Royal Dutch Shell Group .com Rotating Header Image

September, 2016:

Dutch parliament orders annual check on Groningen gas production

screen-shot-2016-09-15-at-17-37-47

Thu Sep 15, 2016 4:51pm BST

The Dutch parliament adopted a motion on Thursday ordering the government to evaluate every year whether gas production at the country’s Groningen field can be reduced further.

Output from Groningen, Europe’s largest gas field, has halved over the past two years after the country’s Safety Board said the government was failing to protect citizens from earthquakes triggered by gas exploitation.

In June, the government capped production at 24 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually for the coming five years but the motion adopted Thursday opens the door to further reductions. 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: An Unsustainable Dividend

screen-shot-2016-09-15-at-15-42-39

Jesse Moore: Sept 15, 2016

Summary

  • Shell is funding its dividend and capital expense programs through a combination of debt and asset sales.
  • Those assets are operating, economic assets that provide long-term value to the company under its assumptions.
  • Shell has one year of leeway at current prices to fund its dividend after that rising debt will put too much pressure on the companies balance sheet.
  • Since I have a negative outlook on prices till at least 2018, I expect a Shell dividend cut in the first half of 2017.
  • Adding to the long list of resource companies with debt-funded dividends, we have Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B). With a current yield of nearly 8%, and assuming you knew nothing about oil and gas, you could reasonably conclude this company is in peak operating condition. Unfortunately for investors, that story would be far from true.

Capital Expense – Free Cash Gap Growing

Many Shell investors focus on the stability of the dividend as a hallmark of the stock. Those investors are seemingly immune to what the balance sheet, cash flow statement tell us. As the company has pushed towards gas and is being pushed by its investors towards renewables, the capital expense bills have piled up. Throughout the oil downturn, Shell has hardly reduced capital expense in line with free cash flow – a result of long-term project planning that cannot be reined 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.

Shell leaves refinery business in Denmark

screen-shot-2016-09-15-at-15-17-37

By Daniel J. Graeber     |   Sept. 15, 2016 at 8:36 AM

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Sept. 15 (UPI) — For about $80 million in capital, Royal Dutch Shell said Thursday it was keeping its upstream Danish interests in check, but unloading a refinery operation.

Shell said it reached an agreement with a Danish company to sell its refinery operations, which includes the Fredericia refinery that has the capacity to handle 70,000 barrels of product per day. The Dutch supermajor said its exploration and production interests in Denmark would not be impacted by the transaction. 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: STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL?

screen-shot-2016-09-15-at-12-59-59

EMAIL FROM JOHN DONOVAN TO SHELL: 15 SEPT 2016

From: John Donovan <[email protected]>

Subject: STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL?

Date: 15 September 2016 at 12:51:41 BST

To: [email protected]

Cc: Michiel Brandjes <[email protected]>

To Mr. Gary P. Thomson SI-LSC/KCompany Secretarial Advisor 

Corporate Secretariat 

London 

Dear Mr. Thomson

Thank you for your email dated 26 July 2016 and your subsequent letter dated 30 August 2016, the content of both stated by you to be “Strictly private and confidential”.

An attachment was marked as being “Confidential”. 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.

Will Saudi Aramco Be Able To Lay Its Hands On Houston Refinery?

screen-shot-2016-09-15-at-10-56-34

screen-shot-2016-09-15-at-10-57-06

By Tsvetana Paraskova – Sep 14, 2016, 3:52 PM CDT

At a time when U.S. and Saudi relations are strained, the Saudi Arabian Oil Company is reportedly leading in a race to buy a large refinery in Houston.

Certainly, politics and geopolitics cannot stay out of such move by the Saudi company, but it seems that Aramco has solid business reasons, as well as political ones, to bid for the Houston Refinery, which Dutch chemicals company LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) is reportedly putting up for sale. 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 brings final of six wells online at Corrib

screen-shot-2016-09-15-at-10-53-38

Written by Niamh Burns – 15/09/2016 6:00 am

The final of six wells at Shell’s Corrib project on the West cost of Ireland has now been brought online.

The move comes more than a week after Shell was fined over a flaring incident on New Year’s Eve last year.

According to Vermilion, which owns an 18.5% stake in the field, production ramp-up has exceeded expectations and production volumes have now reached full capacity.

