By Upstream staff
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today urged the Sakhalin 2 consortium to resolve a simmering crisis over the $20 billion Shell-led venture by talking with the Russian side.
Lavrov told a news conference on Sakhalin island that he had observed “from the management of Sakhalin Energy a sincere wish to resolve these problems”, Interfax agency reported.
“Any nascent issues should be settled through dialogue. I am convinced that dialogue with competent Russian structures will help settle these issues,” said Lavrov.
“Our interests are best served if the unique wealth of this region is used for the good of Russia…The more effective we make use of our natural resources for our development, the stronger our position will be internationally,” Lavrov said.
Russian officials have accused the venture of major environmental breaches, but analysts and diplomats say these are a likely pretext for the Kremlin to force Shell and its partners to renegotiate the deal to concede to less favourable terms.
Lavrov sought to calm such fears yesterday, saying the Kremlin did not want to scrap the contract for the venture and was not seeking to push foreigners out of its energy sector.
But despite Lavrov’s reassurance, Russia’s environmental watchdog issued yet another harsh statement yesterday saying Shell’s project might have caused ecological damage worth $50 billion.
Shell angered Moscow a year ago by doubling the estimated costs of its Sakhalin 2 oil and gas project, delivering a $10 billion bill which, under Shell’s production sharing agreement, is likely to arrive at the Kremlin’s door.
The cost hike has also upset state-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom, which wants to swap one of its fields for a quarter of Sakhalin 2, and prompted threats of investigations and the withdrawal of a key ecological permit.
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.
