The big international companies such as BP and ExxonMobil are struggling to find enough new oil to replace their exploited reserves year-on-year and Shell found itself on the end of a major fine for exaggerating its reserves report to the Securities & Exchange Commission in the US.

In the spring of 2003, more than a million people marched through the streets of cities across Europe and the U.S. to rail against U.S. plans to invade Iraq and oust Saddam Hussein. Amid the chants for peace was an angry accusation: the war was merely a grab by Western companies for Iraq’s vast oil reserves.

Nearly seven years on — and after more than 4,600 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed — Iraq’s natural resources are only now emerging as spoils of war. As U.S. troops prepare to withdraw from the country next year, some of the world’s biggest energy companies, among them ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell, are racing to lock up multibillion-dollar deals with officials in Baghdad that will allow them to exploit the country’s giant oil fields. The deals will not only allow Big Oil to return to Iraq for the first time since Saddam nationalized the industry in 1972. By modernizing a production system wrecked by conflict and embargoes, Iraq’s exports could also get a huge boost, putting the country’s parlous economy on firmer footing and allowing Iraq to take its place as an oil power almost equal to Saudi Arabia. (Watch a video about the gas shortage in Iraq.) read more

From: John Donovan <[email protected]>
Date: 28 November 2009 10:16:41 GMT
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Data Protection Act 1998 – SAR

Dear Mr White.

Thank you for your email dated 27 November.

I note that you ignored my question about what, in Shell’s view, constitutes a “reasonable interval” between SAR applications from the same applicant. A response on that matter will be made after I receive the delivery of the promised information on or before 1st December i.e. by next Wednesday. read more

Published: Saturday November 28, 2009 MYT 3:31:00 PM

By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: Employees of oil-giant Sarawak Shell are seeking Government help to stop an impending large-scale retrenchment exercise to be carried out by the oil and gas producer throughout this state.

The Sarawak Shell Staff Union, which represents 2,700 workers, submitted a memorandum of appeal on Saturday to the state government through Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, pleading with the Government to intervene to save their jobs.

Union secretary Solomon Nayup and a delegation of top union officials met with Dr Chan at the Sarawak United People’s Party Miri headquarters here and appealed to Dr Chan to forward their plight to the higher state and Federal authorities. read more

AMSTERDAM, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) (RDSb.L) expects next year to be difficult in terms of consumer demand though the worst may be past, its chief executive said at an investor conference.

By John Donovan

Just weeks ago, on 30 October, we published a leaked email from Andrew Manley, Shell Downsteam-One Programme Director, revealing the impact of the Vosification process, including delays on some important Shell IT projects. Manley acknowledged the consequential disappointment likely to flow from his announcement. Related Reuters article

Since then we have published articles from a Shell IT insider highly critical of some aspects of Shell IT operations…

GSAP/GPMR: THE MARCH OF THE DINOSAURS

IT OFFSHORING: AFTER THE GOLDRUSH read more

SHANGHAI (Dow Jones)--China has started its first joint development project in shale gas, in a bid to find alternative resources for the cleaner-burning fuel to meet the nation's rising demand.

Voser says more redundancies next year…
Total farce of Shell MOR
SHELL SPIN ON PEARL GTL BUDGET
Union warns Essar of dispute with Shell
Shell jobs restructuring mess
Letter from Shell to John Donovan
Stanlow: Sadly Shell reveals its true colours
How much longer will Shell CIO Alan Matula last?
al-Yamamah corruption scandal: taboo subject for Shell
IT OFFSHORING: AFTER THE GOLDRUSH
Shell jobs restructuring:You cannot believe how total the mess is

Shell is in exclusive talks to sell the Stanlow refinery in the UK, as well as the Hamburg and Heide refineries in Germany, to Essar Oil Ltd. ''These are ongoing negotiations and I think I can say I am pleased with the progress,'' Voser said. ''Let us continue to finish those discussions.'' The exclusivity of the negotiations ends Nov. 30, though Voser declined to say whether a deal would be agreed by then.

Todd was apparently trying to extract evidence of collusion between Shell, which has 48% of the Pohokura field, and OMV, which has 26%, the same share as Todd.

Shell said last month that a quick recovery in energy demand and prices was unlikely and that it would cut 5,000 jobs. Even so, Chadwick said “Australia is a growth area for us.” The headcount in Perth has more than quadrupled to about 260 people in the past four years, he said. “Operating Prelude will have implications we need to staff up for.” Shell employs about 2,500 people in Australia, according to its Web site.

It is one thing to own the right to mine the gas, but it is a different issue to actually get it to the market and, as far as Arrow’s gas, it would seem Shell is in the ideal position to dictate terms, given it is the logical party to commercialise the project.

FT: Shell CEO on debt, gas, Iraq, mergers, and more

November 26, 2009 12:01am

by Ed Crooks

The reorganisation “moved very fast” in 2009, Mr Voser said.

For 15,000 posts, people have had to re-apply for their jobs.

About 50,000 people work in the areas affected by cuts, out of Shell’s total workforce of 102,000, and in those affected areas 10 per cent of the staff have gone.