In its quarterly results Vermilion said: “Irish production continued to ramp up during the quarter, with better than expected well deliverability and minimal downtime at Corrib since start up on December 30th, 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.

Noy faces graft suit over Shell

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-18-42-55

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-18-42-07

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-20-58-10By Rio N. Araja: September 15, 2016

FORMER President Benigno Aquino III is facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly failing to collect P100 billion in taxes from Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp.  for gasoline shipments in 2004 to 2009.

Also charged were ex-Finance secretary Cesar Purisima, PSPC chairman and president Edgar Chua, ex-vice president for communications Robert Kanapi and country tax manager Nigel Avila.

The complainants–ex-Customs commissioner Napoleon Morales, former district collector Juan Tan and Headlines News Today publisher Lourdes Aclan–accused Aquino, Purisima and the other respondents of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Tariff and Customs Code. 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.

First carbon capture project in oilsands passes one million tonne milestone

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-18-38-44The company, which developed the $1.35-billion Quest project with the help of $745 million from the Alberta government and $120 million from Ottawa, says the project is operating ahead of schedule and under budget.

“There isn’t a metric that hasn’t finished very strongly in green,” said Zoe Yujnovich, executive vice-president for heavy oil at Shell.

“I don’t think we can say that about many projects.”

The Quest project is designed to capture about a third of the emissions from Shell’s Scotford Upgrader near Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., turn that into a near-liquid, and then pump it over two kilometres underground into porous rock formations. 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 safety chief urges industry not to get bogged down in KPIs

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-29-19

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-08-46-04

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-08-49-08

Written by Mark Lammey – 14/09/2016 7:22 am

The oil and gas industry is in danger of getting bogged down in key performance indicators (KPIs), a safety chief from Shell said yesterday.

Norbert van Beelen, Shell’s vice president of wells safety and environment, said that while it was important to measure performance, companies were wasting time gathering superfluous metrics.

He said: “We need to manage it because KPI is becoming an industry on its own.

“Certain metrics are needed so we understand where we are going, but there needs to be a purpose. We need to be deliberate about what we are choosing. 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 New Focus on Natural Gas

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-08-40-02

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-08-41-12

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-08-42-07

By SARAH KENT: Sept. 13, 2016 10:02 p.m. ET

Royal Dutch Shell ’s truck filling station at Rotterdam’s Waalhaven harbor in the Netherlands isn’t your typical fueling spot. Alongside the diesel pumps are fuel tanks with a special nozzle used to pump liquefied natural gas—an experiment that Shell is hoping can help it stay ahead of shifting trends in energy consumption.

Shell’s LNG fueling stations in Waalhaven and elsewhere are just one piece in a grand strategy to build new markets for the company’s growing natural-gas business—and get a jump on the competition. 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 Will Shell’s Upstream Production Change In The Next Five Years?

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-08-32-59

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-08-34-09

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-20-58-10September 13, 2016, 03:26:57 PM EDT By Trefis Team, Trefis

Before the commodity downturn began in 2014, Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDSA), one of the world’s largest integrated energy company, grew its production at a steady rate. However, the oil slump took a toll at the company’s price realizations, forcing it to restrict its capital expenditure, and in turn its production. As a result, Shell’s upstream production has remained flat over the last five years. As the outlook for commodity markets remains uncertain, we expect Shell’s upstream production to be weak even in the remaining half 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.

Groningen gas demand seen falling sharply

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.31.12

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 08.40.08Groningen gas demand seen falling sharply

The Netherlands has been forced to scale back production at Groningen, which once supplied 10% of European Union gas requirements, to 24B cm/year due to damage from earthquakes.

Sep 13 2016, 08:31 ET | By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Demand for gas from the Groningen field in the Netherlands will fall sharply from 2020 as production is reduced, Economy Minister Kamp says in a letter to the Dutch parliament.

The Netherlands has been forced to scale back production at Groningen, which once supplied 10% of European Union gas requirements, to 24B cm/year due to damage from earthquakes.

Groningen is operated by a joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) and ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM). 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.

Argentina’s Energy Minister Sold Shell Shares After Pushback

Screen Shot 2016-08-31 at 23.22.13

screen-shot-2016-09-13-at-15-24-23

By Carolina MillanSeptember 13, 2016

Tax declarations show he owns $1 million worth of Shell shares

Aranguren was chief executive officer of Shell Argentina

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-20-58-10

Argentina’s Energy and Mining Minister, Juan Jose Aranguren, has sold his shares of Royal Dutch Shell Plc following criticism from anti-graft authorities, President Mauricio Macri said.

