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September, 2014:

Royal Dutch Shell News Monday 29 Sept 2014

Screen Shot 2014-09-29 at 14.02.38By John Donovan

A selection of current news articles about Royal Dutch Shell from around the globe:

Oil price fixing

According to a Bloomberg article published by energyvoice.com, the UK is considering whether to criminalize manipulation of the world’s most-traded crude-futures market.

Extract

The UK is toughening the rules after the rigging of Libor and related gauges resulted in $6.5 billion in fines for at least 10 companies. European Union antitrust authorities raided the offices of companies including BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Statoil ASA in May 2013 amid allegations of collusion and price manipulation in crude, refined products and biofuels markets. 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 evacuates workers from Brent Alpha and Bravo

Screen Shot 2014-09-29 at 12.22.47By John Donovan 

After all the Royal Dutch Shell senior management promises to improve safety on Shell North Sea platforms, serious incidents continue to occur. 

EnergyVoice.com is reporting that Shell workers have today been evacuated from the Brent Alpha and Bravo platforms after a crane dropped a large container into the North Sea. 

Extracts

The container, which was in the process of being winched onto a support vessel when the incident unfolded, initially rested dangerously close to a mass of subsea pipelines which connect into the Far North Liquids & Associated Gas System (Flags) pipeline. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell Prelude Project ‘A Step Too Far’

Screen Shot 2014-09-25 at 17.11.37By John Donovan

I have received a comment about the most recent Bill Campbell Prelude article from another expert, a former Shell executive. 

I refer to Hans Bouman, the retired Groningen Gas Field Asset Manager for NAM, a joint Royal Dutch Shell/ExxonMobil operation.

Mr Bouman is the expert who in 2002 warned Shell/Sakhalin Energy internally of his concerns over the Sakhalin2 project, including an unforgiving schedule, a theme he returned to a number of times. 

Extract from a May 2002 internal email from Hans Bouman to Engel van Spronsen, Technical Director, Sakhalin Energy: read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell spent $1.32bn on R&D last year

Screen Shot 2014-09-25 at 13.57.28

By John Donovan

Ed Crooks of the Financial Times has written a wide-ranging and informative article about oil company spending on R&D.

Oil majors’ R&D into conventional and renewable energy at risk

Royal Dutch Shell spent $1.32bn on R&D last year.

The FT article quotes Gerald Schotman, Shell’s executive VP of R&D, as saying its key research is in its “upstream” oil and gas production business.

Schotman also claims that Shell’s innovations in imaging technology will enable the company to “see what others cannot see.” 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.

Prelude FLNG risks are on par with modern offshore oil and gas facilities say Shell – but are they?

Screen Shot 2014-09-23 at 18.54.34Final article in a series of five articles by Bill Campbell, retired HSE Group Auditor, Shell International, about risks relating to the Shell Prelude FLNG project.

Prelude FLNG risks are on par with modern offshore oil and gas facilities say Shell – but are they? Let’s discuss 

With the implementation of the recommendations post Piper A, turned quickly into legislation, the potential consequences of hydrocarbon releases have been markedly reduced, but Floating FLNG facilities cannot comply, other than that front end gas feed from the reservoir will be shut in and the process gas flared, huge amounts of volatile hydrocarbon liquids remain stored in the hull, which is also the primary structure supporting the process, utilities and the living quarters.

Prelude for example has in its hull, tanks with a capacity to hold 220,000 m3 of LNG, when the cryogenic liquid is returned to gas this equates to 132 million m3 of methane. It also has capacity for 90,000 m3 of LPG and 126,000 m3 of Condensate, with an overall capacity Shell states equivalent to 175 Olympic swimming pools. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell News 23 Sept 2014

Screen Shot 2014-09-23 at 17.42.13By John Donovan

Nigeria

FROM THE DAILY MAIL

Shell has overhauled its security procedures in Nigeria to prevent oil theft that is costing it hundreds of millions of pounds. The Anglo-Dutch oil giant said it had stopped paying private security contractors to monitor its pipelines and oil facilities. 

Carbon Pricing

Forbes.com has published an article purportedly authored by Ben van Beurden, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

Why This ‘Big Oil’ CEO Believes In Applying A Price To Carbon

Extract 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.

