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October, 2012:

Four Nigerian Farmers Take On Oil Giants Shell

By Simona Sikimic: SATURDAY OCTOBER 20, 2012

Law, it is often said is what separates us from the barbarians. But law can also be used to stop so-called civilizing forces from performing barbaric actions abroad. As four Nigerian farmers and fishermen take oil giants Shell to court, this premise will be tested to the maximum.

If they succeed, a new avenue for seeking remuneration, and through it the compliance of more ethical practices, will be secured. If they fail, the cloak of immunity that has for too long surrounded multinationals working in the developing world will be drawn tighter still. read more

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How Shell lost a 40 year customer

John,

As a public service you may want to post this link about this particular SHELL gas station:

Shell – 8788 Vineland Ave Orlando, FL 32821 | Gas Stations & Gas …

I paid for it and Shell lost a 40 year customer. Will never fill at a Shell station. They should revoke his darn license. These are some of the scum bag business …

I am certain your readers will find it ‘interesting’ reading.

Check out “Recent User Reviews

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Olomoro community alleges dumping of toxic waste by Shell

From our October 2005 Shell News Archive

Olomoro community alleges dumping of toxic waste by Shell

“Olomoro Community in Delta State led by renowned Environmentalist, Dr George Idodo-Umeh, yesterday raised an alarm over the spread of strange diseases in the area due to the illegal dumping of toxic waste in the River Areba by the Shell Producing and Developing Company”

Thursday 20 October 2005

By Osaro Okhomina

BENIN CITY — Olomoro Community in Delta State led by renowned Environmentalist, Dr.George Idodo-Umeh, yesterday raised an alarm over the spread of strange diseases in the area due to the illegal dumping of toxic waste in the River Areba by the Shell Producing and Developing Company (SPDC), alleging that over 50 persons were killed due to the consumption of fishes contaminated with heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.

The elders of the community, who were led to the Benin Office of Vanguard yesterday by Dr George Idodo-Umeh and armed with a survey conducted by him on the damage done to the river by the alleged deposition of liquid and solid waste, challenged the Federal and State Governments and the oil company to conduct a joint survey on the waste and come out with a control measure to save the lives of their people. read more

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Committee hears lessons learned from Shell’s Arctic OCS operations

Week of October 21, 2012

It was standing room only on Oct. 11 as members of the public crammed into a meeting room in the University of Alaska Anchorage, to hear testimony on lessons learned from Shell’s drilling venture in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas this year. The occasion was a field meeting of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. And Sen. Mark Begich, the lone committee member at the hearing, sat at a table facing representatives from Shell, government agencies and North Slope communities, each of whom presented their perspective on the summer’s events in the Arctic offshore. read more

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Shell in no rush over $20b Arrow LNG project

October 19, 2012 – 2:04PM

Royal Dutch Shell is in no hurry to sign off on its Bowen Basin liquefied natural gas joint venture that’s projected to cost $20 billion as it focuses on cheaper East African projects.

‘‘We see a cost advantage in East Africa over Australia at the moment,’’ Andy Brown, Shell’s director of international production, said in an interview in London. ‘‘We aren’t going to rush into the final investment decision.’’

Shell and PetroChina are drilling in Queensland to prove gas resources for their proposed Arrow LNG plant, which would have a capacity of about 9 million tonnes a year and may cost more than $20 billion, according to Deutsche Bank. At the same time, Shell is drilling in Tanzania and this year was outbid for Cove Energy Plc as it sought assets in Mozambique. read more

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The Age (Australia): Shell told to clean up oil leaks

From our October 2004 Shell News Archive

The Age (Australia): Shell told to clean up oil leaks

“The EPA has issued a soil and groundwater clean-up notice against Shell, warning that oil leaking from the company’s Corio refinery is threatening Corio Bay.”: “Compliance with the notice is expected to cost Shell “several millions of dollars a year…”

By Kenneth Nguyen

October 19, 2004

The EPA has issued a soil and groundwater clean-up notice against Shell, warning that oil leaking from the company’s Corio refinery is threatening Corio Bay.

Although the seepage is mainly under Shell’s refinery, of particular concern for the EPA is a plume of contaminated groundwater covering at least 100 square metres underneath the Corio foreshore.

Shell said yesterday that it was already working on cleaning up groundwater.