Aranguren, formerly the chief executive officer of Shell Argentina, sold his shares in the company, Macri said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. Earlier, the minister was excused from all dealings with Shell in Argentina, according to a decree published in the official gazette. The minister, who owned $16 million pesos ($1 million) shares in the company according to reports of his tax documents for 2015, received a non-binding recommendation on Monday from the anti-graft office to sell his stock. 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.

FTSE 100 edges higher but BP and Shell slip on oil glut fears

screen-shot-2016-09-13-at-14-32-17

Nick FletcherTuesday 13 September 2016 11.18 BST

Oil shares are among the biggest fallers after crude prices slid further in the wake of a downbeat report from the International Energy Agency. The agency said the oil market would be oversupplied until at least the first six months of 2017, given a sharp slowdown in demand and rising stocks. A month ago it predicted suppy and demand would be broadly in balance for the rest of the year, and inventories would fall sharply.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, said:

The IEA has joined OPEC in pouring more cold water on the oil price this morning. After OPEC flipped its prediction of dwindling non-OPEC supply in 2017, instead warning that it was set to rise due to a major new oilfield in Kazakhstan coming online, the IEA has issued a stark warning that the pickup in demand seen in the first half of the year has completely evaporated. It has cut its demand forecasts for the second half and the whole of 2017 and is now predicting the glut will remain in the global market for the whole of next year. Oil prices are down this morning, although the real capitulation could come towards the end of the month if OPEC and Russia fail to agree a supply freeze 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 go-ahead for frontline robot to monitor Kazakh site

screen-shot-2016-09-13-at-14-20-48screen-shot-2016-09-13-at-14-17-12

Andrew Ward, Energy Editor: September 13, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell has developed a robot to monitor equipment and carry out safety checks at a remote facility in Kazakhstan — marking one of the most sophisticated examples of robots replacing humans on the front lines of the oil industry.

Shell said the Sensabot was undergoing final testing in the Netherlands before being deployed to Kazakhstan. The group plans to roll it out to other remote oilfields, as well as potential roles in refineries, chemical plants and LNG terminals. 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.

Dutch see demand for Groningen gas down sharply from 2020

Screen Shot 2016-08-04 at 09.29.49

screen-shot-2016-09-13-at-14-10-51

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 08.40.08Demand for gas from Groningen will “fall sharply from 2020” as production at the northern Dutch field is reduced, Economy Minister Henk Kamp said in a letter to parliament released on Tuesday.

The Netherlands has been forced to scale back production by roughly half at Groningen, which once met 10 percent of European Union gas requirements, to 24 billion cubic meters per year due to damage from earthquakes.

Citing a June study by Gasunie, Kamp said a 480 million euros gas conversion facility in Zuidbroek was no longer needed due to falling exports. 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.

Argentina energy minister asked to sell stock in Shell

Screen Shot 2016-07-31 at 22.58.36

screen-shot-2016-09-12-at-22-05-32

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-20-58-10By ASSOCIATED PRESSPUBLISHED: 20:54, 12 September 2016 

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s anti-corruption office is asking the country’s energy minister to sell his stock in Royal Dutch Shell, where he was an executive of the local branch.

Juan Jose Aranguren became energy minister in December. He has faced growing criticism for continuing to own a reported $1.1 million in Shell’s class A shares.

The head of Argentina’s anti-corruption office said Monday that Aranguren should get rid of his stock or set up a blind trust to handle his finances. 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 begins production at world’s deepest underwater oilfield

screen-shot-2016-09-11-at-21-08-37

Simon BowersSunday 11 September 2016 17.15 BST

Royal Dutch Shell has started production at the world’s deepest underwater oil and gas field, 1.8 miles beneath the sea surface in the Gulf of Mexico.

The latest costly addition to Shell’s production capacity comes despite Van Beurden’s repeated pledges on climate change. In May, he said: “We know our long-term success … depends on our ability to anticipate the types of energy that people will need in the future in a way that is both commercially competitive and environmentally sound.” 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.

