Royal Dutch Shell Group .com Rotating Header Image

March, 2012:

Shell admits 207 oil spills in 2011

Anglo-Dutch group is still investigating a further four spills in Nigeria that it admits may raise the 2011 total

Shell has revealed that its global oil spill record got worse over the last year with 207 sizeable incidents in 2011.

The revelations in the company’s annual report — which shows chief executive Peter Voser earned £4.5m last year — come less than 24 hours after directors were criticised by British MPs for alleged complacency over safety plans for future drilling in the Arctic.

Shell said in its annual report that the number of “operational spills over 100 kilograms” increased to 207 during 2011, from 195 in 2010 but it admitted the figure for last year could grow. 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 CEO Voser’s Compensation More Than Doubles on Awards

By Fred Pals on March 15, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser’s compensation more than doubled to 11.7 million euros ($15.3 million) in 2011 from the previous year after long-term incentive bonuses and awards were vested.

Voser’s total compensation included 6.5 million euros in awards that form part of Shell’s long-term incentive awards and deferred bonus plan, it said in an annual report today. Voser, who got 5.5 million euros in total compensation in 2010, had a base salary of 1.55 million euros and a bonus of 3.5 million euros in 2011. The base salary will increase by 3.2 percent to 1.6 million euros this year, the report said. 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 management see pay double to $86m

Directors and senior management at Anglo/Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell saw their total pay ore than double in 2011 to $85.7m (£54.7m).

By , Assistant City Editor: 11:44AM GMT 15 Mar 2012

The company put the jump down to the “high performance gearing” in its remuneration package. Total pay jumped from $42.3m to $85.7m. On top of this senior management and directors saw their combined pension pots swell by $9.2m. According to the annual report the cash was shared between 19 individuals.

The company’s three top directors, chief executive Peter Voser, executive director Malcolm Brinded and finance director Simon Henry took home a combined $9.5m, slightly less than the previous year. 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 chief’s pay soars to £10m ($15.6 million)

Russell Lynch

15 March 2012

Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Peter Voser saw his total pay packet more than double in 2011, a year when shareholders in the oil super-major had to make do with flat dividend payouts.

The blue-chip’s annual report showed Voser’s total compensation last year hit €11.6 million (£10.1 million), boosted by payouts on a host of the company’s long-term share plans, in contrast with a far smaller €4.7 million in 2010. The payout comes after a year in which the Anglo-Dutch giant boosted profits 54% to $28.6 billion (£18.1 billion) as oil prices averaged $111 a barrel. But the company’s dividend remained flat at $1.68 over the year. 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 says being sued for causing climate change

Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:07am GMT

By Tom Bergin

LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) – Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc said it was being sued for causing climate change, suggesting recent court set-backs for environmentalists had not put an end to global warming lawsuits.

The Anglo-Dutch group said in its annual report, published on Thursday, that, “Shell, together with other energy companies, has been subject to litigation regarding climate change”.

“We believe these lawsuits are without merit and are not material to Shell,” the world’s second-largest non-government controlled oil company by market value added. 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.

Dogs take lead in sniffing out Arctic oil

As the study itself notes: “Today, no proven operational system exists for detecting oil spill covered by snow and/or ice … “The idea that small dogs can track leaking oil deep under the Arctic pack ice in the middle of winter is absurd,”…

Shell has been training a dachshund and two border collies to detect oil spills beneath snow and ice

When it comes to drilling for oil in the harsh and unpredictable Arctic, Shell has gone to the dogs, it seems. A dachshund and two border collies to be specific.

The dogs’ ability to sniff out oil spills beneath snow and ice has been tested and paid for by Shell – and other oil companies and government research organisations – in preparation for the industry’s entry into the forbidding Arctic terrain. The company hopes to begin drilling for oil off the north-west coast of Alaska in June. 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.

UK Arctic policy review due amid surge of interest in far north

The decision by a parliamentary committee to review policies on the Arctic comes alongside commercial drive into the region


The decision by a parliamentary committee to review British government policies on the Arctic on Wednesday comes amid a surge of global economic and political interest in the far north.

British-based oil companies, Shell and Cairn Energy, are at the centre of a new commercial drive into the region where melting ice caps are endangering the polar bear but making drilling more easy.