Tesco overstatement debacle reminiscent of Royal Dutch Shell reserves scandal

Screen Shot 2014-07-04 at 14.03.36By John Donovan

Tesco admits a £250m mistake in half-year profit calculations

Tesco share value has plummeted after the supermarket giant announced this morning that it had overstated its half-year profit guidance by £250m.

Four senior Tesco executives, including a managing director, have been suspended.

In view of what happened to Shell when it overstated its hydrocarbon reserves, can we expect law suits, investigations, fines, credit rating downgrades and resignations?

Royal Dutch Shell Group Chairman, Sir Philip Watts (right), was forced to resign and turned to religion. He is now a priest. 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 paid the Irish Police €158,746

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Screen Shot 2014-06-16 at 17.29.11By John Donovan

We now have official confirmation that the Garda cops accused of brutality towards Corrib Gas Project protestors were working for Shell.

According to an article published today by The Irish Times, Shell has paid the Garda €158,746 for policing in Ireland, mainly arising from the force’s operation guarding the controversial Corrib gas pipeline in Co Mayo.

The article says:

Details of the fees charged by the Garda for what it terms “non-public duty”, carried out by Garda members working overtime, have never been released before. 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.

VICTIMIZATION OF EMPLOYEES RAMPANT AT SHELL-MOTIVA NORCO SITE

Screen Shot 2014-09-19 at 19.20.35The article printed below was supplied to the Company Secretary & General Counsel Corporate of Royal Dutch Shell Plc., Mr Michiel Brandjes, on Monday 15 Sept 2014. I asked Mr Brandjes to also bring the article to the attention of Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden and the Shell-Motiva Security Supervisor named in the working headline. The parties were given the opportunity to take issue with the stated facts, comment and/or take legal action to prevent publication. No response has been received. It follows that Shell has also not disputed the authenticity of quoted internal email correspondence. Readers are free to draw their own conclusions.

WORKING HEADLINE: SHOVE-OFF BY JO KERKHOFF – VICTIMIZATION OF EMPLOYEES RAMPANT AT SHELL-MOTIVA NORCO SITE

This is the true story of a former U.S. Secret Service Agent and former Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. He was hired by a contractor firm in June of this year to become Project Manager with responsibility for the security force at the Shell-Motiva Norco site in Louisiana. The site is spread over 700 acres, inclusive of a major refinery.

I have confirmed the remarkable background of this individual, who has worked in some of the most stressful operational settings. This includes his assignment as the Incident Commander for the rescue, relief, recovery and federal law enforcement activities in preparation for and in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, where he commanded vast personnel resources as well as small boats, aircraft and vehicles, for which he was granted seven high-level awards and commendations. 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.

Shale Fracking is a ‘Ponzi Scheme’

“Shale Fracking is a “Ponzi Scheme” … “This Decade’s Version of the Dotcom Bubble”

By John Donovan

A regular contributor has very kindly drawn my attention to an article published by GlobalResearch under the headline: “Shale Fracking is a “Ponzi Scheme” … “This Decade’s Version of the Dotcom Bubble”

In making the case to support the headline, the article contains a host of extracts from well known publications.

e.g.

A Losing Bet

In 2011, the New York Times wrote:

“Money is pouring in” from investors even though shale gas is “inherently unprofitable,” an analyst from PNC Wealth Management, an investment company, wrote to a contractor in a February e-mail. “Reminds you of dot-coms.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC NEWS FRIDAY 19 SEPT 2014

Screen Shot 2014-09-19 at 12.52.41By John Donovan

Shell’s Arctic Drilling Plans 

fuelfix.com has published an article about Shell’s latest plans for exploratory oil drilling in the Chukchi Sea, north of Alaska. The detailed article contains links to a document Shell has filed with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a related federal court document and an exploration plan.  A lawyer for the conservation group Oceana, is quoted as saying: “Shell appears to have learned little from its past experiences and should be considering whether it wants to continue to invest huge sums continuing to try to drill in a place for which it is clearly unprepared.” Apparently “Shell executives have not made an official decision to plunge forward into those icy waters, but filing the exploratory plan is a necessary step in its quest for federal permits necessary to conduct the work next year.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell’s CEO welcomes outcome of Scottish Decision

