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July 31st, 2007:

IntelliBriefs: The Great Game : 21st Century Version

The rules of the game
July 31, 2007

The current century began in an intensely violent manner and there are no signs of a let up. Two and a half deadly wars are being fought in our neighbourhood and threaten to spread further and may even affect India in the years ahead.

These are the results of great power politics, ambitions and economic needs. It is therefore interesting to go through some of the statements by Western strategists and political analysts from time to time. There is a common thread running through them – that seeks total dominance over the rest of the world. read more

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The Moscow Times: Billion-Dollar Principles

Wednesday, August 1, 2007. Issue 3711. Page 7.
By Yulia Latynina
 
The president and owner of Russneft, Mikhail Gutseriyev, wrote an open letter in which he accused authorities of “unprecedented persecution” in an effort to make him “more compliant.” Gutseriyev also announced that he would leave his post in order to keep the company intact. It is widely known that Oleg Deripaska, who is one of the Kremlin’s favored oligarchs, will buy Russneft. In this context, it is important to remember Deripaska’s interview with the Financial Times in which he said he was prepared to hand his company over to the state if requested to do so. read more

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.

Tribune (Nigeria): Alamieyeseigha, Dokubo, Niger Delta and Nigeria’s oil industry

Nigerian Tribune image 

Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, former
Governor of Bayelsa State

By Martin Ayankola, Lagos

Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was on Friday released from the Ikoyi Prisons, Lagos, following the expiration of the two-year jail sentence handed down to him on Thursday by a Federal High Court in Lagos. The release came after a plea bargaining arrangement that resulted in Alamieyeseigha pleading guilty to charges against him and the Judge sentencing him to 2 years imprisonment with forfeiture of assets. read more

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Financial Times: Falkland Islands upstream sector: Consolidation likely within the next year, sources say

By Oliver Adelman in London
Published: July 31 2007 15:01 | Last updated: July 31 2007 15:01

Please email [email protected] or call EMEA: + 44 (0)20 7059 6105 Americas: +1 212 686-5277 Asia-Pacific: +852 2158 9730 for further information on mergermarket and how to receive more articles like the one below.
—————————————————————————————— read more

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.

Kansas City Star: Oil industry executives show hypocrisy on hot fuel

In their latest round of misleading statements about hot fuel, Big Oil executives made one thing clear: Their customers don’t matter.

Testifying last week on Capitol Hill, the executives tried to convince Congress to let the companies continue selling gasoline from pumps that do not adjust for temperature.

Shell Oil Vice President Hugh Cooley said his company “does not believe that the American consumers are harmed in any way.”

But they are. In warmer months, gasoline expands and — if retail pumps aren’t adjusted for this — motorists get less energy than they pay for. read more

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.

The Napa Valley Register: Help stop the drilling at ANWR

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

The Bush administration is opening the back door to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by letting Shell Oil begin drilling off the coastline this summer. This leaves the entire area vulnerable to a massive oil spill, which is inevitable.

With only one oil spill, there will be a permanent toxic waste site that can never be cleaned up — because the oil industry has no proven methods for cleaning up oil spills in icy waters.

The irony is that the Bush administration has already predicted that at least one oil spill is “likely to occur,” and they are also aware that a toxic oil spill would spread into migratory routes, which would endanger bowhead whales, polar bear birthing grounds and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds. How can this administration be so completely insensitive to anything but profit? It astounds me. read more

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.

Associated Press: Marathon Oil to buy Western Oil for $5.5B

Associated Press – July 31, 2007 10:25 AM ET

HOUSTON (AP) – Marathon Oil has agreed to buy Western Oil Sands for $5.5 billion in cash and stock.

The deal announced today would give Houston-based Marathon a stake in Canada’s oil sands market.

As part of the deal, Western is required to spin off WesternZagros, its wholly-owned subsidiary with interests in Kurdistan.

The closing is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.

Marathon says the agreement will give it a 20% interest in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project in Alberta — currently held by Western Oil. read more

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.

NewsMax.com: OPEC Gets $649 Billion Windfall on Oil Boom

Tuesday, July 31, 2007 10:07 a.m. EDT

LONDON — OPEC’s oil and gas export revenue surged 22 percent to a record $649 billion in 2006 as crude prices hit an all-time high and the exporter group pumped close to full tilt, an OPEC report showed on Tuesday.

