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January, 2016:

Russians’ Anxiety Swells as Oil Prices Collapse

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By NEIL MacFARQUHARA version of this article appears in print on January 23, 2016, on page A1 of the New York edition

The global collapse in oil prices is reordering economic relations around the world, but the change is particularly daunting for Russia, which relies on energy exports for 50 percent of its federal budget.

In December, President Vladimir V. Putin told the nation that the worst of the recession — the economy shrank 3.9 percent and inflation hit 12.9 percent in 2015 — was over and that modest growth would return in 2016. He has been pushing the oil collapse as an “opportunity” that will wean Russia off energy imports and diversify the economy. 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 – BG Group Merger: Investors Remain Divided

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By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Jan 22, 2016 at 8:14 am ESt

A few days before the shareholders’ meetings on January 27 and January 28, the proposed merger of Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) and BG Group has received major support from one of the biggest shareholders of Shell. According to Reuters, Norges Bank Investment Management said it will vote in favor of the proposed merger.

The $790 billion Norwegian fund is the fifth largest investor of European giant, Shell. It believes, amidst low oil prices, the deal will make both the energy companies stronger. The transaction will also be positive for the long-term interests of the companies’ shareholders, the bank added. 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.

Another low

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By Ed Crooks: January 22, 2016: Jan 22, 2016

Another week, another fresh 12-year low for oil prices. The trigger for the latest leg down in crude, which took US benchmark West Texas Intermediate close to $26 per barrel on Wednesday, was a report from the International Energy Agency warning that “the oil market could drown in over-supply”. For a third successive year, it looks likely that global oil supply will in 2016 exceed demand by more than 1m barrels per day, leading to a continued accumulation of stocks in storage. Could the oil price go lower still, the IEA asked rhetorically, and replied: “the answer to our question is an emphatic yes. It could go lower.” 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 Rout Prompts Moody’s to Consider Shell, Total for Downgrade

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Screen Shot 2016-01-22 at 12.08.33Moody’s will also review the ratings of two U.S. refining joint ventures linked to Shell, Motiva Enterprises LLC and Deer Park Refining LP.

By Mikael Holter and Rakteem Katakey: Bloomberg.com: 22 JAN 2016

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total SA and Statoil ASA, three of Europe’s biggest oil producers, were among more than 100 energy companies whose credit ratings were placed on review for possible downgrade by Moody’s Investors Service.

The reviews come after the rating company cut its oil-price forecasts and should for the most part be completed this quarter, Moody’s said in a statement on Friday. Prices may recover more slowly than companies expect and there is a risk they may fall further, it 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.

Hedge funds bet that shares in Shell and Sainsbury’s will fall further as both firms suffer disastrous starts to 2016

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By City & Finance Reporter for the Daily Mail: 22 JAN 2016

Hedge funds are taking bets that shares in Royal Dutch Shell and Sainsbury’s will fall further.

Shell, which is down nearly 15 per cent so far this year and is hoping to buy gas giant BG Group in a £36billion deal next month, has around 5 per cent of its shares out on loan.

Investors are ‘shorting’ its shares – borrowing shares and selling them with a view to buying them back at a lower price in future.

According to financial research firm Markit, £2.6billion of short positions have been registered in Shell, which means short interest now stands at a record high for the energy firm. 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-BG merger gains support ahead of vote

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Shell’s business gamble, supported by oil prices at near record highs, is on the brink of paying off Photo: Newscast

By Jillian Ambrose: 21 Jan 2016

Key investment funds have voiced growing support for the planned £47bn merger of energy giants Shell and BG Group ahead of crucial shareholder votes next week.

Shell’s fifth biggest investor, Norges Bank Investment Management, said on Wednesday that it will vote in favour of the plan at the shareholder meeting on January 27.

The $790bn fund joins a growing group of shareholders in support of the deal, including smaller investment funds and investment advisory firms. 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.

Who’s afraid of cheap oil?

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The world is drowning in oil.

