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March, 2015:

Arctic Drilling: Key decisions due at end of March for Shell

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.49.45ARTICLE BY TIM BRADNER OF ALASKA JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, PUBLISHED 19 MARCH 2015

Key decisions due at end of March for Shell

Extracts

A key federal decision is shaping up for Shell at the end of this month.

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, expects to issue a final decision by March 31 on a revised environmental impact statement of the Chukchi Sea 2008 Outer Continental Shelf lease sale that has been contested in court by environmental groups, the director of the agency said March 13.

Abigail Hopper, director of the BOEM, said a Record of Decision on a revised supplemental environmental impact statement, or SEIS, is to be issued. 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, Eni Making No Progress on Nigeria Oil Spills: Amnesty

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(Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc is making no progress curbing oil spills in Nigeria and Eni SpA’s operations in the West African country are out of control, according to Amnesty International.

The two companies reported more than 550 spills in the southern oil-rich Niger River delta last year, compared with an average of 10 spills a year in Europe between 1971 and 2011, said Amnesty.

“These figures are seriously alarming,” Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty’s global issues director, said in a statement on Thursday. “In any other country, this would be a national emergency. In Nigeria it appears to be standard operating procedure for the oil industry.”

Nigeria produces about 2 million barrels of oil a day, more than any other African country. Spills are blamed for damaging the environment and fishing villages in the delta. Oil companies often blame sabotage and theft, a claim which local people contest. 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.

Non-U.S. Shales Prove Difficult to Crack

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By JUSTIN SCHECK and SELINA WILLIAMS: WALL STREET JOURNAL

March 18, 2015 11:20 p.m. ET

Exxon, Shell and others are pulling back from once-promising shale finds in Europe, Asia

After spending more than five years and billions of dollars trying to re-create the U.S. shale boom overseas, some of the world’s biggest oil companies are starting to give up amid a world-wide collapse in crude prices.

Chevron Corp. , Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell PLC have packed up nearly all of their hydraulic fracturing wildcatting in Europe, Russia and China. 

“The pace of development outside North America is slower everywhere than people thought it would be,” Simon Henry, Shell’s chief financial officer, said in a recent interview. 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.

A new mis-selling scandal? Budget home insurance mis-sold under the name of prestige brands? 

Screen Shot 2015-03-18 at 10.19.34By John Donovan

You only have to Google “mis-selling scandals” to see how the UK public have been conned by a variety of mis-selling schemes. The most prominent being mis-sold PPI. 

I have stumbled across what appears to be another candidate for a flood of mis-selling claims. 

I refer to Home Insurance/Home Assistance Insurance Policies sold under the name of prestigious high street brands. 

Would you not be annoyed to purchase a Home Insurance policy marketed under the Marks & Spencer name, if in fact M&S had no responsibility for the policy?  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.

850 jobs at stake in Shell Cyberjaya

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 17, 2015: 

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38Around 850 jobs could be at stake at Shell offices in Cyberjaya as the Anglo-Dutch oil major consolidates its IT functions at a new base in Bangalore, India.

While no decision has yet been made, a senior officer dropped this bombshell during a town hall meeting with staff in Cyberjaya late last month, said sources.

The Bangalore move could also affect some 1,000 third party contractors if they are unable to relocate to India, the sources said.

The Shell Technology Centre Bangalore (STCB) is to be one of the three global hubs for technology, after Houston and Amsterdam for the energy group.

“By the end of 2010, STCB employed around 700 professionals and has plans to grow to about 1,500 in the near future. Recruitment at STCB is currently focused on graduates in India and experienced Indian professionals,” Shell Global said at its website.

Given this focus, chances are staff now employed at Cyberjaya may find it difficult to be relocated to Cyberjaya, said the sources, and will probably have to look for new jobs here. 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 to divest from three more oil blocks in Nigeria

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Screen Shot 2014-10-30 at 09.22.43By Roseline Okere on March 18, 2015

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has signed agreements for the divestment of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) interests in three more onshore Oil Mining Leases (OMLs), which completion is subject to the consent of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Besides, the company has concluded plans to stake about $35 billion on organic capital investment.

The company, which made this disclosure in its yearly company report for 2014 released on Monday, stated that additional divestments might occur as a result of the company’s strategic 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.

Shell’s climate change strategy: narcissistic, paranoid, and psychopathic

In an open letter to Shell’s Ben Van Beurden, the UK’s former top climate envoy says now is the time for to show leadership 

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By John Ashton

Dear Mr van Beurden – one month ago, at the IP Week dinner in London, you gave a speech calling on your peers, as you put it in your title, to be “Less Aloof, More Assertive” on climate change. 