But EPA chairman Mick Bourke said the company had engaged in “insufficient actions and slow implementation of measures . . . to address (the EPA’s) environmental concerns”. read more

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Shell’s Jiffy Lube Nears Deal To Settle Consumer Lawsuits

From our October 2004 Shell News Archive

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL/DOW JONES NEWSWIRES: Jiffy Lube Nears Deal To Settle Consumer Lawsuits

“It was just a straight rip-off for $1.25 every time someone came in,” said Scott R. Shepherd, a Pennsylvania attorney who sued the company”: “Jiffy Lube, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Co…”: “Marc A. Wites, a Florida lawyer, said it would cover only 8 million of the 34 million people who paid the surcharge.”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf6KY6rrqYU

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

October 19, 2004 12:57 a.m.

DALLAS (AP)–An Oklahoma judge is poised to approve a settlement of class-action lawsuits by drivers who say they were cheated when Jiffy Lube International Inc. added surcharges to their oil-change bills over the past five years.

The settlement would close at least nine pending class-action cases from California to New Jersey -a similar accord has been reached in a New York case. Some customers would get $5 off their next oil change. The three law firms that negotiated with Houston-based Jiffy Lube would split $2.75 million. read more

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The new Untouchables

From our October 2004 Shell News Archive

Daily Mail (UK): The new Untouchables

“Sir Philip Watts, former chairman of Shell, plainly hopes that the checks and balances of British corporate justice will save him from the hands of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).”: “The quarrel has a hidden significance. Watts is personally under investigation on both sides of the Atlantic. The SEC apparently is interested in extraditing him to the United States to face allegations. Watts and his lawyers are proclaiming his innocence, but their tactics may also tie the British regulators in knots and keep the Americans at bay.”

Alex Brummer,

19 October 2004

BRITISH financial policing all too often looks dysfunctional. The time taken to conduct investigations and to bring charges more often than not runs to years not months. Cases frequently fall through the regulatory gaps.

And when the authorities seek to demonstrate the firm hand of regulation they find themselves pinned back by appeals tribunals. This is before European human rights law is brought into play.

The disclosure that Malcolm Walker, the founder and former chairman of Iceland, will not be prosecuted after four years of probes into allegations of insider trading is a case in point. read more

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Shell Seeks Extension to Arctic Leases

Dow Jones Newswires: Published October 19, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) has been in talks with the U.S. government over extending its leases for oil development in the Arctic seas north of Alaska, after its drilling program was held up by legal actions and objections from regulators, reports the Financial Times.

The first of Shell’s Arctic leases to expire will run out in 2015 and the oil multinational has begun talking to the U.S. interior department in the hope of agreeing early extensions to its drilling rights, it said. read more

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Shell Taps Demand for Domestic Resources in Southern Europe

By Eduard Gismatullin – Oct 19, 2012 12:01 AM GMT+0100

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), Europe’s largest oil company, is expanding exploration in the south of the continent, where nations plan to reduce fuel imports.

The company has obtained projects in Albania, Turkey and Ukraine in the last 12 months. In July, Shell and Total SA (FP) agreed to invest about $1.9 billion to develop the Tempa Rossa field in the Basilicata region in southern Italy. Shell also won two exploration licenses in the Gulf of Taranto off the coast of Italy in 2010.

“Italy is an emerging, interesting producer for us,” Andy Brown, Shell’s director of international production, said in an interview in London. “In terms of our prospective resources we’ve restocked our funnel quite successfully over the last few years.” read more

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Shell Still Interested in Mozambique Gas Bonanza

Published October 18, 2012

Dow Jones Newswires

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) is still interested in entering Mozambique despite losing out on a deal earlier this year that would have given the oil major access to East Africa’s huge gas reserves, Shell’s exploration chief, Andy Brown, said in an interview.

Large natural gas discoveries off the coasts of Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya have transformed East Africa into one of the world’s most promising energy provinces, potentially challenging Qatar and Australia for key gas export markets in Asia.

The gas finds have already led to jostling between companies eager to get access to the region, where they would join Houston oil company Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC) and Italy’s Eni SpA (E, ENI.MI), both of which have already made significant discoveries. read more

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Shell falls as FTSE 100 reaches seven-month high

The oil giant was on the back-foot during trading today.

By 8:13PM BST 18 Oct 2012

BP may have been hogging much of the limelight in the oil and gas sector of late, but today Royal Dutch Shell was receiving some unwanted attention from traders.

Concerns over slowing growth at the oil giant saw the group’s B shares fall 30½p to £22.02 in London.