Screen Shot 2014-09-19 at 11.48.19STATEMENT BY ROYAL DUTCH SHELL CEO BEN VAN BEURDEN

“Shell welcomes the decision by the people of Scotland to remain within the UK, which reduces the operating uncertainty for businesses based in Scotland,” van Beurden said in a statement. “Shell will continue to work closely with both the UK and Scottish governments to help the industry deliver vital energy supplies through investment in the UK’s oil and gas resources. We look forward to continuing our proud association with Scotland.” He also called for quick implementation of the recommendations in this year’s Wood Report, a review led by Aberdeen businessman Sir Ian Wood. 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/OSSL: The Irish Policing Fiasco Continues

Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 17.03.27

By John Donovan 

SHELL FUNDED CORRUPTION IN THE CORRIB GAS PROJECT IN IRELAND

According to an Irish Independent article, the former Irish Justice Minister, Alan Shatter, who corresponded with me in relation to the OSSL corruption allegations against Shell and the Irish Police, has launched a blistering attack on the bosses of the watchdog Garda Ombudsman service (GSOC).  

The GSOC is the hopelessly incompetent outfit responsible for a so-called “investigation” of the OSSL allegations. In fact, they never even approached a key witness, Mr Marc Fitzgibbon, a senior Dublin lawyer. He was personally present during a series of meetings with top people at Shell, when OSSL demanded and Shell agreed to pay OSSL for  goods and services used to bribe various parties on behalf of Shell, including senior Irish cops.  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.

Safe Sex and Corruption in Nigeria – OPL245

Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 14.09.10

Vanguard cartoon from allAfrica.com article: “Nigeria: U.S. Report Shows Corruption, Rights Abuses”

FROM A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR 

Safe Sex and Corruption in Nigeria – OPL245

In the Economist article from last year – Safe sex in Nigeria – the numbers simply do not add up. The explanation given is that “others” had benefited from the proceeds of the OPL 245 sale to Shell and Eni.

The obvious conclusion is that these would have been people directly connected to the Nigerian government and Etete.

One possible conclusion that is not discussed is that people within ENI and/or Shell may also have benefited during the distribution of the funds. It would not be the first time that “conflicts of interest” had arisen in Shell and ENI. 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 MOTIVA NORCO: PENDING ARTICLE ABOUT VICTIMISATION IN A HOSTILE, SINISTER WORK ENVIRONMENT

By John Donovan

We plan to publish an article on Saturday relating to the Shell-Motiva Norco site.  It contains serious allegations from a highly credible source about a hostile working environment, employee victimisation and related sinister activity. The draft article was supplied to Shell on Monday so that Shell-Motiva and a senior named employee have had the opportunity to refute the allegations and/or obtain an injunction.

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-Motiva to pay $4.5 million after violations of federal labor law

Shell-Motiva is to pay $4.5 million to over 2,500 former and current employees arising from violations of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act.

By John Donovan

Shell-Motiva is to pay $4.5 million to over 2,500 former and current employees arising from violations of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act.

The U.S. Labor Department said that Shell-Motiva made workers attend mandatory pre-shift meetings before the start of their 12-hour shifts.

“Employers are legally required to pay workers for all hours worked,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez said in a written statement. “Whether in the international oil industry, as in this case, or a local family-run restaurant, the Labor Department is working to ensure that responsible employers do not experience a competitive disadvantage because they play by the rules.” 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 joins battle against Ebola in Nigeria

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 16.29.29By John Donovan

All credit to Shell for its donation of ambulances, trucks and medical supplies to the Lagos and Port Harcourt Ebola Centres, as reported by ThisDayLive.

Extracts

Shell’s Corporate Media Relations Manager, Mr. Precious Okolobo, said in a statement at the weekend that the company’s anti-Ebola support initiative started in August and was ongoing, with personal donations by staff into a special internal Ebola Fund. According to Okolobo, donations have been pouring in from staff of Shell companies in Nigeria into an internal Ebola Fund. He said Shell would match the voluntary contributions and donate the total sum to one of the key relief agencies active in combating the Ebola Virus Disease in Africa. 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.

