29 December 2017

Confidential internal documents of Royal Dutch Shell suggest that the oil giant capitalised on the 2011 presidential election to arm-twist the federal government into a “cheap” deal over the sale of the disputed OPL 245.

The international oil company also used an arbitration case it filed with the International Centre for the Settlement of International Disputes (ICSID), an organ of the World Bank, to railroad the government into brokering truce between it and Malabu Oil and Gas Ltd, its estranged erstwhile partner and the original licensee. read more

In 2015, Shell abandoned its exploration activities in offshore Alaska, citing high costs and stringent regulations. However, in April this year, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing offshore drilling in  the Arctic. This week, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issued a statement highlighting the importance of U.S. energy dominance and the Administration’s national energy strategy. It also noted that two BSEE personnel were on-hand at the spudding operation on Monday to ensure compliance with approved permits, federal regulations and safety standards. read more

Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s CEO Ben Van Beurden was creating a stir of his own by talking about “lower-forever” oil prices. 

God didn’t die in 2017, but he did throw his hands up.

Andy Hall, the oil trader blessed with that nickname, caused a stir this summer by closing down his main hedge fund after long arguing for oil prices to rally and reportedly suffering big losses.

Hall didn’t declare oil was dead; indeed, he warned his withdrawal could be a contrarian signal (which turned out to be prescient).

Hall’s capitulation was a warning of a different kind. And while it may be mere coincidence, the appearance of something called OilCoin four months after God bowed out is a fitting coda. read more

Reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Julia Payne; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Mark Potter: December 28, 2017

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s biggest and most important oil and gas pipeline Forties should resume normal flows around the new year, slightly earlier than previously flagged, its operator Ineos said on Thursday.

Ineos had previously expected the pipeline, which suffered a rare unplanned shutdown because of a crack, to resume normal operations in early January.

The closure since Dec. 11 of the pipeline, which normally pumps about 450,000 barrels per day, and supply disruptions in Libya have helped push oil prices above $67 a barrel, their highest since mid-2015. [O/R] read more

THE Italian oil and gas firm that operates the Blacktip gas project, which supplies gas for Territory domestic power generation, has taken another significant step forward in its growth plans off Northern Australia.

ENI has bought out Shell’s stake in the large undeveloped Evans Shoal gas field 300km northwest of Darwin in the Timor Sea’s Bonaparte Basin.

The Blacktip gas field is 110km off our coast and pumps gas to ENI’s Yelcherr Gas Plant near Wadeye.

Evans Shoal is among five offshore gas ventures contributing to a $625,000 study being carried out into the feasibility of expanding the Darwin LNG plant. The study started in April and is due for completion this month. read more

The group said it will provide details of the impact of the new US tax changes in its full-year results in February

• Holly Williams
• Wednesday 27 December 2017 10:18 GMT

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has said President Donald Trump’s US tax reforms are set to boost the group and its US business thanks to next month’s cut in corporation tax.

The group said the 1 January changes – largely the move to slash US corporation tax from 35 per cent to 21 per cent- are expected to be “favourable” for the group but will impact its fourth-quarter results.

It will announce the full impact as part of its fourth-quarter and full-year results on 1 February. read more

NEWS PROVIDED BY Royal Dutch Shell plc

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, December 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ —

Royal Dutch Shell plc expects the potential economic impact of the recently enacted US tax reform legislation to be favourable to Shell and to its US operations, primarily due to the future reduction in the US corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%.

This change in US tax legislation (effective January 1, 2018) will impact Shell’s fourth quarter 2017 results but the analysis of the actual impact is not yet complete. Shell intends to determine and announce the actual impact including any fourth quarter movements, and balance sheet adjustments, as part of its fourth quarter 2017 results. However, on the basis of the third quarter 2017 financial statements, Shell would have incurred an estimated charge to earnings of $2.0 to 2.5 billion primarily driven by a re-measurement of its deferred tax position to reflect the lower corporate income tax rate. This charge represents a non-cash adjustment and will be reflected as an identified item. read more

Dec 27 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc said it expects recently enacted U.S. tax reform legislation to have a “favorable” impact on its operations.