“Shell has almost fully delivered on its big three projects, bringing to a close the investment cycle started in 2006, and starting a new one,” Goldman Sachs said, cutting its recommendation on the group to “sell” from “neutral”. read more

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Shell in US talks to extend Arctic leases

FINANCIAL TIMES

By Ed Crooks: October 18, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell, the European oil company, has been in talks with the US government over extending its leases for oil development in the Arctic seas north of Alaska, after its drilling programme was held up by legal actions and objections from regulators.

FULL ARTICLE

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Nigeria: Shell’s civil legal suit in the Netherlands breaks new ground

By Adam Robert Green: 17 October 2012

Three legal challenges against Shell for pollution charges in the Niger Delta could set precedents for how multinational companies are sued for environmental damages in developing countries. All three inquiries – in the UK, the Netherlands and the US – are being judged in countries other than the one in which damages are said to have occurred.

Shell’s trial in the Netherlands for oil pollution in the Niger Delta is a landmark; the first time a Dutch company has been brought before a home court to answer charges of environmental damage caused abroad. The UK High Court is also reviewing a case concerning the Anglo-Dutch company’s Nigeria operations. read more

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Shell falls as Goldman cuts to sell

Analysts say the decade of rising oil prices is over

Posted by Thursday 18 October 2012 13.25 BST guardian.co.uk

Oil companies dipped as Goldman Sachs came out with a downbeat note on the sector, saying the past decade of escalating oil prices was all but over.

The analysts wrote:

European integrated oils have undergone a period of falling returns and deteriorating free cash flow, despite rising oil prices. As we now expect the decade-long rise in oil prices to come to an end owing to a revival of non-OPEC supply led by shale oil, this deterioration is likely to accelerate, in our view. read more

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Kazakhstan high on Shell’s Superbucket list

Given Shell’s history of operation in Nigeria (along with Chevron, Exxon, etc.) , and the way the company likes to operate in 3rd world regions, it is clear why Shell (along with the other super majors) has focused on Kazakhstan. It is a country rich in hydrocarbon resources. It is also another country that is run by a corrupt, dictatorial government that can be ‘influenced’ to come around to the oil companies’ way of thinking. Ideal for Shell.

FROM A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR, A SHELL RELATED SOURCE

John,

In Peter Voser’s recently published ‘bucket list’ of key geographical areas of planned future operation it was noted that Kazakhstan was very high on Shell’s investment priority list. Attached are a few links that explain why Royal Dutch Shell and others are so interested in Kazakhstan.

This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the oil industry and the way Shell operates. The Caspian Basin has vast reserves of oil and gas, estimated to be second only to the Middle East despite that fact that oil and gas have been produce in the region for about 150 years. The political leadership in Kazakhstan is a corrupt dictatorship, and the Caspian Basin is one of the most heavily polluted areas of the world. There are effectively no environmental pollution issues to contend with in Kazakhstan. read more

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Failed socialist politician Nebahat Albayrak appointed as Shell EP Vice President

Failed socialist politician Nebahat Albayrak appointed as Shell EP Vice President

FROM A SHELL SOURCE

Hello John
 
Read today in Dutch papers that Nebahat Albayrak will become vice president for communications in Shell EP.

Here Wikipedia in English (only the dutch version says she will start at Shell on 6th November).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebahat_Albayrak
 
She is another failed socialist politician (IMHO). After Shell appointed a new director Shell Nederland Dick Benschop (also a failed socialist politician, bag carrier for den Uyl and later Kok), the door appears open to people with the ‘correct’ background rather than the correct skills. read more

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Ousted dictators

From our October 2005 Shell News Archive

The Seoul Times: NOC of Libya, Shell Agree on Major Gas Deal

“Shell’s Executive Director for Exploration and Production, Mr Malcolm Brinded, said: We are delighted to be back in Libya and honoured to work together with NOC…”: “I am excited about concluding this major agreement.”

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

By Jamal Al Majaida
Middle East & Africa

The National Oil Corporation of the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (NOC) and Shell Exploration and Production Libya GmbH have reached a long-term agreement for a major gas exploration and development deal.

The agreement covers the rejuvenation and upgrade of the existing LNG Plant at Marsa Al-Brega on the Libyan coast, together with exploration and development of five areas located in the heart of Libya’s major oil and gas producing Sirte Basin. read more

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Major construction begins on Shell Prelude FLNG project

Shell Company of Australia Limited : Major construction begins on the Prelude FLNG project

10/18/2012| 02:38am US/Eastern
Media Release 18/10/2012

Today Shell celebrated the cutting of first steel for the game-changing Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility’s substructure with joint venture participants, Inpex and KOGAS, and lead contractor, the Technip Samsung Consortium, at Samsung Heavy Industries’ Geoje shipyard in South Korea.

