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April 17th, 2008:

Corrib campaigners dismiss new pipe route

RTE News: Corrib campaigners dismiss new pipe route

Thursday, 17 April 2008 20:23

A group campaigning against plans to bring fuel from the Corrib gas field to a refinery in Co Mayo has dismissed the announcement of a new route for the pipeline.

Shell Ireland has announced a modified route for the onshore section of the pipeline which it says takes local concerns into account.

Shell E&P Ireland says the new route is twice as far from occupied houses in the Rossport area of Co Mayo than the originally approved route. read more

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.

Oil eases from record over $115

Reuters: Oil eases from record over $115

Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:40pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Oil prices slipped from record highs on Thursday after a drop in U.S. inventories and the weaker dollar had pushed prices above $115 a barrel.

U.S. crude settled down 7 cents at $114.86 a barrel after rallying to an all-time peak of $115.54. London Brent settled 23 cents lower at $112.43 a barrel, off the record $113.38 set earlier.

U.S. crude inventories fell unexpectedly last week, while a drop in gasoline stocks exceeded analyst expectations, a government report said on Wednesday, raising supply concerns as the world’s top consumer gears up for the summer driving season. read more

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.

Alternative Corrib gas route announced

Irish Times: Alternative Corrib gas route announced

Last Updated: 17/04/2008  16:46
Elaine Edwards

An alternative route for the controversial Corrib Gas pipeline in Co Mayo announced today is twice as far from local houses as the original pipeline, the partners in the project claimed.

The new pipleline, proposed by RPS consultants following 11 months of public consultation, will also have its pressure limited to less than half of the original pressure.

Today’s proposal emerged following the publication of a report by mediator Peter Cassells 14 months ago. read more

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.

Shell announces new route for Corrib gas pipeline

Belfast Telegraph: Shell announces new route for Corrib gas pipeline

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Shell Ireland has announced a new proposed route for the controversial Corrib gas pipeline.

The 9.2km route is twice as far away from houses in the area compared to the previously approved route.

The company says it will be preparing an environmental impact statement and other statutory applications over the coming days.

The pipeline route is on display in the RPS project office in Seafield House in Belmullet for the local community to view. read more

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.

Goblok, Paddy Briggs and Shell ethics

By John Donovan

The following is an extract from comments about Shell made by “Goblok”, an anonymous contributor to our website…

A business not a charity and hopefully a responsible one most of the time. Is everyone in Shell decent and ethical – for the most part yes I am sure like most other MultiNationals – it mirrors the society in which employees work and live. Are there still a few “bastards” in the organisation who are egotistical and selfish: probably yes! but then thats life and you will find the same in every company and every part of Civil Society read more

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.

Newfoundland Gets Off Canada’s Dole as Williams Takes on Exxon

Google Images: ExxonMobil logo 

Bloomberg: Newfoundland Gets Off Canada’s Dole as Williams Takes on Exxon

By Greg Quinn

 April 17 (Bloomberg) — The poorest province in Canada is getting off the dole.

The province of Newfoundland and Labrador is being transformed by oil, and by the willingness of Premier Danny Williams to fight Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. for a bigger slice of the revenue. Oil is raising the standard of living for the province’s 508,000 people while bringing lower taxes, smoother roads and cheaper education. read more

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.

BP face protests· Oil company accused of plundering Iraq’s reserves

The Guardian: Investors in Rio Tinto and BP face protests· Oil company accused of plundering Iraq’s reserves

· Mining firm blamed for pollution in West Papua

Terry Macalister 
Thursday April 17 2008

A wave of protests will hit the annual meetings of BP and Rio Tinto in London today as human rights and environmental campaigners voice their concerns at the activities of the extractive industries.

Shareholders at Anglo American on Tuesday were met with similar complaints, while Shell investors will also face protestors at its meeting next month. read more

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.

Goblok speaks out on Paddy Briggs and ‘The Pearls of Shell’

April 17th, 2008 06:23

Goblok speaks out on Paddy Briggs and ‘The Pearls of Shell’…

Paddy my dear friend – did you not read that Shell hired 5000 new technical professionals last year in the core disciplines related to More Upstream and Profitable Downstream? The previous year another 4000 and the year before that several thousand.

Hardly sounds like outsourcing to me.

But it is true that contractors are being used to fill critical vacancies – this is an industry trend related to the “crew change” which is hitting all the Majors and their Contractors. Fishing in an ever diminishing pool so to speak

The hard fact Paddy is that out sourcing non core skills like Bread Butter IT and Transactional Finance functions is reality for every major company. It is not core business!!!!! read more

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.

