Last Updated: Saturday, September 13, 2008, 16:07

Four arrested during Shell protest in Mayo

SOLITAIRE TORPEDOED BY MAURA HARRINGTON?

Related »

• Shell may call off pipelaying for the winter | 12/09/2008

External »

• Video interview with Maura Harrington

KILIAN DOYLE

Four people have been arrested during a protest by Shell to Sea campaigners in Co Mayo.

A Shell to Sea spokesman said 50 people were involved in the demonstration today on Glengad Beach. 

He said one of those arrested is the son of Maura Harrington, who is on the fifth day of a hunger strike.

A Garda spokesman said three men and a woman were arrested this afternoon for public order offences. 

All four are being held at Belmullet Garda station. 

Ms Harrington (54) has said she will continue her hunger strike until the boat brought in by Shell to lay the Corrib offshore gas pipeline leaves Irish waters.  read more

But recent deals struck by the country’s oil ministry with Shell and China National Petroleum, despite the continuing political limbo of the hydrocarbons law, have raised expectations that oil companies will be welcomed back en masse for the first time since the industry was nationalised in 1972.

Rossport Solidarity Action

12 noon Monday 15th Sep

Allseas UK offices, 7 Albemarle St, Westminster, London WIS 4HQ

Support the Mayo Hunger Striker & demand Allseas leaves Ireland.

Allseas UK own the pipe laying ship Solitaire that Shell has hired to lay the offshore gas pipe at Rossport Ireland. After weeks of actions trying to stop the work happening, the ship finally arrived in Broadhaven bay last Tuesday.

Maura Harrington, a local headteacher, immediately parked her car in front of the compound gates & went on hunger strike.  The ship was within an hour of attempting to lay pipes when it found it was damaged & has now returned to Donegal for assessment. read more

This is an updated version of the article. Additional information has come to light, including related correspondence with Shell Chairman Mark Moody-Stuart plus leaflets we distributed outside Shell HQ buildings in London, providing evidence the speculation was well founded.

On Aug. 28, Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) closed on the $5.7 billion acquisition of Duvernay Oil, which holds similar prospects in Canada.

At least 13 refineries in Texas were shutting down as Ike approached. Gulf Coast refineries and ports are the source of about 50 percent of the fuel and crude used in the eastern half of the U.S. Plants operated by Exxon Mobil Corp., Valero Energy Corp., ConocoPhillips and Royal Dutch Shell Plcwere affected.

More than 150 people attended an information meeting in New Aiyansh this week to discuss the project proposed by Shell Canada.

Houston's Shell Oil Co. has launched an internal probe to examine the explosive findings of the Interior Department's Inspector General regarding fraternizing between oil company workers and the U.S. Minerals Management Service.

Shell says Houston-Houma pipeline shut

NEW YORK, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Shell Oil said on Friday it shut its Houston-to-Houma crude oil pipeline due to the effects of Hurricane Ike, and added its Capline crude oil pipeline remained up at reduced rates.

The company said it expected to ramp flows through the lines quickly after Ike passes.

© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

RELATED BLOG POSTS

Shell says still fixing damaged Nigeria oil pipeline read more

September 12, 2008, 6:14 pm

Fuel Trucks Pick Up Last Loads

Susan Daker reports from Houston.

Fuel tank drivers picked up their last loads Friday afternoon and made their way to Shell-branded gasoline stations in the Houston area as Hurricane Ike neared the Texas coast.

Many service stations around the city already have plastic covering their pumps. In the past 36 hours, more than six million gallons of gasoline has been delivered to Shell stations, Royal Dutch Shell said in a statement. Gasoline terminals in Beaumont, Pasadena and north Houston have been shut-in but have enough gasoline to supply stations once the weather clears, Shell said. Some wholesalers have preloaded tankers with fuel so they are ready to make deliveries as soon as possible, Shell said. In addition, Shell said generators are on hand to be sent to strategic stations so gasoline can still be sold even if the power is out. read more

The only woman to enter the top 20 pensions list was Linda Cook, Shell's gas and power boss and a frontrunner to take over the oil company as chief executive when Van der Veer retires.

Royal Dutch Shell said Friday evening it has delivered more than 6 million gallons of fuel to Shell-branded stations in Houston, Victoria, Pasadena, Galveston, Beaumont and Port Arthur in the past 36 hours. The deliveries amounted to more than double the daily averages in some areas, Shell said.