July 12th, 2007:

July 13, 2007

Carl Mortished

Tony Hayward, chief executive of BP, is planning to strip out bureaucracy and complexity from the oil group in the wake of the departure of Lord Browne of Madingley earlier this year.

The drive to streamline the head office, in St James’s Square, is part of a cultural shift in which the new chief executive is trying to play down Lord Browne’s emphasis on the environment and refocus BP on profits and operations. Symbolic of the change in mood is a decision to move the office of Peter Sutherland, BP’s chairman, from the sixth to the fifth floor, opposite Mr Hayward’s office. During tense periods in relations between Lord Browne and Mr Sutherland, company executives shuttled up and down between the two offices, relaying messages between the two men in what was widely seen as a symptom of dysfunction at the top of BP. read more

Friday, July 13, 2007. Issue 3698. Page 1.
By Miriam Elder
Staff Writer

Gazprom on Thursday invited French energy major Total to help develop the Shtokman project, ending years of wrangling over whether foreign companies would take part in developing one of the world’s largest and most difficult gas fields.

The state-run gas company gave Total a 25 percent stake in the field’s operating company, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said in a statement. A further 24 percent stake could be doled out to one or more foreign companies, but Gazprom would retain a majority 51 percent stake in the project, the statement said. read more

By Ed Crooks in London and Neil Buckley in Moscow
Published: July 12 2007 19:54 | Last updated: July 12 2007 19:54

Gazprom’s decision to choose Total as its first foreign partner in the development of the Shtokman field is a vindication of the French company’s strategy of being a “good partner” in the countries where it operates.

Total has only minimal experience in Russia, and no experience at all in the Arctic conditions that make Shtokman so challenging, yet it has been allowed to take a 25 per cent stake in exploiting the world’s second-biggest gas field: a hugely important asset. read more

Friday, July 13, 2007. Issue 3698. Page 5.
Reuters

NERUNGRI, Sakha — The country’s pipeline monopoly will ask shareholders of a Chevron-led pipeline to meet again urgently in July to resolve a strategy dispute with Moscow over the country’s only private oil link, Transneft chief Semyon Vainshtok said Thursday.

Vainshtok told reporters that he wanted the shareholders to meet again to discuss Transneft’s proposals for higher transportation fees, lower borrowing costs and a bond issue. read more

Aleksei Miller, chief of Gazprom, presented the deal as a positive step.
(Dmitry Beliakov/Bloomberg News)

By Andrew E. Kramer
Published: July 12, 2007

MOSCOW: The French oil company Total has agreed to form a consortium with Gazprom to develop one of the world’s largest natural gas deposits, offshore in the Russian Arctic. The deal, announced Thursday, is a sign of the willingness of oil companies to continue work in Russia in spite of the risks of nationalization.

Total’s deal is a long-sought prize for foreign energy companies. The field holds enough natural gas to meet all European demand for seven years – but comes after two similar, large energy investments in Russia have been effectively nationalized just in the past six months. read more

Vidya Ram, 07.12.07, 12:59 PM ET
 
LONDON – France’s Total has been watching from the sidelines as other international oil and gas companies have gotten involved in lucrative Russian ventures. Therefore, the news that Gazprom has chosen the company as a partner to operate the Shtokman gas field, the world’s largest natural gas field, is no small victory, even though Total will be entering as a minority shareholder, without any ownership rights over the fields themselves.

Gazprom, by now expert at coding messages in its actions, is signaling that if companies are willing to play by its rules, they can have access to the country’s coveted resources. read more

Gazprom recently ditched plans to keep the project a solo one

Thursday, 12 July 2007, 10:01 GMT 11:01 UK 

Russian gas company Gazprom has chosen French energy firm Total as a partner to develop the Shtokman gas field.

Gazprom chief executive Alexei Millar said the Total would hold a 25% stake in the company controlling the infrastructure of the field.

The two firms are expected to sign an agreement on the project on Friday.

The gas field in the Barents Sea – holding an estimated with 3.2 trillion cubic metres of gas – could become the world’s largest offshore gas field. read more

July 12, 2007: 07:25 AM EST

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- A force majeure notice imposed on July crude oil exports from the Nigeria Forcados terminal remains in place, a Royal Dutch Shell PLC ( RDSB) spokesman said Thursday.

However, a small amount of fresh oil production has started from the field.

