials face precarious futures, with leadership gained by razor-thin victories over their opponents. A new state of global disarray allows increasing visibility and power for many small companies, candidates and governments, yet also accounts for much of the current chaos. – YaleGlobal read more

July 12, 2006
FROM www.ThisIsMoney.co.uk

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

Notice of Results

At 07.00 BST (08.00 CEST and 02.00 EDT) on Thursday July 27, 2006 Royal Dutch
Shell plc will release its second quarter 2006 results and second quarter 2006
interim dividend announcements.

These announcements will be available on http://www.shell.com/investor.
END

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

Extracts from Business Wire article

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 12, 2006–As non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. struggle with decreases in funding due to factors ranging from new governmental standards to competing hurricane recovery efforts, agencies are turning to less traditional methods of eliciting much-needed funds support. Recognizing the need for alternative fundraising and communications avenues in today’s nonprofit market, children’s safety and protection advocate, Child Watch, is entering into an extended partnership with Quantum Events USA, the leader in event-based marketing for North America. read more

MosNews.com
12.07.2006

U.S. President George W. Bush has suggested European countries would be wise to diversify dependence on Russia’s energy resources so they don’t have to worry about supply, Canadian Press agency reported.

In a round table meeting with foreign journalists, which took place on Monday, July 10, Bush refused to be drawn directly into criticism that Russia is sliding on democratic reforms and intimidating Europeans with its vast supplies of oil and natural gas. “I think each nation or each group of nations has to make their own national security calculations,” said Bush, who’s attending the Group of Eight meeting this week in Russia with Canada and other top industrialized countries. read more

From RIA Novosti (Russia) 12/ 07/ 2006   

MOSCOW, July 12 (RIA Novosti) – Sakhalin Energy will supply half a million metric tons of liquefied natural gas annually to Japan for 15 years, the company’s press office said Wednesday.

Sakhalin Energy, a Dutch-British-Japanese venture, which operates the Sakhalin-II energy project and is developing two vast fields off the island of Sakhalin in Russia’s Far East that hold estimated recoverable reserves of 150 million metric tons of oil and 500 billion cubic meters of gas, signed a LNG deal with Japan’s Chubu Electric Power Co. Wednesday. read more

FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Pricing Set for Friday
With Valuation Talk
Of About $70 Billion
By GREGORY L. WHITE in Moscow and ALISTAIR MACDONALD in London
July 12, 2006

Russian state oil company OAO Rosneft is closing the order book a day ahead of schedule today on its landmark initial public offering, beginning the sensitive process of balancing strong demand from international oil companies against the desire to include Western fund managers, who have been cooler to the deal.

The Kremlin’s tightening grip on the energy sector has fueled demand for Rosneft shares among international oil companies looking to win points with the Russian government. These buyers have indicated interest in buying about $5 billion of the offering, whose overall size could total as much as $11.6 billion, according to people close to the deal. read more

FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
July 12, 2006; Page B7

YINCHUAN, China — Royal Dutch Shell PLC and a unit of China’s top coal producer moved a step closer to a major coal-to-liquids project that could involve an investment of $5 billion to $6 billion, the two companies said.

Shell, a leader in liquefaction technology, and Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Co. — a unit of Shenhua Group, parent of listed China Shenhua Energy Co. — said they had agreed to pursue a three-year study of a plant in the remote western Ningxia region, after which they would make a final investment decision. read more

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE
July 11, 2006 7:48 p.m.

Oil futures gained in New York after Iran’s president was quoted as saying his country won’t back down from plans to complete its uranium-enrichment program. Here’s Tuesday’s roundup of oil-related news.

* * *
MIDEAST CASH FLOWS TO ASIA: Investors from the Middle East, flush with cash from high oil prices, are expected to start funneling more funds into Asia, according to investment bankers in Hong Kong and Dubai. Arabs are looking at tie-ups with oil companies and port operators throughout Asia, Islamic-banking businesses in Malaysia and Indonesia, and infrastructure investments in Pakistan and India. read more

From Asia Pulse
Published: Jul 12, 2006

BEIJING, July 12 Asia Pulse – State-owned Shenhua Group’s Ningxia affiliate has teamed up with Royal Dutch Shell and South Africa-based Sasol to build two coal-to-liquid plants in the northwestern autonomous region with an investment of up to US$12 billion.

The plants will help enhance energy security and enjoy good market prospects because of soaring oil prices, analysts said.

Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Company, a subsidiary of the biggest coal company in China, yesterday signed a joint study agreement with Shell Gas & Power Development BV to build a facility to convert coal into oil products such as petrol and diesel. read more

FROM THE FINANCIAL TIMES
By Khozem Merchant in Mumbai

Published: July 12 2006 03:00 | Last updated: July 12 2006 03:00

Sir Bill Gammell, chief executive of Cairn Energy, believes the Edinburgh-based company is “aligned” with booming India, and so it seems. Nine-tenths of the UK oil company’s value derives from India, notably the Rajasthan desert, where its oil fields go by Hindi names whose meaning carry a ring of good portent.

One big step towards monetising that value was taken on July 3. Cairn revealed a $1bn credit facility to finance production of Mangala, Aishwariya, Raagesh­wari and Saraswati, a quartet of fields whose development was approved by the Indian government in May. read more

FROM THE FINANCIAL TIMES
By Richard McGregor in Beijing

Published: July 12 2006 03:00 | Last updated: July 12 2006 03:00

Royal Dutch Shell and aChinese partner yesterday committed to a formal study of a coal-to-liquids facility in China’s western Ningxia province, a project that would represent one ofthe largest foreign investments in the country if it proceeds.

Mr Lim Haw Kuang, the executive chairman of Shell in China, said at a ceremony to launch the project that a plant of the size envisaged by the partners would cost $5bn (£2.7bn) to $6bn to build. read more

From The Houston Chronicle

By AMY STRAHAN
Bloomberg News

Ultra Petroleum Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell have received approval from Wyoming to tighten well spacing in the Pinedale natural gas field to lift output, Ultra said Tuesday.

The companies will now be able to drill wells 10 acres apart. Two-thirds of the field was at 20-acre and 40-acre densities. Houston-based Ultra estimates the Pinedale field holds at least 44 trillion cubic feet of gas, Steven Kneller, the company’s vice president of domestic exploration, said in a call with analysts May 5. read more

FROM REUTERS

TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) – Chubu Electric Power Co. has agreed to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Royal Dutch Shell-led Sakhalin 2 project in Russia’s far east, an industry source said on Wednesday.

Chubu Electric, Japan’s third-largest utility, said it would hold a briefing on its LNG purchase at 2 p.m. local time (0500 GMT).

Chubu Electric had long been in talks with those running the giant Sakhalin-2 project, which is 55 percent-owned by operator Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research), and a purchase agreement had been widely expected. read more