Five people from Rossport in north Mayo were jailed for contempt of court for refusing to allow Shell access to the their private land. “Several times Paul Claffey came to me saying politicians and development companies were complaining of our negative coverage of Shell,”…

Sat, Nov 9, 2013

A reporter has claimed he was made redundant from a radio station because the station’s management took issue with his coverage of the Corrib gas controversy in north Mayo.

Liamy MacNally has taken a case for unfair dismissal against Midwest Radio, trading as County Mayo Radio Limited.

Yesterday, Mr MacNally told an Employment Appeals Tribunal in Castlebar that he had been made redundant in 2010.

He said he had worked with Midwest Radio for more than 10 years as a senior news reporter. read more

FINANCIAL TIMES

Nov 8, 2013 12:33pm by Eleanor Whitehead

South Africa is believed to have some of the world’s biggest reserves of shale gas…  Shell is one of a handful of companies which have applied for drilling rights. Its spokesperson tells us that they should have permission to begin exploring soon.

Two investigators with the Department of the Interior had reported alleged fraud on the part of Shell Oil, but the government declined to take action, according to court records (Little and Arnold v. Shell Exploration, 2012 WL 3089777 (5th Cir. 2012)). So the investigators filed a lawsuit against Shell themselves. *They alleged that Shell had defrauded the U.S. Department of the Interior of at least $19 million. 

Goldberg Kohn Recently Comments on Investigators Who Can Sue Fraudulent Companies 

(PRWEB) November 08, 2013

A federal court ruled last month that government investigators charged with uncovering fraud can privately sue the companies they investigate. David Chizewer, a False Claims Act attorney, says this decision will make it much easier for fraudulent companies to be brought to justice.

Two investigators with the Department of the Interior had reported alleged fraud on the part of Shell Oil, but the government declined to take action, according to court records (Little and Arnold v. Shell Exploration, 2012 WL 3089777 (5th Cir. 2012)). So the investigators filed a lawsuit against Shell themselves. read more

By Ladka Bauerova & Kateryna Choursina – Nov 8, 2013 8:30 AM GMT

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), which signed a $10 billion shale gas deal with the Ukrainian government this year, expects to start drilling in the Yuzivska field next year.

Shell will need to drill as many as 15 wells to complete the initial exploration appraisal of the 8,000 square-kilometer (3,100 square-mile) Yuzivska field in the eastern part of the country, Graham Tiley, the country manager of Shell Ukraine, said in an interview in Kiev on Nov. 6. read more

There are still many steps before Shell’s drill bits could begin burrowing into the Arctic seabed again, following a 2012 season that was marked by high-profile mishaps, including the grounding of its conical drilling unit, the Kulluk, on Dec. 31 last year. Even Shell isn’t sure it will be drilling. 

Shell files a less ambitious plan for Arctic drilling [Houston Chronicle]

Nov. 07–WASHINGTON — Shell Oil Co. on Wednesday filed a broad drilling blueprint with federal regulators in Alaska, officially launching its bid to resume drilling in Arctic waters north of the state next summer.

The company is at least temporarily scaling back its ambitions, with a 2014 exploration plan that focuses solely on its potentially more lucrative leases in the Chukchi Sea. It also has acreage in the neighboring Beaufort Sea.

The plan filed with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management envisions that Shell would use the contracted drillship Noble Discoverer to bore several wells in the Chukchi Sea coming years. Shell and the bureau confirmed that the company filed a revised Chukchi exploration plan with the agency’s Alaska office. read more

Companies among five accused by oil traders of repeatedly trying to rig spot price for Brent crude

• Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent
• The Guardian, Wednesday 6 November 2013 21.26 GMT

BP and Shell have been forced on the defensive by new allegations of price-rigging made in a US lawsuit brought by four oil traders.

The two companies, along with others involved with the oil market, are alleged to have attempted to rig the spot price for Brent crude oil on multiple occasions in the last decade. The court documents list several alleged incidents in which the accusers claim the market price could have been manipulated.

BP and Shell both said they had no comment on the allegations. read more

“By providing false or inaccurate information and engaging in false or sham trading, defendants undermined the entire pricing structure for the Brent Crude Oil physical and futures markets,” the plaintiffs allege.

RT NEWS

Published time: November 06, 2013

A new law suit claims some of the world’s largest oil companies – including BP, Royal Dutch Shell, manipulated Brent Crude spot prices in collaboration with Morgan Stanley, Vitol Group, and other energy traders.

The plaintiffs accuse the companies of deliberately submitting false and misleading information about Brent prices to Platts, the energy and oil market news outlet, which is used by traders worldwide in daily transactions, Bloomberg reports.

“By providing false or inaccurate information and engaging in false or sham trading, defendants undermined the entire pricing structure for the Brent Crude Oil physical and futures markets,” the plaintiffs allege. read more

Royal Dutch Shell Plc assertions that its Nigerian oil spills are caused by theft and sabotage are often untrue, according to Amnesty International, which said investigations into the incidents have been manipulated. Shell’s assessment of official probes into the spills has been “subjective, misleading and downright false,”…

By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo November 06, 2013

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA)’s assertions that its Nigerian oil spills are caused by theft and sabotage are often untrue, according to Amnesty International, which said investigations into the incidents have been manipulated.

Shell’s assessment of official probes into the spills has been “subjective, misleading and downright false,” the human-rights group said today in a report. The analysis was carried out by U.S. consultants AccuFacts at the request of Amnesty and the Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development. read more

Posted on November 6, 2013 at 5:59 pm by Jennifer A. Dlouhy

WASHINGTON _ Shell Oil Co. on Wednesday filed a broad drilling blueprint with federal regulators in Alaska, officially launching its bid to resume drilling in Arctic waters north of the state next summer.