OPL 245: Murky saga of an ex-minister and ‘siphoned-off’ oil millions

screen-shot-2016-09-11-at-07-44-30

screen-shot-2016-09-11-at-07-38-09

screen-shot-2016-09-11-at-08-02-32

Even by Nigerian standards, the alleged siphoning off of $1 billion (£750 million) from a $1.3 billion international investment in a lucrative oil block through “fees” to a former oil minister’s company and assorted middlemen has been shocking. 

Jonathan Fisher QC called it “grand corruption”. High Court Judge Mr Justice Edis declared: “Given the large sums of money involved that are effectively paid to a former minister to a bank account in the Middle East, the whole exercise is backed by murky instructions.” 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.

9th Circ. Rejects Shell’s Overcharges

screen-shot-2016-09-10-at-14-47-21

screen-shot-2016-09-10-at-14-54-02

Friday, September 09, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Shell and others came a step closer Thursday to reimbursing Californians $200 million for overcharges during the 2000 electricity crisis, when the Ninth Circuit rejected their challenge.

Upholding a 2013 finding by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the appeals court cited “substantial evidence” that the power companies inflated electric rates by violating the FERC’s export tariff rules.

Power companies repeatedly got around regulators during the crisis, through bags of tricks, including “kilowatt washing”: claiming to buy electricity in California at regulated rates, then shipping it out of state, and repurchasing it at unregulated, emergency prices. Since electricity is simply a directed flow of electrons, and electrons cannot be traced, there was no way to prove whether the companies were doing that or not. 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 Retail adds new life into POS

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-18-58-45

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-19-00-16

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-19-01-11

SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 | BY DEENA M. AMATO-MCCOY

The fuel retail industry may innovate at a snail’s pace, but Shell Retail is bucking the trend.

Following a year-long proof-of-concept, the gasoline and convenience store retailer is embarking on an iPad-based point-of-sale (POS) deployment at dedicated locations. The robust cloud-based system is designed to centrally manage fuel stations and markets more effectively; ensure compliance with data security standards, and most importantly, improve the customer experience through the point-of-purchase. 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.

No oil freeze yet

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.53.40

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-18-24-51

Screen Shot 2016-06-20 at 08.25.29By Ed Crooks: September 9, 2016

“Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet,” St Augustine wrote in his Confessions, remembering his prayer as an adolescent. Opec members are taking much the same attitude to restraining their oil production.

Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world’s two largest crude producers, said on Monday they would co-operate on ways to stabilise oil prices, but stopped short of agreeing to freeze production. There will be a working group to study ways to curb price volatility, and co-operation on production curbs was held out as a possibility. But Khalid al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, was clearly in no hurry to make any commitments. 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.

This 89-Year-Old Scion’s Defiance Threatens a $1.7 Billion Merger

Screen Shot 2016-08-10 at 14.41.11

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-12-01-11

screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-12-04-36

By Stephen Stapczynski and Tsuyoshi Inajima: Sept 8, 2016

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 22.18.50In Japan’s carefully-choreographed, corporate world, public power struggles are generally frowned upon. Shosuke Idemitsu, 89, apparently doesn’t roll that way.

At an Idemitsu Kosan Co. shareholder meeting in June, investors were expected to vote in favor of reappointing directors who are supporting the government-backed, $1.7 billion merger with rival Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. that’s scheduled to close by April of 2017. 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 eyes next tender for Dutch North Sea wind farm

Screen Shot 2016-08-04 at 09.29.49

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-20-10-33

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 22.18.50UTILITIES | Thu Sep 8, 2016 10:15am EDT

Royal Dutch Shell, which lost a bid to build a Dutch North Sea wind park in July, is interested in entering a second tender process opening next week, an official said on Thursday.

Marjan van Loon, Shell’s top executive in the Netherlands, told parliament on Thursday “the potential for wind energy in the Netherlands is really very attractive.”

A Shell spokesman could not confirm that Shell would bid on the 680 megawatt (MW) Borssele III and IV wind farms, but said it was studying the option. 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 ExxonMobil apologise for Groningen earthquake problems

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-14-31-10

Officials made the comments during a parliamentary hearing with Shell and ExxonMobil executives after being challenged by GroenLinks MP Liesbeth van Tongeren, broadcaster NOS reported.

‘We acknowledge that the people of Groningen are dealing with most of the problems caused by gas extraction, which we in the Netherlands can thank for our prosperity,’ Shell Nederland president Marjan van Loon said.

