By Russell Hotten, Industry Editor
Last Updated: 12:18am BST 29/08/2007

Oil services group John Wood is looking to make several acquisitions over the next few months after reporting a surge in interim profits yesterday that puts the company on track to beat analysts’ full-year forecasts.

The Aberdeen-based company, whose products include pumps and pipelines for the oil and gas sectors, predicted in March that growth would continue this year, but at a slower pace.

But there was no sign of this as Wood posted a 64pc jump in pre-tax profits to $124m (£61.7m) in the six months to the end of June on increased exploration activity by major customers like Royal Dutch Shell. read more

August 29, 2007
Carl Mortished: European briefing

There is one big problem with the proposed French mega-merger of Suez, the power, gas and water utility, and Gaz de France (GdF), which once again is troubling civil servants and bankers in Paris.

It isn’t the French unions that have growled intermittently over the backdoor privatisation of the national gas company. It isn’t competition; the European Commission has delivered a conditional blessing to the deal. It isn’t even the soaring cost of the transaction for Gaz de France; the rise of the Suez share price has turned the deal, once billed as a near-partnership of equals, into a more one-sided affair. read more

By Alexander Kwiatkowski

Aug. 28 (Bloomberg) — John Wood Group Plc, the U.K.’s largest oilfield services provider, rose to a record in London trading after saying full-year profit may beat forecasts.

The shares closed at a 352.5 pence, up 4.7 percent, valuing Aberdeen, Scotland-based Wood Group at 1.85 billion pounds ($3.72 billion). They had climbed as much as 9.1 percent to 367.25 pence. First-half profit rose 65 percent and full-year results will be “ahead of expectations,” the company said today. read more

OSAMU TSUKIMORI AND KENTARO HAMADA
Reuters
August 28, 2007 at 7:11 AM EDT

TOKYO — Japan’s trade minister said Kazakhstan’s move this week to suspend work on the huge Kashagan oil field echoed Russia’s row over the Sakhalin-2 oil project and he cautioned against the spread of global resource nationalism.

Akira Amari, who was reappointed on Monday as Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, said on Tuesday he would investigate the Kazakh authorities’ freezing of Italy’s Eni-led development of the Caspian Sea site, the world’s biggest oil find in decades, on mainly ecological grounds. read more

By Celestine Bohlen Bloomberg News
Published: August 28, 2007

MOSCOW: Viktor Gerashchenko, chairman of the Yukos oil company, sits in his almost-empty office on the 10th floor of the now-bankrupt oil giant’s headquarters, its logo stripped from the roof, lobby and doors.

The building in central Moscow is a stark symbol of Russia’s triumphant return as an economic player under Vladimir Putin, now in his eighth year as president.

His administration’s 2003 attack on Yukos was the first on a private company and ended with its founder in prison and its key assets sold to a government entity. Since then, Russia has tightened its grip on energy resources, created “national champions” in aerospace and shipping, taken over automobile plants and unveiled a $5 billion nanotechnology initiative. read more

Tuesday, August 28,2007

HOPES for a ‘clean coal’ revolution have been dealt a blow after North Sea oil fields were ruled out as a home for greenhouse gases.

Energy giants such as Royal Dutch Shell and BP have been investigating the possibility of capturing and storing carbon dioxide emissions In ageing oil reservoirs.

The benefits would be twofold. Not only could this reduce global warming by sequestering CO2 under the ocean floor, but it could help enhance oil recovery rates.

But it has emerged that ageing oil platforms won’t be able the host the equipment needed to pump CO2 from power plants to undersea reservoirs, industry players said. read more

By Isabel Gorst in Moscowand Guy Dinmore in Rome
Published: August 28 2007 03:00 | Last updated: August 28 2007 03:00

Kazakhstan called a three-month halt to work at the Kashagan oilfield on Monday, claiming a consortium led by Italy’s Eni had broken environmental rules and evaded customs duties on imported equipment.

The action escalates a dispute that erupted after Eni announced a two-year delay to the start of production and soaring development costs at Kashagan.

It came as the consortium opened talks with the government about a revision to its contract, and a new Kazakh energy minister, Sauat Mynbaev, was appointed. read more

Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:47AM BST

BAKU, Aug 28 (Reuters) – Korean National Oil Company (KNOC) will buy 20 percent in Azerbaijan’s undeveloped oil project INAM following oil major Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research) decision to cut its stake, an Azeri official said on Tuesday.

