Written by Niamh Burns – 13/07/2016 3:54 pm

The vice president of Shell’s UK and Ireland Upstream operations has said the oil major is “disappointed” after both Unite and RMT unions voted in support of strike action.

The move could mark the first industrial action of its kind in a generation.

It comes after more than 200 workers were balloted on whether they would support either strike action or action short of a strike.

Wood Group has also said it is “disappointed” by the decision of its staff. read more

Shell, NNPC/NPDC And Niger Delta Cleanup: Who Owns OML 11 In Ogoniland?

BY IFEANYI IZEZE: JUL 13, 2016

What is wrong with our government people that each time they act, you only see a bunch of tactless or outrightly naive actions? How do you reconcile that with the United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP) – sponsored Ogoni clean-up exercise still neither here nor there despite the ceremonial flag-off by President Mohammadu Buhari, a government-owned oil company Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), could be moving ahead to re-enter the crisis area for oil production? Is the government feigning ignorance of the fact that re-commencement of oil exploitation activities or even the talk of it at this time in Ogoniland would undoubtedly incite protest against whoever is scheming to come in to mine oil? read more

Markets | Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:53am EDT

* Support for strike over pay and working conditions

* Shell platforms concerned include Brent, Shearwater

As many as seven of Royal Dutch Shell’s North Sea platforms could be hit by the first strike action in the basin in 10 years after Wood Group employees working on the facilities voted on Wednesday in favour of industrial action.

Wood Group workers are employed on Shell platforms to carry out maintenance work. A person familiar with the operations said this meant production from the platforms was unlikely to be affected by potential strikes in the short term. read more

by Tsveta Zikolova: Wednesday, 13 Jul 2016, 14:09 BST

Standard & Poor’s has trimmed its rating on Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSA), the Financial Times has reported. The move has been prompted by the group’s £35-billion takeover of former smaller London-listed peer BG Group completed earlier this year.

Shell’s share price has been little changed in today’s session, having lost 0.07 percent to stand at 2,106.00p as of 13:25 BST. The shares are marginally underperforming the broader London market, with the benchmark FTSE 100 index having inched 0.12 percent higher to 6,688.62 points. Shell’s shares have gained nearly 16 percent over the past year, and are up just under 38 percent in the year-to-date. read more

Written by Niamh Burns – 13/07/2016 7:43 am

Oil workers could strike today for the first time in a generation after talks broke down between unions and Wood Group.

The move comes after oil major Shell found itself at the centre of the workforce dispute which has paved the way for industrial action.

BREAKING: RMT workers vote in support of strike action.

Unions decided to ballot their workers in May after initial talks regarding 30% pay cuts to eight of Shell’s North Sea platforms, including the Brent field, failed to provide a solution. It’s the third pay cut since 2014. read more

13 July 2016

Members of two unions at oil and gas company Wood Group have voted in favour of going on strike.

Unite and the RMT have been in dispute with the firm over what the trade unions have described as a “swingeing” proposed pay cut.

Unite’s ballot had a turnout of 86.6% and 99.1% voted for strike action, while 98.5% of the RMT’s turnout of 67% also backed taking the same action.

Wood Group said it was “extremely disappointed” by the results.

It said it has addressed every significant concern and a resolution to the dispute would safeguard jobs. read more

LIKE THE SUN A still image taken from a recording shows the glow from the flaring at the Corrib Gas terminal on New Year’s Eve.

EPA confirms issuing of summons

Áine Ryan: 12 JULY 2016

SHELL E&P Ireland will appear before Dublin Metropolitan District Court on September 5 next over an intense flaring incident at the controversial Corrib refinery on December 31 last, The Mayo News can confirm. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has confirmed it issued a summons to Shell last week after a six-month investigation into what locals described as a ‘frightening’ event.  They said it lasted 30 to 40 minutes, lit up the sky and was seen from as far away as Achill and Foxford. The fire from the giant chimney stack was accompanied by a ‘low, loud rumble like a supersonic boom’, according to local witnesses read more