“There are small quantities being produced – between 1% and 3% on a daily basis of total capacity,” said Rainer Winzenried. “We cannot say we have resumed production – that would be totally overdone. read more

Market Blog: John Partridge, today at 9:06 AM EDT

It’s time to take a pause on Royal Dutch Shell, according to analyst Jon Rigby at UBS Securities in London.

He said in a report Thursday that he has chopped his rating on the petroleum giant’s shares to “neutral 2” from “buy 2,” following a 30 per cent climb in their price in sterling terms since March.

They were trading at £20.52 in London late Thursday, down 13 pence from Wednesday’s finish.

Still, Mr. Rigby also said he has pumped up his 12-month price target for the shares, to £23 from £21, “to reflect the impact of the stronger operating environment outlook that we see … and to reflect the track record of strong underlying performance increasingly evident at the company.” read more

By Lucian Kim and Torrey Clark
 
Alexei Miller, CEO of OAO Gazprom July 12 (Bloomberg) — OAO Gazprom, the world’s largest natural-gas producer, chose Total SA to help develop Shtokman, an Arctic offshore field that may hold enough gas to supply Europe for more than three years.

Paris-based Total will take 25 percent in an operating company that will finance, build and own infrastructure in the $20 billion project, while the Russian company will hold the rest, Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller said in an e-mailed statement today. Gazprom may later offer 24 percent to one or more additional foreign partners, Miller said. read more

12 July 2007

Since October last year, a huge force of Gardaí have been in control of the Shell refinery site at Bellanaboy in North West Mayo. In the course of the peaceful protests by the local people and others who are opposed to Shell’s scheme, there have been many instances of Garda violence and scores of people have been injured, some seriously.

Despite the dozens of complaints to the Gardaí, the Garda Ombudsman Commission, TD’s, MEP’s etc, and despite the many instances of video evidence of Garda brutality, there has been no action taken against any member of the force. read more

By Dino Mahtani and Daniel Balint-Kurti in Lagos, Financial Times
Published: Apr 27, 2006

Royal Dutch Shell has admitted it has subcontracted work to companies run by Nigerian militant activists involved in a violent ethnic insurrection in 2003 that shut 40 per cent of the country’s oil output.

The activists in question also have links to a rebel group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), that has attacked Shell oil facilities this year, shutting down over a fifth of oil output in the world’s eighth largest exporter. read more

By Dino Mahtani and Daniel Balint-Kurti in Lagos, Financial Times
Published: Apr 27, 2006

Royal Dutch Shell, the oil group, has admitted to subcontracting work to companies run by Nigerian militant activists involved in a 2003 insurrection that shut40 per cent of the country’s oil output.

The activists have links to a rebel group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), that attacked Shell oil facilities this year. Analysts say subcontracting work to local strongmen is a practice used by companies to buy off militants threatening attacks on oil facilities in the region. read more

EXTRACT: Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA LN): A “mega merger” between any of the world’s biggest oil companies, such as BP Plc and Shell, is unlikely because it wouldn’t deliver sought-after gains in productivity or cost savings, researcher Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analysts Neil McMahon and Oswald Clint in London said in a report today. Shell stock fell 26 pence, or 1.2 percent, to 2065.

Bloomberg Headline: GlaxoSmithKline, Ryanair, Cadbury: U.K., Irish Equity Preview

By Trista Kelley read more

EXTRACT: Royal Dutch Shell may move on reports that a merger between any of the world’s biggest oil companies, such as BP and Shell, is unlikely.

7/12/2007 2:44:10 AM Thursday, the major European index futures are pointing to a lower opening. Nonetheless, buying interest may emerge as traders resort to bargain hunting following the sell-off of the past couple of sessions. The markets may also be encouraged by positive leads from Wall Street and the Asian markets. The price of crude oil remains unrelenting and may support the oil space. read more

Martyn Wingrove
Published: Jul 12, 2007

STATOIL and Shell have found more hydrocarbon resources in the Norwegian Sea that will support further subsea-based projects in the region.

Exploration drilling over the last two months has led to Statoil discovering more gas reserves in the Asgard area of the Norwegian Sea, and Shell has found more hydrocarbon resources in its promising Onyx Southwest discovery with an appraisal well.

Statoil used semi-submersible rig Stena Don to drill on the Yttergryta prospect, 1 km east of the Midgard field, which is producing oil via the Asgard Alpha and Bravo floating production facilities. read more

Published: Jul 12, 2007

BRAZIL’s Energy and Mines Ministry expects oil companies will invest between $108bn and $133bn over the next 10 years in order to explore and produce hydrocarbons to meet growing demand and to increase exports.