Follow-up: German Minister Calls for Shell Boycott

Screen Shot 2014-09-16 at 18.26.15

Email received from stakeholderdemocracy.org

Dear good people

I read your article on the German Minister and his comments with interest. We are an NGO working in the Niger Delta (50 staff Port Harcourt, 8 London) to improve environmental regulation and have developed a system (oilspillmonitor.ng) that allows Nigerian regulators to manage their data on oil spills and make this publicly available.

We would be most grateful if you might help us to publicize this and gain recognition for our work by helping us get votes for this system which has been put up for an award by linking through to this enews piece: read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell Fire Sale Continues

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 11.37.41According to a Financial Times article, “Royal Dutch Shell has revived plans to dispose of its European liquefied petroleum gas business four years after a second failed attempt to sell the assets.” 

Shell has already disposed of under-performing assets around the globe, including Australia,  the USA and in the North Sea. The latest move is part of the $15 billion fire sale announced by the incoming new CEO Ben van Beurden earlier this year, following the surprise issuance of a Shell profits warning that shook the markets. 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 shareholders can only wish that they had never heard of Alaska

Screen Shot 2014-08-06 at 09.25.26By John Donovan

Christopher Helman of Forbes has neatly summarised the misadventures of Royal Dutch Shell in Alaska…

“Consider for a second the $5 billion misadventure that Royal Dutch Shell has had in Alaska. Here’s a quick recap: In 2008 Shell acquired the rights to exploration blocks in the Beaufort Sea north of the North Slope. Shell, in 2012 (after years of studying whales and seals, negotiating with the native peoples, and satisfying draconian EPA rules governing diesel emissions in the middle of freaking nowhere) finally floated its Kulluk drillship into the Beaufort, where it only got to drill for a few weeks before having to be towed back to port lest icebergs crush it. On the way out it got grounded on the rocks of Kodiak Island. Shell decided to press pause on its Alaska project, and Shell shareholders can only wish that they had never heard of Alaska.” 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.

Potential serious impact on Shell from new Sanctions on Russia

Screen Shot 2014-03-10 at 23.56.16American and European explorers such as Exxon and Royal Dutch Shell Plc , which is drilling in Siberian shale rock formations, will have to act fast to avoid violating the bans. “Those new sanctions imposed on Russia by the U.S. and Europe on Friday will, among other things, force Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell… and other big oil companies to wind up their joint ventures with Kremlin-controlled Rosneft and Gazprom

By John Donovan

The territorial ambitions of the aggressive and dangerous Putin regime in Russia looks likely to undermine the fortunes of Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil in Russia and the Ukraine. This is dispute the grovelling attitude towards Putin by Exxon’s Rex Tillerson and Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, who actually bowed to Putin in their last meeting

Energy Law360 reports that “The U.S. and European Union moved in conjunction to dramatically escalate new sanctions against Russia on Friday, ratcheting up pressure on Moscow’s financial, energy and defense sectors and further severing the nation’s corporate titans from lucrative capital markets in response to the persistent unrest in Ukraine. 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.

German Minister calls for boycott of Shell

“If you went to the Niger Delta and saw the standard of oil extraction, none of you would use the petrol stations of that oil firm,” he said. He said the company prioritized profit over concern for the environment. “That is unacceptable,” Müller added.

Screen Shot 2014-09-13 at 17.58.00

By John Donovan

Germany’s development minister Gerd Müller attacked the production practices of Shell on Tuesday, suggesting indirectly that German consumers should boycott the companies’ products.

During a speech on Tuesday to the Berlin Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IHK), Müller denounced Shell’s poor regard for the environment, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.

He said that during a recent trip to Nigeria, he witnessed the oil production methods. “If you went to the Niger Delta and saw the standard of oil extraction, none of you would use the petrol stations of that oil firm,” he said. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell Implicated in Nigerian OPL245 Corruption Scandal

Screen Shot 2014-09-11 at 23.20.44Can’t help wondering whether Malcolm Brinded will be “helping the police with their enquiries” regarding OPL245 as he was in charge of E&P at Shell at the time. Assuming that Shell/ENI lose the block, I presume there will be a $550 million hole in the Shell accounts to explain…

By John Donovan

Claudio Descalzi, the CEO of oil company Eni and one of his director colleagues are under investigation, suspected of involvement in the corruption of Nigerian politicians. 

