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July 28th, 2013:

United States: Defamation Claims Increase Costs of Cooperation with Government Investigations

Screen Shot 2013-03-21 at 23.08.19Following the 2010 settlements, a former employee sued Shell for defamation, claiming that Shell’s written report falsely stated that he recommended reimbursement to contractors for payments that he knew were bribes. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Shell, finding that Shell had an absolute privilege (i.e., immunity) for the statements it made to DOJ. The Texas court of appeals reversed that finding on June 24, 2013, holding that Shell’s written report was covered by only a conditional privilege. Consequently, Shell is not immune from suit if the former employee can show that Shell’s actions were motivated by malice.

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Last Updated: July 26 2013

Article by J. Patrick Rowan

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Disclosing the results of a company’s internal investigation to government investigators is always fraught with potential problems. The most obvious is the danger of waiving attorney-client privilege and work product protections that would otherwise shield the internal investigation from discovery in parallel litigation. But another less-heralded danger is the risk of defamation claims by employees identified through the investigation as having participated in illegal activity. The risk associated with such claims was on display in a recent ruling by a Texas court of appeals, which held that Shell Oil Company was entitled to only a conditional privilege, and not “immunity,” for statements it made in a written report to the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding alleged violations of the FCPA. 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.

Gulf of Mexico oil spill still dragging BP down

THE Gulf of Mexico oil spill will continue to cast its shadow over BP’s second-quarter results this week, leaving the door open for Shell to win the latest head-to-head tussle ­between the two rivals.

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by PETER RANSCOMBE

THE Gulf of Mexico oil spill will continue to cast its shadow over BP’s second-quarter results this week, leaving the door open for Shell to win the latest head-to-head tussle ­between the two rivals.

BP is likely to set aside more cash to help pay for the damage caused in 2010, when an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on the Macondo well killed 11 workers and caused the United States’ worst oil spill.

Last week’s pictures of the fire on Walter Oil & Gas’s Hercules rig in the Gulf of Mexico will have brought back memories of the disaster for Louisiana residents. 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.

Warning Over ‘Risky’ Drilling In The Arctic

MPs point to problems Shell has encountered in the Arctic in the past year and reiterate calls for a ‘sanctuary’ in the area.

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Saturday 27 July 2013

The Government has been accused of “complacently standing by” while oil and gas drilling starts in the Arctic despite the risks to the environment.

Companies such as Shell are not yet able to demonstrate they could clean up an oil spill in the harsh but pristine conditions of the Arctic, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said.

And a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that only a third of proved reserves of fossil fuels can be burnt before 2050 if global temperatures are to be kept from rising by more than 2C, widely regarded as the threshold for “dangerous” 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 returns to the Arctic to conduct sonar work

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July 27th 11:57 am | Carey Restino

Shell, which largely pulled out of the Arctic following a calamitous 2012 drilling season, is continuing its efforts with a geophysical survey of the ocean floor off the coast off Wainwright.

In a story first covered by KTUU TV, Shell’s plans to conduct sonar work in the Chukchi Sea this year. The company plans to examine the sea floor for ice gouges in several locations, documents submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Management explain. The surveys are continuations of similar programs conducted by Shell in the Beaufort Sea beginning in 2006 and in the Chukchi Sea in 2008, Shell writes in its activity notice to the agency. 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.