Given your prominence as CEO of Shell and the resurgence of interest in climate, your speech has rightly provoked debate. Perhaps I could set out some reflections that passed through my mind as I studied it.

I feel privileged to be doing so from this platform. I hope the CFE family, and Jean Eudes [Moncomble, CFE Secretary General] particular, will see this as an appropriate way of honouring their invitation. 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 Denmark withdrawal, except for toxic Fredericia refinery?

COMMENT RECEIVED FROM A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR ABOUT SHELL SELLING A MAJOR PART OF ITS DANISH DOWNSTREAM ASSETS

John 

On your site a few months back there was an article about contamination of the area of the Shell refinery in Fredericia which does not appear to have been included in the sale of the rest of the downstream portfolio. 

“Decade-old oil spills from tanks at the Shell Oil facility in Fredericia are still polluting the environment.”

Is there an issue of liability for clean-up costs? The Fredericia refinery is small, but processes much of the crude produced offshore Denmark (where Shell is the biggest shareholder in the DUC). 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 sell’s its Danish Network of 315 Gasoline Stations

Screen Shot 2014-06-23 at 11.37.41March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (“Couche-Tard”) announces today that it has signed, through its wholly-owned indirect Danish subsidiary Statoil Fuel & Retail A/S, an agreement with A/S Dansk Shell to acquire its Retail, Commercial Fuels and Aviation businesses in Denmark.

Pending the customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the second half of Couche-Tard’s fiscal year 2016. The acquisition would be financed from Couche-Tard’s available cash and existing credit facilities. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price for this acquisition. 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.

Prices Fall to a Six-Year Low for U.S. Oil

Screen Shot 2015-03-16 at 23.38.17Article by Stanley Reed published 17 March 2015 in the New York edition of the New York Times

Prices Fall to a Six-Year Low for U.S. Oil

Oil prices fell to six-year lows on Monday in the face of concerns that a glut in the United States was outpacing already-brimming storage facilities.

Additionally, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries published a report suggesting that the cartel remained reluctant to intervene to prop up prices.

The direction of oil prices, which had risen sharply from January lows, has fallen back in recent days. Traders are now focused on the second quarter of the year, when demand for oil is traditionally weak because of the end of winter and scheduled refinery shutdowns for maintenance.

On Monday, the price of West Texas Intermediate crude, the main United States benchmark, fell about 2 percent to about $44 a barrel, a six-year low, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell by about 2 percent to about $53 a barrel. 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.

Oil plunges to a 6-year low. Is $30 a barrel next?

Screen Shot 2015-03-16 at 23.38.17CNNMoney (New York) March 16, 2015: 5:39 PM ET

Extremely cheap oil is back, and it may get even cheaper. Crude plunged 4% to as low as $42.85 a barrel on Monday. That’s the lowest price since March 2009 and marks the fifth consecutive day of losses.

EXTRACTS

A month ago, people were talking about an “oil comeback.” Now that looks like ust a mirage. More and more analysts predict prices of $40 or lower, at least in the near term.

“I think the market almost has to have a $30-handle on it before it gets this out of its system,” said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service.

That could cause gas prices to take another tumble, Kloza says, bringing the average U.S. price back to around $2 a gallon. It’s currently at $2.42. 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.

Seattle’s Silly War On Oil Rigs

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.49.45From an article by Loren Steffy published 16 March 2015 by Forbes.com under the headline:

Seattle’s Silly War On Oil Rigs: Reminder, The City Is Also Home To Boeing, The World’s Largest Jet Maker

If a plane flies over Seattle, does anyone hear it? Probably not, because they’re all down at the docks protesting the parking of drilling rigs used in the Arctic. When the port of Seattle agreed to allow Shell to park drill ships on the city’s waterfront, a “kind of civic call to arms” erupted, according to the New York Times.

A unanimous City Council lined up alongside the mayor to question the legality of the agreement with the Port of Seattle, a court challenge was filed by environmental groups, and protesters, in bluster or bluff, vowed to block the rigs’ arrival — though the exact timetable is secret, for security reasons — with a flotilla of kayaks in Elliott Bay. 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.

NIGERIA: Oil Spill From Shell’s Seibou Well In Bayelsa Traced To Equipment Failure

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Screen Shot 2015-03-15 at 18.29.05The oil spills from Seibou oil well operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Bayelsa State has been traced to a ruptured and dilapidated pipeline.