Energy Minister Natik Aliyev told reporters the project would remain under the leadership of BP (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research), which has a 25 percent stake, while Shell would reduce its stake to 5 from 25 percent. read more

Drilling facilities on an artificial island in the Kashagan field, where the Kazakh government halted work for this year.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007. Issue 3730. Page 5.
Combined Reports   

Kazakhstan suspended work at the Kashagan oil field Monday, putting pressure on the field’s Western operators, led by Eni, over delays and cost overruns at one of the world’s biggest oil projects.

The move by Kazakhstan, mainly citing environmental issues, echoed Russia’s dispute with Shell, which ended with the oil firm losing control of a major oil field to Gazprom last year. read more

Officials Suspend Work
In Vast Kashagan Field;
A New Balance of Power
By GUY CHAZAN
August 28, 2007; Page A1

KASHAGAN, Kazakhstan — On an island in the Caspian Sea, the hub of the world’s largest oil-development project, a thousand men in orange jumpsuits train for catastrophe.

Oil in the Kashagan field here is potentially lethal, with high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas. So workers carry oxygen canisters and gas detectors and do daily evacuation drills. High-tech getaway boats stand ready to whisk them to safety. The place feels more like a hazardous-chemical plant than an oil rig. read more

By ANDREW E. KRAMER
Published: August 28, 2007

MOSCOW, Aug. 27 — The government of Kazakhstan suspended environmental permits on Monday for a consortium of foreign energy companies developing a potentially huge oil field in the Caspian Sea, threatening to slow development of the largest oil find in the world since the discovery of Prudhoe Bay off Alaska three decades ago.

The suspension came as Kazakh officials and the consortium, led by the Italian oil company Eni, were negotiating new terms for a $20 billion development contract for the Kashagan field, arousing speculation that the move was an effort to press the companies into ceding a larger share of future profits to the Kazakh government. read more

By David Lee Smith
August 27, 2007

Last week, I read and reread a Forbes article looking for all the facts of how BP (NYSE: BP) may effectively usher Russian energy behemoth Gazprom (OTC BB: OGZPY) into doing business in the U.S. I never found — pardon me, Paul Harvey — the rest of the story.

According to the magazine, Gazprom may be granted a stake in BP’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Trinidad and Tobago, which supplies LNG only to the United States. And as the story goes, “After the Kremlin allowed BP the option of acquiring a minority stake in the coveted Kovykta gas fields, the two companies announced a $3 billion global venture, though they did not provide specifics.” The possible stake in BP’s project, called Atlantic LNG, which supplies about 65% of the 16.56 billion cubic meters consumed in the U.S. annually, apparently could constitute the “specifics.” read more

Parmy Olson, 08.27.07, 12:45 PM ET

LONDON – Italian energy firm Eni has kicked off crucial negotiations with Kazakhstan at a time when one of its biggest-ever oil production projects appears to be in danger.

The Kazakh government announced Monday that it was suspending operations at its Kashagan oilfield for three months because Eni, the leader of a group of oil companies including ExxonMobil (nyse: XOM – news – people ), Total, Royal Dutch Shell (nyse: RDSA – news – people ) and CononoPhillips (nyse: COP – news – people ), which have stakes in the offshore project, had violated environmental regulations. read more

August 27, 2007 20:52 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 (Bernama) — National oil company Petronas and two major oil and gas companies, ExxonMobil and Shell, have set up a RM50 million trust fund for what is described as Malaysia’s most prestigious award, the Merdeka Award, to specifically celebrate, honour and reward excellence.

The award is to recognise and reward individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions for the advancement of Malaysia and its people.

The Merdeka Award is to be launched tonight by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in conjunction with Malaysia’s 50th year of independence. read more

Monday, August 27, 2007

More than 40 Shell to Sea protesters are blocking trucks from entering the proposed Corrib gas refinery site in north Mayo.

Twenty of them entered the site this morning before being asked to leave by the Gardai, who are now calling for back-up to deal with the blockade.

A spokesperson for Shell to Sea says they have safety concerns over concrete pylons being used on the site.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article2898946.ece

27 Aug 2007 

Royal Dutch Shell (Shell) and Reitan Group (Reitan), owner of the 7-Eleven brand in Scandinavia, today signed an agreement to rebrand a planned 269 service stations across Norway, Sweden and Denmark.  