In the world’s biggest oil exporter Saudi Arabia income from petroleum exports, including crude oil, condensates and natural gas liquids, hit $194 billion last year, a rise of 20 percent, OPEC said in its Annual Statistical Bulletin. read more

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.

The Mayo News: EU takes on Corrib controversy

Tuesday, 31 July 2007 
Áine Ryan

DR MARK GARAVAN was last week formally notified of the European Commission’s Environment Directorate’s intention to conduct a preliminary investigation into the Corrib gas project. Alleged breaches of several EU Directives were formally highlighted by Dr Garavan through the offices of the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee.

The former Shell to Sea spokesman has welcomed the efficiency of the EU’s response to the complaints, observing that the Irish Government seemed to be regularly in breach of directives which then resulted in significant fines. read more

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.

BBC News: Nigerian gunmen seize Pakistani

Tuesday, 31 July 2007, 09:50 GMT 10:50 UK 

Unknown gunmen in speedboats have kidnapped a Pakistani construction worker in Nigeria’s oil region.

Seven men dressed in red seized the man, named as Tahri, in Bodo city in Ogoniland, security sources say.

The man works for Italian firm Gitto. Such kidnappings are common in the region and most hostages are released unharmed after a ransom is paid.

More than 150 foreigners – mostly oil workers – and many Nigerians have been kidnapped in the region this year. read more

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.

Money Morning.com: Oil Companies Continue to Take Risks Despite Objections

By Jason Simpkins
31 July 2007

A group of U.S. pension funds, including the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (Calpers), the New York State Common Retirement Funds, and New York City Pension Funds, have leveled pointed criticisms at several oil and gas companies for their involvement in Iran’s energy sector.  The letter went out to such prominent global energy giants as Royal Dutch Shell Plc. (NYSE: RDS.A), Total (NYSE: TOT), Eni (NYSE: ENI), Repsol (NYSE: REP), and Gazprom (NYSE: GAZP). read more

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.

Reuters AlertNet: ANALYSIS-Nigerian delta peace moves to unlock oil output

31 Jul 2007 12:01:58 GMT
Source: Reuters

Background
Nigeria violence
More  By Tom Ashby

LAGOS, July 31 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s new government and militant groups in the oil-producing Niger Delta are moving towards talks that could restore lost output from the world’s eighth-largest oil exporter.

An 18-month campaign of guerrilla attacks on Western oil facilities has prompted thousands of foreigners to leave Africa’s top producer, reduced output by a fifth and helped oil prices rise to record highs. read more

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.

BankWatch.Org: Fight to defend the grey whales is not over

31 July 2007

Yesterday the participants of WWF whalewatching expedition returned to Moscow from Sakhalin.The preliminary results gathered during the expedition revealed that most likely construction works have rendered negative impacts on grey whales.

In the immediate future WWF in partnership with other organizations is planning to analyze various data on this problem and to make the final conclusion.

The main objective of WWF expedition was to reveal earlier possible the negative impacts on grey whales during the *Piltun-Astohskaya-B* (*Sakhalin-2* project) platform construction and to notify the company and State institutions about this influence. read more

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.

Bloomberg: Rosneft Plans to Auction Some Oil-Export Volumes (Update1)

By Eduard Gismatullin

July 31 (Bloomberg) — OAO Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company, plans to offer customers crude and fuel exports at auctions to improve sales.

The company is developing a set of regulations for tenders, which may be approved by the end of the year, said a Rosneft spokesman who declined to be identified. The company has recently offered some export volumes to a limited number of customers to test the market, the spokesman said today by phone from Moscow. read more

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.

Bloomberg:Chevron S. Africa Refinery Hit by Strike, Union Says (Update2)

By Mike Cohen

July 31 (Bloomberg) — Workers at South African refineries owned by Chevron Corp. and PetroSA went on strike after their employers refused to meet their demands for an immediate 8.5 percent wage increase, the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union said.

Workers walked off the job at Chevron’s refinery in Cape Town today, the union said today in an e-mailed statement. PetroSA’s workers struck yesterday.

