ACCC kicks of inquiry into Shell’s BG Group takeover
Angela Macdonald-Smith: Energy Reporter:Published 12 June 2015
The national competition watchdog has kicked off an examination of Royal Dutch Shell’s proposed $90 billion takeover of BG Group, with the focus set to land on the impact of further consolidation on the east coast market where manufacturers are already struggling to source long-term supplies.
Incitec Pivot managing director James Fazzino has already declared he will voice his concerns over the mammoth deal to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, noting last month that “the industry doesn’t need more consolidation.”
The inquiry into the proposed acquisition, which got under way on Thursday, comes as the ACCC is already carrying out a broader examination of competition in east coast gas supply amid complaints by manufacturers on pricing and availability.
Industrial gas buyers are facing a doubling of prices or more as they seek to renew contracts, after wholesale prices surged from historical levels of around $3.50 a gigajoule.
Shell’s planned acquisition of BG would result in a major amalgamation of gas resources in Queensland, where Shell owns 50 per cent of the Arrow gas venture with PetroChina, while BG owns QGC.
Both ventures are large suppliers of coal seam gas into the Queensland market, and the takeover is expected to result in Arrow’s uncontracted CSG resources being directed into QGC’s LNG export project in Gladstone.
In its broader scrutiny of the east coast gas market, the ACCC has advised it will seek views of industry about competitiveness.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said on Friday the regulator was prepared for a huge task in the inquiry.
“The ACCC is well placed to investigate and assess any structural or other issues in the gas market that limit competition or prevent the gas market working as expected,” Mr Sims told a conference in Melbourne.
The ACCC is accepting submissions on the Shell-BG deal until July 2 and said it expected to announce either a final decision or release a statement of issues on the transaction on September 3.
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.