The agreement means these service stations will provide both Shell’s premium fuels and 7-Eleven convenience stores. The agreement covers a planned 91 YX service stations in Norway, 66 YX service stations in Denmark and 112 Shell service stations in Sweden.

Approximately 157 YX stations that come under this agreement are owned by Reitan and will be rebranded as Shell stations.  The convenience shops at all the service stations will be branded as 7-Eleven stores. read more

By Andrew England in Cairo
Published: August 26 2007 22:04 | Last updated: August 26 2007 22:04

Saudi Arabia has begun setting up a 35,000-strong security force to protect its oil infrastructure from potential attacks.

The move underlines the kingdom’s growing concern about its oil installations after threats from al-Qaeda to attack facilities in the Gulf, as well as rising tensions between Iran and the US.

The force already numbers about 5,000 personnel, a Saudi adviser said on Sunday. They are being trained in the use of new surveillance equipment, countermeasures and crisis management under a programme managed by US defence group Lockheed Martin, according to the Middle East Economic Survey in Nicosia. read more

By Nariman Gizitdinov and Greg Walters

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) — Kazakhstan ordered Eni SpA to halt work at the world’s biggest oil discovery in 30 years as the Central Asian country follows Russia’s lead in seeking greater control over its natural resources.

The Eni-led Kashagan development was suspended for at least three months because of “environmental violations,” Environment Minister Nurlan Iskakov said on state television today. Kazakh officials also told Eni to halt construction of a refinery for allegedly violating safety rules and opened a criminal probe into alleged customs violations by an Eni unit. read more

Published: Monday, 27 August, 2007, 05:31 AM Doha Time
 
COTONOU, Benin: Big foreign oil companies are finding it harder to make money in Africa because of the region’s often unstable politics, output restrictions and moves by some governments to rewrite contracts.

Africa remains one of the last big regions open to foreign oil exploration, and companies of all stripes are benefiting from record energy prices. But fresh obstacles threaten to crimp future production in a region that is crucial to global energy supplies. read more

Aug. 27, 2007, 7:48PM
Moneymakers
Five questions with Bob Salmon
Shell busy with fleet updates

By BILL HENSEL JR.
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Bob Salmon moved to Houston two years ago to become general manager of shipping for Shell Trading U.S., which provides various hydrocarbon products and services, including shipping.

A native of Wales, he joined the Shell organization in 1971 as a deck cadet on the vessel Hindsia in the Far East.

His later jobs for Shell included seagoing officer on oil tankers and liquefied natural gas carriers. read more

Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:44 AM BST
By Raushan Nurshayeva

ASTANA (Reuters) – Kazakhstan suspended work at the huge Kashagan oilfield for at least three months on Monday, raising the stakes in the long-delayed project developed by a consortium of Western oil majors.

The project’s start-up delays and cost overruns have long irked Kazakhstan. It has threatened to revoke a permit held by an Eni-led group (ENI.MI: Quote, Profile , Research) to exploit the Caspian Sea site, the world’s biggest oil find in decades, over ecological concerns. read more

By Isabel Gorst in Moscow
Published: August 27 2007 03:00 | Last updated: August 27 2007 03:00

The president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, is to visit the west for the first time since taking power when he attends the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York next month.

The move indicates that the central Asian republic is opening up to the outside world after 16 years of rule by Saparmurat Niyazov, an isolationist dictator who died in December.

Mr Berdymukhammedov’s trip to the UN will coincide with a visit by a Turkmen oil delegation to Washington and Houston, raising hopes for broader US engagement in a republic that holds some of the world’s biggest natural gas reserves. read more

The Nanuq, a 200-foot oil spill response and support vessel, sits at Dutch Harbor waiting to support Shell’s Beaufort Sea exploration. ASRC Energy Services crews the vessel for Shell. Photo courtesy of Shell Offshore Inc.  

Web posted August 26, 2007

By Tim Bradner
Alaska Journal of Commerce   
 
Shell Offshore Inc. could be facing an extended delay in exploring promising offshore oil and gas prospects in the Beaufort Sea. It looks as if the 2007 drilling season is a write-off for the company. read more

Kayode Akinmade, Lagos – 27.08.2007

Two oil-producing communities in Delta State have dragged Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) before President Umaru Yar’Adua over the company’s refusal to pay them rents over a period of 41 years on lands leased to the company.