‘That is why the people of Groningen deserve our support. The NAM has expressed its regrets and I can fully support that. So I can say too, “I’m sorry, sorry”.’ 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.

Report: Shell considering sale of 600 Argentina gas stations

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-14-24-08

Sep 8 2016, 08:38 ET | By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) is considering selling ~600 gas stations in Argentina as part of a strategic review of its downstream assets in the country, Business Times reports.

Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said at a conference in New York yesterday that the company is in the middle of a strategic review of its downstream assets in Argentina as part of a $30B divestment program.

Shell has market share of 19% in Argentina for gas stations, making it the second biggest seller after state-owned YPF. 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 Under Pressure As Shell Lifts Force Majeure On Nigerian Exports

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 18.43.41

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-53-07

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 22.18.50By Charles Kennedy – Sep 07, 2016, 11:20 AM CDT

At least one source of Nigerian oil exports is set to come back online after Royal Dutch Shell lifted its force majeure on Bonny Light crude exports.

The Nembe Creek Trunk Line was repaired and reopened, allowing Shell to resume exports of its oil, nearly a month after declaring force majeure. Nembe Creek is one of a handful of key pipelines that helps Nigeria brings its oil to the coast for export. The cause of the August outage was not reported on – the pipeline’s operator, Aiteo, said it was from a leak but did not disclose the cause. 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: Red lights on path to greener energy

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-50-21

After all, keeping temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels will require the world to wean itself off fossil fuels and turn to cleaner forms of energy, hardly an appealing proposition to the financial wellbeing of oil producers.

But now the leader of one of the world’s biggest oil companies is telling his peers to accept the role unapologetically.

“When it comes to some of the beliefs about the challenge of the energy transition, which may be founded on less than solid fact, our industry should not shy away from being the contrarian in the room,” Ben van Beurden, the chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, told an oil conference in Norway recently. 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.

Intelligent Energy 2016: Shell operating huge Groningen gas field from “control room of next week”

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-42-23

Written by Mark Lammey – 08/09/2016 7:00 am

The thought of just two people operating one of the world’s largest gas fields might perplex some, but that’s just what’s happening in the Netherlands.

NAM, a joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil, has been producing gas from the Groningen field since the early 1960s.

In the mid-1990s, NAM needed to replace older equipment and put in compressor modules to maintain pressure in the field.

The restoration programme led to a 50% reduction in headcount on the field as NAM brought in greater automation, according to Carl Schmitz, Shell’s current operations manager for Groningen. 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.

Noble Upstream snap-up Shell North Sea asset

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-33-36

Written by Rita Brown – 08/09/2016 9:08 am

Noble Upstream has snapped-up one of Shell’s legacy North Sea assets.

The firm acquired a 7.59% non-operated interest in the Maclure oil and gas field from the oil giant.

Jeremy Huck, chief executive of Nobel Upstream, said: “We are very pleased that this important transaction in the North Sea has closed. Strong operational and economic performance this year has demonstrated that well-targeted investments in mature basins like the North Sea can deliver superior returns. 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 considering sale of Argentine assets

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-27-59

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell is evaluating whether to sell part of its assets in Argentina, the company said yesterday.

According to Executive President Ben van Beurden, refineries, transporting and distribution assets in the country could be put up for sale as part of a massive global disvestment programme worth an estimate US$30 billion. The move amounts to a massive revision of the firm’s “downstream” services, van Beurden said during a conference in New York. 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.

Chevron Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell: Is the LNG Market Nearing Saturation?

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-19-44

By Staff Writer on Sep 7, 2016 at 3:19 pm EST

In the past few years, the global energy market has undergone major changes. The usage of traditional energy resources has dropped significantly, while demand for cleaner, environmental-friendly energy sources has escalated. People are now increasingly becoming aware of the effects of greenhouse gases emissions from conventional energy sources, crude oil, and coal on our natural environment and most importantly, the ozone layer.