Even in the newly-created projects and technology division, which is a centre of expertise for the group to draw on, 1,800 jobs have been cut from a workforce of 10,000 as duplicated roles are abolished. read more

BHP, the world’s largest mining company, may be interested in buying Woodside with the approval of 34 percent shareholder Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the Australian Financial Review’s Street Talk column said yesterday.

Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:35pm EST

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDSa.L) (RDSa.L) chief executive is forecasting that the oil giant will not need to borrow any more money if oil remains at about $80 a barrel, the financial Times reported in its Wednesday editions.

The comments from Peter Voser, are a sign of how the oil industry has recovered from its lows earlier this year, the FT said.

Oil prices have risen from below $33 a barrel last December, although they are still around 48 percent lower than a record above $147 reached in July 2008. U.S. crude for January delivery is at about $76 a barrel. <O/R> read more

Royal Dutch Shell is hopeful that it will gain an equity stake in a giant Russian gas field that could supply all of the world’s needs for a decade. Peter Voser, Shell’s chief executive, said that talks with the Russian government about the Yamal project in the Siberian Arctic were progressing well.

Shell’s gas-to-liquid project in Qatar

• Shell’s chief executive reveals two $18bn gas projects
• Despite oil expansion, gas is key to company’s future

Tim Webb
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 24 November 2009 21.06 GMT

Peter Voser is reeling off Shell’s projects to develop the next generation of biofuels when he gets to its algae scheme in Hawaii. He stops mid-sentence with a doleful look on his face. “I’ve never been to Hawaii,” says Voser, whose whistle-stop tour of Shell’s operations around the world most recently took him to Qatar and Nigeria. “Such are our hardships,” he jokes. read more

—–Original Message—–
From:   Deroche, Liz O MOTIVA-DMM/60
Sent:   Tuesday, November 24, 2009 7:18 AM
Subject:        Norco Personnel Announcement

Sent on behalf of Mark Hurley, General Manager – Norco Manufacturing Complex

The following Site Leadership Team role changes will go into effect January 1, 2010 and report directly to me:

Hermie Bundick has been selected as Site Production Manager for the Norco Manufacturing Complex.
Joe Gandolfo will be promoted Site Technical Assurance Engineering Manager for the Norco Manufacturing Complex. Joe has held a number of roles in his manufacturing management and manufacturing support leadership, most recently as the Director of Turnarounds – Manufacturing Americas.
Jones Devlin has been selected as Site Technical Assurance and Product Quality Manager for the Norco Manufacturing Complex.
Andre Bonton will be promoted to Site Projects and Turnaround Manager for the Norco Manufacturing Complex.
Lee Cheatham will be promoted to Site Maintenance Manager for the Norco Manufacturing Complex.
I have attached the new SLT organizational chart and we will discuss in more detail at a townhall in December.  I would also like to thank the Norco Site Leadership Team for their assistance during this important transition.  John Navratil, Tammy Little, Carla Davis-Madgett, and Jeff Brown moves will the subject of future announcements. read more

Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser says falling carbon price is stifling investment. Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

• Chief executive says falling carbon price stifling investment
• Call for government action to support new technology

Tim Webb
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 24 November 2009 20.56 GMT

Shell’s new chief executive has called on governments to intervene in carbon markets, the first time the Anglo-Dutch oil company has acknowledged that markets cannot be left to set the price of pollution.

Peter Voser told the Guardian that action needed to be taken to make expensive green projects like carbon capture and storage (CCS) economically viable. read more

FINANCIAL TIMES

Shell says $80 oil will halt debt spiral

Voser says more redundancies next year… (unspecified number)

By Ed Crooks in London

Published: November 24 2009 20:46

Royal Dutch Shell has signalled that the steep rise in its debts is coming to end, with its chief executive saying the group would not need to borrow any more money if oil remains at about $80 per barrel. read more

However, Shell also said it was delaying the launch of Qatargas 4 by as much as 10 months, from the start of 2010 until the end of the year. Mr. Voser said the timetable had been disrupted by delays at other LNG projects in Qatar involving other big oil companies, such as Exxon Mobil Corp, Total SA and ConocoPhillips.

Daily Telegraph

Gas will be at the heart of Royal Dutch Shell’s production strategy ahead of oil as the world attempts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to the energy group’s new chief executive, Peter Voser.

By Rowena Mason
Published: 8:17PM GMT 24 Nov 2009

Delivering an update on Shell’s two flagship gas projects in Qatar, which are costing the group $21bn (£12.6bn), Mr Voser admitted that one – a liquiefied natural gas (LNG) plant – would overrun by about 10 months.

However, he said construction was on track for Pearl, the other development, to start producing in 2011. It will be the world’s largest gas-to-liquids facility when completed, having spiralled in cost from $5bn to $19bn since 2003. read more

upstreamonline

Wire reports

Supermajor Shell is planning to expand exploration in the US Gulf of Mexico and Kazakhstan as Europe’s largest oil company seeks to maintain output.