5:00AM Saturday May 12, 2007
MELBOURNE: Royal Dutch Shell says it cannot commit to maintaining its Australian refining operations, and it’s possible Australia may end up importing all its refined fuel needs.
“When it comes a time for a major investment of hundreds of million of dollars then there’s a decision to be made, do you invest it in an old sub-scale local refinery or do you invest it in a big modern refinery in India or Singapore or somewhere and import,” Shell’s Australian chairman Russell Caplan said.
Australia, which has seven refineries in the country owned by Shell, Caltex , Exxon Mobil and BP, has seen imports for petroleum refined products steadily rise since 2002 due to rising domestic energy demands and lower refining capacity.
Exxon Mobil mothballed its Port Stanvac refinery in South Australia in 2003 due to poor returns.
Current refining capacity at Australia’s refineries is about 796,500 barrels of oil a day.
“I haven’t got in my mind when is the big make or break decision at [Shell’s Australian refining operations in] Clyde or Geelong. It won’t be in the next 12 months but I think it’s an issue that is constantly under review.”
Shell Australia saw pre-tax earnings from its downstream operations rise to A$398 million in 2006 from A$300 million a year earlier, thanks to strong refining margins. Attractive refining margins were expected to continue in 2007.
– Reuters
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.
