The New York Times
Big Oil Pursues Toreador Resources
Wednesday January 20, 2010
Several big energy conglomerates are in initial discussions to buy or partner with Toreador Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company that operates primarily in France, people briefed on the matter told DealBook.
Three big companies Royal Dutch Shell plc, BP plc and Statoil ASA have signed confidentiality agreements with Toreador and concluded technical due diligence on the firms oil properties, these people said. Toreador currently has a market value of roughly $200 million.
Representatives of Toreador and one of the three energy companies are in New York this week for meetings about how to structure a possible deal, these people said, but declined to provide the name of the company. Total S.A., the giant Spanish energy company, has also conducted initial due diligence on Toreador but has backed away for now, these people said.
In November, Toreador said it would explore strategic alternatives, including raising capital through equity or debt offerings, and a possible partnership in its primary asset, the Paris Basin oil shale. The companys property on the Paris Basin is estimated to hold about 30 billion barrels of oil. Toreador hopes to begin drilling there by the third quarter this year.
Toreador said at the time that it had set up a special board panel and hired RBC Capital Markets as its financial advisor. The company has decided to shelve plans for a debt or equity offering and has leaned toward a joint-venture or a full merger, sources said.
Last year, Toreador took steps to strengthen its liquidity including, reducing debt, lowering costs, and selling its Turkish and Hungarian operations to focus on exploration of its French acreage. At the time, Toreador cautioned that there are no guarantees that the talks will result in any changes.
A spokesman for the company declined to comment.
Zachery Kouwe
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.
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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