South Africa has six refineries, owned by Chevron, PetroSA, BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Sasol Ltd. and Petroliam Nasional Bhd’s Engen unit. Unions have been pushing them to increase wages above the inflation rate of 6.4 percent, saying workers should benefit more from high oil prices and expanding demand. read more

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.

LATEST DONOVAN CORRESPONDENCE WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

Richard Wiseman, General Counsel M & A and Project Finance, Shell International

Richard Wiseman, Shell International Petroleum
Company Ltd General Counsel – Mergers & Acquisitions).

EMAILS RECEIVED FROM MICHIEL BRANDJES, COMPANY SECRETARY AND CORPORATE COUNSEL

—–Original Message—–
From: Brandjes, Michiel CM RDS-LC
Sent: vrijdag 20 juli 2007 8:26

To: ‘John Donovan’

Subject: RE: DATA PROTECTION ACT – SUBJECT ACCESS REQUEST

Dear Mr Donovan,

I have passed your email to the company secretariat of Shell International Limited. I am sure that they will in due course answer if and as appropriate. There is no general email address for the company secretariat of Shell International Limited and I suggest that you use the email address. read more

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.

PR Newswire (US): Kline Study Shows Shell Retakes Top Spot in Global Lubricants Market in 2006

Published: Jul 30, 2007

LITTLE FALLS, N.J., July 30 /PRNewswire/ — Shell has reclaimed the number one position in the world lubricants market, according to data from a recently completed study by analysts at Kline & Company, a worldwide management consulting and market research firm.

Volumetric data from Competitive Intelligence for the Global Lubricants Industry, 2006-2016 shows Shell edging out its largest competitor, albeit by a slim margin, just one year after ExxonMobil had achieved the top position. The study indicates that organic growth in Shell’s business in China, Russia, and parts of Asia and Europe, coupled with the company’s acquisition of a 75% share in the Chinese oil company Beijing Tongyi were the deciding factors. BP, Chevron, and Total round out the top five lubricant marketers. read more

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.

Polish News Bulletin: Petrolinwest’s Russian Purchase Upgrades Its Profile from Oil Exploration to Oil Extraction

EXTRACT: But the huge players can lose a lot in Russia too. The example of Shell or BP, who lost their licenses for gas extraction are good examples. The political risk is much higher.

Published: Jul 31, 2007

Listed Petrolinwest has oil. On Thursday the Ryszard Krauze-controlled company, which has been holding licenses for oil exploration in Russia and Kazakhstan for a while, bought a 50-percent stake in a group of Russian oil extraction firms. The documented deposits they own reach 35 million barrels. read more

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.

BBC Monitoring Service: Summary of Russian press for Tuesday 31 July 2007

Published: Jul 31, 2007

Kommersant

1. Nataliya Grib et al. report says businessman Mikhail Gutseriyev is giving up almost all his business in Russia, after announcing on 30 July that he is selling Russneft and stepping down as president of the company. He is also said to be selling Russkiy Ugol (Russian coal) and other assets worth 1bn dollars. He says he is temporarily giving up business to pursue academic research. Some experts note that Gurtsiyev is getting rid of his assets due to pressure exerted by the authorities; pp 1, 9. read more

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.

Financial Times: Oil group warned over delay to Kazakh project

By Isabel Gorst in Moscow
Published: July 31 2007 03:00 | Last updated: July 31 2007 03:00

Kazakhstan has warned a foreign consortium led by Eni, the Italian oil company, that it will demand better terms at the giant Kashagan oilfield in the Caspian Sea to compensate for soaring costs and the delayed launch of production at one of the world’s most challenging oilfield developments.

Baktykozha Izmukhambetov, Kazakhstan’s energy minister, told a government meeting yesterday that Eni had lifted its estimate of the full cost of developing Kashagan from $57bn (€41.6bn, £28bn) to $137bn after encountering technical difficulties in the field. Eni had also postponed Kashagan’s start-up by two years to 2010, he said. read more

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.

The Wall Street Journal: Australia Pushes Clean Coal

Wall Street Journal image

The Wall Street Journal: Australia Pushes Clean Coal

Fears of a Backlash Against Top Export Drive Effort
By PATRICK BARTA
July 31, 2007; Page A6

SYDNEY, Australia — Australia’s efforts to protect one of its most vital industries in an age when “coal” is a dirty word place the country at the forefront of global efforts to burn the fuel more cleanly.