The environmental audit committee makes clear the UK has a “strong environmental, political, economic and scientific interests in the region” while individual committee members, such as the Green MP Caroline Lucas, point out it is a critical area surrounding all aspects of climate change. 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 game

MARCH 14, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell, the fifth-largest company in the world, is suing the Sierra Club along with a dozen other environmental organizations on the off chance that we might attempt to do our job. Shell is taking us to court preemptively because we might have the audacity to say that drilling in the Arctic is risky and unsafe. Even though we haven’t seen the full plans yet and haven’t taken any legal action yet, Shell wants to prevent any possible legal challenges that might delay its plans to drill for oil in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the coast of Alaska this summer. 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 still lifting Iran crude oil

March 14, 2012, 12:23 p.m. EDT

By Benoit Faucon

KUWAIT CITY -(MarketWatch)- Royal Dutch Shell PLC RDS.B -1.30% and Total SA TOT -2.68% are no longer lifting Iranian oil crude in Europe due to sanctions, the country’s oil minister said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on the side of an energy meeting here, Rostam Ghasemi said: “Shell and Total, they aren’t taking crude our crude in Europe because they are set to comply.”

Though Total has said it had stopped buying crude from Iran, Shell has said it continued lifting crude from the Islamic Republic until long-term contracts expire in a few weeks. 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.

Caribbean island Curacao faces oil refinery dilemma

Shell remained on the island for decades and became a major employer, especially in the 1950s and 1960s when the number of jobs at the refinery topped 10,000.

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.

From our achives: Shell on back foot as ‘gripe site’ alleges safety concerns

DAILY MAIL ARTICLE 1 SEPTEMBER 2007


By Sam Fleming

‘As it stands we’re on the back foot and our aim should be to develop a strategy (or options) that puts us in a more positive and secure position.’

‘Do we fully understand our own position. Are there on-going issues that we need to know about/fix. Ensure we are on solid ground. Are we making the most of what we’ve got’

The Shell emails admitting the firm’s concern at the claims

ROYAL Dutch Shell is getting rattled by a ‘gripe site’ that alleges there are safety problems with its North Sea oil platforms. 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.

Another toxic emissions release at Motiva Norco Refinery

Shell reports faulty instrument at Norco, LA, refinery

March 13 | Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:29am EDT

(Reuters) – Shell Oil Co on Tuesday reported emissions due to faulty instruments at a PGC unit at Motiva Enterprises’ 234,700 barrel-per-day Norco, Louisiana refinery, according to a filing with the U.S. National Response Center.

The incident happened around 06:00 am, local time, Monday, the filing said.

SOURCE

RELATED ARTICLE:

Motiva Enterprises toxic environmental record: 25 November 2011

Extracts

During 2010, Motiva’s refinery in Norco reported seven accidents involving the same DU-5 unit, resulting in a total of 18,500 pounds of emissions. The largest accident happened in January, when a fire resulted in the shutdown of three refinery units, one worker injury and more than 17,000 pounds of toxic air emissions, including sulfur dioxide. 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.

Portland’s Stoel Rives represents Shell Oil against Greenpeace protests in the Arctic

Monday, March 12, 2012

By Richard Read, The Oregonian

First, it was Miller Nash suing environmentalists on behalf of Japanese whale hunters. Now, another big-league Portland law firm is working to foil similar high-seas protests, representing Shell Oil Co. against Greenpeace.

Shell executives, fed up with disruption of Arctic Ocean drilling plans, chose powerhouse Stoel Rives to seek a restraining order blocking “reckless actions” by Greenpeace.

The cases are unrelated, other than some legal commonalities and that they fall under the jurisdiction of the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The role of two Portland firms in similar cases is coincidental, other than what it may say about the national caliber of their attorneys. 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 BP Corporate Espionage

A Sunday Times article published in June 2001 detailed Shell/BP undercover activities including infiltration, spying and subversion operations around the world directed at perceived enemies. Contrary to The Sunday Times headline, it was not limited to “green groups”– as can be confirmed by reading the article.


CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

By John Donovan

In a Reuters article published today, the UK company Hakluyt & Company Limited is described as “an ultra-secretive firm that is purported to spy on companies in order to gather intelligence in a more covert manner.”

A Sunday Times article published in July 2001 detailed Shell/BP undercover activities including infiltration, spying and subversion operations around the world directed at perceived enemies. Contrary to The Sunday Times headline, it was not limited to “green groups”as can be confirmed by reading the article. The clandestine activity was carried out by Hakluyt & Company Limited.
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.

