December 24th, 2007:

By David Lee Smith December 24, 2007

If you have math-whiz kids, consider encouraging them to become petroleum engineers. They’ll make a fortune, and probably spend time in such garden spots as Kuwait, Kazakhstan, or scenic Sakhalin Island.

As BusinessWeek recently noted, a growing shortage of technical types — petroleum engineers, geophysicists, technicians — is now plaguing the energy producers and their oilfield-services peers. Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB) CEO Andrew Gould talked about the shortage when his company released its latest quarterly results, as have other industry leaders such as ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) CEO James Mulva. read more

A unique project on the Kona Coast aims to produce useable energy from algae

Vol. 12, Issue 358 – Monday, December 24, 2007

By Helen Altonn
[email protected]

University of Hawaii researchers have a significant role in a multimillion-dollar deal with Royal Dutch Shell, Europe’s largest oil company, to produce biofuel from microalgae.

“This is huge,” said Robert Bidigare, director of the Center for Microbial Ecology and Diversity. “It will put UH on the map in terms of sustainable biodiesel from microalgae.” read more

(Adds details, possible IT oursourcing.)

By Benoit Faucon
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) may eliminate a significant number of positions at its finance department in an effort to streamline its organization, a person familiar with the matter said last week.

Separately, Shell also confirmed it was “in discussions to outsource a substantial part of its (information technology) infrastructure to three suppliers.”

Consideration of such moves follows a decision at rival BP PLC (BP) to cut into management layers to improve efficiencies and reduce expenses in October. They show other majors also see a new need to restructure as cost inflation and resource nationalism bites into profits. read more

Published: December 24, 2007 9:16 AM  
(Adds details, possible IT outsourcing.)

By Benoit Faucon
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) may eliminate a significant number of positions at its finance department in an effort to streamline its organization, a person familiar with the matter said last week.

Separately, Shell also confirmed it was “in discussions to outsource a substantial part of its (information technology) infrastructure to three suppliers.” read more

Maandag 24 December 2007 14:39

(Adds details, possible IT oursourcing.) By Benoit Faucon Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) may eliminate a significant number of positions at its finance department in an effort to streamline its organization, a person familiar with the matter said last week.

Separately, Shell also confirmed it was ‘in discussions to outsource a substantial part of its (information technology) infrastructure to three suppliers.’

Consideration of such moves follows a decision at rival BP PLC (BP) to cut into management layers to improve efficiencies and reduce expenses in October. They show other majors also see a new need to restructure as cost inflation and resource nationalism bites into profits. read more

December 24, 2007: 08:38 AM EST

   (Adds details, possible IT oursourcing.)

   By Benoit Faucon
   Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) may eliminate a significant number of positions at its finance department in an effort to streamline its organization, a person familiar with the matter said last week.

Separately, Shell also confirmed it was “in discussions to outsource a substantial part of its (information technology) infrastructure to three suppliers.” read more

© AP
2007-12-24

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – The partners in the giant Gorgon gas project off the coast of western Australia will seek approval to add a third processing plant to boost production of liquified natural gas, Chevron Corp. said Monday.

The partners, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Exxon Mobil Corp., this year won approval to build two 5 million metric ton (5.5 million ton) a year liquefied natural gas processing plants, or trains, on Western Australia state’s remote Barrow Island, but will now seek approval for a third, taking total output to 15 million tons a year. read more

By Isabel Gorst in Baku and Ed Crooks in London and Reuters
Published: December 22 2007 00:09 | Last updated: December 24 2007 08:27

Kazakhstan and the group of oil companies led by Eni of Italy have set January 15 as the new deadline for talks over the fate of the disputed Kashagan oilfield, Kazakh energy minister Sauat Mynbayev said on Monday, adding progress is being stalled by Exxon.

Kazakhstan and the consortium of oil companies on Friday came close to resolving a dispute over the Kashagan oilfield after all the foreign partners agreed in principle to sell part of their stakes in the project to KazMunaigas, Kazakhstan’s state oil company. read more

By Nick Baker

Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) — The following is a list of companies whose shares may have unusual price changes in Europe. Stock symbols are in parentheses after company names, and prices are from the last close.

EXTRACT:

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA LN): Europe’s largest oil company by market value incurred production-cost increases of about 65 percent during the past two years as labor and steel expenditures rose, de Volkskrant reported yesterday, citing an interview with Chief Executive Officer Jeroen Van der Veer. The shares rose 23 cents, or 0.8 percent, to 28.90 euros. read more