April, 2014:
Construction hits midway point on Shell’s Quest carbon-capture project
More on Shell’s Shenanigans in Alaska
Extract from an article by Haley McKey, www.defendersblog.org published 17 April 2015 by Epoch Times under the headline: “Big Oil, Bad Decisions: Coast Guard Report Sheds More Light on Shell’s Shenanigans in Alaska”
…this report shows what we have known for a long, long time: that the fundamental problem isn’t faulty equipment or technical issues. No, the real problem is that for Big Oil, internal pressures to make a profit are simply more powerful than the need for proven and dependable procedures to ensure that operations like these are safe. And no matter how state-of-the-art the equipment is, it’s worthless without proper risk assessment. Shell cared more about protecting its bottom line than protecting its ships’ crews or the surrounding environment. There’s no excuse for such blatant disregard for safety.
Breakthrough Technology Unlocks Hidden Natural Gas Reserves
Extracts from an article by Tim Maverick published 17 April 2014 by trefis.com
The recognized leader in FLNG technology globally is Royal Dutch Shell PLC. FLNG vessels, which dwarf aircraft carriers in size, serve as floating liquefaction, storage and offtake facilities. And they certainly come with a host of advantages. You see, a floating project is estimated to take only two-thirds of the time of a land-based project. That’s not surprising, since you’re able to sidestep land development. This is of particular concern in Australia, where natural gas fields are located close to environmentally sensitive coastal areas.
Greenpeace campaigners considering protest at new Sevenoaks Waitrose
Extract from an article by Alex Drury published 14 April 2014 by
Sara Ayech, the pressure group’s Arctic campaign spokesman told the Chronicle: “In 2012 Waitrose put a halt to plans to build stores on Shell forecourts. By partnering with Shell, Waitrose is endorsing Shell’s destructive quest for Arctic oil.”
FULL ARTICLEUkraine Crisis Forces ‘Wait-and-See’ Approach to Arctic Oil
Extract from an article by Alan Neuhauser published 14 April 2014 by USNews.com
6 Horrible Oil Spills Since Deepwater Horizon That You Probably Didn’t Hear About
Extract from an article by Kristine Wong published 15 April 2013 by takepart.com
Bonga Oil Field, Nigeria
On Dec. 21, 2011, Royal Dutch Shell’s Bonga oil field in Nigeria leaked 1.24 million gallons of oil into the Niger Delta. The Guardian reported that satellite watchdog organization Skytruth posted photos indicating that the spill was 43.5 miles long and covered 356 square miles. Nigerian activist organization Environmental Rights Action told the newspaper that it did not believe Shell’s 1.24-million-gallon claim, saying that the “company consistently under reports the amounts.” Ever year Shell and other companies spill the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez tanker capacity into the Niger Delta.
Big Oil Bets on LNG For Emerging Market Growth
Extracts from an article by Bob Ciura published 16 April 2014 by The Motley Fool
Chevron, Anadarko, and Royal Dutch Shell each have huge LNG operations that are ideally suited to supply the emerging markets. Royal Dutch Shell announced it had reached a five or six year agreement to supply Kuwait with its own LNG. Shell, along with European major BP, have been contracted to supply Kuwait approximately 2.5 million tonnes per year over the course of the agreement, according to Reuters. Shell is no stranger to LNG. It actually provided the technology for the world’s first liquefaction plant in 1964, according to the company.
Royal Dutch Shell plc Wasn’t Kidding About Cutting Costs.
Article by Arjun Sreekumar published 16 April 2014 by The Motley Fool under the headline: “Royal Dutch Shell plc Wasn’t Kidding About Cutting Costs. But Will It Pay Off?”
The company recently sold off key downstream assets in Australia, including a major oil refinery and network of some 870 retail gasoline stations, due to weak margins. It also put up for sale numerous North American shale assets last year, including acreage in Texas’ Eagle Ford shale and Kansas’ Mississippi Lime play, because of disappointing drilling results and poor expected returns. Shell has also scrapped plans to construct a massive facility in Louisiana that would have converted natural gas into higher-value liquids because of the project’s high expected costs and uncertainty over long-term price differentials. Lastly, it is also currently marketing oil-producing properties and oil infrastructure in Nigeria, where persistent theft and sabotage continue to plague its operations.
