March 10, 2008: 08:23 AM EST
LONDON -(Dow Jones)- At least one private equity firm has expressed interest in a lubricants joint-venture put on the market by Royal Dutch Shell PLC ( RDSB.LN) and ExxonMobil PLC (XOM), a person familiar with the matter said.
The news comes as the two owners -which each control 50% through units- said Monday they would be discussing the possible sale of the venture, Infineum, with several potential buyers.
Shell and ExxonMobil last year started to look at a sale of the venture as a possibility. But they said Monday that “no divestment decision has been made.”
Shell’s head of downstream Rob Routs and the oil major’s advising bank, JP Morgan, have received at least one expression of interest from a private equity firm, the person said. A formal process for the possible sale is due to start next month, the person added.
Infineum had a net annual turnover of $1.53 billion in 2006, up 20%, according to its latest available filings.
It had booked $659.3 million in assets as of the end of 2006, with interests in Europe, the Americas, Saudi Arabia and China.
Shell declined to comment and ExxonMobil didn’t return a request for comment.
-By Benoit Faucon, Dow Jones Newswires; +44-20-7842-9266; benoit.faucon@ dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
03-10-08 0823ET
Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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.