Corporate governance: boardrooms fret over corporate espionage

In a known example where spying was authorized by companies, Hakluyt conducted intelligence gathering work on behalf of Shell and BP on Greenpeace and other environmental groups.

By Guest Contributor: March 12, 2012 By Alex Lee(Business Law Currents) – Dodd-Frank related governance issues such as say-on-pay and proxy access have been well known focal points for boardrooms during the 2012 proxy and annual meeting season, but another issue has topped headlines and is of increasing concern to boardrooms: business intelligence gathering activities. Faced with shareholder oversight, the risks posed by private intelligence gathering firms and governmental regulation in this area, companies must ensure that they abide by accepted best practices, the highest ethical standards and standards for compliance with laws.

Shareholders and governing bodies have enhanced scrutiny of corporate governance, with scandals such as MF Global highlighting abuses of corporate power and potential criminal activities by company officers. Effective corporate governance principles dictate that those who conduct unethical or, worse, illegal activities on behalf of a company must be brought to heel.The phrase “traditional intelligence gathering” has its roots corporate espionage. Popular targets include technology related industries such as software, hardware, aerospace, biotechnology, telecommunications and energy, among others. It is no surprise that Silicon Valley is the world’s most frequently targeted area for industrial espionage as any advantage gained in a rapidly evolving industry is multiplied in value. It is clear, however, that no specific industry or sector is immune to these issues. 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.

Royal Dutch Shell CIO Alan Matula under fire again

FROM A SHELL INSIDER (RECEIVED BY EMAIL)

Blog on March 5th was spot on! 

Royal Dutch Shell CIO Alan Matula criticized by insiders

Value destruction from Matula has historically been contained to Downstream but value destroying focus shifting now to Upstream. Friends of Matula being aggressively placed in key Upstream roles. Upstream businesses alarmed with rising costs and little value to show for it. Joint Ventures where they can are opting out leaving a smaller base over which to allocate the cost increases so spiral continues. Andy B needs to get a grip on this before it is too late. 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.

Supreme Court Appears Divided on Whether to Grant Corporations Immunity From Human Rights Suits

March 5, 2012

On Feb. 28, I watched the Supreme Court hearing in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, which will decide whether corporations can be sued under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), a law that allows suits in federal courts for violations of international law. After reading some of the media reports on the argument, I can’t help but wonder if these reporters were in the same court as I was.

Several news stories and blog posts suggest that the Supreme Court is prepared to grant corporations immunity from human rights lawsuits. That was not a conclusion I thought could be easily drawn after the hearing. How will the Court actually rule? I don’t know, but it looks to me like a close vote. As usual, it may come down to Justice Kennedy. 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 private army trampling protests in Ireland

As civilians, these security guards have no legal entitlement to close roads and manhandle their fellow citizens.  These operations – invariably conducted in full view of Gardai – amount to assault, illegal detention and obstruction of traffic.

By John Donovan

We have reprinted below an article published on 9 March 2012 about Shell and the controversial private security company, Integrated Risk Management Services  (I-RMS), Shell is using to suppress opposition to the Corrib Gas Project in Ireland.

The private spy firm has denied involvement in an assault which hospitalized a prominent protestor, Willie Corduff, and in the sinking of a fishing boat in 2009 belonging to another campaigner, Pat O’Donnell, allegedly by an armed boarding party of four masked men.
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.

Alleged bribery and corruption at Shell Motiva

By John Donovan

In view of the article published today by the New York Times – Hits, and Misses, in a War on Bribery – it is timely to reveal allegations we have received from a long term supplier to Motiva Enterprises, the U.S. company jointly owned by Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco.

The supplier in question advised us of a favored relationship Shell has had with a rival vendor. It became plain that unless they were prepared to abandon their own principles and hand out substantial bribes, they might as well give up trying to do business with Shell/Motiva. 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.

An earful from Peter Voser

I caught up with Peter Voser, the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, this week at the IHS Cera annual energy conference in Houston, and he gave me an earful…

March 9, 2012, 4:00 pm

For a Shell Executive, Much Head-Scratching

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS

Europe is generally considered greener than the United States, but its oil executives certainly share American oil executives’ enthusiasm for drilling.