The change in U.S. tax legislation, which is a reduction to 21 percent from 35 percent, will affect Shell’s fourth-quarter 2017 results but added the “analysis of the actual impact is not yet complete.”

The Anglo-Dutch company said it expects to provide details of the impact of the tax reform, which is effective from Jan. 1, in its fourth-quarter 2017 results. read more

Three years after causing an oil-price crash, the shale boom may not be enough to meet rising global demand because the industry has cut back so sharply on higher-risk mega-projects.

Discoveries of new reserves this year were the fewest on record and replaced just 11 percent of what was produced, according to a Dec. 21 report by consultant Rystad Energy. While shale wells are creating a glut now, without more investment in bigger, conventional supply, the world may see output deficits as soon as 2019, according to Canadian producer Suncor Energy Inc. read more

In 2018, the 488-meter long facility called Prelude, will begin its job of extracting and processing gas at sea.

Published 10:25 PM ET Sun, 24 Dec 2017

Displacing as much water as five aircraft carriers is just one eye-popping statistic that attempts to explain the sheer size of the world’s largest vessel.

Construction on Shell‘s huge floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) structure began in 2012 and was finished in July by Samsung’s Heavy Industries in South Korea, before being towed to Australia.

Now the floating facility sits at its first location, Shell’s Prelude gas field, around 125 miles north off the Western Australian coast. read more

By William Turvill For The Financial Mail On Sunday

PUBLISHED: 02:25, 24 December 2017 | UPDATED: 02:25, 24 December 2017

The three founders of an energy provider which set out to challenge the major firms are set for a stocking filler of more than £110 million this Christmas after a takeover by oil giant Shell.

First Utility was set up by entrepreneurs Darren Braham, 51, along with Mark Daeche and Marcus Citron, both 54, in 2008. The firm is now supplying gas, electricity and broadband to more than 825,000 homes.

The price paid by Anglo-Dutch Shell was not disclosed, but sources close to the deal told The Mail on Sunday it was about £240 million.

Daeche, who separated from his model wife Amanda Cronin earlier this year, is understood to own about 20 per cent of the company. Citron has a similar stake and the pair are set to receive about £48 million each. read more

Kuwait Petroleum Corp. signed a 15-year liquefied natural gas import deal with Royal Dutch Shell Plc to help the oil exporting nation meet growing domestic energy demand.

The sales purchasing agreement with Shell International Trading Middle East Ltd. will start in 2020, the companies said Sunday in an emailed statement. Shell has supplied Kuwait with the super-cooled fuel since 2010 and declined to say how much gas is covered under the new contract. While KPC is working to boost local natural gas production, Kuwait has a “pressing requirement” to secure natural gas supplies in the meantime, they said. read more

…hanging over any potential development in the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve is the failed attempt by Royal Dutch Shell to tap reserves off Alaska. In 2015, after years of legal fighting with environmental groups, the European oil giant announced it was abandoning $2.5 billion in drilling rights in U.S. Arctic waters.

By James Osborne: December 22, 2017

WASHINGTON – In enacting the biggest overhaul of the tax code in 30 years, the Republican-controlled Congress also opened the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development. But already environmentalists are moving to shut it down.

Just hours after the Senate passed the legislation Wednesday, environmental groups swore to fight to block the drilling provisions.

The National Audubon Society released a statement that it would “do whatever it takes to prevent drilling in America’s bird nursery.” read more

Nathalie Thomas, Energy Correspondent: 22 Dec 2017

“Part of the attraction of this acquisition [by Shell] is the ability to use certain Shell routes to market — it might be their loyalty card, it might be [petrol] forecourts to help us expand the business and target the big six standard variable customers,” Mr Braham told the Financial Times.

FULL FT ARTICLE

Jillian Ambrose 21 DECEMBER 2017 • 5:31PM

Oil giant Shell will soon begin supplying lighting and heat to British homes through a major deal to buy the biggest energy supply rival to the ‘big six’ utilities.