Jan 23rd 2016 | From the print edition

ALONG with bank runs and market crashes, oil shocks have rare power to set monsters loose. Starting with the Arab oil embargo of 1973, people have learnt that sudden surges in the price of oil cause economic havoc. Conversely, when the price slumps because of a glut, as in 1986, it has done the world a power of good. The rule of thumb is that a 10% fall in oil prices boosts growth by 0.1-0.5 percentage points.

In the past 18 months the price has fallen by 75%, from $110 a barrel to below $27. Yet this time the benefits are less certain. Although consumers have gained, producers are suffering grievously. The effects are spilling into financial markets, and could yet depress consumer confidence. Perhaps the benefits of such ultra-cheap oil still outweigh the costs, but markets have fallen so far so fast that even this is no longer clear. 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.

Fund houses poised to greenlight Shell/ BG takeover

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A raft of fund houses have revealed their hand and come out in favour of the deal, defying critics who argue that the fall in the oil price has made it unworkable for Shell. Kames is understood to be backing the deal with its Shell and BG shares and is understood to be encouraging all its fund managers to vote in line with the house view – contrary to some fund houses which allow the managers of listed trusts to back their clients in company votes rather than toeing the party line.

Rathbone chief investment officer Julian Chillingworth said the fund house would be voting for the deal on behalf of both Shell and BG despite the recent oil price slide. He said: “Our house view is that on balance this deal is good for Shell in the medium term and that it should go ahead,” adding “these assets do not come around too often”. 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 reveals that profits have nearly halved but receives major backing for its deal with BG Group

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Screen Shot 2016-01-21 at 11.26.34By LAURA CHESTERS FOR THE DAILY MAIL: 21 JAN 2016

Royal Dutch Shell revealed quarterly profits had nearly halved yesterday but received major backing for its deal with BG Group.

Shell said its fourth-quarter profit will be down by around 40 per cent to between £1.1bn and £1.3bn and its full- year earnings could drop to as low as £7.3bn for 2015 – well below the near £16bn it reported in 2014.

As markets plunged across the globe Shell’s shares plummeted 5.5 per cent or 74.5p to 1294.95p yesterday and BG’s fell nearly 3 per cent or 42.3p to 897p. Despite the chaos and the collapse in the oil price, Shell’s chief executive Ben van Beurden is proceeding with the proposed takeover. 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.

Pink Slips at Shell Oil

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Shell Oil must cut all Contractors from WIPRO, ACCENTURE AND IBM since these contractors are all under performers and these Wipro, Accenture and IBM Contractors are not having relevant experience but they bring all freshers/ Zero experienced people to work on IT projects and claim huge hourly rate that is equal to be paid for highly experienced people.

These WIPRO, ACCENTURE AND IBM companies including its PMO staff must be fired immediately to save future investments on business improvements.

The work/task that can be completed in one day will be completed in 10 days by these Contractors since they get paid for all these days and Looks like Shell Oil is paying for under performed employees that needs to be paid for highly performed employees. 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 plumbs new lows below $27 as rout persists

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U.S. oil is now flowing unfettered to Europe for the first time, “so it’s a battle royale.”

Markets | Wed Jan 20, 2016: 3:29pm EST: New York

U.S. oil prices crashed below $27 dollars a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since 2003, caught in a broad slump across world financial markets with traders also worried that the crude supply glut could last longer.

Oil has fallen more than 25 percent so far this year, the steepest such slide since the financial crisis, piling more pain on oil drillers and producing nations alike. Yet they keep pumping more oil into an oversupplied market. 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’s Nightmare Scenario Dominates Davos

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Global Stocks on Brink of Bear Market as Oil Slides; Ruble Sinks

By Javier Blas, Grant Smith: Bloomberg.com: 20 JAN 2016

The first mantra of the oil crisis was “lower for longer.” Then “lower for even longer.” Now in Davos, oil executives are starting to talk — or rather, whisper — about a new nightmare scenario: “A lot lower for a lot longer.”

Oil executives, policy makers and banks said in the first days of the World Economic Forum that a recovery will remain elusive in 2016 as major producers keep pumping and China’s fuel appetite slackens. And they fret that prices could take another hit as Iranian crude freed from sanctions flows back on to world markets.