I caught up with Peter Voser, the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, this week at the IHS Cera annual energy conference in Houston, and he gave me an earful about what he characterized as America’s lack of direction when it comes to having a national energy policy.

Royal Dutch Shell is getting closer to winning approval to drill in Alaska’s Arctic waters after several years’ and more than $4 billion worth of efforts. But for the Swiss-born executive, it is bewildering to watch the Obama administration withhold approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry crude from oil sands in Canada to refineries on the gulf coast. (Shell is a big investor in the Canadian oil sands.) 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 asks courts to accelerate spill plan suits

March 9th 3:34 am | Carey Restino

In an unusual legal move, Shell Alaska has requested that a federal court push the fast-forward button on any potential suits against the oil company’s Arctic Spill Response Plan.

The plan, which was approved by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in February, is a big step forward in the regulatory process for Shell, which hopes to drill in the Beaufort and Chuckchi seas this summer.

Shell’s request asks that a list of organizations, including the Sierra Club, Green Peace and The Alaska Wilderness League, speak now or forever hold their peace, essentially. 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 contracting Finnish icebreakers for Arctic oil exploration


Icebreaker Fennica will take part in Shell’s oil drilling project in the Arctic. Arctia Shipping photo

Mar 08, 2012

Oil giant Shell is planning to start charting the seas for oil drilling in the Arctic, and Finnish icebreakers are coming along on the test drillings, even as Greenpeace says oil drilling in the Arctic is dangerous in the extreme.

Shell is looking into offshore drilling in the Beaufort Sea by the Alaskan coast and the untouched waters of the adjacent Chukchi Sea. For this venture, the company has signed a lease deal for two icebreakers, Fennica and Nordica, with Finnish state firm Arctia Shipping. 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.

Natural Gas Fracking Boom Turns Sour

Shell, which by energy output is now approaching 60% gas, has already backtracked and downsized its shale gas and oil programs…

By: Andrew_McKillop Mar 09, 2012 – 09:51 AM

Exxon, which by energy output is now 49% gas,  failed in its first two efforts to crack gas-rich shale fields in Poland…

Shell, which by energy output is now approaching 60% gas, has already backtracked and downsized its shale gas and oil programs. Initially intending to spend about $5 bn on drilling shale field this year, its CEO Marvin Odum now places spending at $3 billion to $5 billion, Odum adding: “We’re at the lower end of that right now because of where natural-gas prices are”. 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.

Gripesites: How to Gut Goliath by Becoming an Interactive Hub of Dissent

By John Donovan

GRIPE WEB SITES

At long last, someone has written an invaluable guide on how ordinary individuals can publicly criticize the rich and powerful, including multinational corporations, by using the Internet.

My father and I pioneered the use of websites for exposing Royal Dutch Shell.  Indeed, the author, Robert Eringer, uses our experience as a case study for how David can tackle Goliath.

Moreover, Eringer relates his own case study:  himself against a whole country–the Principality of Monaco.  ([email protected].) 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.

From our archives: Shell to pay $48m Nigerian bribe fine

These companies, including Shell, admitted they “approved of or condoned the payment of bribes on their behalf in Nigeria and falsely recorded the bribe payments made on their behalf as legitimate business expenses in their corporate books, records and accounts”.

Royal Dutch Shell has been ordered to pay $48m (£29.4m) in civil and criminal fines over its contractor’s involvement in bribing Nigerian customs officials.

The US Department of Justice hit the London-listed oil super-major with the penalty, after Panalpina, which was employed by Shell, agreed to plead guilty to taking bribes on behalf of its clients.

Panalpina, a major Swiss freight and logistics company, must pay $82m in fines after admitting to paying bribes to customs officials in at least seven countries including Nigeria, Brazil and Russia between 2002 and 2007.

Four of Panalpina’s other clients in addition to Shell were also fined, including Transocean, Tidewater, Pride International and Noble Corp. 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 CEO claims Alaska drilling could create 50,000 U.S. jobs

Published: Thursday, 8 Mar 2012 | 1:12 PM ET
By: Patti Domm CNBC Executive News Editor

Shell Oil CEO Peter Voser said his company will begin drilling the North Slope of Alaska this summer and the resulting job creation should be significant. “We have calculated that and over the lifecycle of that project, we could generate 50,000 jobs in the U.S., not just in Alaska, but across the U.S. And we will generate a few tens of billions of revenues for the country which can be reinvested in the economy afterwards,” Voser told CNBC’s Sharon Epperson in an interview.