State-run oil group Petrobras will continue to contribute the most in oilfield expenditure from now to 2016, but international companies will be increasing their spending, as more oil and gas fields are discovered and developed.

The energy ministry predicts oilfield investment will be $46bn and $55bn for 2007 to 2011 as most of the oilfield projects are driven by Petrobras’ $40bn investment. read more

Published: Jul 12, 2007

SHELL and Gazprom have begun drilling the first Russian offshore gas production wells, starting a new phase of the Sakhalin II project, writes Martyn Wingrove.

Their operating venture, Sakhalin Energy, has started drilling on the Lunskoye A platform off Sakhalin to keep a $22bn offshore and liquefied natural gas project on track for exports next year.

Environmental groups believe the noise pollution from offshore construction work, which included installing topsides on an oil production platform, has affected whales breeding off the semi-Arctic island. read more

Published: Jul 12, 2007

BRISBANE, July 12 AAP – Kidnapped Australian oil worker Jason Lane has been released alive but sick after a “horrific” ordeal at the hands of militant rebels in the Niger Delta. The Queenslander was released overnight along with his four co-workers, a week after they were kidnapped from an Anglo-Dutch Shell oil rig.

His father Brian Lane says his son told him in a phone conversation shortly after his release he had contracted malaria during the ordeal. “He’s a little bit worse for the wear, he said it wasn’t a picnic, he said it was the most horrific thing he’d ever been through,” he told ABC radio. Though the phone call was brief, Mr Lane says it was a welcome relief to speak to his son after a week spent on tenterhooks. “What did I say? I said ‘Thank Christ for that! Hope you’re all right’. He just went through a few formalities, not very much, of what had happened. “It was only about three or four minutes of speaking but it was a good three or four minutes.” read more

Tony Gray
Published: Jul 12, 2007

A major liquefied natural gas project involving Shell and Qatar, requiring nine of the largest LNG carriers, is on course despite cost escalation of at least $1bn since initial agreement was reached 18 months ago.

Qatar Liquefied Gas Co (4), a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum (70%) and Shell (30%), was yesterday officially incorporated by the partners.

At the same time a Shell affiliate signed a sale and purchase agreement with the Qatargas 4 joint venture as buyer of all the LNG volume produced by the project. read more

Tom Shiel
Published: Jul 12, 2007

Three fisherman, who formed a “rugby like scrum” to force a Garda Sergeant into a drain during protests at the Corrib gas terminal in Bellanaboy last October, were each sentenced to three months in prison and fined 500 each and by a District Court Judge yesterday.

Father and son Patrick (49) and Jonathan O’Donnell (21), Porturlin Shore, Ballina, Co Mayo, were found guilty by Judge Mary Devins at Belmullet District Court of assaulting Sgt Donal Glennon during a Shell to Sea protest on October 12th last. read more

Published: Jul 12, 2007

THREE fisherman who formed a “rugby-like scrum” to force a garda into a drain during protests at the Corrib gas terminal, have been fined 500 each and sentenced to three months in prison.

Patrick O’Donnell (49) and his son Jonathan (21), of Porturlin Shore, Ballina, Co Mayo, were found guilty yesterday of assaulting Sgt Donal Glennon during a Shell to Sea protest in October.

In the Belmullet District Court, Judge Mary Devins sentenced Jonathan to a further month in prison and fined him 250 for assaulting Garda Barry Byrne on the same date. read more

EXTRACT: These deals are all about lowering risk, something which is particularly necessary in the western offshore, where Island also has some interesting acreage. In the Rockall Basin, the company is looking at a prospect analogous to the Corrib gas field – and if this proves up, Island will simply have to tap in to the infrastructure being built at huge cost by Shell and its partners.

Published: Jul 12, 2007

INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK: Island Oil and Gas chief executive Paul Griffiths

The firm’s simple business plan has won strong backing from investors read more

Published: Jul 12, 2007

The more success Research In Motion Ltd. achieves, the more unwanted attention it attracts, this time it is from the goddess of arts and crafts.

A new patent-infringement lawsuit against RIM, one of Canada’s best-known brands, surfaced this week, and experts say that is the price you pay for sitting at the top of the heap.