Extract from a Bloomberg news report “Eni says CEO probed over $1.1billion Nigeria deal….”

Eni teamed with Royal Dutch Shell Plc in 2011 to buy Oil Prospecting License 245 for $1.1billion. The deal was challenged last year by a Nigerian parliamentary committee, which recommended revoking the rights. The acquisition process was “highly flawed,” the committee said. Global Witness, a London-based corruption watchdog, has also criticized the deal and the involvement of Dan Etete, a former Nigerian oil minister. 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.

$190M FROZEN IN UK AND SWITZERLAND IN OPL 245 BRIBERY CASE AS ENI CEO IS NAMED AS SUSPECT

Press Release / Sept. 11, 2014

Screen Shot 2015-04-23 at 17.15.45

$190M FROZEN IN UK AND SWITZERLAND IN OPL 245 BRIBERY CASE AS ENI CEO IS NAMED AS SUSPECT

Global Witness, Re: Common and Dotun Oloko welcome the freezing of funds as part of the continuing investigation into the deal for the OPL 245 oil block in Nigeria. Italian authorities are investigating the acquisition of the Nigerian oil block OPL 245 for which subsidiaries of Eni and Royal Dutch Shell agreed to pay US$1.1billion in 2011.

Shell and ENI have claimed that they only paid the Nigerian Government. Eni has said in a statement that “Eni continues to deny any illegal conduct” and “Eni is cooperating with the Milan prosecutor’s office, and is confident that the correctness of its actions will emerge during the course of the investigation.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell News Thursday 11 Sept 2014

Screen Shot 2014-09-11 at 00.56.29By John Donovan

The US and EU are ready to impose new sanctions on Russia arising from events in Ukraine. See extract from a fuelfix.com article published under the headline: “Sanctions threaten Putin’s oil deals with Exxon Mobil, Shell”

Other vulnerable international operators include Royal Dutch Shell, the world’s second-largest energy company by market value. Multiple investments by The Hague-based company in Russia include ventures to use advanced reservoir-management techniques to revive and increase crude output from Soviet-era fields and to explore some of the nation’s vast, untapped shale formations. “We are continuing to review the latest sanctions to assess the potential impacts on our business, and engaging with the respective authorities to gain further clarity,” Kayla Macke, a Shell spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. “We are taking action to ensure we comply with all applicable sanctions or related measures. We’re keeping the situation under close review.” 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.

OSSL/SHELL: AN ANONYMOUS LETTER WITH A DUBLIN POSTMARK

You and your late father seem to have started out trying to hold Shell accountable for its actions. I hope you agree that accountability goes both ways, and it is fair that you should be held accountable for your own actions as well. The energy that fuels your website seems to be a deep resentment, or even hatred.

By John Donovan

I have published below a letter received today from Ireland. It relates to OSSL allegations against Shell.

Although the source is anonymous, the letter writer seems intelligent and genuine.

Otherwise I would not publish it or respond to what is said.

The first version is exactly as received.

In the second version, for ease of reference, I have inserted my comments in red text.

AN ANONYMOUS LETTER WITH A DUBLIN POSTMARK

Sept 4, 2014

Dear Mr Donovan

You and your late father seem to have started out trying to hold Shell accountable for its actions. I hope you agree that accountability goes both ways, and it is fair that you should be held accountable for your own actions as well. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell prepares pullout from Ogoniland

Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 15.23.15By John Donovan

Ogoniland is back in the news again.

According to Africa Energy Intelligence.com:

“Shell is highly discreetly working to sell its licenses in the Ogoni region in Rivers state, the theatre of violent clashes between local inhabitants and Nigeria’s security forces in the early 1990s. Since that time the once-prolific area has ceased…”

The whole article, running to 653 words, can be purchased for €8.2 Euros. 

