Steve Hawkes
The production sharing agreement for Sakhalin II in 1994 was the first one signed by the Russian Government.
The agreement that will see Shell pay the Kremlin an annual dividend to maintain its already diluted stake in the field shows how far the balance of power has shifted since.
Faced with pressure to find new oil and gas reserves from a smaller number of prospects, Western majors are having to go down on their knees in Russia and pray for the best.
While the “priority dividend” may be embarrassing for a group of Shell’s heritage, it will point to BP’s role in the recent Yukos auction to show that no other company is being treated differently.
For Shell, what is important is being on the playing field at all. Investors may cringe at its treatment, but they will ultimately benefit from that as well.
April 26, 2007
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article1710100.ece
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.
