8:58pm UK, Monday March 02, 2009
The Chairman of Shell UK has told Sky News that even his family ask him to explain what’s behind the price of petrol.
Mr Smith defended Shell’s green credentials
Speaking to Sky News Business presenter Jeff Randall Mr Smith that, between the tax take and inflation, the price we pay on the forecourts is a fair amount.
“The price of petrol has come down by 30p since the peak last summer, and if you take the oil price and adjust for inflation, all of the oil price reductions have flowed through to the customers.”
The price of crude oil spiked in July at almost $150 a barrel, with the price at the pumps here hitting a record average of around 120p per litre.
Shell has 900 forecourts in the UK
But since the economic downturn reduced global demand has meant the price of crude oil has collapsed – falling by as much as two-thirds.
Many have called for oil giants like Shell, who this year reported profits of more than £13.9bn, to cut the price of fuel further.
But Mr Smith that public often don’t see price reductions because of the amount of tax that is placed on petrol.
“Price reductions get passed on quickly and less than 10% of Shell’s profits are in the UK – of the profits we do make its all from offshore energy, there is hardly any profit to be made at the pump.
Jeff Randall 
As the economic downturn seems to intensify, Mr Smith agreed that 2009 was going to be a difficult year but said that firms need to keep investing through the tough times.
“A bell will not ring when we hit the bottom of this recession, if it did it would mean you would know when to cut back – that’s why it’s so important we keep investing and respond to the long-term nature of our business.
Mr Smith also defended Shell’s green credentials and decision to pull out of a project to build Europe’s biggest largest off shore wind farm projects.
‘My Family Even Ask Why Petrol Prices Are High’
Shell withdrew from the London Array project which will see 271 wind turbines built 12 miles off the Kent and Essex coasts is expected to cost £3 billion.
Once complete, it will generate up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 750,000 homes.
Mr Smith said: “Whether its investment in fossil fuels or renewable energy the economics have work, if they don’t it undermines your capacity.
“The world is going to need more energy, but it also needs less Co2 – an awful lot of coal is going to be burnt.
“We have spent hundreds of million dollars developing clean coal technology, I believe the time has come for this technology.”
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.