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC NEWS TUESDAY 09 SEPT 2014

Screen Shot 2014-09-09 at 13.29.23Analysts hint at merger of Shell and BP

According to an article by Keith Findlay published by energyvoice.com: “Falling fortunes at BP and Shell could force the two oil and gas giants into a “mega-merger” within a couple of years, some City analysts believe.  Some of Shell’s big shareholders are said to be frustrated by the company’s spending on expensive far-flung projects that fail to yield.” MORE HERE

SEE ALSO: Shell BP Mega-Merger?: 29 May 2014

Shell accused of a Jekyll and Hyde Approach to Climate Change

A BloombergBusinessweek article reveals that “For all its vaunted language, Shell continues to fund and support several groups pursuing the opposite aim: to stymie climate policies sprouting up around the globe that the Trillion Tonne Communique applauds.” According to the article: “Shell has backed other groups opposing regional climate rules. The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association, which includes a Shell executive on its 16-member board, hailed the country’s repeal in July of its carbon policy, which made Australia the first developed nation to rescind a price on carbon emissions.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell CEO on global turmoil’s impact

Screen Shot 2014-09-07 at 21.14.49Screenshots from a Fox Business video of an interview with Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden on 4 Sept 2014 shows the uncertainty that surrounds Shell. Mr van Beurden bluntly made it clear at the May 2014 Shell AGM that Shell’s priority is what is in the economic interests of Shell shareholders, not geopolitical concerns i.e. the invasion of Crimea. That explains why he happily bowed to Putin days after the annexation. Whatever the spin, ethics and moral issues are ruthlessly put to one side. The lack of scruples by companies such as Shell, has encouraged the Putin regime. Driven by the same motive, access to hydrocarbon reserves, Shell also connived with Hitler in his territorial ambitions. More recently, Shell traded with Iran despite US sanctions and Shell spin to the contrary. Like in relation to Shell’s claimed business principles, it is Shell’s deeds, not the mixed messages, which count. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Why doesn’t Shell sue Donovan for libel?

Screen Shot 2014-09-07 at 15.49.41Such deliberate misinformation (propaganda, to put it politely) is also totally at variance with Shell’s claimed core business principles. This proves beyond any doubt that the media and the public should not believe anything Shell says. The company even lies to itself.

By John Donovan

Why doesn’t Shell sue Donovan for libel?

I feel sure that this is a question that many visitors to this website have probably asked themselves many times.

It is a question that Royal Dutch Shell put to itself in July 2009. 

Below is an extract from an authentic confidential Shell internal document dated 08 July 2009 in which this very question was raised in relation to “the Donovan’s.” Shell lawyers have redacted names shown on the “Confidential Focal Point”document, other than the names of my late father and myself. A series of questions are posed and then answered, to provide a contingency script if certain anticipated questions were raised by the news media, or at the Shell AGM.  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell Shareholders Beware

Screen Shot 2014-09-06 at 21.06.55The news that BP may be fined up to $18bn for the oil spill in the Gulf-of-Mexico as a result of a ruling by a US federal court that BP acted with “conscious disregard of known risks” and that BP’s “conduct was reckless,” may have very serious implications for other oil companies.

By John Donovan

The news that BP may be fined up to $18bn for the oil spill in the Gulf-of-Mexico as a result of a ruling by a US federal court that BP acted with “conscious disregard of known risks” and that BP’s “conduct was reckless,” may have very serious implications for other oil companies.

Extract from a New York Times article:

The ruling stands as a milestone in environmental law given that this was the biggest offshore oil spill in American history, legal experts said, and serves as a warning for the oil companies that continue to drill in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, where high pressures and temperatures in the wells test the most modern drilling technologies. read more

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Royal Dutch Shell Plc News Roundup Sat 4 Sept 2014

Screen Shot 2014-09-06 at 15.28.04Royal Dutch Shell Plc CEO Ben van Beurden says he can’t deny returns are too low

By John Donovan

Mixed fortunes for Shell in the last few days. 

Ben van Beurden says he can’t deny returns are too low

Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden has admitted to the Wall Street Journal that he cannot deny that investor returns are too low. He has also reportedly stated: “We don’t have a [production] volume or capital-employed target. What I want to show is that we can grow free cash flow.”