FULL ARTICLE WITH VIDEO 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.

Farewell message to Shell/Motiva VP Tom Purves

Posting on Shell Blog by Golden Triangle Watchman 2012/03/08 at 12:01 pm

As you can see, another power outage at Motiva Port Arthur. Going to really be interesting to watch this new albatross come up on rates and then have this 100 year old power supply keep shutting it down. Tom, why didn’t you fix the electrical system when you had the opportunity? Too busy counting your stock options I guess. Let Jeff do that for you and try to make a difference in your final days.

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 to stop purchasing oil from Iran in weeks, ahead of July deadline

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, March 8, 10:33 AM

AMSTERDAM — Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it will stop buying oil from Iran within several weeks, ahead of a July deadline imposed by the European Union.

A spokesman for the company Thursday confirmed remarks made by Chief Executive Peter Voser at a conference in Houston on March 7. The spokesman asked that his name not be published due to company policy.

He could not confirm industry analyst estimates that Shell purchases around 200,000 barrels of oil per day from Iran, shipping half to Japan and half to Europe. 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 has learned from its Pearl GTL project and costs can be cut: Voser

Houston (Platts)–7Mar2012/519 pm EST/2219 GMT

Lessons learned in the construction and operation of the Pearl gas-to-liquids project in Qatar will allow for a reduction in the “capital intensity” of future projects, including any developed in the US, Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser said Wednesday.

In remarks at a press briefing and in a public question-and-answer session at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Voser said Shell is “very pleased” with the multi-billion-dollar plant, whose two trains of 70,000 b/d each are five times the size of the small-scale train the company operated in Malaysia for many years. A second plant at Qatar is in the final stages of construction. 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.

Royal Dutch Shell Remains Confident on Alaska Drilling

March 7, 2012

By Isabel Ordonez

HOUSTON — Royal Dutch Shell remains confident it will be able to start exploring for oil in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska this summer, the company’s Executive Vice President for Exploration David Lawrence said Wednesday.

“As long we continue to meet critical milestones we will drill this summer,” Lawrence told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview in the sidelines of IHS CERA conference in Houston.

Shell has been seeking permits to drill in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off the north coast of Alaska for several years and has spent more than $4 billion to prepare for exploratory drilling. The company has already obtained several key approvals but it still needs to cross several more regulatory barriers before it will be permitted to begin drilling in July. It also faces opposition from several environmental groups. 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 to Keep Shale Drilling Investment Stable Amid Gas Glut

By Bradley Olson – Mar 7, 2012 9:29 PM GMT

Royal Dutch Shell Plc. (RDSA), Europe’s largest oil company, won’t increase its spending on drilling shale fields this year due to low natural-gas prices.

“It wasn’t so long ago that gas prices were still at a level where everybody was drilling almost as fast as you could reasonably make it happen,” Marvin Odum, the president of the company’s North American operations, said in an interview today.

“Now you’re starting to see some upstream reaction to where the prices are,” said Odum, in an interview at CERAWeek, a Houston conference held by IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates. 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 Executive Confident Co Will Drill In Alaskan Arctic This Summer

Published March 07, 2012 Dow Jones Newswires

HOUSTON –  Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) remains confident it will be able to start exploring for oil in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska this summer, the company’s Executive Vice President for Exploration David Lawrence said Wednesday.

“As long we continue to meet critical milestones we will drill thise summer,” Lawrence told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview in the sidelines of IHS CERA conference in Houston.

Shell has been seeking permits to drill in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off the north coast of Alaska for several years and has spent more than $4 billion to prepare for exploratory drilling. The company has already obtained several key approvals but it still needs to cross several more regulatory barriers before it will be permitted to begin drilling in July. It also faces opposition from several environmental groups. 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.

Update on Shell controversies involving the Police

By John Donovan

Irish police investigation into alleged death threats against Shell whistleblowers on the Corrib Gas Project

In October 2010 I notified the Chief Police Commissioner of the Garda about alleged death threats made against Shell Corrib employees. Insiders had supplied us with a series of Shell internal emails containing sensitive confidential information about the Corrib Gas Project. Shell senior management had advance notice of the information I supplied to the Irish police and did not deny that the emails were authentic.