More from Bloomberg.com: The North Dakota Crude Oil That’s Worth Almost Nothing

“It is the third year in a row we have more supply than demand,” Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, told Francine Lacqua in a Bloomberg Television interview. “Prices will be still under pressure. I don’t see any reason why we have a surprise increase in the price in 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 JOB CUTS

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POSTED ON OUR SHELL BLOG: 20 JAN 2016

As one of the many let go by Shell in the recent cull in November I was not impressed by the way senior leaders clung to their jobs.

This is now going to get even worse in my opinion as Shell announces more job losses.

Even the inmates will be turning on each other as there is nobody left in the asylum and yet strangely the senior leaders still remain in place.

The same senior leaders who got us into this mess seem to think they are the best to get Shell out of it. Good luck boys, its great watching from the outside for a change. 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 profits dive ahead of BG deal shareholder vote

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20 JAN 2016

Royal Dutch Shell has reported a sharp drop in profits just a week before shareholders vote on its planned takeover of smaller rival BG Group.

For the fourth quarter it expects profits of $1.6bn to $1.9bn, less than half the $4.2bn it made a year ago.

It expects full year profits of $10.4bn to $10.7bn, below its $10.8bn guidance.

The oil firm has issued the preliminary results to enable investors to have up-to-date information on its performance ahead of the vote on 27 January.

Its shares fell 3.7% in early trading.

But chief executive Ben van Beurden said he was “pleased” with the results.

“The completion of the BG transaction, which we are expecting in a matter of weeks, will mark the start of a new chapter in Shell, to rejuvenate the company, and improve shareholder returns,” he added. 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 / BG: A Marriage That Will Need Work

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Screen Shot 2016-01-13 at 08.05.25By HELEN THOMAS: Jan 20, 2016

As a reminder of why Royal Dutch Shell wants to buy BG Group , an ugly set of figures certainly does the job.

Amid criticism of the now-$47 billion deal ahead of shareholders votes later this month, both companies released early full-year results Wednesday.

Shell’s report card was enough to send its stock down 5% in early trading.

FULL ARTICLE

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 Sharply Lower Profit Amid Oil Slump

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By STANLEY REEDJAN. 20, 2016

LONDON — Royal Dutch Shell said on Wednesday that it expected profit for the fourth quarter of last year to be sharply lower than in the same period in 2014.

The company issued the preliminary estimates before a much-anticipated vote by Shell shareholders next Wednesday on the proposed acquisition of the BG Group, an oil and gas producer based in England.

Shell estimated that its profit for the quarter, excluding inventory changes and one-time charges, would fall around 50 percent, to between $1.6 billion and $1.9 billion, as lower oil prices cut sharply into revenue. The company posted profit of about $3.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014. 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 price plunge leads Shell to warn that 2015 earnings will more than halve, but it sees BG Group takeover as a ‘new chapter’

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  • Shell expects full year underlying earnings to drop to between $10.4bn (£7.3bn) and $10.7bn (£7.6bn), a sharp fall on 20’14’s $22.56bn (£15.9bn)
  •  Every $10 change in crude price knocks around $3bln (£2.1bn) off earnings
  • BG says its earnings dropped in 2015 as expected, but added that the results are in line or ahead of forecasts 

By JONATHON HOPKINS FOR THISISMONEY.CO.UK: 20 JAN 2016

Plunging oil prices have led energy giant Royal Dutch Shell to warn that its earnings are expected to more than halve for 2015, sending its shares over 4 per cent lower this morning.

The blue chip group, which is weeks away from completing a £38billion deal to buy rival BG Group, said it expects its full year underlying earnings to drop to between $10.4billion (£7.3billion) and $10.7billion (£7.6billion).

