Last Updated: Thursday, 22 November 2007, 15:27 GMT
Royal Dutch Shell may sell stakes in two oil and gas fields in Nigeria, with Chinese oil firm CNOOC a potential buyer, the Wall Street Journal said.
The two 49.8% stakes could sell for as much as $900m (£435.8m, 606.4m euros), the paper reported.
China’s booming economy has sucked in commodities from all over the world and it has invested in a string of ventures in Africa in recent years.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, remains wracked by poverty.
Despite Nigeria’s vast oil exports, few of its people have access to clean water or electricity.
Kidnappings and pipeline explosions are common in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, where local groups complain that they do not see the benefits of the area’s oil wealth.
Security concerns in the Delta have previously forced Shell to temporarily reduce production.
Enter China
The past decade of growth in China has not only pushed commodity prices higher but also seen the Asian giant look further afield to get the raw materials and fuel it needs to power its economy.
China has huge oil investments in Sudan, a fact that has ignited the anger of campaigners who say this is blocking efforts to resolve the conflict in Darfur.
For Shell, a decision to reduce its presence in Nigeria may be welcomed by investors.
A sale would reflect well on a management which is “clearly not afraid to take hard decisions on assets which might be considered part of the family jewels”, said Citigroup oil analyst James Neale in a note.
Shell has declined to comment.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7107717.stm
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.