Shell’s Projects & Technology Director Matthias Bichsel commented:  “We are cutting 7.6 tonnes of steel for the Prelude floating liquefied natural gas facility today, but in total, more than 260,000 tonnes of steel will be fabricated and assembled for the facility.  That’s around five times the amount of steel used to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Today’s ceremony marks a major milestone in this project, when the innovative thinking and new technology and engineering solutions which will make FLNG possible begin to be realised.” read more

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Arrow Energy CEO Says Queensland LNG Invest Decision Due 2013

By Ross Kelly Published October 18, 2012 Dow Jones Newswires

MORANBAH, Australia–Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) and PetroChina Co. (PTR) are on course to approve construction of a multibillion dollar gas-export project in eastern Australia next year, shrugging off fears that cost pressures or a supply glut will delay the venture.

“Momentum on the LNG project is really very strong,” said Andrew Faulkner, chief executive of Arrow Energy, which Shell and PetroChina acquired in a 3.4 billion Australian dollar (US$3.53 billion) transaction in 2010. read more

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Shell Cosan jv world’s largest producer of sugarcane ethanol

Engineering begins on Iogen-based cellulosic plant in Brazil

By Susanne Retka Schill | October 17, 2012

Ottawa-based Iogen Energy Corp. announced an initial investment by Raízen Group to develop a commercial cellulosic ethanol project in Brazil. Raízen, a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and Cosan SA is the world’s largest producer of sugarcane ethanol. Iogen Energy, a joint venture with Shell and Iogen Corp., operates a demonstration facility in Ottawa where it has produced over 2 million liters (560,000 gallons) of cellulosic ethanol as it refined its process since 2004. read more

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Shell tries new rules to block Greenpeace from Jackpine hearings

By Bob Weber, The Canadian Press October 17, 2012 1:20 PM

EDMONTON – Shell Canada is using the federal government’s new environmental assessment rules to try to bar Greenpeace from hearings on the company’s proposed Jackpine oilsands mine.

In a letter to the agency conducting the assessment of the plan, Shell lawyers argue that Greenpeace and two university professors no longer have standing under new rules contained in the Harper Tories’ omnibus budget bill.

Those new rules limit presenters to those who are directly affected by a project or those who have relevant information or expertise useful to the panel. The lawyers say those categories no longer include all the people who signed up to appear at the hearings when they begin Oct. 29. read more

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Selection of article links 17 October 2012

Selection of links to articles that may be of interest to our visitors, as supplied by a regular contributor

Shell’s oil spill solution? Live with it!

Avaaz Daily Briefing-6 hours ago
What would you do if your water was polluted, your livelihood destroyed and your backyard regularly caught fire due to oil spills? Shell has the …

Colombia Lures Exxon and Shell to Auction With Shale Oil

Businessweek-8 hours ago
Colombia, South America’s third- largest oil supplier, plans to attract investment in new crude reserves and so-called unconventional energy …

Shell manager joins Virent board

Bizjournals.com-19 hours ago
Shell manager joins Virent board … fossil fuels, said Tuesday that a senior manager from Shell Oil Co. has joined Virent’s board of directors. read more

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Corrib safety clock hits three million hours mark

Corrib gas project staff and contractors celebrate 3,000,000 hours of work without a safety incident leading to a ‘lost time’ incident.

Wednesday, 17 October 2012 07:33

The most significant safety milestone yet on the Corrib gas project was achieved recently, when 3,000,000 hours of work were clocked without a safety incident leading to a ‘lost time’ incident.

The record was reached on October 4 and the workscope covered included all onshore pipeline and terminal activities, plus all offshore work managed out of Erris.

This represented an incredible 833 days without a safety incident leading to a staff member or contractor having to take time off work due to injury – stretching back to June 24, 2010. read more

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Shell’s pipeline costs overflow to $22bn

From our October 2005 Shell news archive

The Observer: Shell’s pipeline costs overflow to $22bn

“The financial crisis has prompted Gazprom, the state-owned Russian energy giant, to delay rubber-stamping a deal that would see it take a 25 per cent stake in Sakhalin-2.”: “Shell is desperately trying to secure bank loans to help finance Sakhalin-2, which it says will generate $45bn worth of oil and liquefied natural gas.”