That would be slightly City below expectations and marks a sharp fall on the $22.56billion (£15.9billion) Shell reported for 2014. It will report its full year results on February 4. 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 cut 10,000 jobs in drive to slash costs

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Screen Shot 2015-12-23 at 09.03.45By Sara SjolinPublished: Jan 20, 2016 3:42 a.m. ET

Royal Dutch Shell PLC RDSB, -4.82% RDS.B, -1.28% plans to cut 10,000 jobs in an effort to further reduce costs amid a severe slump in oil prices. The Anglo-Dutch energy company said in its trading update on Wednesday it had slashed operating costs by $4 billion in 2015 and that it expects further reductions of $3 billion in 2016. Shell also said profit fell by as much as 50% in the fourth quarter, sending the shares down 4.2%. 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 Fourth-Quarter Profit Plunges as Oil’s Slump Deepens

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Rakteem Katakey: Bloomberg.comJanuary 20, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell Plc said fourth-quarter profit plunged as the rout in crude prices deepened. 

The company sees profit adjusted for one-time items and inventory changes of $1.6 billion to $1.9 billion, The Hague-based Shell said Wednesday in a preliminary earnings statement. That compares with the $1.8 billion average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, and profit of $3.3 billion a year earlier.

Shell, which is buying BG Group Plc in the industry’s largest deal in a decade, has cut jobs and reduced spending as Chief Executive Officer Ben Van Beurden prepares for a prolonged downturn. Crude’s slump below $30 a barrel has driven down Shell’s market value to the lowest in almost seven years and prompted concern it may be overpaying for BG’s production and cash flow. 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 Profit Tumbles Amid Oil Price Slump

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By SARAH KENT: Jan. 20, 2016 2:40 a.m. ET

LONDON— Royal Dutch Shell PLC Wednesday said its profit fell by as much as 50% in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2014, illustrating how the slump in oil prices is playing havoc with the energy industry. 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 warns of 50% cut in profits amid plunging oil price

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Terry MacalisterWednesday 20 January 2016 08.11 GMT

The dismal figures ramp up the pressure on Shell’s chief executive, Ben van Beurden, who is trying to justify the £35bn takeover of rival BG which must be agreed by more than 50% of Shell shareholders next week.

FULL ARTICLE

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 attacked for its part in ‘extraordinary’ £2.3bn Nigerian tax break

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Mark Leftly: 20 JAN 2016

Royal Dutch Shell has come under fire for being part of a consortium that accepted an “extraordinary” $3.3bn (£2.3bn) tax break in Nigeria – twice the poverty-stricken country’s annual health budget.  

In a new report ActionAid estimated the consortium, which also includes France’s Total and Italy’s Eni, received this benefit between 2004 and 2012 on top of Nigeria’s standard five-year tax holiday to encourage investment. The charity says the cost of the tax breaks could have been better spent on improving health and education systems at the same pace that oil revenue pours in. 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 market could drown in oversupply in 2016, says IEA

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Sean FarrellTuesday 19 January 2016 17.23 GMT

The world could find itself drowning in oil this year and prices could fall further as new Iranian output cancels out production cuts elsewhere, according to the International Energy Agency.

FULL ARTICLE

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Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BG Group Plc: To Be Or Not To Be?

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By James Skinner – Tuesday, 19 January, 2016

All that remains for Shell’s (LSE: RDSB) takeover of BG Group (LSE: BG) to become a done deal is for shareholders to vote it through at the end of this month (AGM).

I’m now having second thoughts about this, partly as a result of last week’s news, which saw Standard Life announce that it will vote against the merger at the upcoming meeting.

This announcement has prompted me to stop for a moment and ask if the transaction still makes sense.   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 price falls below $28 a barrel, or less than the cost of an actual barrel

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Hazel Sheffield: 18 JAN 2016

Not everyone agreed with the RAC when it said that petrol could become cheaper than bottled water.

RAC wagered that if the price of oil slid below $20 barrel, it could push petrol prices to 90p a litre – while a fall to $10 a barrel or less could see petrol sold at 86p a litre, or cheaper than a bottle of water.

But only if you are a water snob, according to the Hydration Council, who emailed us to say that the average price of a litre bottle of water, purchased in a multi-pack, is 38p. Take that, Perrier drinkers.  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 Giants Start Losing Safety Net as Refining Margins Squeezed

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Rakteem Katakey and Firat Kayakiran: Bloomberg.com: 19 JAN 2016

Refining profits that buttressed earnings for Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc as crude prices plunged are now slumping, further pressuring all of the world’s biggest oil companies as they move into 2016.