The communities, Ekakpamre and Uvwi-amvge, in Ughelli South and North local government areas of the state, said in their petition to President Yar’Adua that they decided to take their plight to the president rather than allowing their youths to disrupt economic activities in the area. read more

· Miners also accused of exaggerating reserves
· Fears of renewed Kremlin attack on resources sector

Terry Macalister
Monday August 27, 2007

Russia stepped up the pressure on British-listed energy and mining companies yesterday with an influential Moscow regulator alleging that some of them were “cheating” investors by exaggerating their reserves.

Oleg Mitvol, deputy head of the environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor, called on the London Stock Exchange and other authorities in the UK to stamp out the alleged abuses. read more

EXTRACT: Executives from Royal Dutch Shell have been in talks with Iraq officials this year about exploiting gas reserves.

Published: Sunday, 26 August, 2007, 06:19 AM Doha Time
 
AMMAN: On first blush, the outlook for Iraq’s petroleum industry looks brighter than at any point since the US-led invasion four years ago, with exports hitting a three-year high in July and foreign oil majors jockeying for lucrative slices of its energy resources.

Yet the surprisingly resilient oil business in Iraq, home to the world’s third biggest oil reserves, is now tottering as many of the country’s respected veteran oil officials are kidnapped, murdered or seek sanctuary beyond its borders. read more

Globe Editorial
August 26, 2007

WIKIPEDIA, the online encyclopedia, seems like a democratic fountain of facts, because anyone can add to or edit its storehouse of knowledge. Google “Nellie Bly” or “photon,” and the first results the search returns are helpful Wikipedia entries describing the journalist and the unit of energy.

But Wikipedia’s sweeping compendium of information also suffers from the pollution of pranksters, publicists, self-interested pundits, and the merely misinformed. read more

BRUCE SMITH is bullish on the future of refining

Producers
Crude Conversation

Tesoro’s CEO talks about the refining industry’s future — and his company’s place in it

By ANA CAMPOY
August 27, 2007

Under Chief Executive Bruce Smith, Tesoro Corp. has transformed itself from a relatively small oil-and-gas producer into one of the biggest independent refiners in the U.S.

The company has multiplied its earnings by more than 10 times over the past 10 years. In recent quarters, profit has been better than ever as a shortage of gasoline supply has pushed refining margins, or the difference between the price refiners pay for oil and the prices their fuels fetch, to unprecedented levels. read more

Producers
Going Deep

Big oil companies see the Gulf of Mexico as expensive — and one of the last places available to them

By BRIAN BASKIN
August 27, 2007

As geopolitical turmoil makes Big Oil’s portfolio more risky, the Gulf of Mexico is fast becoming the energy world’s savings bonds. While it’s unlikely to match expanding production in West Africa or the Middle East, the area is immune to sudden shocks that come from working under unpredictable governments that control most reserves world-wide. read more

Alex Brett
Sunday August 26, 2007

Agip KCO, the energy consortium which will operate the highly prized Kashagan oilfield in Kazakhstan, has been forced to renegotiate its deal with the Kazakh authorities amid allegations that its development will inflict what was described earlier this week as ‘irreparable damage to the environment’.

 The consortium, comprised of seven companies, most notably Shell, Exxon Mobil, Total and ENI, its operator, was due to begin drilling its first well in 2005, but this was postponed to 2008. read more

By John Donovan
26 August 2007

During the course of business dealings and many bouts of litigation with Shell over the years, I discovered that Shell management has no compunction about stealing ideas or information disclosed to them in strictest confidence.  I had to sue Shell in the UK High Court on four successive occasions after they misappropriated my companies’ intellectual property.

Another equally objectionable predatory practice of Shell is that if a small company putting a proposal to Shell has a relationship with a third party manufacturer or supplier, Shell has a track record of going behind the back of the small company to cut them out of the deal, so that they don’t earn a penny. Shell is that ruthless. read more

AFP: Saturday, August 25, 2007 11:43:42 AM Oman Time
 
BUENOS AIRES –– Anglo-Dutch oil company Royal Dutch/Shell, whose top executives are under threat of arrest, accused the Argentine government of “discrimination” in a page-wide advert published Friday in leading newspapers.