Sunday 16 October 2005

Nick Mathiason

Sunday October 16, 2005

The escalating financial crisis at one of Shell’s most crucial energy projects, already massively over budget, has taken a turn for the worse.

It is understood that the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil pipeline project, which originally had a budget of $10 billion, could now cost $22bn. The scheme will transport oil and gas from an island off the east coast of Russia.

Last month the Anglo-Dutch energy giant admitted the project would cost around $20bn, but sources close to the Sakhalin Energy Investment Company, which Shell currently controls, suggest the final bill could be even higher. read more

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Shell’s Beaufort Sea Drilling Rig

A photographer charters a plane and takes aerial photographs of Shell’s Kulluk drilling rig in the Beaufort Sea, underlining its proximity to the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. [The Daily Climate]

SOURCE

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Shell, South Africa and Apartheid

“In talks with Kairos and with the Dutch Council of Churches Royal Dutch/Shell repeatedly claimed that the parent company had no control over its Rhodesian subsidiary, and neither was the Shell Group involved in any illegal supplies. As it was becoming apparent, however, that Shell had been involved in a crafty scheme to evade the Rhodesian embargo via South Africa all along…”: “As it had become clear even before the illegal activities of Shell were uncovered…”

International Institute of Social History: An Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW)

Soon after its foundation in 1970, Kairos opted to concentrate on economic ties with South Africa, a choice influenced by the World Council of Churches. When in 1972 the World Council launched an appeal at multinational companies to withdraw from South Africa, Kairos decided to focus on Shell: a large and strategically important company both in the Netherlands and South Africa. Kairos chairman Cor Groenendijk addressed Shell shareholders for the first time in their 1973 annual meeting in The Hague; this was followed by a series of discussions with the management of Shell which dragged on fruitlessly for years. read more

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Shell boring machine finally reaches tunnelling site at Aughoose

The Irish Times – Tuesday, October 16, 2012

ÁINE RYAN

More than two months after it was delayed by a jack-knifing incident at an isolated Co Mayo crossroads, Shell’s giant tunnel-boring machine reached its final destination in a midnight operation supported by more than 60 gardaí at the weekend.

Christened Fionnuala by Shell, the 500-tonne machine is due to start digging the 4.9km sub-sea tunnel under Sruwaddacon Bay in the coming weeks, heralding the final phase of the controversial Corrib gas project. read more

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120 years on, Shell hungry for Thai gas

Royal Dutch Shell is looking to expand its business in Thailand to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and tap strong gas demand in the local market, says new country chairman Asada Harinsuit.

Published: 16/10/2012 at 01:55 AM

Royal Dutch Shell is looking to expand its business in Thailand to liquefied natural gas (LNG) and tap strong gas demand in the local market, says new country chairman Asada Harinsuit.

Mr Asada noted that gas demand has skyrocketed here because gas is cleaner and cost-competitive.

“Thailand’s power demand will double in the next decade and concerns about climate change have been growing, making gas a more promising choice for the country,” he said. read more

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Shell’s arctic spill barge gets approval

Published: Oct. 15, 2012 at 9:19 AM

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Oct. 15 (UPI) — Energy company Shell announced it received certification from the U.S. Coast Guard for its oil-spill containment vessel for use offshore Alaska.

Shell said its Arctic Challenger containment barge was given the necessary permits, which means its safety assets will be in place for the 2013 drilling season.

Earlier this year, the company said it was abandoning certain aspects of its arctic program offshore Alaska because of encroaching sea ice and problems with the containment vessel meant to respond to any potential spill in the Chukchi Sea. read more

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Shell’s $4.5bn Alaskan adventure is a comedy caper

Six years in the making, the oil giant’s farcical Alaskan exploration is not what you’d expect from a FTSE-100 company.

“What next? A polar bear attack? Maybe Shell chief executive Peter Voser and his intrepid Alaskan explorers have a secret plan to sell the film rights. You know, produce a rival to the Ice Age series, only funnier. And with a different sort of cast – a 36-year-old oil spill barge, the US Environmental Audit Committee and, unbelievably, blocks of ice turning up in the Arctic of all places.”

What next? A polar bear attack?

Maybe Shell chief executive Peter Voser and his intrepid Alaskan explorers have a secret plan to sell the film rights. You know, produce a rival to the Ice Age series, only funnier. And with a different sort of cast – a 36-year-old oil spill barge, the US Environmental Audit Committee and, unbelievably, blocks of ice turning up in the Arctic of all places.