A piss up at Christmas time courtesy of Shell
Guardian/Observer Ed Vulliamy on Irish TV3: “And what worries me with this is okay this is the cops you know having a piss up at Christmas time courtesy of Shell and them unable to deny it.”
Unofficial Transcript of a Vincent Brown interview of Ed Vulliamy broadcast 3 April 2014 during Tonight with Vincent Browne on TV3,
VB: Ed Vulliamy who is really a very distinguished journalist with The Guardian and The Observer in London he has done really wonderful reporting from Bosnia, Mexico and elsewhere round the world. He came to Ireland recently and he reported.. he has an interest in the Corrib Gas issue and he … we interviewed him about this and he has interesting things to say about the Corrib issue and also about Irish journalism. Lets have a look.
ED: Where I grew up in journalism and I don’t mean where geographically… I mean how… if a massive multinational behemoth wants to come ashore with “attractive” licensing arrangements and so on and ram a pipeline into a fishing community and a farming community and to do so backed up by a police force and private security that teat people and beat people in that way, that’s a story. Well I mean that’s why we went into journalism to do this stuff. And as soon as I saw The Pipe I want to meet these people. What what more extraordinary image than a man bombing up and down on his fishing boat trying to lay lobster pots relaying radio messages to the biggest pipe laying vessel in the world. This is… this… is.. its epic in its way.
Yet More Problems Hit the World’s Largest Oil Project
Extract from an article by Rupert Hargreaves published 16 April 2014 by The Motley Fool
Simply put, H2S is eating away at the undersea pipelines, causing cracks and fractures. Gas needs to travel through these lines for the project to start production, and engineers can’t just patch the system up; the whole pipeline network may need to be replaced. Not only are ExxonMobil, Shell, Total, and Eni going to have to fork out more cash to get the project into production, but the Kazakhstan government is now starting to lose patience and has threatened to impose financial penalties on the companies if production does not commence soon.
Extractive industries: will they ever publish what they pay?
Extracts from an article by Oliver Balch published by The Guardian Tuesday 15 April 2014
Though corrupt regimes may be reluctant to disclose payments, progressive voices from the oil industry are making change happen. Oil giants such as Shell and Chevron have signed up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s pro-disclosure guidelines, requiring them to detail who they have paid – and how much.
Greenland in transition
Extracts from an article by Nick Snow published 14 April 2014 by Oil & Gas Journal
Greenland expects its oil, gas, and minerals to be crucial as it continues its gradual transition to independence, its first US representative said on Apr. 3. “We have begun developing our oil and gas,” noted Inuuteq Holm Olsen, who began a 5-year assignment at the Danish Embassy in Washington 2 months ago. The US Geological Survey estimates there are billions of barrels of oil equivalent offshore Greenland, although there have been no commercial finds… ExxonMobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Chevron Corp., BP PLC, and other multinationals have been partners in consortiums buying offshore licenses there.
Safety at risk under Malcolm Brinded
Entirely the wrong man to entrust with an oversight function in relation to the safety of rail passengers. He was shunted out of Shell under a cloud. If that is a model of the Shell Prelude in the background of the photograph, it is not an encouraging omen.
Mining giant BHP Billiton has appointed former Royal Dutch Shell executive Malcolm Brinded to its board as a Non-executive Director. He is also a Non-executive Director of the Network Rail Board in the UK, where he chairs the Safety, Health and Environment Committee. (Information published today)
Ironic bearing in mind the evidence assembled by Bill Campbell, the highly respected former HSE Group Auditor of Shell International confirming that Brinded already has the blood of Shell offshore employees on his hands. The evidence relating to Shell’s notorious “Touch F*** All” safety culture on the Brent Bravo North Sea Platforms while Brinded was in charge, includes tape recorded conversations with senior Shell officials.
Royal Dutch Shell plc Notice of 2014 Annual General Meeting
Royal Dutch Shell plc (the “Company”) announces that its 2014 Annual General Meeting will be held at the Circustheater, Circusstraat 4, The Hague, The Netherlands at 10:00 (Dutch time) on Tuesday May 20, 2014. The Notice of Annual General Meeting (the “Notice”) can be viewed and downloaded from http://www.shell.com/agm
The AGM will be webcast on the day so shareholders unable to attend in person can still follow proceedings. Details of the webcast arrangements can be found in the Notice of Annual General Meeting.