A joint investigation visit (JIV) report on the incident obtained by SaharaReporters estimated that some 549 barrels of SPDC’s crude was discharged into Ogboinbiri River in Southern Ijaw local government area. The spill has affected several communities in the area.

The spill impacted 300,000 square meters of water surface, an area roughly the size of 42 football pitches, in Bayelsa State. 

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Joseph Obari, Shell said the leakage was reported on January 23, 2015, and that the company subsequently shut the facility 15 hours afterwards when it became safe to do so.

However, SaharaReporters discovered that Shell failed to report the incident on its own oil spills incident website even though the facts were available to the company.  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 gets cold feet on SA shale-gas

Screen Shot 2014-03-11 at 14.07.51FROM TIMES LIVE – SUNDAY TIME SA: ARTICLE BY LONI PRINSLOO 15 March 2015

Shell gets cold feet on SA shale-gas

Multinational oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell is pulling its top shale-gas man out of South Africa, an indication that companies are growing increasingly frustrated with government delays over shale-gas legislation.

This week, Business Times was told that Jan-Willem Eggink – whom Shell sent to South Africa from Libya to monitor South Africa’s shale gas opportunity – would be pulled out of the country in coming weeks. Other highly skilled staff would follow him.

“While government is sitting around farting, these companies are shifting their money away from South Africa and our economy will lose billions,” said a member of parliament, who declined to be named. 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 fall in oil price could be a turning point for Nigeria’s economy

Screen Shot 2015-02-22 at 10.18.33From an article by Godwin Uyi Ojo published by The Guardian on 5 March 2015 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.

Special relationship between a Shell oil executive and a Government Minister contributed to offshore deaths?

Screen Shot 2015-03-14 at 09.24.14Love hurts: How a special relationship between a Shell oil executive and a Government Minister contributed to offshore deaths 

SELF-EXPLANATORY EMAIL FROM JOHN DONOVAN TO BARONESS HELEN LIDDELL: 

From: John Donovan 

Subject: THE EMAIL YOU RECEIVED FROM MR BILL CAMPBELL

Date: 9 March 2015 22:50:38 GMT

Cc: Campbell <Cambell

To: [email protected]

Dear Baroness Liddell,

I understand you have received an email from Mr Bill Campbell, the highly esteemed retired HSE Group Auditor of Shell International.

As you are aware, it relates to your alleged contact some years ago with Mr Malcolm Brinded, when he was a Shell Managing Director whose responsibilities included Shell North Sea Platforms.  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.

Price of crude oil resumes its descent

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Screen Shot 2015-03-14 at 09.07.31Article by Stanley Reed published New York Times New York Edition 14 March 2015under the headline:

Oil Prices Drop as Production Hums Along Despite a Brimming Supply

LONDON — Just as the oil market appeared to be stabilizing, the price of crude resumed its descent on Friday.

The drop, of about 4 percent, came after a report from the International Energy Agency warning that oil pouring into tank farms in the United States might “soon test storage capacity limits.”

The agency, whose reports are closely monitored by oil traders, said that overflowing storage “would inevitably lead to renewed price weakness.” American production of oil continues to increase despite recently announced cutbacks in new drilling by producers.

The price of West Texas Intermediate, the American benchmark, fell to around $45 a barrel on Friday, while Brent, the international benchmark, fell below $55 a barrel.

The Department of Energy has proposed adding five million barrels of oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The purchase, which requires congressional approval, would be added in June and July. But 9.4 million barrels of oil a day are being produced in the United States. Kevin Book, an analyst with ClearView Energy Partners, said that the proposed purchase was not an attempt to support falling prices but instead “appears to derive from a statutory obligation.” 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 reports on plans for Arctic drilling

Article by Carey Restino published 13 March 2015 by The Bristol Bay Times

“After 2012, every aspect of our plan is under a microscope and every aspect is carefully monitored, including the impact on marine mammals,”

Leaders from southwest Alaska were briefed last week on Shell Oil’s plans for the 2015 season, hearing how the company is ready to start work drilling exploratory wells as soon as the ice leaves the Arctic this summer.

“We are ready to start, but we are still committed to a measured and responsible pace,” said Maniksaq Baumgarter, Shell’s Alaska stakeholder manager, at a presentation last week to Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference participants in Anchorage.

Shell’s challenging 2012 season ended with the company only being able to drill top wells in two locations due to problems with its containment barge, which was required to be on scene before drilling efforts went deep enough to hit oil. Late season ice also delayed the operation that year, and caused drill rigs to dodge the ice once they arrived in the Arctic. 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.