Whatever, Voser’s $4.5bn Alaskan drilling blockbuster is turning out to be a right comedy caper. Everyone knows why Shell is there: Alaska’s one of the last great exploration frontiers, home to around 6pc of the world’s recoverable oil. But six years in the making, Shell’s adventure in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas is not what you’d expect from one of the biggest companies on the planet. read more

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Protecting universal human rights

Letter to the Editor

Published: October 14

The Post missed the mark in its Oct. 5 editorial “Court shopping,” which advocated clear limits on the scope of the Alien Tort Statute (ATS). In Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell), the complaint is that Shell directly assisted the Nigerian military in torturing and killing innocent villagers. If true, the purpose of Shell’s misconduct was to gain economic advantage in its business. Shell argued that as a Dutch corporation, it should not have to answer in America for these alleged human-rights abuses.Shell is wrong. The United States should enforce the universally accepted international law against torture. Shell is a multinational corporation that operates a billion-dollar business in America. If Shell has used torture to gain an advantage in its business, including its massive U.S. operations, we have a direct interest in holding Shell responsible for its conduct. A level playing field, free from torture as a tool for reducing costs, is an essential feature for the U.S. petroleum market. We also have an interest in providing justice to the Kiobel plaintiffs, who are lawful U.S. residents.

The United States also has an obvious interest in making universally recognized human rights protections effective. Our Founders enacted the ATS two centuries ago to affirm our commitment to the rule of international law among all the world’s nations. Indeed, in 1795, the U.S. attorney general specifically advised that the ATS open our courts to violations of international law in Africa. More than 200 hundred years later, in an interconnected global economy, our interest in upholding the statute and the remedies it affords is stronger than ever. read more

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Nigerian farmers sue Shell in Dutch court

The Associated Press

Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012 | 12:03 a.m.

Nigerian farmers began a landmark compensation case against Shell in a Dutch court Thursday, asking judges to order the oil multinational to clean up environmental damage they claim is caused by leaking pipes.

The case at The Hague Civil Court marks the first time a Dutch company has been sued for alleged environmental mismanagement caused by an overseas subsidiary and could pave the way for similar claims if it succeeds.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC long argued that the case, which was launched in 2008, should be heard in Nigeria and still maintains the Dutch court should not have jurisdiction. read more

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Selection of article links: 13 October 2012

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Shell to pay $10.75 million settlement for gas station violations

From our October 2005 Shell news archive

San Diego Union Tribune: Shell to pay $10.75 million settlement for gas station violations

“County and city officials announced Wednesday they had reached a $10.75 million settlement with Shell Oil Co. over environmental-health violations at its local gas stations dating back to 1999.”

Wednesday 12 October 2005

By Karen Kucher
UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM

SAN DIEGO – County and city officials announced Wednesday they had reached a $10.75 million settlement with Shell Oil Co. over environmental-health violations at its local gas stations dating back to 1999.

“Today the environment in San Diego just got safer,” District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said at a news conference downtown that also included City Attorney Michael Aguirre, the head of the county’s Environmental Health Department and other county and city lawyers. read more

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Oil Industry Lobby Groups Sue US SEC to Keep Payments Secret

“We are greatly disappointed that the oil industry is trying to use the courts to bully the SEC and push for secrecy in their payments to governments.” said Gary. “We call on companies, such as BP, Exxon, Chevron and Shell, who are hiding behind industry associations to do their dirty work while espousing transparency rhetoric, to disassociate themselves from the lawsuit.”

Targeted News Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 — Oxfam America issued the following news release:

International development and relief organization Oxfam America expressed extreme disappointment that the oil industry has decided to try to use the courts to keep investors and the public in the dark regarding payments to resource-rich countries. The American Petroleum Institute, a lobby group representing companies such as BP, Exxon, Chevron and Shell, filed a lawsuit against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday to overturn a US law that will provide valuable information to investors and help prevent corrupt government officials from squandering oil and mineral wealth in resource-rich countries. read more

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Shell Oil’s next Arctic challenge?

Alex DeMarban | Oct 11, 2012

Believing the U.S. Arctic Ocean contains one of the world’s richest undiscovered oil and gas plays, Royal Dutch Shell is already considering what it will take to ship vast amounts of oil across Alaska.

