11:17AM Wednesday December 19, 2007
Shell has lost an appeal against a High Court decision over who should be the operator of the Maui gas field in Taranaki.
The effect of today’s Appeal Court decision is that the status quo will be maintained at the Maui field.
Shell had wanted to remove Shell Todd Oil Services (STOS) as the operator of Maui and replace it with a Shell subsidiary.
In 2005 Shell-appointed directors of STOS called a meeting of the STOS board to consider a draft set of resolutions under which, if passed STOS would resign as operator of Maui.
Todd sought an interim injunction to prevent the meeting taking place, which was granted in April 2005. Todd then sued Shell and Justice John Wild in the High Court found in favour of Todd.
Justice Wild said that Shell could not take over from STOS as Maui’s operator because it would be a breach of employment contract and of the joint venture deal between Shell and Todd.
Under that ruling STOS continued to operator Maui and the Kapuni onshore gas and condensate field. It also operates “in substance” the Pohokura gas field.
Today’s judgement by the Court of Appeal dismissing an appeal by Shell was unanimous.
The court examined Shell and Todd’s rights and obligations under the various joint venture agreements and concluded overall that Shell was not entitled to encourage its directors on the STOS board to vote in favour of the resolutions to remove STOS as an operator.
Todd Energy managing director Richard Tweedie has said that Shell’s move was an attempt to maximise the value of its assets in New Zealand, particularly if it sold any or all of its shares.
– NZPA
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10483254
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.
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.