Almost a kilometre of Corrib Shell pipeline loose and floating under sea

An article by Sam Griffin published 13 March 2015 by The Irish Independent

An 800m section of Shell pipeline from the Corrib gas processing plant has come loose and is floating under the sea.

Both Shell Ireland and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are investigating the incident off the north Mayo coast.

A Shell spokesperson said the pipeline was a piece of plastic ducting measuring 800m in length and carried treated surface water collected at the Bellanaboy terminal to around ten miles out to sea.

The ducting had been secured under heavy boulders and investigations will examine if bad weather in recent days contributed to it coming loose.

Marine vessels have been dispatched by Shell to investigate the matter. 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 abandons two exploration wells in east Ukraine

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Screen Shot 2014-09-07 at 21.18.30LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has abandoned two natural gas exploration wells in eastern Ukraine after they were deemed uneconomical, the oil major said on Thursday.

Shell and Ukrainian state-run gas company Ukrgasvydobuvannya jointly started exploration at the wells in the province of Kharkiv Oblast in 2012 but after evaluating geological data, the sides decided to drop the project.

“Based on the exploration results, the parties agreed that further activity within the project was not economically viable and agreed to terminate the agreement,” Shell said in a statement. 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.

Kashagan oil production to resume in 2017 – Shell

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London, 13 March 2015

Screen Shot 2014-10-30 at 09.22.43(Reuters) – Production from Kazakhstan’s giant Kashagan oilfield is expected to resume in 2017, more than three years after being suspended due to a pipeline leak, stake holder Royal Dutch Shell said.

Operations at the major field, expected to reach production of 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent, started in September 2013 and were halted a month later due to gas leaks from the sour gas pipeline.

In its annual report on Thursday, Shell said “replacement activities are ongoing, with production expected to restart in 2017.”

Italian oil service company Saipem said last month it had won a contract to lay the replacement pipelines at Kashagan worth around $1.8 billion. It said it planned to finish the work by the end of 2016. 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 boss paid £20m for a year in which oil price slumped and group cut UK jobs

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The boss of Shell has received a pay package of almost £20million for a year in which the oil price slumped and the group cut jobs in the UK. The figure is expected to spark a backlash from shareholders…

The oil major (up 25p at 1961p) admitted that the sum handed to Ben van Beurden was ‘unusually high’.

It makes him the second-highest paid boss in the FTSE 100 behind WPP’s Sir Martin Sorrell, who regularly faces protests from investors over his rewards.

The oil price, which has halved since last summer, is only considered where it affects Shell’s financial performance, while the company previously announced last year it could cut up to 250 jobs in Aberdeen.

Van Beurden received £4.5million in basic pay and bonus, with the largest chunk of his package – some £8.6million – coming from a top-up to his pension. 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.

USW reaches sellout deal, moves to shut down oil workers’ strike

Screen Shot 2015-03-07 at 15.52.46From an article by Jerry White published 13 March 2015 by WSWS

USW reaches sellout deal, moves to shut down oil workers’ strike

The United Steelworkers (USW) union announced Thursday that it had reached a tentative agreement with lead bargainer Royal Dutch Shell that would be the basis for a four-year labor agreement covering 30,000 workers in the US oil industry.

The deal was reached as the selective strike by 6,500 workers in seven states nears the end of its sixth week. The USW says picketing will continue until local union members ratify agreements presented to them by the rest of the industry.

Any agreement reached by the USW under the circumstances in which the strike has been waged can only be a miserable betrayal. The union has blocked the full mobilization of all oil workers, allowing the energy giants to maintain production while threatening to replace strikers with “relief workers.” It was not the companies that backed down, but the union that decided a rapid agreement was necessary to prevent the strike from getting out of control. 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.

Big Oil’s Broken Business Model

Screen Shot 2014-02-18 at 18.34.00From an article by Michael T. Klare published 12 March 2015 by utne.com

Big Oil’s Broken Business Model

In the wake of collapsing oil prices, Big Oil must alter its broken business model or face being outcompeted by smaller, nimbler energy producers.

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Screen Shot 2014-12-18 at 00.03.23Many reasons have been provided for the dramatic plunge in the price of oil to about $60 per barrel (nearly half of what it was a year ago): slowing demand due to global economic stagnation; overproduction at shale fields in the United States; the decision of the Saudis and other Middle Eastern OPEC producers to maintain output at current levels (presumably to punish higher-cost producers in the U.S. and elsewhere); and the increased value of the dollar relative to other currencies. There is, however, one reason that’s not being discussed, and yet it could be the most important of all: the complete collapse of Big Oil’s production-maximizing business model. 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.