The oil giant might just find the bonanza next summer. In recent weeks, it’s punched the first exploratory holes into the U.S. Arctic seabed in more than two decades. Federal regulators won’t let Shell drill into potential oil-bearing zones this season. But that’s expected to happen after the sea ice begins to melt next summer, now that the company’s oil-spill containment barge has won Coast Guard certification. read more

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Shell gets approval for Arctic oil-spill barge

Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:37pm GMT

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska Oct 11 (Reuters) – An oil-spill barge that Royal Dutch Shell Plc needs to support drilling in Arctic waters has regulatory approval, even though it has come too late for this year’s operations, officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and Shell said on Thursday.

Without the Arctic Challenger oil-containment vessel on site, Shell has been allowed to drill only to shallow depths — “top-hole” drilling that stops thousands of feet short of oil-bearing geologic zones. read more

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Shell Seeks to Export U.S. Oil

October 12, 2012

By BEN LEFEBVRE

HOUSTON—Royal Dutch Shell RDSA +0.28% PLC said late Thursday it has applied for a permit from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export crude oil in a sign of how a boom in U.S. oil production from shale rock is reshaping the country’s role in the global energy marketplace.

The U.S. currently exports less than less than one half of 1% of its total oil imports, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. However, the revolution in hydraulic fracturing technology that has coaxed large volumes of light sweet oil from shale rock previously thought unprofitable has generated an unprecedented boom that the EIA says will bring U.S. production to its highest level in nearly two decades next year. read more

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Begich hearing focuses on Shell’s drilling offshore in Alaska

Published: October 11, 2012

By LISA DEMER — [email protected]

Anchorage — Better ice forecasting in the Alaska Arctic. More Coast Guard resources. More jobs for North Slope residents. A share of oil revenue for Alaska. Streamlined permits and regulation.

Those are some of the ideas presented Thursday to a U.S. Senate panel holding a field hearing in Anchorage on what was learned from this year’s offshore drilling by Royal Dutch Shell in the Alaska Arctic.

The overflow crowd also heard specifics on what happened to a Shell oil spill response system damaged during testing. read more

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Shell Faces Oil-Spill Compensation Claims

Updated October 11, 2012, 12:55 p.m. ET

By SELINA WILLIAMS

LONDON—Royal Dutch Shell RDSA +0.28% PLC Thursday appeared in court in the Netherlands for the first time over the actions of one of its foreign subsidiaries, facing compensation claims for environmental damage from oil spills in Nigeria.

The case could set a legal precedent over how Dutch companies are held responsible for the actions of their foreign subsidiaries.

The suit has been brought by environmental group Friends of the Earth Netherlands and four Nigerian farmers, who are seeking compensation over claims that oil spills from Shell pipelines in Nigeria have damaged their livelihood. They also say they want the Anglo-Dutch oil company, headquartered in The Hague, to complete a cleanup of the spills. read more

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Shell sued for negligence by Nigerian farmers

Four Nigerian villagers are suing Royal Dutch Shell for failing to clean-up oils spills that have destroyed their farms and damaged their health in landmark case that has started in The Hague.

By Louise Armitstead and Emily Gosden: 6:58PM BST 11 Oct 2012

The fishermen and farmers, who are backed by Friends of the Earth, are seeking unspecified damages for polluting land and waterways around their homes. That campaigners said that if successful, the case could open flood-gates to a raft of claims for compensation on Shell and other oil majors.

Channa Samkalden, a lawyer representing the Nigerians, told the court that Shell had allowed its pipelines to fall into disrepair and then had not cleaned up the mess from subsequent leaks. She said: “Shell knew for a long time that the pipeline was damaged but didn’t do anything. They could have stopped the leaks.” read more

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Nigeria oil spills: Shell rejects liability claim

11 October 2012 Last updated at 18:34

The Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell has rejected claims by four Nigerian farmers that it should pay compensation for damage to their land.

The farmers are suing the company in a civil court in The Hague, claiming oil spills ruined their livelihoods.

Shell’s lawyers told the court it could not be held liable because most spills were caused by criminal damage.

They said repairs were hard to carry out because of insecurity in the Niger Delta.

Shell lawyer Jan de Bie Leuveling Tjeenk told the court that sabotage and oil theft were widespread in the region. read more

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Payback time for Big Oil?

by Avaaz Teamposted 11 October 2012

For decades, Big Oil has ruled supreme in the developing world. When western oil giants like Texaco, Chevron and Shell set up business in Africa, Asia and Latin America, they’ve throw their money around to get the cheap labour, lax environmental enforcement and legal immunity from local officials and courts.

