October 7th, 2007:

By Sheila McNulty in Houston and Bernard Simon in Toronto
Published: October 7 2007 19:57 | Last updated: October 7 2007 19:57

Oil companies and investors are lobbying the Alberta government against significant proposed rises in royalties on its energy sector, including Canada’s large oilsands deposits – the largest proven oil reserve outside Saudi Arabia.

A government-appointed panel recommended a string of increases last month to put Alberta’s energy tax and royalty structure more in line with other parts of the world, which have been cashing in on rising oil prices. read more

Linda Cook
Executive Director Gas & Power
Royal Dutch Shell plc
The Oxford Energy Seminar
5th September 2007

In the coming decades, the world must meet the challenge of producing more energy for a growing world population, while stabilising or even reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this speech, Linda Cook discusses the link between this challenge and China’s tremendous economic and social development. The global journey to a sustainable energy future will involve choices, trade-offs and consequences; not a single energy type will emerge as a silver bullet. Fossil fuels, like oil, natural gas and coal, will continue to dominate the world energy system well into this century, despite the growth of alternative energy. read more

By Malcolm Brinded
Executive Director Exploration & Production
Royal Dutch Shell plc
Offshore Europe Oil and Gas Conference, Aberdeen
4th September 2007

Do international oil companies still have a role in a changing industry confronting new challenges – with growing dependence on more difficult resources and the pressing need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions? Increasingly capable national companies continue to want partnership with international companies, who add value through advanced technology, integration and global scale. International companies are still needed to help maximise recovery in mature basins, although not necessarily in every field. They have a vital role in developing new supplies for global energy consumers, and in responding to climate change. read more

09:59, October 07, 2007 
 
Mexican state oil company Pemex and Canadian oil firm Nexen Friday signed an accord on technology and training cooperation.

Pemex stated in a communique that the accord will expire after five years.

Pemex inked another deal Thursday with Royal Dutch Shell, a specialist in natural gas and petrochemicals.

Nexen, with 36 years in the oil industry, has exploration and production activities in Canada, Colombia, Nigeria, Britain and Yemen, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico’s deep waters. read more

BY MICHAEL AMON | [email protected]
9:10 PM EDT, October 6, 2007

Rep. Christopher Shays said yesterday that he was “becoming ashamed” of his opposition to the Broadwater liquefied natural gas plant proposed for the Long Island Sound.

At a forum in Centerport on the Sound’s environmental health, Shays (R-Conn.) said he was “getting cynical about the critics” of the LNG plant and urged environmentalists to be willing to compromise on the issue.

“We have got to create energy,” Shays said, adding that he was concerned about high energy costs. “I’m formally against Broadwater, but I’m becoming ashamed that I am.” read more

(About a century ago, wildcatters discovered oil in Cushing. By 1940, though the wells were mostly dry, the area had spouted a maze of pipelines and tanks. Cushing’s place as a global oil crossroads was cemented in 1983 when the New York Mercantile Exchange designated it as the official delivery point for its new futures contract for light, sweet crude, the global benchmark oil price.)

After Sitting on Crude, Speculators Unload It.
The World’s Eyes Fall on Cushing, Oklahoma

By ANN DAVIS
October 6, 2007; Page A1
Cushing, Okla. read more

Being a part of another company’s global quest for improving safety performance and having been an admirer (not follower) of Shell’s practices in this challenging field, I wish you best of luck.

My suggestion will be build a positive safety culture with a balanced approach that integrates technical aspects of safety with people processes. Safety engineering, process safety, asset integrity, bahavioural safety, management systems, governance, assurance etc. all have to be nurtured by safety leadership of the company at all levels. We all have to live safety every moment of our life if we have to reach our goal of business excellence where incidents and injuries become a past. Passion with application of knowledge and hard work will take us there. read more

Sunday 7 October 2007

Communities to sue Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), and one of its contractor-companies, Nestoil Limited, for allegedly threatening their lives and for the killing of a youth from one of the communities.

The paramount ruler of the Igbu Ipata kingdom, Eze Clifford Nwuche, who disclosed this to journalists during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said he had personally reached out to the companies, the state government and the army on the developments in the area before it went fatal. read more

BY KORNEBARI NWIKE

Speaking in Edinburg, Scotland in 2005 on how to help African continent overcome poverty, Mr. Gordon Brown, now British Prime Minister asserted that, “This year … is our chance to reverse the fortunes of a continent and to help transform the lives of millions.” As Mr. Brown stressed, his proposition could be achieved through a ‘Modern Marshall Plan.’ Outlining his four point plan, Gordon points to the eradication of all debts owed by poor African countries to international organizations such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and African Development Bank. Use of 100% of debt relief to fund education and health projects in Africa. Provide extra money and increasing direct development aid. And also efforts to improve Africa’s export trade. Isn’t this a wonderful plan? Absolutely. One thing the plan lacked is how to block or checkmate African politicians in their kleptomaniac urge to siphon or elope with millions of stolen funds to oversea bank accounts particularly, Swedish and British. read more