Shell to discuss possible western Pennsylvania shale gas plant at public meetings
Extracts from an Associated Press article published 15 April 2014 by THE REPUBLIC
U.S. eyes European safety standards for oil refineries
Extracts from an article by Susan Buchanan published 14 April 2014 in “The Louisiana Weekly” and The Huffington Post
Oil refiners can learn from Europe as they try to reduce accidents at plants in Louisiana and other states, U.S. safety experts say. After a string of disasters, President Obama issued an executive order last August to improve chemical facility safety. A year before his directive, a fire at Chevron Corp.’s refinery in Richmond, Ca. filled the air with black smoke and particles, sending 15,000 residents in search of medical attention. An April 2010 explosion at Tesoro’s refinery in Anacortes, Wa. killed seven workers.
Here’s Why Royal Dutch Shell is Walking a Dangerous Tightrope
Extracts from an article by Bob Ciura published 14 April 2014 by The Motley Fool
Heading into 2014, new Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden set rigorous capital discipline as his firm’s top priority. Over the past few years, Shell was led on an ambitious growth strategy that involved several high-profile resource acquisitions. Many of those decisions turned out to be ill-advised… Essentially, returns from new projects unimpressed, and cost over-runs were eroding margins. In response to dwindling returns and spiking costs, Royal Dutch Shell has embarked on a series of asset disposals this year, particularly on the downstream side of the business.
Head-to-Head: BP vs Royal Dutch Shell
Extracts from an article by Holly Cook published 14 April 2014 by MorningStar
Investor sentiment on Shell today is decidedly negative after years of poor execution. Shell’s big shale bets have been a huge bust, crushing the profits and returns of its upstream operations in North America. This is likely to be a drag on returns for years unless gas prices rebound or impairments are taken. Europe is a terrible region for refining and Shell is heavily exposed.
Louisiana Benzene Case against Shell settled
“Shell’s potential exposure to litigation throughout the US for benzene exposure claims may now be very significant – this could be a repeat of the asbestos claims of a few years ago.”
Extracts from an article published 11 April 2014 by HarrisMartin.com under the headline: “Parties Remaining in Louisiana Benzene Case Scheduled for June 2014 Trial Reach Settlement Agreement”
NEW ORLEANS –– Benzene plaintiffs and remaining defendants Shell Oil Company and Shell Chemical LP have reached a settlement agreement in a case that had recently been scheduled for a June 2014 trial. The parties filed a joint motion on April 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana noting that all of the plaintiffs’ claims against Shell had been settled…
Extracts from a related legal document
This matter arises out of wrongful death, survival, and product liability claims under Louisiana state law.1 Elise Leslie (“Ms. Leslie”) brought this action both individually and on behalf of her father, Bruce W. Leslie, (“Mr. Leslie”) against Defendants Shell Oil Company and Shell Chemical…
Ms. Leslie alleges that, because of this actual or constructive knowledge, Defendants actions and inactions give rise to numerous bases for her wrongful death and survival claims, including: negligence; gross negligence; negligent misrepresentation; and concealment, suppression, and/or omission of material information about the health hazards associated with benzene.
1and1 Website Hosting Review: Worst of the Worst
I eventually realized that I had to leave 1and1 on 25 March 2014 after sending customer support three emails over several hours requesting assistance before receiving any response. Each one was marked “WEBSITE DOWN”
By John Donovan
Iand1 has had advance sight of this article with an invitation to correct any inaccurate information.
The company has supplied comment which I have published below the article on an unedited basis.
ARTICLE
I have been operating websites for almost two decades and have used a number of website hosting companies.
In recent times it has become hard to avoid the 1and1 website hosting company bearing in mind their heavy advertising on the Internet and on TV.
In the light of my horrendous experience of doing business with the company, I wish I had checked some of the online reviews before deciding to give them a try in November 2013.
Kulluk Grounding: Miracle no injuries or loss of life
Article by Tim Bradner published 11 April 2014 by the Alaska Journal of Commerce under the headline: Coast Guard: Tug engine failure blamed on water in fuel
It is a mariner’s worst nightmare: At sea, in a bad storm, pulling a heavy load and working to keep control in a dicey situation. Then, all the engines quit. And won’t restart. Precisely this event occurred in late December 2012 to the crew of the Edison Chouest vessel Aiviq as it struggled to keep towlines on Shell’s conical drill vessel Kulluk. The effort failed. The Kulluk went aground off Kodiak Island and was a total loss, which is now well known and documented. It was a miracle that there were no injuries or loss of life, and the evacuation of 18 crewmembers from the Kulluk’s heaving deck by Coast Guard helicopters during the storm was an exploit that should go down in maritime history.