Last year, the Paris Agreement (COP21) was a major breakthrough for the renewable industry, as leaders from around 195 countries agreed to curb their carbon emissions. The energy producers aim to maintain the rise in global temperature to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels in the coming few years. The agreement has provided a positive momentum to the green-tech resources as a number of international energy companies have now started to increase their exposure in the segment. 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 plc Ramps up Production Despite Crude at $50 per Barrel

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-11-08-48

By Staff Writer on Sep 7, 2016 at 11:30 am EST

The oil majors continue to overlook the low crude environment, which is expected to persist for longer, so much so that they have resorted to increasing their production at record-breaking highs. According to estimates by analysts, overall output from the seven largest energy giants globally is set to surge 9% between 2015 and 2018.

Energy giants are grappling with deteriorating balance sheet positions, even as prices continue to hover near $50 per barrel, dropping from $115 per barrel in June 2014. However, they continue to pump crude from plants sanctioned earlier. 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 North Sea exit could generate $1bn, says UBS

Screen Shot 2016-09-07 at 14.28.11

Screen Shot 2016-09-07 at 14.24.54

Screen Shot 2016-09-07 at 14.26.24

Jillian Ambrose7 SEPTEMBER 2016 • 1:27PM

Shell could be in line to make $1bn (£750m) in the next two years by selling off North Sea assets as part of a $30bn divestment drive, according to UBS.

The bank predicts that Shell’s North Sea retreat will begin with a “tidying up” of the oil major’s high-cost, legacy assets but that a sale of its attractive core projects could not be ruled out.

UBS oil analyst Jon Rigby said that sales of the oil giant’s older North Sea assets would only generate “a few hundred million dollars” unless the company opts for a more “radical” approach including ditching stakes in the core projects that make up its $7bn North Sea portfolio. 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.

Locals disappointed at sanction on Shell for gas flaring

Screen Shot 2016-09-07 at 08.55.48

Screen Shot 2016-09-07 at 08.56.43

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 11.15.18Shell to Sea says €1,000 fine equivalent to ‘65 seconds… of current Corrib sales revenue’

By Lorna Siggins

North Mayo residents living close to the Corrib gas refinery have expressed disappointment at the level of sanction imposed on Shell E&P Ireland over gas flaring last New Year’s Eve.

The multinational was fined €1,000 and ordered ordered to pay €15,000 in legal costs in relation to causing light and noise pollution from a gas flare during start-up testing at the Corrib gas terminal in Co Mayo on December 31st and January 1st.

The company pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court on Monday to breaching two parts of its industrial emissions licence, which had been awarded for project last year by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 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.

Despite cuts, oil giants look to expand production

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 19.59.24

Ben Chapman: 6 Sept 2016

Never mind the drop in crude prices, huge spending cuts and thousands of job losses, the world’s top oil and gas companies are set to produce more than ever for some time.

While top oil companies struggle with slumping revenues following a price rout after years of spectacular growth, their production has grown as projects sanctioned earlier in the decade come on line. Overall production at the world’s seven biggest oil and gas companies is set to rise by around 9 per cent between 2015 and 2018, according to analysts’ estimates. 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 starts production at Stones in the Gulf of Mexico

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 12.42.24

“Stones is the latest example of our leadership, capability, and knowledge which are key to profitably developing our global deep-water resources,” said Andy Brown, Upstream Director, Royal Dutch Shell.  “Our growing expertise in using such technologies in innovative ways will help us unlock more deep-water resources around the world.”

Stones, which is 100% owned and operated by Shell, is the company’s second producing field from the Lower Tertiary geologic frontier in the Gulf of Mexico, following the start-up of Perdido in 2010. 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.

Saudi Aramco-Motiva in lead to buy Lyondell’s Houston refinery: sources

Screen Shot 2016-08-04 at 09.29.49

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 11.20.59

By Erwin Seba and Jessica Resnick-Ault | HOUSTON/NEW YORK

Saudi Aramco and its U.S. refining joint-venture Motiva Enterprises [MOTIV.UL] lead the race to buy LyondellBasell Industries Houston refinery, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

An announcement of the sale by Lyondell is expected this week, the sources said.

Lyondell spokesman Michael Waldron declined on Monday to discuss a sale of the refinery.

Reuters reported on Aug. 25 that Dutch chemical company Lyondell had retained Bank of America Merrill Lynch to help with a sale of the refinery. 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.