Australia is the world’s biggest coal exporter, and coal is the country’s No. 1 export, generating more than 20 billion Australian dollars, or more than US$17 billion, in revenue each year. Local politicians and mining executives worry that a backlash against coal fuel — believed to be a main contributor to global warming — could imperil the industry and erode Australia’s economic competitiveness. read more

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.

The Wall Street Journal: Don Putin: if you really wish to understand the Putin regime in depth… ‘The Godfather’ trilogy is a good place to start

Wall Street Journal image

The Wall Street Journal: Don Putin

By GARRY KASPAROV
July 26, 2007; Page A13

When Vladimir Putin took power in Russia in 2000, the burning question was: “Who is Putin?” It has now changed to: “What is the nature of Putin’s Russia?” This regime has been remarkably consistent in its behavior, yet foreign leaders and the Western press still act surprised at Mr. Putin’s total disregard for their opinions.
 
Again and again we hear cries of: “Doesn’t Putin know how bad this looks?” When another prominent Russian journalist is murdered, when a businessman not friendly to the Kremlin is jailed, when a foreign company is pushed out of its Russian investment, when pro-democracy marchers are beaten by police, when gas and oil supplies are used as weapons, or when Russian weapons and missile technology are sold to terrorist sponsor states like Iran and Syria, what needs to be asked is what sort of government would continue such behavior. This Kremlin regime operates within a value system entirely different from that of the Western nations struggling to understand what is happening behind the medieval red walls. read more

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.

The Wall Street Journal: Kazakhstan Presses Eni Group For Better Terms on Oil Project

Wall Street Journal image

By GUY CHAZAN
July 31, 2007; Page A2

Kazakhstan became the latest oil-rich nation to toughen its stance toward Western investors when it accused a consortium developing one of the world’s biggest oil fields of breach of contract and said it wanted to change terms of the deal.
 
The move against a consortium of companies led by Italy’s Eni SpA underscores how resource nationalism, the drive by oil-producing countries to claw back control of their hydrocarbon deposits, is spreading — even to places such as Kazakhstan that have long been friendly toward foreign investors. read more

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.

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Tries to Avoid EU’s Carbon-Trading Woes

By ERICA HERRERO-MARTINEZ
July 31, 2007

LONDON — European officials are urging air-pollution authorities in several U.S. states to avoid the problems that have plagued Europe’s system for trading carbon-emissions credits since it was set up 2½ years ago.

The U.S. doesn’t plan to introduce a nationwide emissions-trading system, but 10 Northeastern states are trying to set up their own emissions-trading system, starting in 2009. California also aims to set up a program, though it hasn’t set a date. Officials in those states are now looking to Europe’s experience in carbon trading as they sketch out how their own plans will work. read more

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.

The New York Times: Russian Oil Magnate Forced to Sell to Putin Loyalist, He Says

By ANDREW E. KRAMER
July 31, 2007

MOSCOW, July 30 — The owner of Russneft, one of Russia’s largest private oil companies, confirmed Monday that he would sell the business to an investor loyal to the Kremlin, but he added in an open letter that the sale was not voluntary.

Mikhail S. Gutseriev, who was once in the tight coterie of Russian billionaires known as oligarchs but has since fallen from favor, accused the government of President Vladimir V. Putin of forcing him out of the company using trumped-up tax claims. read more

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.

Daily Telegraph: BP turns focus on Russian satellites

By Roland Gribben
Last Updated: 1:07am BST 31/07/2007

BP has set its sights on breaking into the Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan oil provinces after setbacks in Russia where a heavy tax bill is adding to its headaches.

Robert Dudley, chief executive of TNK-BP, the Anglo-Russian oil group 50pc owned by BP, is anxious to widen the BP portfolio in the former Soviet Union and make up for lost time.

The drive comes as Kazakhstan threatens a Russian-style renegotiation of a contract to develop its biggest oil field, accusing Eni, the Italian oil major heading the consortium developing the Kashagan field, of breaching contract terms. Shell, Exxon Mobil and Total are among the partners. read more

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.