CNPC, Shell strengthen global cooperation
Extracts from an article published 10 April 2014 by Oil & Gas Journal
China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have reached an agreement to deepen their strategic partnership by increasing cooperation in the development of both companies’ global projects. The agreement—China Petroleum & Shell Global Cooperation Agreement—was signed by the two companies Apr. 8 in Beijing, according to CNPC.
Offshore drilling is at a slowdown
Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer. Royal Dutch Shell Plc
Extracts from an article by Jeff Nevile published Friday 11 April 2014 by oilvoice.com
Royal Dutch Shell Plc was one of the first to announce a plunge in profit this year as they announce a 48% drop. As Shell postponed their offshore drilling in Alaska, Chief Executive Officer Ben Van Beurden promised to slash capital spending to increase their return and cash flow performance. The question is, what is the duration of this spending cut going to be and how much damage is it causing the big players?
The world has enough natural gas to last nearly 400 years
Extracts from an article by Michelle Wheeler published Friday 11 April 2014 by phys.org
The world has enough natural gas to last nearly 400 years at the current rate of consumption or 110 years if production increases at a rate of two per cent a year, according to a Curtin University study. Curtin University adjunct research fellow Roberto F. Aguilera says much of the world’s natural gas – both conventional and unconventional – is located in Australia. “It’s that conventional gas that is likely to make Australia the biggest LNG exporter in the world, maybe by the end of the decade,” he says.
Only one in five global shale basins may succeed, Wood Mackenzie says
Extract from an article by James Paton published 8 April 2014 by WorldOil.com
PERTH, Australia (Bloomberg) — Only one in five global shale regions may succeed in producing significant amounts of oil and gas as countries from China to Argentina seek to emulate the U.S. boom, said energy consultants Wood Mackenzie. Oil companies from Shell to BP have cut spending to help bolster finances as costs outpace energy prices.
Obama Administration Asks to Revise Environmental Impact Statement for 2008 Chukchi Lease Sale
Extract from an article by Carolyn Davis published 10 April 2014 by NaturalGasIntel.com
The Obama administration, joined by Royal Dutch Shell plc, has asked an Alaska district court to allow the U.S. Department of Interior to revise an environmental impact statement (EIS) used to support the Chukchi Sea lease sale in 2008. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in January ruled that Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193 held in 2008 may have used inadequate information regarding available reserves and environmental risks (see Daily GPI, Jan. 23; Feb. 8, 2008). The ruling reinstated a 2008 ruling against the government that favored several conservation groups and Alaska stakeholders.
Shell gives up on big subsea project in Norway
Extract from a Reuters article by Balazs Koranyi published 11 April 2014
(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has postponed an innovative project to provide subsea gas compression on Norway’s Ormen Lange field, one of the biggest gas fields in Europe, it said on Friday. “The oil and gas industry has a cost challenge,” Shell said in a statement. “This, in combination with the maturity and complexity of the concepts and the production volume uncertainty, makes the project no longer economically feasible.”
Political tussle over swearing-in of oil executives unfolds on Senate floor
Extracts from an article by RICHARD MAUER published 9 April 2014 by Anchorage Daily News
JUNEAU — A request by a Democratic senator that a Republican committee chairwoman require oil industry officials to be sworn before testifying Wednesday about the effects of last year’s tax cut erupted into a sharp personal battle between the two. The verbal confrontation started in committee and moved to the Senate floor. French cited the Coast Guard investigation into the grounding of Shell’s drilling rig Kulluk as a reason for putting the company officials under oath. Referring to a recent Daily News story on the investigation, French noted that a Shell official once denied to a reporter that there was any connection between Shell’s decision to move the Kulluk in early winter and the property tax the company would have to pay if the rig remained safely in Dutch Harbor. But under oath to the Coast Guard, the Shell official admitted the pending tax payment was one of the considerations for beginning the rig’s tow into a fierce Gulf of Alaska storm.