For Shell and Exxon, Timing Is Key For Surviving Oil’s Price Plunge

Screen Shot 2015-03-02 at 19.27.29From an article by Andy Tully posted on Thu, 12 March 2015 22:44 on OilPrice.com

For Shell and Exxon, Timing Is Key For Surviving Oil’s Price

Extracts

When it comes to surviving the plunge in oil prices, timing is everything.

While many oil companies large and small are reducing, postponing or outright abandoning costly future projects to save money, Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil Corp. are nearing completion of their most expensive initiatives, and therefore aren’t committed to heavy spending in the future.

Moody’s says Shell and Exxon probably will be able to avoid borrowing to maintain their high dividends as long as oil prices don’t go below their current price of around $60 per barrel. They’ll also have the opportunity to buy valuable assets from hard-pressed competitors at bargain prices. 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.

Oil companies offer to cut 2015 spending in Iraq

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Screen Shot 2015-02-18 at 13.17.14* Iraq seeks to stem losses from falling oil prices

* Calls on firms to reduce development costs

* Baghdad seeks amended contracts to “share risk”

* Says companies should maintain output despite changes

MR_Story By Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD, March 12 ( Reuters ) – Oil companies have proposed millions of dollars of cuts in development spending in Iraq, a senior oil ministry official said, after Baghdad told them low oil prices and its fight against Islamic State had made payments difficult. 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 expects to drill offshore Alaska this year

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UPI article by Daniel J. Graeber published 12 March 2015

Shell’s preliminary drilling program in arctic waters offshore Alaska in 2012 was plagued by problems, including a grounded drilling rig, violations of air pollution limits, engine failures on a tow ship and an oil spill containment system damaged during testing.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, March 12 (UPI) — Drilling in the arctic waters of Alaska should proceed this year assuming timely approval from the U.S. federal government, Royal Dutch Shell said Thursday.

Shell’s preliminary drilling program in arctic waters offshore Alaska in 2012 was plagued by problems, including a grounded drilling rig, violations of air pollution limits, engine failures on a tow ship and an oil spill containment system damaged during testing.

Shell Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said in an annual report, published Thursday, the Interior Department was reviewing a supplementary environmental impact statement on operations in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. 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’s total pay soars to $25.7 mln

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Screen Shot 2014-09-07 at 21.14.49Thu Mar 12, 2015 8:09am EDT

(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Ben van Beurden will earn a total 24.2 million euros ($26 million) for 2014, making him one of the highest-earning FTSE 100 bosses despite last year’s sharp fall in oil prices.

Van Beurden’s total pay includes 5.6 million euros in salary, bonus and shares plus pension and other items, the company said on Thursday.

His 2014 compensation, when calculated in British pounds, places him as the second-highest-paid senior executive on the FTSE 100 share index after WPP chief executive Martin Sorrell, whose 2013 pay package reached 29.8 million pounds, according to think tank High Pay Centre. 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 awards CEO van Beurden €24m pay package

Screen Shot 2014-09-07 at 21.14.10Royal Dutch Shell CEO Ben van Beurden qualifies as a genuine FAT CAT.

According to an FT article published today, Royal Dutch Shell’s chief executive Ben van Beurden has been awarded a total of €24.2m for his work last year, despite the fact that Shell’s shares have under-performed in the past 12 months. 

Extract from a related Dow Jones Report

For his first year as CEO of the Anglo-Dutch oil major in 2014, Mr. van Beurden received a salary of EUR1.4 million and a EUR3.3 million bonus. Despite a steep slide in oil prices over the past nine months, the company is proposing a 2.1% increase in the executive’s salary this year and a target bonus equal to 150% of the base salary. 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.

How Big Oil Is Profiting From the Slump

From an article by Javier Blas published 12 March 2015 by Bloomberg

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Screen Shot 2015-03-12 at 09.34.00(Bloomberg) — Europe’s largest oil companies are gaining support from an unlikely source as they confront the industry’s worst slump since the financial crisis: lower oil prices.

Although better known for their oil fields, refineries, and petrol stations, BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA are also the world’s biggest oil traders, handling enough crude and refined products every day to meet the consumption of Japan, India, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. 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 Publishes Annual Report and Form 20-F

Screen Shot 2015-03-12 at 09.21.50THE HAGUE, March 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —

Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS.A) (NYSE: RDS.B) Published its Annual Report and Form 20-F for the Year Ended December 31, 2014. 

The 2014 Annual Report and Form 20-F can be downloaded from http://www.shell.com/annualreport .

Separately, a 2014 Strategic Report can be downloaded from http://www.shell.com/annualreport .

