By 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.”
“It’s a different type of game but it’s not best left to the independents. We can play and win at it as well.”
Time will tell.
During a conference speech at Columbia University yesterday, Mr van Beurden also proposed that the US should resume exporting oil and embrace global markets.
Any such resumption would require lifting the longstanding US crude oil export ban in force since the Arab oil embargo in the 1970’s.
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Shell announces Utica gas discovery: FuelFix (blog)-Sep 3, 2014
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In a pair of transactions announced last month, Shell gave up all of its Pinedale and Haynesville in assets in exchange for $2.1 billion cash and 155,000 net acres in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus and Utica shales, indicating Shell is betting heavy on Appalachia as part of the new strategy.
Shell Extends Gas Discovery In Utica Shale: Bidness Etc
After extracting activities started in February from Gee’s well, Shell did not disclose any news relating to the success of its exploration due to competitive reasons. Considering the potential that the Utica shale holds, the company is currently undergoing drilling activities in four more wells and is expected to start pumping gas by the end of 2014.
More details on Shell’s Utica wells in northern Pennsylvania: Bloomberg News
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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 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.