Shell’s European arm will snap up First Utility for an undisclosed sum, giving the oil major a route into the domestic energy supply market in the UK and Germany, as it begins to shift towards clean electricity and electric vehicles.

The landmark deal emerged after a four-year relationship between the supplier and Shell, through which the Anglo-Dutch oil company provides all of First Utility’s wholesale gas and power. At the same time First Utility trades under the Shell brand in Germany. read more

21 Dec2017

Shell has agreed to buy the energy supplier First Utility, giving the oil giant its first foothold in the UK’s household energy market.

First Utility is the biggest energy supplier in the UK outside the so-called “big six”.

The company supplies 825,000 homes with gas, electricity or broadband.

Shell is already active in the wholesale energy market, but this is the first time it will supply UK homes directly.

The price of the deal – which is subject to regulatory approval – has not been revealed. read more

Nathalie Thomas 21 December 2017

Royal Dutch Shell will take on British Gas and the other “big six” household energy suppliers in the UK after striking a deal to buy First Utility, one of the largest so-called independent suppliers of electricity and gas to British homes.  FULL FT ARTICLE

By Marc Bisbal Arias Published December 21, 2017 Dow Jones Newswires

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Evans Shoal field is located around 300 kilometers northwest of Darwin, where the Darwin liquefied natural gas plant is operating. The field is estimated to have at least 8 trillion cubic feet of raw gas in place, Eni said. The acquisition doubles Eni’s stake in the field to 65%.

The Italian company also said that it has become the operator of the retention lease NT/RL7 located in the north Bonaparte Basin, offshore Northern Australia. read more

20 December 2017

Two global oil giants, Eni and Shell, are to stand trial in Italy over allegations of corruption in Nigeria.

The case involves the purchase of an offshore oil block in Nigeria for $1.3bn (£1bn) in 2011.

The companies deny wrongdoing, saying they acquired the rights in accordance with Nigerian law.

The trial in Italy is expected to start in March next year. It follows a lengthy investigation by Italian prosecutors.

Anti-corruption watchdog Global Witness says it could be one of the biggest corporate corruption trials in history. read more

…face trial alongside four Royal Dutch Shell staff members including Malcolm Brinded CBE, former Executive Director for Upstream International and two former MI6 agents employed by Shell….The prosecutor further alleges that money was also channelled to Eni and Shell executives…

BY GLOBAL WITNESS: DEC 20, 2017

Royal Dutch Shell and Italian oil giant Eni have been ordered to stand trial in Milan on charges of aggravated international corruption for their role in a 2011 $1.1bn deal for Nigerian oil block OPL 245. Mrs Justice Barbara handed down the ruling today. The judge set March 5 as the date for the trial to begin.

Eni’s current CEO Claudio Descalzi, former CEO Paolo Scaroni, Chief Operations and Technology Officer Roberto Casula were also ordered to face trial alongside four Royal Dutch Shell staff members including Malcolm Brinded CBE, former Executive Director for Upstream International and two former MI6 agents employed by Shell. read more

By STANLEY REED: DEC. 20, 2017

LONDON — An Italian judge ruled on Wednesday that two of the world’s largest oil companies, Royal Dutch Shell and Eni, the Italian company, must go on trial on charges of corruption over a $1.3 billion oil deal in Nigeria.

The judge set a March 5 trial date in Milan for the companies as well as a group of current and former executives, including Claudio Descalzi, Eni’s chief executive, and Malcolm Brinded, a former chief of exploration and production for Shell. No current Shell officials were to be tried in the case. read more

Mr. Brinded said: “I have done nothing wrong and believe that will become clear in any legal proceedings. I stand by my view that there is absolutely no basis for the charges against me.”

By Eric Sylvers in Milan and Sarah Kent in London Published December 20, 2017 FeaturesDow Jones Newswires

An Italian judge Wednesday indicted Royal Dutch Shell PLC, the chief executive of the Italian oil-and-gas company Eni SpA and other industry executives on corruption charges connected to a 2011 deal to acquire drilling rights off the coast of Nigeria.

