Mon Sep 25, 2006 3:52 PM BST
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s environmental agency has ordered a full environmental investigation into the Shell-led Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project, the Natural Resources Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
But Natural Resources Minister Yuri Trutnev said the investigation should only cover environmental aspects of the $20 billion (10.5 billion pound) project in Russia’s far east and not interfere with the economics.
“There is no question of removing the licence because of the results of the investigation,” the statement quoted Trutnev as saying.
“The inspection should only examine whether the operator is abiding by environmental protection legislation, not the other aspects of resource use in Sakhalin region or offshore,” Trutnev said.
“Our goal is not to get involved in the economics of the project. That is a question for other bodies in the executive branch of government.”
Shell has infuriated the Kremlin by doubling its estimate of the project’s cost to $20 billion. Trutnev has previously said he had to react to the cost hike because the Russian state would have to foot the bill for the extra $10 billion.
Last week he ordered the withdrawal of a key environmental permit for the project but Shell says the threat has yet to materialise and work on Sakhalin-1, the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas project, is continuing as normal.
Analysts have said Russia may be putting pressure on Shell and Exxon Mobil, which runs the neighbouring Sakhalin-1 project, in an attempt to renegotiate the terms for their production sharing agreements, which were drawn up in the 1990s and are far more generous than anything available today.
Later this week the deputy head of the environmental watchdog Oleg Mitvol will visit Sakahlin-2 and hold talks with project managers. British, German, Japanese, U.S., Dutch and South Korean diplomats are also invited.
Shell in London declined to make any immediate comment, while spokesmen for Shell and Sakhalin Energy in Moscow were not immediately available.
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
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: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