The company is at least temporarily scaling back its ambitions, with a 2014 exploration plan that focuses solely on its potentially more lucrative leases in the Chukchi Sea. It also has acreage in the neighboring Beaufort Sea.

The plan filed with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management envisions that Shell would use the contracted drillship Noble Discoverer to bore several wells in the Chukchi Sea coming years. Shell and the bureau confirmed that the company filed a revised Chukchi Sea exploration plan with the agency’s Alaska office. read more

NATIONAL MIRROR

by UDEME AKPAN on Nov 6, 2013

Shell Companies in Nigeria, SCiN has awarded contracts worth $2.4 billion to indigenous contractors in order to boost local content in the nation.

The firm stated, “In addition to helping the country unlock its energy resources, one of the best ways we have delivered on that commitment is to increase the participation of Nigerian companies and individuals in our supply chain and operations – to ensure that as many Nigerians as possible benefit from our operations. read more

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), Europe’s largest oil producer, may drill off South Africa’s northwest coast next year after studying geological data from the area.

The company based in The Hague, acquired 8,000 square kilometers (3,088 square miles) of 3-D seismic data of the Orange Basin, Shell South Africa General Manager Jan Willem Eggink said in an interview in Johannesburg yesterday. The information is being processed and should be ready by December, he said.

Shell has started an environmental impact study “so that if we will go ahead to drill a well we will be ready,” he said. The timing of a prospect well would be due to rig availability and the weather window, Eggink said. The cost of each well would be $150 million to $200 million because of the deep water. read more

Oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell are accused by traders of manipulating the Brent crude oil price for more than a decade.  The North Sea oil benchmark is used as the basis for trades across the global commodity markets, affecting the price of thousands of consumer products from petrol to food. 

By Emily Gosden: 11:15AM GMT 06 Nov 2013

BP and Royal Dutch Shell have been accused of manipulating the Brent crude oil price for more than a decade, in allegations filed in a lawsuit New York.

The North Sea oil benchmark is used as the basis for trades across the global commodity markets, affecting the price of thousands of consumer products from petrol to food.

The class action claim, brought by four traders, was lodged last month in the wake of the European Commission in May launching an investigation into alleged price rigging by the companies. read more

Some of the world’s biggest oil companies including BP Plc, Statoil ASA, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc conspired with Morgan Stanley and energy traders including Vitol Group to manipulate the closely watched spot prices for Brent crude oil for more than a decade…: Four longtime traders in the global oil market claim in a lawsuit that the prices for buying and selling crude are fixed — and that they can prove it.

By Bob Van Voris, Lananh Nguyen and Bradley Olson: November 06, 2013

In May, European Union antitrust authorities raided the offices of companies including Platts, BP and Shell based on allegations of collusion in setting prices of crude, refined products and biofuels.

Four longtime traders in the global oil market claim in a lawsuit that the prices for buying and selling crude are fixed — and that they can prove it.

Some of the world’s biggest oil companies including BP Plc, Statoil ASA, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc conspired with Morgan Stanley (MS:US) and energy traders including Vitol Group to manipulate the closely watched spot prices for Brent crude oil for more than a decade, they allege. The North Sea Brent benchmark is used to price the majority of the world’s crude and helps determine where costs are headed for fuels including gasoline and heating oil. read more

By John Donovan

Desmond Kane of OSSL is still pursuing his campaign for Shell to cough up full payment for a van load of free booze delivered as festive gifts (bribes) to Garda officers in Ireland policing protests against the troubled Corrib Gas Project. 

Last week he was visiting the Shell Centre and Downing Street in London. Perhaps he was delivering some free booze on behalf of Shell to the plebs on duty at number 10?

Wonder whether Shell will be lavishing more free booze on the Garda this Christmas? read more

It’s really inspiring to see people as fearless as yourself Mr. Donovan. It made me think hard about the damage my country Nigeria is going through, as there is no one to lead the motion to sue Shell here after countless oil spills…

EXTRACTS FROM AN EMAIL RECEIVED FROM NIGERIA

Greetings Mr. John Donovan,

I stumbled on your work a while ago  and I really connected to it as its affecting our land here. I watch greed and conspiracy mess with families, societies, states and even the country in general. 

Seeing your level of research and the dedication you put into your work moved me to write you in order to share my thoughts with you and appreciate your fine work.

It’s really inspiring to see people as fearless as yourself Mr. Donovan. It made me think hard about the damage my country Nigeria is going through, as there is no one to lead the motion to sue Shell here after countless oil spills and breach of contracts between the firm and the community as regards compensations due to loss of jobs for the locals involved in farming, fishing etc. read more

In the decade to 2013, shale gas and oil transformed the U.S. and global energy markets. The next revolutionary development over the decade to 2023 is likely to be the widespread use of gas as a transport fuel, starting in the United States. Freight trucks powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) rather than diesel could become a common sight on the U.S. interstate highway system under plans being developed and financed by Royal Dutch Shell.

Mon Nov 4, 2013 9:51am EST

By John Kemp

Nov 4 (Reuters) – In the decade to 2013, shale gas and oil transformed the U.S. and global energy markets. The next revolutionary development over the decade to 2023 is likely to be the widespread use of gas as a transport fuel, starting in the United States.

Freight trucks powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) rather than diesel could become a common sight on the U.S. interstate highway system under plans being developed and financed by Royal Dutch Shell. read more

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