Printed copies of the 2014 Annual Report and Form 20-F and 2014 Strategic Report will be available from April 16, 2015 and can be requested, free of charge, at http://www.shell.com/annualreport . read more

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Port: Enviros playing politics with suit against Shell Arctic fleet homeport

Screen Shot 2015-03-12 at 09.08.40From an article by Joel Connelly published 11 March 2015 by Seattlepi.com 

Port: Enviros playing politics with suit against Shell Arctic fleet homeport

Extracts

Environmentalists are using a court suit to pursue political goals and have no legal standing to block a lease that will base Shell’s Arctic oil drilling fleet at Terminal 5 on the Seattle waterfront, according to legal filings Wednesday by the Port of Seattle and Foss Maritime.

Shell is planning to go back to Arctic waters this summer. The company has already invested an estimated $5.8 billion in leases and equipment. An initial 2012 drilling effort turned into a fiasco, culminating when Shell’s conical drilling ship Kulluk ran aground while being towed back to Puget Sound waters. The ship was later taken apart in China. read more

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Quakes force Dutch lawmakers to cut gas production

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Article by Keith Findlay published 11 March 2015 by EnergyVoice.com

Extracts

Dutch communities rattled by earthquakes are upending Europe’s energy market.

Towns in the northern province of Groningen sit atop the continent’s biggest gas field, where the Dutch government says exploration by oil and gas majors Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil has triggered 196 earthquakes since 2013, damaging buildings and making home sales difficult.

Lawmakers, seeking support in provincial elections next week, have responded to residents’ complaints with a proposed cut in gas production – the second since December – in the hope that less output means fewer tremors. read more

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Dutch Quakes Toss Wrench Into Gears of Europe Gas Market

Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 09.20.55Article by Isis Almeida published 10 March 2015 by Bloomberg

Dutch Quakes Toss Wrench Into Gears of Europe Gas Market

(Bloomberg) — Dutch communities rattled by earthquakes are upending Europe’s energy market.

Towns in the northern province of Groningen sit atop the continent’s biggest gas field, where the Dutch government says exploration by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp. has triggered 196 earthquakes since 2013, damaging buildings and making home sales difficult. Lawmakers, seeking support in provincial elections March 18, have responded to residents’ complaints with a proposed cut in gas production, the second since December, in the hope that less output means fewer tremors. read more

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A Port pledge? Shell’s Arctic fleet out in 2 years, no more lightning leases

Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 08.56.29From an article by Joel Connelly published 10 March 2015 by Seattlepi.com

A Port pledge? Shell’s Arctic fleet out in 2 years, no more lightning leases

With a $5.8 billion investment, Shell is determined to return to Alaska’s Chukchi Sea this summer.

The Seattle Port Commission is seeking a passage to calmer waters after facing protest and song over its lease of Terminal 5 to provide a staging area for Royal Dutch Shell’s Arctic oil drilling fleet.

A motion, set for vote at a future Commission meeting, would require that Shell’s fleet be gone within two years.  It also promises no more quickie deals removed from public scrutiny.  And the Commission would take over all future details of the controversial deal with Foss Maritime, which services Shell’s ships. read more

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Canadian Firm Welcomes Nigerian High Court Decision on Shell Oil Block

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38From an article published by thisdaylive.com on 11 March 2015

Canadian Firm Welcomes Nigerian High Court Decision on Shell Oil Block

A Canadian firm and member of Crestar Consortium that won the bid for Shell’s Oil Mining Lease (OML) 25, James Bay Resources Limited, has welcomed the decision of a Federal High Court restraining the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from acquiring the 45 per cent interest of Shell, Total and Agip in the disputed oil block.

James Bay is a part-owner of Crestar Integrated Natural Resources Limited, which was the winning bidder in May 2014 for the Shell’s 45 per cent participating interest in OML 25, and had deposited 100 per cent of the purchase consideration into an escrow account with JP Morgan in London. read more

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Exxon, Shell’s spending patterns may help them through oil price drop

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* Two biggest oil firms have finished major projects

* Exxon, Shell able to cut 2015 spending

* All oil majors face 2015 negative cashflow

* Set to increase borrowing easily to cover shortfalls

By Ron Bousso and Dmitry Zhdannikov

LONDON, March 10 (Reuters) – The world’s two biggest oil firms, Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell, may withstand the oil price collapse better than their rivals because they are closer to finishing expensive investment projects while others must keep spending. read more

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Royal Dutch Shell Faces $18 Billion Cash Flow Deficit in 2015-2016

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 08.45.23Article by Jayson Derrick, Benzinga Staff Writer, published 09 March 2015 by benzinga.com under the headline:

Royal Dutch Shell Faces $18 Billion Cash Flow Deficit in 2015-2016, Says Oppenheimer

In a report published Sunday, Oppenheimer analyst Fadel Gheit estimated Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS-A) will face a free cash flow deficit in both the current year and next year.