Shell Targets Global Convenience Store Growth
Extract from an article published April 10, 2014 by The Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing
LONDON – Shell will unveil its future growth plans at a two-day, invite-only event in central London on June 23-24 during the Shell Global Growth Event 2014, an event that provides a platform for future collaboration with retailers and industry suppliers. The Shell Global Growth Event 2014 will take place on 23-24 June 2014 at the Renaissance St. Pancras Hotel, London.
Mike Watts, who found oil in Thar desert, to quit Cairn Energy
Extract from an article published 10 April 2014 by ZeeNews.India.com
New Delhi: Dr Mike Watts, the man credited with discovering India’s largest onland oil field in Rajasthan, will step down from the board of Cairn Energy plc in mid-May. He saw oil in the Thar desert when Royal Dutch Shell could not and bought out the supermajor in block RJ-ON-90-1 for USD 7.25 million.
Shell Prelude: A cause for celebration or concern?
Prelude stores thousands of tonnes of LNG and LPG with an almost constant and simultaneous operation of loading this product onto carrier vessels moored alongside. So any Safety Case has to look at the combined risks of Prelude and the carrier vessel moored alongside.
BP Texas City Refinery Explosion March 2005
Fourth in a series of articles by Bill Campbell (right), retired HSE Group Auditor, Shell International, about safety issues relating to the Shell Prelude FLNG project
John
Hope you find this interesting, perhaps your contributors can answer the question posed at the end.
When I started to write these articles I was struck by the manner in which Prelude FLNG as a hazardous substances plant turned the conventional wisdom of plant design and layout on its head. Could such an installation be approved in the offshore UK for example? A hypothetical question but one worthy of an answer. I don’t believe it could. After all the Health and Safety Regulator in the UK, the custodian and owner of the many British Standards and codes for the design and layout of onshore hazardous substances plants, is the same Regulator for the offshore oil and gas industry. This is also the same Regulator that followed up on Cullen’s recommendation and put in place a suite of legislation requiring offshore installations to restrict the heat energy in an emergency, so ensuring hydrocarbon events could not escalate to threaten the newly installed temporary refuges. Prelude stores thousands of tonnes of LNG and LPG with an almost constant and simultaneous operation of loading this product onto carrier vessels moored alongside. So any Safety Case has to look at the combined risks of Prelude and the carrier vessel moored alongside.
Controversial Corrib field to pump gas by next year
Extracts from an article by Sarah McCabe published 10 April 2014 by the Irish Independent
The development of the field off the north-west coast has been plagued by setbacks, which have delayed it for more than 13 years. Construction of a 4.9km tunnel under Sruwaddacon Bay, a special conversation area, is also progressing, new company documents show. Development of the tunnel was suspended last year after 26-year-old German hydraulics specialist Lars Wagner was tragically killed, following fatal head injuries sustained while working on it. Mayo natural gas find Corrib was first discovered in 1996. It was originally expected that gas would start flowing from it by 2003, meaning the project is now some 13 years behind the original schedule. Reports suggest the cost of developing it has come in around four times as much as original estimates, reaching €3bn.
Under oath admission of tax dodging in Alaska by Shell executive
Extracts from an article published by Sit News on 9 April 2014 under the headline: ‘Under Oath’ Request Unprecedented
(SitNews – Ketchikan, Alaska) – Yesterday Senator Hollis French (D-Anchorage) sent a letter to Resources Chair Senator Cathy Giessel requesting that she use her statutory authority to swear in the oil industry witnesses who were scheduled to appear before the Resources Committee today (Wednesday, April 9, 2014). The investigation surrounding the grounding of Royal Dutch/Shell’s Arctic drilling rig, the Kulluk, had a role in French’s decision to make the request. Through a series of problems the Kulluk went aground. Questions arose about whether Shell took the risky move of a mid-winter tow to avoid paying millions in state property taxes. A Shell executive told the press that tax considerations had nothing to do with the move. The same executive later admitted under oath that Alaska tax laws influenced the move.
