From Project On Goverment Oversight .Org.
On April 17, the Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) hosts its big annual bash attended by as many as 700 (mostly) oil company executives where awards are given. It’s a fabulous opportunity for everyone to pat themselves on the back.
Why the government spends taxpayer time and money to throw a big schmooze party for big oil in Houston, TX is a question for all of us to ponder. For more than a year now, the Congress and the public have learned from a series of stories in the news media that all is not right at the MMS. Whistleblowers and the Congress have expressed concern that the agency is too cozy with the oil industry, particularly over the issue of whether the agency is collecting all the drilling fees owed to taxpayers and Native Americans. Tomorrow’s big schmooze-o-rama only feeds into these concerns.
One bad-boy company set to be honored is the infamous Anadarko. One of the largest holders of federal offshore leases in the Gulf of Mexico, Anadarko (then Kerr-McGee) filed suit against MMS in 2006, arguing that it should not have to pay any royalties on offshore leases issued under the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act of 1995. This is a brazen and aggressive legal strategy. If Anadarko wins, the federal government could lose up to $60 billion in royalties. In January 2007, a jury agreed with former MMS auditor Bobby Maxwell that Kerr McGee (now Anadarko) underpaid the government by $7.5 million.
“Corporate Leadership Awards” will also be bestowed upon five Chevron executives. Chevron is another holdout on the issue of paying royalties, specifically on 1998 to 1999 federal offshore leases for which MMS failed to include price thresholds, which require oil companies to pay when the price of oil reaches a certain level.
Two companies – Shell and ConocoPhillips — have been repeat offenders in the arena of paying what they owe the government and Native Americans in drilling fees, known as royalties. Yet, they are being honored as “Mineral Revenues Stewardship Award Winners.” Go figure.
Shell Exploration and Production
Shell has paid far more in settlements with the Justice Department over royalty underpayments than any other oil company. Earlier this year, former Interior Department Secretary Gail Norton waltzed through the revolving door to set up shop working for Shell again.
2006 – Shell is the subject of two False Claims Act lawsuit filed by two MMS auditors who allege that the company inappropriately deducted $19 million in transportation costs from royalties paid the government.
2003 – Shell agrees to $49 million settlement over unauthorized flaring or venting of gas and failure to properly pay/report royalties.
2001 – Shell agrees to $110 million settlement for oil royalty underpayments in response to a False Claims Act lawsuit filed by whistleblowers and POGO.
2000 – Shell agrees to $56 million settlement in gas royalty underpayments.
ConocoPhillips
Similarly, ConocoPhillips is a repeat offender:
2005 – ConocoPhillips agrees to $21.7 million settlement with MMS over valuation of coalbed methane.
2004 – Burlington Resources (now ConocoPhillips) discloses in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that underpaid an estimated $76 million (pdf) in gas royalties per pending False Claims Act litigation filed by Jack Grynberg.
2000 – ConocoPhillips agrees to $26 million settlement with Justice Department over oil royalty underpayments.
2000 – Burlington Resources (now ConocoPhillips) agrees to $8.5 million settlement with Justice Department over oil royalty underpayments.
— Beth Daley
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.