Global refining margins, the estimated profit from turning oil into gasoline and diesel, fell 34 percent in the fourth quarter, the steepest decline in eight years, to $13.20 a barrel, data on BP Plc’s website show. Every $1 drop cuts BP’s pretax adjusted earnings by $500 million a year, according to its website. 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.

Forced smiles at Shell!

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Strange that Shell pulls out of a ADNOC gasproject but continues with the BG deal (if the shareholders allow it).

Project costs must be at an all time low now and over 30 years this should be a good deal with the same arguments as used for the BG deal!

More gas, more reserves, growing market, prices will increase, shift towards gas, etc etc.

And with Prelude coming along, I worry that in this depressed market there will be tremendous costcutting. This is always good as long as it does not involve cutting corners. But who can guarantee this?? 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 Earnings to Show Depth of Rout as Oil Extends Losses

Screen Shot 2016-01-18 at 14.27.35Shell will on Wednesday become the first major oil producer to announce annual earnings as it enters the final stages of its plan to buy BG Group Plc in the industry’s biggest deal in years. Investors will scrutinize those preliminary numbers for signs Europe’s largest oil company is doing enough to justify the acquisition as crude drops below $30 a barrel. 

Shell has cut thousands of jobs and reduced spending as Chief Executive Officer Ben Van Beurden prepares the company for a prolonged downturn while looking to BG to add production and cash flow. The 18-month slump in crude, the longest since the mid-1980s, has delayed $380 billion of investments in the industry, driven down profits and erased more than $2.7 trillion of oil companies’ market value. 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 North Dakota Crude Oil That’s Worth Less Than Nothing

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Screen Shot 2016-01-18 at 14.15.28Dan Murtaugh and Javier Blas: 18 JAN 2016

Oil is so plentiful and cheap in the U.S. that at least one buyer says it would need to be paid to take a certain type of low-quality crude.

Flint Hills Resources LLC, the refining arm of billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch’s industrial empire, said it would pay -$0.50 a barrel Friday for North Dakota Sour, a high-sulfur grade of crude, according to a list price posted on its website. That’s down from $13.50 a barrel a year ago and $47.60 in January 2014. 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 ditches major Abu Dhabi gas field project

Screen Shot 2016-01-18 at 14.07.39By Ron Bousso: Commodities | Mon Jan 18, 2016 12:07pm GMT

Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday it had decided to exit the multi-billion dollar plan to jointly develop the Bab sour gas field in Abu Dhabi, citing the downturn in the oil market.

The Anglo-Dutch company said that “following a careful and thorough evaluation of technical challenges and costs” it will stop further joint work on the project with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC).

Shell won in 2013 a tender that was valued at the time at $10 billion to develop over a 30-year venture the complex sour gas field that involves treating potentially deadly gasses. 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 and VW top list of NGOs ‘most hated’ brands in the UK

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Zlata Rodionova: 18 JAN 2016

Volkswagen has made a list of non-governmental organisations’ “most hated” brands in the UK for the first time, following a turbulent year for the company dealing with fallout from the emissions scandal.

VW came in at fourth place in the survey that named Shell as the most hated brand.

VW is now the seventh least popular brand in the world, according to the survey of more than 7,500 NGOs by Sigwatch, a consultancy.

Robert Blood, founder and managing of Sigwatch, told the Independent that the Volkswagen scandal allowed NGOs to draw attention to the bigger problem of green 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.

VW challenges Shell as world’s ‘most hated’ brand after emissions scandal

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Screen Shot 2015-12-18 at 08.01.07The emissions scandal has propelled Volkswagen to the fourth spot in a list of brands most hated by NGOs, while Shell retains the top place.

Energy companies dominate the list of the most criticised companies in the world.

Shell’s Artic drilling plans made it a particular target for criticism in 2015, according to research by NGO tracker Sigwatch.

FULL ARTICLE

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.