Oil becoming more than just pricey

paradisepost.com: Oil becoming more than just pricey

By David Paul Brown
Article Launched: 04/17/2008 01:00:00 AM PDT

It’s become boilerplate that the United States must ween itself off petroleum, at least where gasoline is concerned. Three salient points are to help the environment, stop us from trading with some in the Middle East who don’t wish us well and create jobs in the new green economy of alternative fuels. However a fourth factor is alarming. Increasingly oil and natural gas are being traded for nuclear weapons and related technology. This bodes well for no one. read more

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.

Former Shell Exec Paddy Briggs comments on the article: The Pearls of Shell

Wikipedia Commons image of former Shell Executive Paddy Briggs

The Times: “The Pearls of Shell”

April 16, 2008
Dominic Walsh: City Diary

A colleague visiting Shell’s group head office in The Hague the other day picked up a booklet in the foyer entitled Shell Group Headquarters House Rules. On the inside front page is a section called “The Pearls of Shell”, which says: “The people employed at Shell are the pearls of our company. They impart lustre to our business and deliver first-class performance, day in day out. That is why it is vital to cherish their wellbeing, health and safety.” There is more guff about “treating one another with respect” but by now you have doubtless already reached for the sick bucket. read more

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.

Fuel and Energy Complex of Russia Atlas XXI

I enclose details of our Russian fuel & energy atlas.

This new atlas is the result of two decades work by the Cartographic Information Center INCOTEC and the Institute of Microeconomics in the field of mapping and information support of Russia’s energy sector.

This is the first publication of such kind that includes comprehensive cartographic material and statistical data related to the fuel and energy complex of Russia, its regions and the CIS countries.

This Atlas consists of three sections and includes approximately 100 maps accompanied by tables, charts, and overviews. read more

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.

‘Justicia Now!’: Ecuadorans sue Chevron

Google images: Chevron logo 

San Francisco Chronicle: ‘Justicia Now!’: Ecuadorans sue Chevron

Reyhan Harmanci
Thursday, April 17, 2008

When activist filmmakers and production partners Robbie Proctor and Martin O’Brien, of Mo Films, went to Ecuador in June 2007, they were planning to make a television pilot about activists. The idea for the pilot came from activist and actress Daryl Hannah, who is on the board of Mo Films.

They emerged with something else entirely: the seeds of a documentary about the world’s largest class-action lawsuit. The people of the northern Ecuadoran region of the Amazon rain forest are suing San Ramon-based Chevron for the environmental and human damage they claim was done by oil drilling without proper waste disposal. Cancer rates are higher in the area near the drilling. read more

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.

Pirate protest at BP headquarters over Iraq oil ‘grab’

Wikipedia Commons: BP Logo

THE SCOTSMAN: Pirate protest at BP headquarters over Iraq oil ‘grab’

Published Date: 17 April 2008

PROTESTERS dressed as pirates will picket the offices of BP today, to highlight what they claim is the oil giant’s attempt to control the production of Iraq’s oil reserves.

The demonstration at BP’s London offices during its annual meeting follows the firm’s involvement in negotiations over a contract to develop Rumaila, Iraq’s largest production field.

Campaigners from the Hands Off Iraqi Oil have warned that the country will lose billions in income if it signs up to the multi-national’s preferred contracts. read more

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.

Gazprom set to take Kovykta keys

Google images: Gazprom logo 

Upstreamonline: Gazprom set to take Kovykta keys

Wire services

Gazprom boss Alexei Miller said today he expected to close a long-delayed deal to buy the giant Kovykta gas field from BP’s Russian oil venture, TNK-BP, by the end of this month, local media reported.

“We will close in the near future,” Miller was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency when asked about the deal while on a visit to Libya with President Vladimir Putin, a Reuters report said.

Under the complicated deal, Gazprom would buy TNK-BP’s Kovykta field in East Siberia while TNK-BP could be invited back to take part in the field as part of a wider agreement on co-operation. read more

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.

Crude Pierces the $115 Mark

Wall Street Journal image

Associated Press 
A truck drove past a gas station along Interstate 70 near Maple Hill, Kan. Wednesday.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Crude Pierces the $115 Mark

By BRIAN BASKIN
April 17, 2008; Page C12

Crude-oil futures breached $115 on oil product supply fears sparked by a U.S. report showing large decrease in gasoline inventories.

Light, sweet crude for May delivery on rose $1.14, or 1%, to $114.93 a barrel, a record, on the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday after rising as high as $115.07 intraday. This is the third record in as many trading sessions. read more

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.

Regulators set to charge Shell annual fee of $195,355 for emissions from Shell oil refinery in Martinez

Google images: Shell logo 

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Businesses in Bay Area May Pay Fee for Emissions
             
By FELICITY BARRINGER
Published: April 17, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO — Air quality regulators in the San Francisco Bay Area appear set to begin charging hundreds of businesses in the region for their emissions of heat-trapping gases.