Gheit noted that Shell is taking actions to preserve its financial flexibility, including capital expenditure reductions, cost cuts and dividend freezes as the company believes oil prices need to average $90 to $110 per barrel longer term to meet growing demand while other producers believe “$70 oil is the new $90 oil.” read more

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City aims monkey wrench at homeport for Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet

Article by Joel Connelly published 9 March 2015 by Seattlepi.com

City aims monkey wrench at homeport for Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet

Seattle city officials on Monday tossed a carefully aimed monkey wrench into plans, approved last month by the Seattle Port Commission, to use the Seattle waterfront as base of operations for Shell Oil’s Arctic oil drilling fleet.

The city’s Department of Planning and Development will “review, investigate and determine” whether the port’s plan to play host to Shell — or, to be exact, Foss Maritime — is allowed under the current shoreline substantial development permit granted to Terminal 5. read more

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Email to John Donovan from the Irish Justice Minister

Screen Shot 2015-03-09 at 16.08.10CORRUPTION SURROUNDING THE CORRIB GAS PROJECT IN IRELAND

By John Donovan

Today, apparently by co-incidence, I received an email sent to me on behalf of the Irish Justice Minister, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, T.D. (Photo)

It was only yesterday that I posted an article on the above subject after a long break in coverage.

The email from the justice ministry contains an apology for the delay in responding to a communication I sent to the minister several months ago. It related to the admittance by a Shell supplier OSSL, that it had for a long period distributed bribes to the Irish police, and other Irish parties, including land owners, at the express instruction of their client Shell EP Ireland. I reported the unusual circumstances in which OSSL was demanding payment from Shell to cover bribes paid on its behalf. read more

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SHELL AGM 2015: IRISH POLICE ALCOHOL BILL ON THE AGENDA

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Screen Shot 2015-03-07 at 17.47.32JOHN DONOVAN EMAIL TO MR MICHIEL BRANDJES, COMPANY SECRETARY AND GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

On 3 Mar 2015, at 23:40, John Donovan wrote:

Dear Mr Brandjes

Several months ago, I publicly accused OSSL directors of bombarding Shell with blackmail demands for two years over the Shell sponsored corruption scandal in Ireland.

OSSL directors admitted supplying “gifts” on behalf of its client Shell EP Ireland to various parties, including the Irish police, to smooth the troubled path of the Corrib Gas Project.

One apparently legitimate OSSL invoice to Shell was for £30,000 of free booze showered on Irish cops accused of acting brutally towards “Shell To Sea” campaigners. read more

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Shell has no timeline for Nigeria oil well restart after leak

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Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38Sat Mar 7, 2015 9:00am GMT

LONDON (Reuters) – Shell has no timeline to restart the Seibou 2 wellhead in Nigeria that it closed in January after it leaked 550 barrels of crude oil, a spokeswoman said on Friday.

The company said it closed the well, which is operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), roughly 15 hours after the leak was detected.

The spill impacted 300,000 square metres of water surface, an area roughly the size of 42 football pitches, in Bayelsa State. read more

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Latest Development Regarding The USW Refinery Strike

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Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38By: MICHEAL KAUFMANPublished: Mar 7, 2015 at 10:04 am EST

The biggest oil refinery strike in the US in over three decades has entered its 35th day, with no agreement between the United Steelworkers (USW) union and Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) been reached so far.

The two parties had a meeting on Wednesday, but the talks ended without reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. Towards the end of the meeting, the two parties decided to hold talks next week. Further negotiations can start as early as March 9. read more

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In-house: Shell appoints successors to litigation and downstream GC roles

Screen Shot 2015-03-07 at 08.11.20Article by Sarah Downey published by Legal Business on 6 March 2015

In-house: Shell appoints successors to litigation and downstream GC roles

This article may be of interest to parties contemplating or in litigation with Royal Dutch Shell. Details who is in and out at the top of the Shell’s in-house army of 750 lawyers. Definite hint of intrigue. This follows the sudden departure of Peter Rees QC in foggy circumstances involving Ben van Beurden

Extracts

Royal Dutch Shell has made two significant internal promotions to its in-house legal function, with associate general counsel (GC) for litigation Richard Hill (pictured) appointed to succeed Brad Nielson as GC for global litigation, while Martin Bambridge, currently associate GC for the energy giant’s downstream portfolio, will take over from downstream legal chief, Hans von der Linde.

