Reuters article published Tuesday 23 December 2014 under the headline: Japanese refining merger talks could spur more consolidation
It seems that the forecast wave of mergers in the oil industry arising from the collapse in oil prices has kicked off in Japan. Also fits in with Shell’s fire sale strategy.
Extracts
Consolidation looks to have kicked off with Japan’s No. 2 refiner Idemitsu seeking to buy No. 5 Showa Shell in a 500 billion yen ($4.2 billion) deal that would bring them close to industry leader JX Holdings.
The combined company would have annual sales of about 8 trillion yen, making it the second biggest after the leader JX Holdings and control about 30 percent of Japan’s gasoline market. JX has 33 percent of Japan’s oil market.
Consolidation is further supported by the crash in oil, which has seen prices almost halve since June, resulting in falling stock prices for energy firms and reduced asset values, offering opportunities to cash rich investors.
Industry sources said that Royal Dutch Shell, which has sold numerous assets this year as part of restructuring and cost saving, is keen to sell its 35 percent stake in Showa Shell and likely to cooperate in the deal.
Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil firm Saudi Aramco also owns about a 15 percent stake in Showa Shell. Both Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco could not be immediately reached for comment.
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.