Shell ending JV with Saudi Aramco for Kidan Gas project

According to Oil and Gas Insight, Royal Dutch Shell is ending its joint venture (JV) with Saudi Aramco for the Kidan gas development project in the Empty Quarter. This continues a string of disappointments following the opening of Saudi Arabia’s upstream to foreign participation in a bid to boost domestic gas exploration and production. Now, with Shell’s looming exit, Aramco’s ambitious efforts to draw foreign players into development of the Kingdom’s gas reserves seem set to fail. 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.

This article is of great concern to Shell employees in Nigeria

Screen Shot 2014-09-05 at 17.17.31Ebola situation in Port Harcourt, Nigeria:

Issued by World Health Organization

Situation assessment – 3 September 2014

The Commissioner of Health, Rivers State, Nigeria, has now reported 3 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease in Port Harcourt, the country’s oil hub. Additional suspected cases are being investigated.

Background on the Port Harcourt index case

Ebola virus was imported into Nigeria via an infected air traveller, who entered Lagos on 20 July and died 5 days later. One close contact of the Lagos case fled the city, where he was under quarantine, to seek treatment in Port Harcourt.

The close contact was treated, from 1 to 3 August, at a Port Harcourt hotel, by what would turn out to be the city’s index case. This case was a male physician who developed symptoms of weakness and fever on 11 August and died of Ebola on 22 August. His infection was confirmed on 27 August by the virology laboratory at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. 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.

Is Police Corruption Legal in Ireland?

By John Donovan

On 1st September I sent an email to Desmond Kane of OSSL containing these opening paragraphs from a proposed article…

OSSL, the former Mr Fixit company for Shell EP Ireland, distributed sweeteners (bribes) on behalf of Shell to various parties to ease the tortuously slow progress of the controversial Corrib Gas Project.

The lucky recipients included a senior Irish Police Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent John Gilligan ([email protected])

I asked Mr Kane whether the article, including the above paragraphs, was okay. 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.

OSSL email sent to Irish Justice Minister today

Screen Shot 2014-06-16 at 17.34.44By John Donovan

The following is an email OSSL sent to the Irish Justice Minister earlier today, copied to Shell. 

One name has been redacted. One sentence has been deleted.

From: THE OSSL COMPANY <[email protected]>
Date: 4 September 2014 07:52:21 BST
To: “<[email protected]>” <[email protected]>, Clare Daly <[email protected]>, Michael Crothers <[email protected]>
Subject: Please be clear ….

Minister, please be clear on the instruction of Shell we delivered alcohol …to your Mr John Gilligan ….and your Mr XXXXX XXXXXXX. read more

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ROYAL DUTCH SHELL: Ice buckets, rust buckets and superbuckets

By John  Donovan

According to the the Vancouver Observer, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, has accepted the ice bucket challenge from Leonardo DiCaprio to oil sands executives. 

The reputation of his predecessor as Shell CEO, Peter Voser, sunk after he faced and failed a challenge in the Arctic.

Voser came spectacularly unstuck as a result of sending a couple of refurbished old rust buckets into Alaskan waters in an ill-fated tax dodging scandal resulting in ship board fire, explosions, pollution, groundings and public humiliation. 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 not abandoning its US shale ambitions

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 16.29.29By John Donovan

Shell CEO Ben van Beurden claims that despite a series of asset sales and costly write-downs, the oil giant is not abandoning the prospect of North American oil and gas shales.  

Shell’s recent reappraisal resulted in a $2bn write-down in book value and plans for Shell to sell hundreds of thousand of US acres. 

Related quotes from Ben van Beurden:

“Asset sales have helped the company narrow its focus on fewer projects where Shell can better compete with the smaller oil and gas companies that have dominated US shale development.”  read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The truth about OSSL allegations

 By John Donovan

OSSL, the former Mr Fixit company for Shell EP Ireland, distributed sweeteners (bribes) on behalf of Shell to various parties to ease the tortuously slow progress of the controversial Corrib Gas Project.

The lucky recipients included a senior Irish Police Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent John Gilligan ([email protected])

OSSL has now supplied me with evidence confirming that their allegations against Shell are true.

The evidence comes from a person of high repute personally present when senior  representatives of Shell, including the Managing Director of Shell EP Ireland. Michael Crothers, carried out repeated negotiations in an attempt to agree a settlement of monies owed to OSSL for buying the sweeteners on Shell’s behalf, including alcohol.   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.