65 seconds of Shell/Corrib sales will pay €1,000 flaring fine

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 11.14.07

Screen Shot 2016-09-06 at 11.15.18News Release – Issued by Shell to Sea – Sept 6th, 2016 – For immediate release

— Shell fined EUR1,000 while making an estimated EUR240 million in Corrib sales so far this year —

Yesterday (5th September) at Dublin District Court, Shell were fined EUR1,000 after pleading guilty to causing light and noise pollution from gas flaring at Bellanaboy refinery last New Years Eve. The prosecution was brought by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following complaints from people living around the Bellanaboy refinery.[1] 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 fined €1k and ordered to pay €15k in legal costs over gas flaring

Screen Shot 2016-09-05 at 15.43.45

LIKE THE SUN A still image taken from a recording shows the glow of the flaring at the Corrib Gas Terminal on January 31.

SHELL IRELAND HAS been fined €1,000 and ordered to pay €15,000 in legal costs for causing light and noise pollution from a gas flare during start-up testing at the Corrib gas terminal in Co Mayo.

The prosecution was brought by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) following complaints from people living around the Bellanaboy Bridge area in Co Mayo, the location of Shell’s terminal to bring in gas from the Corrib gas field 65 kilometres offshore.

Guilty plea

Shell E&P Ireland Ltd, which operates the controversial gas project, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court today to breaching two counts of the Environmental Agency Protection Act during “flaring” tests on the night of New Year’s Eve. 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.

Oklahoma earthquake: 37 wells ordered to shut down after scientists’ warning

Screen Shot 2016-09-04 at 16.46.25

Screen Shot 2016-09-04 at 16.52.01Samuel Osborne: Sunday 4 Sept 2016

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake in Oklahoma has brought fresh attention to the practice of disposing oil and gas field wastewater deep underground.

The United States Geological Survey said the quake happened at 7.02am on Saturday, in north-central Oklahoma, on the fringe of an area where regulators had stepped in to limit wastewater disposal. 

The shallow quake struck 9 miles northwst of Pawnee, where there were no immediate reports of injuries. Damage in the town appeared to be minor.

An increase in magnitude 3.0 or greater earthquakes in Oklahoma has been linked to underground disposal of wastewater from oil and natural gas production. 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.

Why I’m expecting Royal Dutch Shell plc and BP plc to plummet!

Screen Shot 2016-08-17 at 13.35.03

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 18.13.19

By Royston WildThe Motley Fool: Friday, 2 September, 2016

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 18.15.08

Investor appetite for the oil segment has taken a knock in recent weeks as fears of a prolonged supply glut have weighed.

British majors Royal Dutch Shell(LSE: RDSB) and BP(LSE: BP) have seen their share prices slip 10% and 7% respectively during the past six weeks, for example. And I believe a sharper retracement could be just around the corner.

Stocks keep surging

Broker predictions that the oil market is set to balance later this year are being put under increased scrutiny as already-plentiful stockpiles continue to build. 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.

Malabu Oil Deal: New facts implicate more Nigerians

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 13.30.06

As part of their investigation, the Italian prosecutors in May 2014 asked the UK’s CPS to freeze $85m in assets related to a Nigerian company, Malabu Oil & Gas, that prosecutors say was involved in the sale, according to a copy of the official request sent by the Milan investigators and seen by Reuters.

In the letter, the Italian prosecutors alleged that Scaroni and Descalzi oversaw the payments to parties who helped secure the sale. In a second letter they alleged that some of the ultimate recipients of alleged bribes used the money to buy aircraft and armoured cars. “We are investigating many money transfers to many people in various countries who received sums that vary from millions of dollars to thousands of dollars,” the prosecutors said in the follow-up letter. 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.

Former Head of State, ex Senate President named in Malabu oil deal scam

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 13.16.27

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 13.15.27

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 13.19.1129 August 2016

Abuja – A former Head of State, a former Senate President, a former National Security Adviser (NSA), some senators, and some serving and former members of the House of Representatives have been named as beneficiaries of the $1.092b Malabu oil deal, Nation reports.

The names of the beneficiaries was revealed by a businessman, who is being grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) over the deal.

Besides the businessman, the EFCC has grilled a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, and some chief executives of some International Oil Companies (IOCs). The suspects remain unnamed because of what a source described as the “sensitivity” of 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.

Speculation rises over Opec output freeze

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.53.40

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 13.05.32

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 13.04.17

By Ed Crooks: September 2, 2016

Over the past month, the big stories in the oil market have been speculation about a possible production freeze from Opec, and the reality of rising activity in the US shale industry.