It is believed to be the first time in the country that any government body would charge industries directly for emissions that contribute to climate change. The regional agency that is considering the fee, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, would be effectively leapfrogging the continuing debate in Sacramento and Washington over how to control emissions. read more

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.

Nigeria warned on oil spending

Financial Times: Nigeria warned on oil spending

By Matthew Green in Lagos
Published: April 17 2008 03:00 | Last updated: April 17 2008 03:00

President Umaru Yar’Adua has made tackling funding shortfalls for Nigeria’s joint ventures with western oil majors a priority since he won elections a year ago.

But the scale of the problems building up as a result of the chronic failure of Nigerian governments to meet the state’s share of maintenance and exploration costs may have taken him by surprise. read more

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.

Dual-listed, twice-blessed?

Financial Times: Dual-listed, twice-blessed?

By Andrew Hill
Published: April 17 2008 03:00 | Last updated: April 17 2008 03:00

At the meeting that last month authorised the creation of Thomson Reuters, one shareholder likened the 545-page circular on the deal to War and Peace . It is worth wondering which of the two opposing destinies awaits Thomson Reuters, given the complexity of the transaction, the Thomson family’s majority stake in the combined group and the chequered history of dual-listed companies. read more

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.

Fair thumbs its nose at sanctions

Financial Times: Fair thumbs its nose at sanctions

By Anna Fifield in Tehran
Published: April 17 2008 02:44 | Last updated: April 17 2008 02:44

It could have been an oil fair anywhere in the world. In the huge pavilions there were flashy displays for Shell, Lukoil, Siemens and Statoil. And all were jumping at the chance to show off their products and services to potential customers.

But this was not just anywhere. It was in Tehran, at a five-day oil trade fair that has attracted 450 international companies, the largest contingents coming from Germany, the UK, Russia and China. read more

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.

Tehran delivers gas ultimatum

Financial Times: Tehran delivers gas ultimatum

By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran
Published: April 17 2008 02:44 | Last updated: April 17 2008 02:44

Iran’s oil minister on Wednesday warned Royal Dutch Shell, France’s Total and Spain’s Repsol that the June deadline to sign multi-billion dollar natural gas contracts would not be extended.

“It is the last chance,” Gholam-Hossein Nozari said, reiterating he had urged officials to “finalise” the deals around mid-June on three phases of South Pars, the world’s biggest gas field. read more

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.

Preparing for the age of peak oil

Financial Times: Preparing for the age of peak oil

Published: April 16 2008 19:16 | Last updated: April 16 2008 19:16

Russia’s vast oil and gas reserves were seen not so long ago as the best hope of meeting growing world energy demand. No more. This week a top Russian oil executive echoed earlier official warnings that oil production could fall for the first time in a decade.

An output slump would hit consuming nations hard by sending international oil prices even higher. Russia would lose out too by forgoing tax revenues. But Moscow can prevent this – and create the conditions for a recovery in production. read more

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.

Nigeria’s oil output ‘could fall by a third’

Financial Times: Nigeria’s oil output ‘could fall by a third’

By Matthew Green in Lagos
Published: April 16 2008 23:09 | Last updated: April 16 2008 23:09

Nigeria risks losing a third of its oil output by 2015 unless it finds ways to boost investment in joint ventures with foreign energy companies, an internal report by President Umaru Yar’Adua’s energy advisers warns.

The progess report, seen by the Financial Times, highlights the government’s need to find ways to finance the oil industry in the country. It comes after an internal memo from the Shell Petroleum Development Company late last year that said funding problems could put the existence of the company’s joint venture with the Nigerian government at risk. The fresh warning could add to supply fears that have pushed oil prices to fresh records this week and saw prices reach a record $114.95 a barrel on Wednesday. read more

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.

Shell International Petroleum Co executive VP David Pirret says Shell to focus on India and China for future growth

Shell International Petroleum VP David Pirret 

Economic Times (India): Hard-Shell optimistic banks on India, China

17 Apr, 2008, 0439 hrs IST,Rajeev Jayaswal, TNN

Fuel retailing business in India is a losing preposition due to predatory pricing by public sector oil companies, yet Shell is determined to keep its 50-odd fuel stations open unlike its other private sector competitors With a hope for a better future in fuel retailing, Shell is now concentrating on consolidating its lube business in the country. Having bought BPCL’s minority stake in the joint venture company Bharat Shell Ltd, the company claims to have around 7-8% market share of the 1.7-billion-litres domestic lube market. read more

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.