Did Shell Take On Too Much Risk In This Oil Price Environment?

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The $50 billion acquisition is a risky prospect indeed, even though Shell is adamant that after dumping assets and jobs, the acquisition will actually turn a profit at $50 per barrel of crude. According to Shell, this is the worst-case, short-term scenario.

Despite plenty of sentiments to the contrary, Shell is fervently lobbying for this deal to go through. Last week, an influential shareholder advisory group—Institutional Shareholder Services—even recommended that investors embrace the BG takeover, according to the Wall Street Journal. They cited “credible evidence” that Shell was paying a fair price, even in the current oil price slump. read more

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Shell boss Ben van Beurden strained and nervous

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By John Donovan

Monday 18 Jan 2016

The Sunday Times reports that Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive, Ben van Beurden is looking strained and admits to being nervous while watching events unfold.

The events no doubt being the continuing collapse in the price of oil and the related panicked reaction from some major shareholders.

The world is awash with low-cost oil and the end of Iranian sanctions will add to the glut and likely send prices even lower.

Naturally BvB tries to talk up the oil price despite all of the signs being that it is still on the way down and according to some independent experts, likely to remain depressed for a protracted period. read more

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Shell the company most criticised by campaigners

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Sunday 17 JAN 2016

German carmaker Volkswagen was one of the “most disliked” companies for pressure groups last year following its emissions scandal, a survey has found.

Shell was the most criticised by campaigners, followed by Monsanto, which makes genetically modified food.

Half of the top-10 most criticised companies on Sigwatch’s list were energy firms, because of “the elephant in the room – climate change,” Mr Blood said.

Top was Shell, but TransCanada, ExxonMobil, EDF and BP also featured. read more

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Shell investors: all they need to know, the crucial documents, and how to vote

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By John Ficenec, Ficenec: 1:26PM GMT 17 Jan 2016

Royal Dutch Shell shareholders have less than two weeks to cast their vote on the proposed takeover of BG Group. We provide all the crucial dates, how to vote, and where the additional information can be found.

How to vote

The most important thing is for retail investors to use their shareholder rights and vote.

Importantly only “Members” of the company who appear on the shareholder register, and personal CREST account holders, have an automatic right to vote. The majority of investors with shares in SIPPs and ISAs will be held through nominee accounts, and as such have no automatic right to vote. read more

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Shell CEO says oil giant would be hit by Brexit

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Stocks | Sun Jan 17, 2016 12:09pm GMT

London: The chief executive of one of the world’s biggest firms Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) warned on Sunday that the oil and gas company would be negatively impacted were Britons to back leaving the European Union in a referendum.

Prime Minister David Cameron is renegotiating his country’s membership of the 28-member trading bloc and could reach a deal with EU partners at a summit next month, paving the way for a public vote as soon as June.

Chief Executive Ben van Beurden told the Sunday Times newspaper that the Anglo-Dutch firm, which is currently seeking shareholder approval for its bid to acquire Britain’s BG Group (BG.L), could suffer were Britain to leave the bloc. read more

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Shell chief stakes his job on bet that oil will bounce back

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Screen Shot 2015-12-23 at 09.03.45SUNDAY 17 JAN 2015

What’s not to like about $30 a barrel?

Quite a lot if you are Ben van Beurden, Royal Dutch Shell’s chief executive, who is trying to land the deal of a lifetime based on oil prices being double what they are now. Van Beurden was hailed last year for a swift raid on BG, a British oil and gas giant that had lost its way. Shell had stalked BG for 15 years but lacked the nerve to make a move. Van Beurden, a surprise choice as boss, had the balls. 

FULL ARTICLE

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Oil plummets to $29, dragging world stocks lower

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NEW YORK | BY HERBERT LASHMarkets | Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:51pm EST

Oil prices plummeted to $29 a barrel on Friday on the likely resumption soon of Iranian oil exports into an already flooded market as international sanctions against Iran are lifted, dragging equity indices around the world sharply lower.