The rumours of Opec action have followed the pattern that has become wearingly familiar over the past couple of years, since the landmark meeting in November 2014 confirming that Saudi Arabia was not prepared to cut production to try to stabilise prices.

As the meeting – in this case, a gathering on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum in Algiers on September 26-28 – grows nearer, suggestions that a freeze will be discussed grow louder. Venezuela, which has the most urgent need for a higher oil price, sounds the most enthusiastic about curbing production. Other countries make supportive statements and agree to meet, without promising any action themselves. 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 Midstream Partners – Reliable Yield During The Downturn

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.31.12

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.31.57

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.36.18

Shell Midstream Partners IPO – Bidness ECT

The Value Portfolio: Sept 2, 2016

Shell Midstream Partners (NYSE: SHLX) is a master-limited partnership formed by Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) (NYSE: RDS.B). The company was formed for the purpose of purchasing midstream assets and renting them out for reliable fee-based income. This fee-based income provides investors with a secure dividend which currently amounts to more than 3% and has a strong history of growth.

Shell Midstream Partners has had a difficult time recently, though not as a difficult of a time as all the other oil companies. Since mid-2015, when other midstream companies such as Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) began to take a big hit, Shell Midstream Partners has seen its stock price drop from almost $48 per unit to just over $30 per unit, a drop of almost 40%. This drop means that Shell Midstream Partners has seen its yield almost double to more than 3% per unit. 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.

Reopening of Forcados Terminal — Bad News for Crude Prices

Screen Shot 2016-07-06 at 08.16.50

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 08.44.31

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 08.45.39

Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 08.50.39

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 22.18.50By Staff Writer on Sep 1, 2016 at 12:30 pm EST

After militant attacks on its oil facilities in Nigeria, as well as numerous pipeline outages, Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Forcados pipeline in the West African country is at last ready to start deliveries this month.

According to Bloomberg, Kola Karim, CEO of Shoreline Group, an energy company that uses the terminal, said operations were expected to resume in the middle of September. A spokesman for the company declined to comment on 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.

Slashing Dividends: The Only Option Left For Big Oil?

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 18.43.41

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 19.49.56

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 19.52.34

By Nick Cunningham – Aug 31, 2016, 4:03 PM CDT

The oil majors will have an extraordinarily difficult time trying to maintain their hefty dividends in today’s oil market environment, and unless oil prices rebound substantially, companies may be forced to slash their payouts to shareholders.

The largest oil producers pay shareholders a combined $40 billion in dividends each year, a level that is not sustainable with oil prices at $50 per barrel, according to Chris Kettenmann of Macro Risk Advisors. “There’s massive risk to the dividend structure of these big oil companies over the next 12 months,” Kettenmann said on Bloomberg TV. 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 Becomes First Non-Bank to Join Mexico’s Oil Hedge

Screen Shot 2016-08-31 at 23.22.13

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 18.57.21

Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 22.18.50By Javier Blas and Nacha Cattan: Sept 1, 2016 

Royal Dutch Shell Plc participated in protecting Mexico against low crude prices in 2017, according to four people with knowledge of the matter, the first time an oil company has taken part in the world’s largest commodities hedging program.

The Mexican government spent $1 billion buying put options — contracts that give it the right to sell at a predetermined price — to lock in an average price for its export basket of $38 a barrel for next year. Shell’s trading unit was one of the seven counterparties to the Mexican government, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. 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 Looking Beyond Petroleum

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 18.43.41

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 18.44.31

Screen Shot 2016-09-01 at 18.45.16

There are many players looking to enter the oil markets thanks to the raft of deals available as the oil price crash appears to be over. For the oil majors, this will likely mean major opportunities to snap up unconventional producers and assets at low valuations. One “oil” major that may not be participating is Shell. The Anglo-Dutch oil giant is increasingly turning away from its roots in oil and moving towards natural gas as an alternative.

In the year 2000, 37 percent of Shell’s production was from natural gas. By 2015, that number had risen to 49 percent. For ExxonMobil, those figures were 40 percent in 2000 and 43 percent in 2015. For Chevron and BP, the 2000 figures were 27 percent and 40 percent respectively, and for 2015, it was 33 percent and 38 percent. Among oil majors, only ConocoPhillips has seen a comparable shift to gas going form 33 percent to 43 percent gas production between 2000 and 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.