Shell remains committed to Alaskan arctic
Ann Pickard, Riding to the Rescue of Shell’s Arctic Fiasco
Extracts from an article by Daniel J. Graeber published 9 April 2014 by UPI
HOUSTON, April 9 (UPI) — The arctic waters off the Alaskan coast may be one of the more promising reserve basins in the nation, but exploration will have to wait, Shell said Wednesday. Ann Pickard, executive vice president for Shell’s arctic programs, said arctic nations have decided to open their waters to exploration and her company aims to develop those reserves responsibly. Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard published a 152-page report on Shell’s operations in Alaska. Shell’s drillship Kulluk struck ground off the Alaskan coast in 2012, and the Coast Guard blamed harsh winter conditions and the company’s efforts to escape Alaskan tax laws for the incident.
Congressional Committee was lobbied on behalf of Shell derivatives trading arm
Extract from a Reuters article published 10 April 2014 under the headline: “Non-banks notch a win in battle of derivatives”
Companies including INTL FCStone Inc, Nomura Holdings Inc, Cargill Inc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc lobbied a congressional committee to change a rule proposed by the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission on how much capital they must hold against derivatives trades as dealers. Cargill and Shell have derivatives trading arms.
Shell’s UK corporation tax bill tumbles
Extracts from an article by ROB DAVIES published 9 April 2014 by This is Money.co.uk under the headline: “Shell’s UK corporation tax bill tumbles by nearly 90 per cent as company invests more in North Sea and production declines”
Shell’s UK corporation tax bill tumbled by nearly 90 per cent to just £55.5m last year, as the company invested more in the North Sea and production declined. Shell’s UK bill fell from £487m last year to £55.5m, less than it paid in Nigeria, Norway, Australia, Malaysia, Canada and Italy.
Shell’s public image was tarnished last week by a report from the US Coastguard which criticised readiness for Alaskan Arctic drilling. …the US Coastguard assessment of Shell’s preparedness was rather more cutting. The report criticised the plan for towing the Kulluk, saying Shell showed a ‘lack of respect’ for the conditions. It also said Shell’s decision to tow the Kulluk to Seattle amid rough winter seas was partly motivated by a desire to cut tax, something former boss Peter Voser denied.
Shell risked offshore workers lives to dodge Alaskan tax bill
Despite all promises to the contrary, Shell is still putting monetary considerations before safety. Just read some of the recent articles about Shell’s reckless conduct in offshore Alaska. It put the lives of offshore workers and the environment at risk to avoid a potential multimillion dollar tax bill. Personally, I do not believe enough attention has been drawn to the ethical issue of Shell deliberately putting peoples lives at risk in a calculated gamble.
Royal Dutch Shell Safety Last, not First
By John Donovan
Despite all promises to the contrary, Shell is still putting monetary considerations before safety.
Just read some of the recent articles about Shell’s reckless conduct in offshore Alaska.
It put the lives of offshore workers and the environment at risk to avoid a potential multimillion dollar tax bill.
This extract from a US News & World Report article published yesterday is typical of the many comments published elsewhere:
Notably, in September 2012, a Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig ran aground in Alaska as workers attempted to tow it beyond the state’s waters. A Coast Guard report released Friday found that the Anglo-Dutch oil company decided to move the rig – and insisted on doing so through dangerous stormy weather – to avoid paying new Alaskan taxes. The report also detailed myriad safety issues.
Ride to lower costs for LNG-run trucks rockier than expected
Extracts from a Reuters article by JULIE GORDON published Wed 9 April 2014
While the lack of fueling infrastructure remains the largest hurdle, other operational teething pains are now tempering some of the growth in LNG use that was expected to further reduce oil demand in North America, as well as carbon emissions, according to interviews with industry experts and officials from five transport companies. Royal Dutch Shell last month surprised the LNG industry when it scrapped a small-scale liquefaction unit it was building at its Jumping Pound complex near Calgary. “This additional demand has not developed in line with market expectations,” said Shell spokeswoman Destin Singleton. The company also paused work on two other plants, in Ontario and in Louisiana, but Singleton said those projects may resume due to better opportunities for LNG-powered marine vessels.
Shell, CNPC to cooperate in deep-sea exploration, shale gas
Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer. Royal Dutch Shell Plc
Extracts from a Reuters article published Wednesday 9 April 2014
BEIJING, April 9 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell and the China National Petroleum Corp(CNPC) have signed a deal to boost cooperation in sectors like deep sea exploration as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and unconventional gas sources like shale, CNPC said on Wednesday. The two companies had agreed to join forces in the development of both upstream and downstream energy businesses… Ben van Beurden, in his first overseas visit since becoming Shell’s chief executive, told CNPC Chairman Zhou Jiping that both sides have set up deep and wide-ranging ties and have huge room for further cooperation.