Except for an acknowledgement letter I received from a Chief Superintendent, I heard nothing further until I received a letter from Superintendent Patrick Diskin in April 2011. As a result of his letter, we supplied more information to the Garda. 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.

Natural gas revolution is a safe, abundant force for good

By Peter Voser: Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The natural gas revolution is by far the most significant energy development in decades. Thanks to new technology and innovation, today we can affordably tap into vast fields of natural gas embedded in rocks deep in the earth, recovering a resource that just a few years ago was considered out of reach.

But as with the extraction of any natural resource, the opportunities come with challenges. Many in areas where gas is being developed worry modern production techniques will harm their environment and endanger their health. These concerns must be addressed. 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.

U.S. Supreme Court to Re-hear Shell Oil Human Rights Case


The case could make corporations liable for acts of torture and genocide.

By . Agence France-Presse March 5, 2012
The U.S. Supreme Court decided Monday to hear arguments a second time in a dispute between oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and Nigerian victims of torture. The Supreme Court heard a first round of arguments by attorneys last week on the issue of large companies’ responsibility for human rights violations committed outside the United States.

The case could make corporations liable for acts of torture and genocide.

In an unusual decision, the nine justices announced they would hear the matter again at their next session in fall 2012 before ruling on the case. They asked the parties to clarify their written arguments before spring.

The case involves 12 Nigerians who accuse Shell of “complicity in human rights violations committed against them in the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta in Nigeria between 1992 and 1995.”

“These violations included torture, extrajudicial executions and crimes against humanity,” their complaint says. 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.

Justices to Weigh Foreigners’ Lawsuits

By JESS BRAVIN

The Supreme Court indicated Monday that it may scale back an 18th-century federal law that permits foreigners to sue in U.S. courts over violations of international law.

Last week, the justices heard arguments over whether the Alien Tort Statute, passed by Congress in 1789, allows suits against corporations. The case involves Nigerian citizens who allege human-rights violations in Nigeria by the Anglo-Dutch oil company Royal Dutch Shell PLC. Shell denies the allegations.

But several justices clearly had a bigger question in mind. On Monday, the court ordered the case reargued, directing parties to submit new briefs before July addressing whether the statute permits suits for international-law violations occurring outside the U.S. The case is likely to be reargued after the court returns from its summer recess in October. Previously, a decision had been expected by the end of the current term in July. 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.

Risk of backfire from Shell Nitrogen Enriched wonder fuel?

…Early commercial success, however, became qualified when it appeared that in a small number of cars the new gasoline caused inlet values to burn..

By John Donovan

Shell is launching new nitrogen enriched gasolines and new V-Power premium gasoline in the US market. All the usual claims apply.

Shell Launches New Fuel

Some might think reading Shell’s advertising that nitrogen is a newly discovered chemical element. In fact it was discovered by a Scottish physician in 1772.  According to Wikipedia, it is notable for the range of explosively unstable compounds that it can produce. Lets hope that it does not blow up too many engines. I am only half joking.
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.

Corporate Human Rights Case Expanded by U.S. Supreme Court

By Greg Stohr – Mar 5, 2012 8:14 PM GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court ordered a second round of arguments in a case that might shield multinational companies, including Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), from suits accusing them of complicity in human-rights abuses.

The justices today expanded their review of a lawsuit that claims Shell units played a role in torture and execution in Nigeria in the 1990s. The court said in a one-paragraph order that it will consider whether the two-century-old Alien Tort Statute can be invoked for alleged wrongdoing that occurs beyond the U.S. borders. 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.

Why the Corrib gas Field is not going to make Ireland rich

The prospect of ever-rising gas prices has greatly enhanced the value of the Corrib gas field off the Mayo coast. The latest estimate is that it will contribute some €6bn to the country’s GDP over it’s lifetime. Four years ago, the same consultants estimated the likely contribution to be €3bn. There might be cause for celebration if that the extra €3bn was going to flow into our economy. But very little of it will.

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 Nigeria Case Puts Court in Foreign Territory: Noah Feldman

By Noah Feldman Mar 5, 2012 12:05 AM GMT

Should corporations be held liable for acts of torture committed under their auspices? If that had been the only issue considered by the Supreme Court last week in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, the logical answer would surely have to be yes.