“The more successful a company becomes, the more sensitive they are to litigation. They become a much easier target for people to want to prey on them,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Enderle Group. “If you’re not successful … who cares?” read more

Published: Jul 12, 2007

CALGARY – Oilsands skeptic BP PLC has finally caved after years of ignoring Alberta’s oil-soaked dirt in its influential tally of world energy resources.

The oil giant, one of the few super-majors in the world without a significant oilsands project under development, has long been reluctant to count the number of potential barrels in the unconventional, economically challenged oilsands in its annual Statistical Review Of World Energy.

The London-based company pulled a quiet about-face late last month, however, and its highly regarded publication now lists Canadian oilsands as containing 163.5 billion barrels of undeveloped reserves — oil that could be produced using today’s technologies and in today’s economic climate — among a total of 1.37 trillion barrels worldwide. read more

By Dino Mahtani, Financial Times
Published: Jul 12, 2007

The production of liquefied natural gas is expected to become critical to world energy needs and Nigeria’s performance will be in the spotlight.

It holds the world’s seventh-largest reserves of natural gas and wants to more than double its exports of LNG to be near the top of world export tables within five years. Global demand for LNG is set to rise by 9 per cent a year during the next decade and any delays to Nigerian projects could have significant repercussions on international gas markets. read more

Financial Times
Published: Jul 12, 2007

Standing in a luxurious hotel room in the capital Abuja in a suit and tie, a militant leader from the oily swamps of the Niger Delta reveals his strategy to the FT.

“First you do war-war and then it’s a bit of jaw-jaw,” he says, standing over a draft contract for work on a state-owned gas pipeline that his own armed group had blown up in an act of “war-war” before negotiations, or “jaw-jaw” began.

The leader, carrying the code name “Duty Calls”, had flown to Abuja after militant attacks on oil and gas facilities last year cut about a quarter of Nigeria’s oil output. “If we get the contract, things may calm down,” he says. read more

· Possibility of expulsions and tit-for-tat reprisals
· Miliband weighs options in murder suspect row

Luke Harding in Moscow and Julian Borger
Thursday July 12, 2007
 
Britain is on the brink of a diplomatic crisis with Russia which could see the expulsion of several diplomats from London and tit-for-tat reprisals by Moscow. The Foreign Office and Downing Street are preparing to send a strong signal to the Kremlin following its refusal to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, the former KGB agent suspected of murdering Alexander Litvinenko last November. On Monday, Russian prosecutors formally announced that Mr Lugovoi would not be handed over to the UK, on the grounds that Russia’s constitution prevents his extradition. read more

Last Updated: 12:24am BST 12/07/2007

A round-up of headlines from across the financial sectors, provided by Bloomberg News

ENERGY

• Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, signed agreements giving it access to all the liquefied natural gas from a new project in Qatar and a 25-year service contract to manage a fleet of 25 Qatari LNG carriers.

• Shares of Empyrean Energy, an oil and gas explorer, rose to a six-month high following the arrival of a rig at its drilling prospect in Texas. read more

July 12, 2007
Large caps
James Rossiter

The FTSE 100 closed 15.8 points down at 6,615.1, pulled lower by down-grades to BP and Royal Dutch Shell by brokers at Goldman Sachs. Goldman added Shell to its “conviction sell” list with a £19 target. Royal Dutch B shares fell 29p to £21.07. BP, down 6½p to 605p, moved from “buy” to “neutral”.

Extract: for the complete article go to…

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/markets/article2062134.ece

By Susan Kelly
July 11, 2007

Companies in the oil business occupy six of the top 10 spots in Fortune’s latest list of the biggest 500 businesses around the world.

Wal-Mart regained the top spot in the latest Global 500, pushing last year’s top company, ExxonMobil, to second place. But Wal-Mart is the only retailer in the top 10. In addition to ExxonMobil, the oil companies in the top 10 include Royal Dutch Shell in third place, BP in fourth place, Chevron in seventh place and ConocoPhillips and Total in ninth and tenth place, respectively. read more

Associated Press

YENAGOA, NIGERIA — Gunmen have released seven kidnapped oil industry workers — five foreigners seized from a rig a week ago and two senior Nigerian managers taken captive last weekend, police and company officials said Wednesday.

Nigerian security forces helped negotiate the release of the five foreigners, Bayelsa state police spokesman Inyebom Inidong said. The two New Zealanders, one Australian, one Venezuelan and one Lebanese were subcontractors to oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. read more