But now, a pair of groundbreaking legal cases raises hope that the petro barons may at long last be held to account.

Game time for Shell

This week, a court in the Hague is hearing a case against the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. It’s the first time a major Dutch corporation has faced trial in a civil court in the Netherlands for damage caused in another country. read more

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Nigerian farmer sue Shell in Dutch court claiming oil giant has to clean up spills

By Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, October 11, 12:11 PM

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Nigerian farmers asked a Dutch court Thursday to rule that oil company Shell is liable for poisoning their fish ponds and farmland with leaking pipelines, in a case that could set a legal precedent for holding multinationals responsible for actions overseas.The case at The Hague Civil Court marks the first time a Dutch company has been sued for alleged environmental mismanagement caused by a foreign subsidiary and could pave the way for similar claims if it succeeds.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC long argued that the case, which was launched in 2008, should be heard in Nigeria and still maintains the Dutch court should not have jurisdiction.

Lawyers for the Nigerians argue that key policy decisions by Shell are made at its headquarters in The Hague and that means the Dutch court can rule in the case.

Just how much compensation and clean-up costs Shell faces would be addressed at a separate hearing if the court rules in favor of the farmers.

Four villagers and environmental group Friends of the Earth say Shell pipeline leaks fouled fish ponds, farmland and forests in three villages in the Niger Delta, Goi, Oruma and Ikot Ada Udo. read more

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Farmers sue oil giant Shell over Niger Delta pollution

(CNN) — Four Nigerian farmers and the environmental group Friends of the Earth took oil giant Shell to court Thursday in the Netherlands to demand a proper cleanup and compensation for pollution in the Niger Delta.

The farmers want the Anglo-Dutch multinational to “clean up the oil pollution in their fields and fishponds” and make sure their pipelines are maintained and kept secure to prevent leaks in the future.

The civil case has been filed against the Nigerian subsidiary of Shell, the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), and its international headquarters in the Netherlands, Royal Dutch Shell. read more

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Shell opening new Arctic frontier

Posted on October 11, 2012 at 3:42 am by Jennifer A. Dlouhy

Donald LeCourt, Shell Alaska’s wells HSE team leader, and other workers take a helicopter ride to the Noble Discoverer during a crew change on Oct. 9, 2012. In preparation for the hour-long flights over frigid Arctic waters, crew members must complete helicopter underwater escape training and don one-piece Mustang Survival immersion suits filled with foam for insulation and buoyancy. (Photo: Jennifer A. Dlouhy / The Houston Chronicle) (Jennifer A. Dlouhy) read more

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Nigeria oil spills: Dutch case against Shell begins

11 October 2012 Last updated at 14:31

Representatives of Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell are appearing in a Dutch civil court to face accusations of polluting Nigerian villages.

The case is being brought by four Nigerian farmers and the Dutch branch of campaigners Friends of the Earth.

If their case is successful it could pave the way for thousands of other compensation claims, says the BBC’s Anna Holligan in The Hague.

Shell insists it has been unable to clean up the spills due to insecurity. read more

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Nigerian farmers sue Shell over oil pipe leaks

By Maude Brulard (AFP)11 October 2012

THE HAGUE — Shell broke the law by not repairing leaks that destroyed the lands of Niger Delta farmers, a Dutch court heard Thursday in a case that could set a precedent for global environmental responsibility.

The four Nigerian farmers, backed by lobby group Friends of the Earth, have brought the Anglo-Dutch oil giant into court thousands of miles away from their homes with a civil suit that could open the door for hundreds of similar cases.

“Shell knew for a long time that the pipeline was damaged but didn’t do anything: they could have stopped the leaks,” lawyer Channa Samkalden told the court, accusing Shell of having “violated its legal obligations”. read more

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Shell Corrib Gas Project Corruption Scandal

I have already given Shell the opportunity to comment on these corruption allegations. It has chosen not to do so. It does not seem to care.

By John Donovan

Printed below are two emails sent by iPhone to senior people at Shell EP Ireland, including Mr Mike Crothers, the Chief Executive.

(I have corrected some typing errors)

OSSL is a local supplier to the Shell Corrib Gas project.

It alleges that Shell instructed the company to make corrupt payments/gifts to third parties on behalf of Shell.

It says it was ordered by Shell to falsify invoices to hide what was going on.

Shell Corruption Conspiracy in Corrib Gas Project

Shell instructed Corrib Gas Project supplier to falsify invoices? read more

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