Interior Dept. Preps for Arctic Oil Spills
Extracts from an article by Alan Neuhauser published 8 April 2014 by USNews & World Report
They’re preparing for the worst. Interior Department officials recently put out a call for “new and innovative mechanical technologies” to help clean up oil spills in the Arctic. Yet even as ice around the Arctic has melted amid rising global temperatures, potentially exposing rich oil and gas deposits, serious hazards remain. Notably, in September 2012, a Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig ran aground in Alaska as workers attempted to tow it beyond the state’s waters. A Coast Guard report released Friday found that the Anglo-Dutch oil company decided to move the rig – and insisted on doing so through dangerous stormy weather – to avoid paying new Alaskan taxes. The report also detailed myriad safety issues.
BT, Shell and corporates call for trillion tonnes of carbon to stay in the ground
Extract from an article published Tuesday 8 April 2014 by The Guardian newspaper
Unilever, Shell, BT, and EDF Energy are among 70 leading companies today calling on governments across the globe to step up efforts to tackle climate change.
The companies, which have a combined turnover of $90bn, say the world needs a “rapid and focused response” to the threat of rising global carbon emissions and the “disruptive climate impacts” associated with their growth.
Kashagan Debacle: Not enough engineers, too many idiots
When John Stubbs was assigned to the Kashagan project, he was confronted by an over-budget hopelessly out-of-control shambles and advised Shell senior management that he did not want the job. He was bluntly told by Shell EP boss Malcolm Brinded, to take it, or leave the company. Stubbs, an engineer and project manager highly regarded by his colleagues, chose to depart. Brinded was eventually fired.
By John Donovan
There is a hilarious video circulating on the Internet revealing how an engineer feels when he’s surrounded by idiots.
It seems that something like this has happened in Kashagan…
It appears now what the problem is: they have used the wrong steel or welding procedures or both on the pipelines. And as a result they have to re-lay all these pipes at an astronomical cost. Not even counting the cost of deferred production. And loss in reputation (or whatever was left of that).
Kuwait suspects corruption in $800 million Royal Dutch Shell contract
Seems to me that the Kuwait government is being very diplomatic and the word “corruption” should be substituted for “irregularities.” In my experience, despite pledges to the contrary in its sham ethical code, Shell senior management is content to turn a blind eye to corruption. Lets face it, the entire Royal Dutch Shell Group was built on illegal activity, including oil price fixing.
By John Donovan
A question of possible “irregularities” seem to have arisen in relation to an $800 million service contract awarded to Shell by the state owned Kuwait Oil Company.
Extracts from a report filed by the Kuwait News Agency:
Minister of Oil Ali Al-Omair underlined that the government will not condone or cover up any irregularities in petroleum sector deals and it will take all necessary action to protect public funds. Since its signature in February 2010, the five-year contract with Shell was the subject of much debate in Kuwait. The former parliament had formed a special committee to probe procedures leading to the awarding of the enhanced technical services agreement to Shell. The contract was awarded to Shell to help Kuwait develop its newly-discovered non-associated natural gas fields in the north of the country, after initial production hurdles.
Documents reveal extent of Shell lobbying in human rights case
The documents, obtained by the Corporate Responsibility Coalition (Core) and Amnesty International, show the closeness of the relationship between the multinational corporations and UK government departments. They also show that UK government officials were privately worried about being seen to be promoting business interests over ethical trading principles. Peter Frankental, economic relations programme director at Amnesty International UK, said: “In these David versus Goliath encounters, the UK has effectively shielded the interests of powerful companies at the expense of their alleged victims.”
Article by Owen Bowcott published Sunday 6 April 2014 by The Guardian under the headline: “Documents reveal extent of Shell and Rio Tinto lobbying in human rights case”
The extent of lobbying conducted by Shell and Rio Tinto in seeking legal support from the UK government to dismiss allegations of human rights abuses has been revealed in internal memorandums released by the Foreign Office.
The documents, obtained by the Corporate Responsibility Coalition (Core) and Amnesty International, show the closeness of the relationship between the multinational corporations and UK government departments. They also show that UK government officials were privately worried about being seen to be promoting business interests over ethical trading principles.