“The discrimination Shell is being subjected to is inadmissible,” said company president Juan Aranguren in the statement, adding that the firm was unfairly blamed and fined for a
diesel fuel shortage in the country. read more

Published: Aug 25, 2007

Pan American Silver Corp. spent millions on the Dukat silver mine in the 1990s, but lost control of the mine in a legal battle and wrote off its $37-million investment in 2000.

Archangel Diamond Corp. files a lawsuit claiming US$1-billion in damages in 2001 over a long-running licence dispute with its Russian partners. CEO Ray Clark says in an official statement: “Frustrating as this is for…shareholders of Archangel, it must also be a concern for the Russian government, a government that continues to maintain it is keen to encourage foreign investment.” read more

EXTRACT: “It’s a bit like doing a deal with the devil,” said a manager with one of Magna’s major institutional shareholders. “The Russians have structured a lot of deals so that they work in their favour, whether it’s the forced takeover of the assets of Yukos or the virtual expropriation of the Sakhalin island project from Shell. And you sort of think: ‘Well you know, are you going to get a fair shake from these guys?’

THE ARTICLE

Published: Aug 25, 2007 read more

By Hugh Williamson in Berlin and Isabel Gorst in Moscow
Published: August 25 2007 03:00 | Last updated: August 25 2007 03:00

Russia has made significant cuts to oil supplies sent to German refineries recently, rekindling concerns in Germany over the reliability of Russian energy supplies.

Lukoil, Russia’s second largest oil producer, yesterday acknowledged that supplies to Germany had been reduced by about one-third in July and August but refused to explain why the reduction had occurred.

Analysts said Lukoil’s decision not to provide previously contracted quantities of oil could be aimed at extracting higher prices from German refineries or be part of Lukoil’s efforts to acquire stakes in German and European refineries. read more

By Roland Gribben
Last Updated: 12:52am BST 25/08/2007

Sibir Energy has ended a politically tortuous nine-year negotiating saga to buy the City of Moscow’s energy assets and add a refinery to strengthen its presence in Russia.

The Aim-listed company is paying $922m (£460m) in cash and shares to gain control of the 240,000-barrel-a-day refinery and 139 filling stations in the run-up to acquiring production assets in Russia and achieving a full London market listing next year. The shares jumped 43 to 525p. read more

By Toby Shute August 24, 2007

What was remarkable about the most recent lease sale in the Western Gulf of Mexico? Not the number of blocks receiving bids, nor the total dollar volume of winning bids. It was the lopsided nature of the bidding, which showed Norwegian heavyweight Statoil (NYSE: STO) to be by far the most eager to tackle the lower tertiary. That’s the geologic formation way out in the deep water that has been estimated to contain anywhere from 3 billion to 15 billion barrels of oil. read more

An excellent video concerning Royal Dutch Shell, of Niger Delta infamy…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2RUhJGbjDM

12:55:14PM, Aug 24 2007

SHELL IS asking the B.C. Supreme Court for an injunction to lift a Tahltan blockade preventing crews and equipment from going into the Klappan area to drill for coalbed methane natural gas.

It had papers served this morning at the turnoff from Hwy37 North to the Ealue Lake Road, the entry point into the Klappan, saying it has arranged for a court date of Aug. 31.

This is the third time in three years resource companies have been blocked from going into the Klappan, regarded by the Tahltan as an environmentally and culturally sensitive area, and the third time companies have gone to the Supreme Court for an injunction. read more

24.08.2007

The Russian government is eyeing establishment of a new oil giant to produce over 3,5 billion bbl per day or nearly 35% of all Russian oil production, “Energy Intelligence Group” (EIG) reported.

The report says that Russia may create a cartel that will produce more oil than international giants such as Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell and BP. This corporation may be set up before the March 2008 presidential elections, EIG said.

Citing an undisclosed source, EIG reports that the new monopoly is to be controlled by the state holding “Rosneftegaz” that already holds a 75,16% stake in “Роснефти” and a 10,74% stake in “Gazprom”. read more

August 24, 2007: 11:30 AM EST

BUENOS AIRES -(Dow Jones)- An Argentine judge has rejected a request by the local unit of Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) for an injunction against fines the government has levied against the company for allegedly failing to supply the domestic market, a company spokesman said Friday.

Nestor Kirchner’s administration has levied 55 fines totaling 55 million pesos ($17 million) against Shell since it reactivated a 1974 “Supply Law” in October of last year amid reports of diesel shortages. read more

By Tommaso Ebhardt and Steve Scherer

Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) — Eni SpA Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni said he’s prepared to renegotiate an agreement with the Kazakh government to operate the Kashagan oil field because the outlook for petroleum prices is now much higher.