Skittish investors snapped up gold and other safe-haven assets amid fears of a global economic slowdown, coupled with concerns about a potential credit default as lower commodity prices make payments by creditors in emerging markets difficult.

Major stock indices in Europe closed down more than 2 percent, while Wall Street stock indexes tumbled even more. Global crude benchmark Brent settled below $29 a barrel, capping a 13 percent decline for the week.

“We’re seeing the final capitulation,” said Tina Byles Williams, chief investment officer at FIS Group in Philadelphia, which oversees about $4.4 billion in assets under management. read more

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Shell denies Iranian report of Tehran visit

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Jan 16 2016

Royal Dutch Shell on Saturday denied a report in Iranian media that it had sent representatives to Iran ahead of the expected lifting of international sanctions.

Iran’s Mehr news agency had earlier reported that Shell and French oil major Total had sent executives to Tehran, and were due to meet officials from the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) on Sunday.

International sanctions on Iran were expected to be lifted on Saturday under the terms of a nuclear deal agreed last year, and Iran freed four U.S. prisoners. Iran has pledged to ramp up its oil production shortly after sanctions are lifted. read more

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Why Buying BP plc & Royal Dutch Shell Plc Is Utter Madness!

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By Royston Wild – Friday, 15 January 2016

Another day, another chance for further harrowing weakness across stock markets and commodity classes. And so it has come to pass.

Brent values fell even further below the $30 per barrel marker during Friday trade, marking fresh nadirs not seen since 2004. The benchmark has dropped more than 10% since the start of the week, and levels of $60 per barrel seen just six months ago seem a very, very long way away.

While fossil fuel plays (LSE: BP) and Shell (LSE: RDSB) have suffered fresh weakness as a result — the operators’ share prices are down 5% and 12% respectively since 2016 kicked off — I believe investors should resist attempting to pick up a bargain. read more

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Stock Prices Sink in a Rising Ocean of Oil

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It could get worse. The nuclear deal with Iran should allow the country to start exporting far more oil, once sanctions are lifted, potentially in a matter of days. Iran could add as much as 500,000 barrels a day to the global markets. Tentative progress in negotiations between warring factions in Libya, battling for control of oil and export terminals, could unleash another flood.

By CLIFFORD KRAUSSA version of this article appears in print on January 16, 2016, on page A1 of the New York edition

HOUSTON — The world is awash in crude oil, with enough extra produced last year to fuel all of Britain or Thailand. And the price of oil will not stop falling until the glut shrinks.

The oil glut — the unsold crude that is piling up around the world — is a quandary and a source of investor anxiety that once again rattled global markets on Friday.

As prices have dropped, the amount of excess production has been cut in half over the last six months. About one million barrels of extra oil is now being dumped on the markets each day. read more

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Shell, Total representatives arrive in Tehran

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Shell, Total representatives arrive in Tehran

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TEHRAN, Jan. 16 (MNA) – Representatives of several world’s oil giants have traveled to Iran on the verge of the removal of international sanctions.

A few days before the cancellation of international sanctions against Iran, a number of the largest oil companies including the Anglo-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell company and France’s Total Corporation have sent representatives to Iran in order to negotiation with Iranian oil authorities.

Accordingly, the visiting representatives are scheduled to hold talks with the officials of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) as well as National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) on Sunday discussing venues for boosting bilateral ties. read more

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Shell dividend could be under threat over audacious takeover of gas specialist BG Group

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By LAURA CHESTERS FOR THE DAILY MAIL: 16 JAN 2016

The last time Royal Dutch Shell cut its dividend was in 1945 when the Netherlands had just endured the ‘Hunger winter’ under Nazi occupation before the end of the Second World War.

Now investors are worrying their treasured dividend could be under threat again.

Shell is embarking on an audacious takeover of gas specialist BG Group. The £36bn deal will go to a shareholder vote at the end of the month. However, with the oil price at a 12-year low, many are warning the deal does not make sense.

And worse still, some are fearful that if it does go ahead it will mean Shell won’t be able to afford to keep paying its healthy dividend.