If corporations are people for the purpose of constitutional rights like free speech — as per the Citizens United decision — they ought to be treated as people when it comes to responsibilities as well. If Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) aided the Nigerian government in raping and murdering people in the Ogoni region to keep the oil flowing, as the plaintiffs claim, it would seem monstrous to let the company get away with it just because it is a corporation. 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.

Royal Dutch Shell CIO Alan Matula criticized by insiders

With Brinded now gone, might CIO Alan Matula now come under scrutiny? The parallels are there: years of over-promise/under-delivery, aggressive suppression of bad news, and the intimidation of critics through behaviour bordering on the psychopathic.

Posting on Shell Blog by it4us 2012/03/05 at 8:37 am

With Brinded now gone, might CIO Alan Matula now come under scrutiny ? The parallels are there: years of over-promise/under-delivery, aggressive suppression of bad news, and the intimidation of critics through behaviour bordering on the psychopathic. There’s little doubt that the cost of Matula’s vanity projects is playing a significant role on the demise of Downstream, where businesses like Retail make margin on cans of Coke. It’s sad to see DS businesses being divested, but at least one can share their sense of relief as they leave Shell and start divesting themselves of all this junk. 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.

EU move over offshore safety

It is now accepted by the establishment that following the Brent Bravo fatalities installations like Gannet were found to have similar problems but continued to operate with dangerous risk levels.  This information was not given to the public prosecutors by the HSE who were desperately trying to cover up their own criminal neglect.

EU move over offshore safety

By Ryan Crighton and Ross Davidson: Published: 28/10/2011

The European Union announced plans last night to seize regulatory control of the oil and gas industry – and it wants operators to put up more than £100million a year to pay for it.

Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said the likelihood of a major offshore accident remained “unacceptably high” after BP’s Gulf of Mexico disaster last year – and a new safety regime was needed.

Under draft plans revealed in Brussels yesterday, the EU would set the rules governing safety in the North Sea and how those rules were met. 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 oil rig set for landmark Alaska journey

latimes.com

Shell oil rig set for landmark Alaska journey

After one of the biggest environmental fights in decades, exploratory drilling is expected to begin in July off the state’s north coast. The company has plans in case of a spill; opponents say normal operations will still release damaging chemicals.

By Kim Murphy, Los Angeles Times March 3, 2012, 7:55 p.m.
Reporting from Seattle—Amid the tangle of towering steel, heavy cranes and overcast skies of Seattle’s busy commercial shipyards, Shell Oil’s massive Kulluk drilling rig is preparing to push off for the Arctic Ocean.


When it does, America’s balance between energy needs and environmental fears will enter a new era. Barring unexpected court or regulatory action, by July the Kulluk will begin drilling exploratory oil wells in the frigid waters off Alaska’s northern coast.

After one of the biggest environmental fights in the U.S. in decades, there is a palpable sense of all-systems-go on the dock. Shell has invested $4 billion leading up to this moment, hoping the new wells will open the tap on an undersea field that could be one of the biggest ever discovered in the U.S. The Obama administration has given all but the final go-ahead, sensing the potential of 500,000 gallons a day of new oil flowing into the trans-Alaska pipeline. 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.

Corrib gas protester complains after being threatened with pepper spray

The Irish Times – Saturday, March 3, 2012

Corrib gas protester complains after being threatened with pepper spray

LORNA SIGGINS, Western Correspondent

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Ireland has expressed concern over an incident in north Mayo where a critic of the Corrib gas project had his car window broken and was threatened with pepper spray at a Garda checkpoint.

The Garda has declined to comment on the incident, which was referred yesterday to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. The incident occurred on February 22nd in Glengad, close to the worksite for the final phase of the Corrib gas project. 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-Commissioned Report on South Africa Gas Flawed, Group Says

By Andres R. Martinez – Mar 3, 2012 12:57 PM GMT

A study commissioned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) about the potential of shale gas in South Africa doesn’t consider the risks related to developing the deposits, according to an environmental group.

“The findings are lacking in balance to the extent that one must call the objectivity and credibility of the analysis into question,” Jonathan Deal, chairman of Treasure the Karoo Action Group, said in an e-mailed statement today. The study doesn’t include costs related to “damaged road infrastructure, health remediation costs, pollution remediation and environmental monitoring and enforcement of standards.” 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.