Another blow to Royal Dutch Shell
Extract from a Steve LeVine article published 6 April 2014 by qz.com under the headline: “Kazakhstan’s largest oilfield will be shut down for at least two years”
Kashagan will be shut for at least two years while specialty pipelines are made to resist the unforeseen impact of toxic gas, according to a source close to the project. In recent weeks, word has dribbled out that Kashagan—one of the largest supergiant oil finds of the last half-century—may lie dormant through the summer… Already, $50 billion has been spent, and the delay means a delay in billions of dollars in cashflow expected by Kazakhstan itself and major oil companies including ExxonMobil, Shell, Eni, and France’s Total. …source close to the project said that Shell began a few days ago to notify its employees and contractors of the news of the long delay to restart the field. It remains to be seen how oil and stock markets will react to the news…
Kulluk report inspires no confidence for Arctic operations
Extracts from an editorial published on 5 April 2014 by The Anchorage Daily News under the headline: “Our View: Kulluk report inspires no confidence for Arctic operations”
The United States Coast Guard didn’t mince words in its report of the grounding of Shell’s drilling rig, the Kulluk, in December 2012. The Coast Guard found Shell failed both in preparation and operations, and concluded that the company decided to move the vessel despite forecasts of worsening weather in part to avoid a state property tax obligation. None of this took place in the Arctic, where Shell did limited drilling program without incident in the summer of 2012. All of this gives evidence that Shell is not fully prepared for Arctic operations. A telling comment came from Rear Adm. Joseph A. Servidio, the Coast Guard’s assistant commander for prevention policy. Servidio said the most significant factor was the failure to assess and manage the extreme risks of the Gulf of Alaska.
Stay away from Ogoniland, MOSOP warns Shell
Extracts from an article by Dapo Falade in Port Harcourt published 6 April 2014 by the Nigerian Tribune
Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), may be heading to another round of crisis as the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has warned it to stay away from Ogoniland. The latest warning followed mounting fear and trepidation in Ogoniland over the alleged surreptitious resumption of oil exploration by the Dutch oil giant at the weekend under tight security cover. The MOSOP president, in a statement issued at the weekend, by his media aide, Mr Bari-ara Klapap, warned that previous experiences that led to the death of 13 Ogoni prominent sons, including the late human rights activist, Ken Saro Wiwa…
Fracking earthquakes
Extract from an article by Carey Gillam published by Reuters, 5 April 2014, under the headline: Series of small earthquakes rock Oklahoma in record seismic activity
(Reuters) – Earthquakes rattled residents in Oklahoma on Saturday, the latest in a series that have put the state on track for record quake activity this year, which some seismologists say may be tied to oil and gas exploration. One earthquake recorded at 3.8 magnitude by the U.S. Geological Survey rocked houses in several communities around central Oklahoma at 7:42 a.m. local time. Wastewater disposal related to the fracking is suspected by many scientists to contribute to the earthquake activity. Millions of gallons of wastewater are typically trucked from a fracking site to wells where the water is injected thousands of feet underground into porous rock layers. That work, if done near a fault, can trigger larger quakes, according to several recent scientific studies.
Waitrose-Shell partnership angers Greenpeace
Extract from an article by Guy Montague-Jones published 05 April 2014 by The Grocer under the headline: Waitrose-Shell partnership extension with four new stores angers Greenpeace
Waitrose is extending its controversial partnership with Shell by opening four new stores at petrol stations…
China a sink hole for Royal Dutch Shell
There are so many things wrong in China and RDS has no idea of what is going on. Investors be aware that it is a sink hole with no financial bottom and the “good ole boy” politics are in play in China.
Posting on Shell Blog by “Tyler” on 2014/04/05 at 04:04
Let’s talk China.
Shell has made commitment to drill Sichuan Province (press release 03/2014). What the story doesn’t tell everyone is that Shell has spent 1 Billion USD and has yet to find sustainable gas.
It also does not address the fact that Shell China has gone from 9 rigs to 1 rig in Sichuan.
Office staff in Chengdu is over 500 people for a 1 rig operation, by the end of 4Q 2014.
Let’s not forget that Shell China has been put under the US Unconventional Wells group. These are the same ones that screwed up the US Shale Gas Projects. The new manager is Chengdu is an American who came from Alaska, we know how that turned out.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