Shell pays the best dividend in the FTSE 100 and yields around 7.2 per cent on the current promised $1.88-a-share dividend. As Steve Clayton, head of equities research at broker Hargreaves Lansdown, explains: ‘Half of Holland would keel over in apoplectic horror if Shell ever cut the payout.’

A handful of institutional investors have already pronounced their views on the deal. read more

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Shell in bed with the President of Argentina?

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Dear John,

It has taken some time to send you my promised request for information, but I’m now fulfilling my commitment. 

I’m an Argentinian independent journalist. Usually, I write on international Politics, and in this job I regularly check your site. In recent times, however, I note the absence of references to the enormous political engagement of Shell in the new Argentinian government.

Usually, I write on international Politics, and in this job I regularly check your site. In recent times, however, I note the absence of references to the enormous political engagement of Shell in the new Argentinian government. read more

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A £36bn deal of a lifetime: Shell boss vows to protect dividends as he defends merger with BG Group 

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Screen Shot 2016-01-14 at 23.40.15By ALEX BRUMMER FOR THE DAILY MAIL: 15 JAN 2016

The stone-faced Shell building overlooking the Thames at dawn is the grand dame of the London skyline predating the towers of Canary Wharf and the London Eye.

It is from here, in a relatively modest, plainly decorated 24th floor office, with almost no personal touches, that Ben van Beurden, a Shell man for 33 years, is engaged in the boldest move of his career.

‘I’ll be very honest with you,’ he confesses to the Mail in his first major interview since the transforming bid for BG International, formerly the exploration arm of British Gas, was unveiled last April.  read more

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Will Royal Dutch Shell Eliminate Its Dividend This Year?

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Screen Shot 2015-11-20 at 08.55.47Extracts from an article by Lior Cohen: JAN 14, 2016

Shell’s stock shed 10% off its value over the last month, as the price of oil dwindled.

Following this fall, the dividend yield is currently at 9.4% – a historic level.

Some investors think that because the company paid and raised its dividend since WW2, it means it won’t deviate at this stage. But let’s not forget that times are changing. And if Shell were to face say a Gulf of Mexico oil spill as BP (NYSE:BP) encountered back in 2010, you can bet the dividend will be eliminated in a heartbeat – especially in times of low oil prices. But even without a major oil spill, the current oil price environment stresses Shell’s cash reserves. read more

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Short-term LNG supply: Shell to lose $1b contract as Qatar offers lower price

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By Zafar BhuttaPublished: January 15, 2016

ISLAMABAD: Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell is going to lose a five-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply contract worth over $1 billion as a Qatari company has agreed to provide the commodity at a lower price to Pakistan.

Gunvor and Royal Dutch Shell had won supply contracts in response to the two tenders floated by Pakistan State Oil (PSO) a few weeks ago for bringing 120 LNG cargoes over a period of five years.

Gunvor offered to bring 60 cargoes at 13.37% of Brent crude price whereas Shell quoted 13.8% of Brent crude price for another 60 cargoes. read more

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Shell names top exec to head BG during complex integration

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LONDON | BY RON BOUSSO: Deals | Thu Jan 14, 2016 10:38am EST

Royal Dutch Shell’s top executive planning the integration of BG Group will become transitional CEO of BG after expected completion of the $48 billion acquisition next month, company sources said.

The appointment of Dutchman Huibert Vigeveno to oversee the complex merger of the two global businesses comes as no surprise.

Vigeveno was appointed last August to spearhead the joint Shell-BG integration committee along with BG’s Sinead Lynch, and had previously headed Shell’s operations in China and had also worked for the Anglo-Dutch company in Brazil, two key markets for the combined group. read more

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Shell-BG deal wins more support, but concerns persist

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By Ron Bousso and Karolin Schaps

LONDON, Jan 14 Two weeks before shareholders are due to vote on Royal Dutch Shell $48 billion bid for BG Group, more investors have come out in support of the deal, despite lingering concerns about the effect of falling oil prices on the sector.

The bid has already won the backing of several major shareholders and advisory groups, with only a handful of investors publicly arguing against its merits even as oil prices have dropped below $30 a barrel for the first time in 12 years. read more

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