The reality is Shell can’t build a refinery anywhere

The article re Brinded and Nigeria on “why Shell can’t build a refinery in Nigeria” is comical… the reality is Shell can’t build a refinery anywhere…


Posting on our Shell Blog by a Shell/Motiva insider “Golden Triangle Watchman” on Mar 3rd, 2012 at 2:14 pm

The article re Brinded and Nigeria on “why Shell can’t build a refinery in Nigeria” is comical. Though the justification is correct, the reality is Shell can’t build a refinery anywhere. Just look at our own Port Arthur project. Under Tom Purves’s leadership, this ill fated concept got hatched. Everyone was happy in the early days, taking Port Arthur back to the glory days. Alas, the cit leaders didn’t plan on Tom and the project team bringing global help in here via Bechtel to do the work and therefore not impact the locals nearly as much as what had been advertised. Now, some 2 years late on the commitment for start-up and a price tag that will ultimately grow to $14B, Shell might just as well say ” Forget Nigeria…we can’t build a refinery anywhere. ” Tom’s legacy goes down the toilet with this project. He would do well to retire and at least give our team half a chance to run it well. 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.

Greenpeace ordered to stay away from Shell’s Arctic drilling rigs

latimes.com
By Kim Murph: March 1, 2012, 7:24 p.m.
Reporting from Seattle—With conflict brewing over Shell’s plans to begin exploratory drilling in the U.S. Arctic this summer, a federal judge in Anchorage has issued a temporary restraining order banning Greenpeace activists from launching operations against the company’s two drilling rigs.


U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason on Thursday granted the oil company’s request for an order preventing activists from repeating their recent stunt off New Zealand, in which Greenpeace drilling opponents mounted the Noble Discoverer drilling rig and impeded its departure for North America.

“Other recent and past actions confirm Greenpeace’s intent to do what it takes to prevent Shell from carrying out its Arctic exploration drilling program and, more broadly, to ‘kick the oil companies out of the Arctic,’” Royal Dutch Shell lawyers said in their motion. 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.

Iran Tanker Signals Shell Mooring in Singapore as Destination

Mich Villar, a spokeswoman for Shell in Manila, said the company doesn’t comment on trading, in an e-mailed response to questions.

By Ramsey Al-Rikabi – Mar 2, 2012 9:28 AM GMT

An Iranian oil tanker off Singapore is signaling a mooring point near Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA)’s refinery complex on Bukom Island as its next destination, according to data from AISLive compiled by Bloomberg.

The Delvar, a very large crude carrier owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co., has been moored in the Singapore Strait since Feb. 26, the data show. It is signaling Shell Bukom SPM, referring to a single-point mooring where ships load or unload. Destination data are usually entered by ships’ officers and are sometimes subject to errors. Mich Villar, a spokeswoman for Shell in Manila, said the company doesn’t comment on trading, in an e-mailed response to questions. 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.

UPDATE 2-Iran tanker to discharge 1.5 mln bbls at Shell Singapore

Fri Mar 2, 2012 5:41am EST

* Iran struggling to sell and ship crude to top customers

* Iran supertanker unloads at Shell Singapore refinery

* Shell declines comment

By Francis Kan

SINGAPORE, March 2 (Reuters) – An Iranian supertanker loaded with crude that traders had speculated Tehran was struggling to sell due to tightening sanctions is now moored at Shell’s Singapore refinery to discharge its cargo, according to Reuters data and sources.

The 270,000-tonne tanker Delvar arrived late on Thursday at Bukom island, where Shell’s 500,000 barrel-per-day refinery is located, Reuters Freight Fundamentals Database showed. 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.

Royal Dutch Shell treachery over Iranian oil

Despite giving the impression to the contrary, Royal Dutch Shell has continued funding a fanatical regime intent on the extermination of the Jewish people. Iran is bent on developing nuclear weapons to destroy Israel, finishing the job that Shell’s former Nazi partners embarked upon, killing millions of Jews in the Holocaust.

By John Donovan

Reuters is reporting that an Iranian supertanker anchored near Singapore for the past week has just moored at Royal Dutch Shell’s refinery and is about to discharge 1.5 million barrels of Iranian crude. The latest news comes despite the impression from Shell that it had ended its treacherous relationship with Iran.

It appears to be directly at odds with an assurance given by Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser just a month ago. See Reuters article below.

Even though well versed in the duplicity, deceit and trickery of Shell, I had thought, based on such  signals from Shell, that the company had finally ended its trading with Iran. I should have known better. 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.