“The conditions are right to negotiate a new contract,” Scaroni said in an interview in Rimini, Italy. “The contract with Kazakhstan includes a series of parameters that will have to be adjusted.” read more

By JOEL CONNELLY
P-I COLUMNIST

In his Savile Row threads, the senior partner from a distinguished Los Angeles law firm rose in a Seattle courtroom and argued a case that made the blood leave my face: The Exxon Corp. had suffered enough.

Eighteen years have passed, and Exxon is still imploring judges to feel its pain. On Tuesday, it asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appellate ruling that it owes $2.5 billion in punitive damages from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

The big “E” has been appealing since 1994, when an Anchorage, Alaska, jury awarded $5 billion to class-action plaintiffs. Fishermen, cannery workers and Alaska natives claimed lasting economic damage from the fouling of Prince William Sound and 400 miles of Alaska coastline. read more

EXTRACT: Gasoline for September delivery was at $1.9250 a gallon. It gained 1.8 percent $1.9232 yesterday as Royal Dutch Shell Plc cut production at its Deer Park refinery, anticipating delayed crude deliveries after Hurricane Dean close Mexican oil fields. The plant, which can process about 340,000 barrels a day, should return to normal operating rates this weekend, the company said late yesterday.

THE ARTICLE 

By Christian Schmollinger and Gavin Evans

Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) — Crude oil was little changed in New York after rising yesterday on speculation cash injections into the U.S. economy may contain losses on bad home loans and help maintain growth in the world’s largest oil user. read more

09:56 | 24/ 08/ 2007 

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, August 24 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s environmental regulator said Friday it had found new legal violations committed by Gazprom-controlled Sakhalin Energy, which operates the Sakhalin II oil and gas project off the country’s Pacific Coast.

Rosprirodnadzor’s branch in Sakhalin said its experts had found that a subsidiary of Sakhalin Energy, building a stretch of a pipeline crossing several rivers, had failed to carry out riverbank reinforcement and landslide containment work. read more

Jerry Frank
Published: Aug 24, 2007

THE world cannot get enough oil and, with reserves running down and overall investment unable to keep up with the sheer scale of demand, there are serious returns to be made for those with the cash and the courage to work the offshore drill rig sector.

Growing international demand, high oil prices and fears over the security and scarcity of supply are a potent mix, which is keeping the world’s drill rig fleet busier than ever and overstretched.

Researchers at international finance house DVB Group believe that these market ingredients, together with huge levels of investment needed in an ageing rig fleet, spell further good news for the offshore sector. read more

Ruby Anne M. Rubio
Published: Aug 24, 2007

Oil refiner Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. has earmarked P1.6 billion for capital expenditure this year.

In a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Shell said bulk of the capital expenditure will be allocated for refinery, depot, retail, commercial and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) operations.

“For the year 2007, a budget of P1.6 billion has been approved for capital expenditures,” it said.

The company is 67% owned by The Shell Petroleum Com. Ltd., a company registered under United Kingdom laws and 33% owned by Filipino and other foreign stockholders. read more

Published: Aug 24, 2007

SYDNEY (Thomson Financial) – Woodside Petroleum Ltd, Australia’s largest oil and gas producer, has signed a multi-billion-dollar deal to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Tokyo Gas Co and Kansai Electric Power Co Inc of Japan, Woodside said Friday.

Woodside will supply the Japanese companies with up to 3.75 million tonnes of LNG per year from its Pluto project in northwestern Australia. The deal is for 15 years, starting in late 2010.

Tokyo Gas and Kansai Electric have stakes of five percent each in the Pluto project. read more

Published: Aug 24, 2007

Madam, – The recent exchanges on the issue of a Garda Reserve applicant being refused permission to wear a Sikh turban while on duty is sadly typical of the debate, or more appropriately non-debate, in this country on the subject of immigration.

The issue on the letters page today (August 23rd) has become totally muddied, with several contributors making snide references to Ash Wednesday and, more bizarrely still, the criminal actions of the anti-Shell gang in Mayo.

In fact on August 22nd Dr Steve Loyal was given opinion space to attack the concept of integration and float the absurd notion that failure to allow this person to wear a turban somehow compromises Irish democracy. read more