Announced internally yesterday (5 March), both Hill and Bambridge will take up their new positions on 1 April and 1 May respectively. Both Nielson and von der Linde are leaving the energy giant, although Shell refused to comment on their destination or why they were leaving the company. read more

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Police block striking refinery workers from entering Shell Houston HQ

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Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38REUTERS ARTICLE PUBLISHED FRIDAY 6 MARCH 2015

Police block striking refinery workers from entering Shell Houston HQ

(Reuters) – Police blocked several hundred striking laborers from entering Shell Oil Co’s downtown Houston headquarters during a protest on Friday to demand a new labor contract for U.S. refinery workers.

Officers quickly moved to guard entrances to the 50-story building as the workers climbed stairs leading to public doorways. There were no arrests or scuffles.

“We wanted to see if they would talk to us about the negotiations,” said Lee Medley, president of United Steelworkers union (USW) local 13-1, which represents workers striking at Marathon Petroleum Corp’s Galveston Bay, Texas, Refinery and Shell’s joint-venture Deer Park, Texas Refinery. read more

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Working for Shell didn’t stop me having morals or accepting climate change, says Mark Moody-Stuart

By John Donovan

The Guardian has published another article by former Royal Dutch Shell Group Chairman, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart.

He is apparently attempting to deal with the recent suggestion by Jonathan Porritt  that oil company employees should conducer quitting their jobs on moral grounds.

Sir Mark says that working for Shell didn’t stop him from having morals or accepting climate change.

He clearly holds himself in high esteem.

Surprising, since all manner of unethical activity took place during his time at the top of Shell, including: read more

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Nigeria’s Ogonis Divided Over Resuming Oil Production

Screen Shot 2015-02-22 at 10.18.33By Chris Stein – Voice of America, 06 March 2015

Nigeria’s Ogonis Divided Over Resuming Oil Production

KEGBARA DERE, NIGERIA—

Oil once flowed in Ogoniland, as it does from wells throughout the creeks and swamps of Nigeria’s Niger Delta region.

But in 1993, the Ogoni people said enough. Leaking pipelines were polluting the fields they farmed and the waterways they fished.

Oil giant Shell was forced to pull out of Ogoniland that year in the face of protests led by the charismatic Ken Saro-Wiwa, head of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, or MOSOP. He was hanged two years later by the military dictatorship that ran Nigeria, in a move widely seen as retaliation for his activism. read more

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Shell Nigeria: Allegations of insider trading and sharp practices

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38From an article published by ThisDayLive on 6 March 2015 under the headline:

House Summons Alison-Madueke, Shell over Divestment from Oil Block

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The Nigerian House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, and the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over allegations of sharp practices in the divestment of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 11 by the Anglo-Dutch oil multinational.

Prompted by a motion sponsored by Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta (PDP, Abia), the House would probe the circumstances surrounding Shell’s exit from the said oil block and host communities knowing how interested it was in the build-up to the acquisition process. read more

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Shell confirms oil leak from underwater facility in Bayelsa

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Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 21.26.38From an article published in the Premium Times on 5 March 2015:

Shell confirms oil leak from underwater facility in Bayelsa

Extracts

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Thursday confirmed an oil leak incident from its underwater line within its oil fields in Bayelsa.

According to a statement issued by Joesph Obari, Spokesperson for the oil firm, the leakage was reported on January 23, 2015, and the company subsequently shut the facility.

A site visit however showed that residual leak from Seibou Deep facility operated by SPDC, has been discharging crude into Ogboinbiri River in Bayelsa.

“A spill was detected from an underwater flow line riser at the Seibou 2 Wellhead in the night of January 23, 2015,” the statement said.

“The well was closed-in about fifteen hours later, once it was safe to do so and the impacted area boomed off to prevent further spread of the spill. read more

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Shell gig invite turned down by The Saw Doctors

Article by Lorna Siggins published by the Irish Times Friday 6 March 2015

Shell gig invite turned down by The Saw Doctors

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Folk rock band The Saw Doctors has turned down an invitation from Shell E&P Ireland to play at a gig in north Mayo this month celebrating the competion of the Corrib gas terminal.

The Tuam band, which is currently on a break from live appearances, said it was “not interested in playing for Shell E&P Ireland”.

However, Shell has confirmed that some musicians among the company’s own staff would be performing instead.

Band manager Ollie Jennings received the invitation from Shell several months ago, and confirmed this week that the musicians refused to accept the booking. read more

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