Prosecutors say in court documents that Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and the other executives at both Shell and Eni knew that most of the $1.3 billion Eni and Shell paid to the Nigerian government to acquire the drilling rights would be distributed as bribes. Prosecutors will argue that Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian president at the time of the deal, received part of the kickbacks, according to court documents. read more

Oil giants Eni and Shell will stand trial in Italy over allegations of bribery and corruption in the 2011 purchase of an offshore oil block in Nigeria.

…email exchanges between Shell management cited in a report by corruption watchdog Global Witness, and seen by AFP, suggest that Shell was aware the money was likely to be funnelled to individuals, including Etete and Jonathan.

By AFP: PUBLISHED: 11:25, 20 December 2017

Italian giant Eni and fellow petroleum company Shell will stand trial in Italy over allegations of bribery and corruption in the 2011 purchase of an offshore oil block in Nigeria.

A judge in Milan ordered Eni, Shell and key figures such as Eni chief Claudio Descalzi and his predecessor Paolo Scaroni to stand trial in proceedings to begin March 5. read more

The Anglo-Dutch company, whose former upstream director Malcolm Brinded is among those facing trial, acknowledged in April that it was aware of the destination of part of the payments…

Eni SpA and Royal Dutch Shell Plc and senior executives will face trial over a $1.1 billion bribery scandal in Nigeria, an Italian judge ruled on Wednesday.

The trial will start on March 5 in Milan, judge Giusy Barbara told reporters. The long-awaited decision, initially expected several months ago, will not only affect the two companies but 11 individuals including Eni Chief Executive Officer Claudio Descalzi.

The case is related to the acquisition of a deepwater oil-prospecting license by Eni and Shell in the Gulf of Guinea in 2011. Prosecutors allege that the two companies’ payment of almost $1.1 billion into a Nigerian government escrow account was later distributed as payoffs. While energy producers have come under scrutiny for bribery and corruption in the past, a trial centered around the sitting CEO of an oil major is rare. read more

MILAN, Dec 20 (Reuters) – An Italian judge has ordered oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and Eni to stand trial over alleged corruption in Nigeria with the CEO of Eni among past and present managers involved, legal sources said on Wednesday.

The judge set March 5 as the date for the trial to begin, the sources said.

All the parties involved have previously denied any wrongdoing.

The case revolves around the purchase in 2011 of Nigeria’s OPL-245 offshore oil block by Eni and Shell for about $1.3 billion. read more

DECEMBER 20, 2017

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese refiners Idemitsu Kosan and Showa Shell Sekiyu will combine management of their key businesses, an Idemitsu spokesman said on Tuesday, pursuing a merger bitterly opposed by a core investor – Idemitsu’s founding family.

Japan’s second- and fourth-biggest refiners will form an office next spring with a staff of about 300 to manage crude oil purchases, refining and sales, seeking to cut costs by 30 billion yen ($266 million) over three years, Idemitsu spokesman Akitaka Yoshino said, confirming a Nikkei newspaper report. read more

Methane seepage may make natural gas more polluting than coal

Gas focus, expansion of shale reinforce need for reliable data

After spending $50 billion on the world’s biggest bet on natural gas, Royal Dutch Shell Plc is at the forefront of Big Oil’s efforts to clean up its act. But what if the constant, insidious leaks of gas into the atmosphere actually make the fuel more polluting than coal? 

Methane, the main component in natural gas, can seep into the air at various points between extraction and delivery. Trapping more heat than carbon dioxide, it’s a potent contributor to global warming. Yet credible data on the volumes released is scarce, and that’s spurring pressure from investors.

“This is such an important issue,” said Tim Goodman, a director at asset manager Hermes EOS who has urged oil companies to address climate matters in their quarterly updates. “The less methane is lost to the environment, the less dirty methane and natural gas is, and the longer gas might be a viable fuel.” read more

Once upon a time, it was only Elon Musk making shoot-for-the-stars statements about the glittering future of electric cars. Now, even the most sober of his rivals are getting in on the act. Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. and BAIC Motor Corp., China’s fourth- and fifth-largest automakers, announced in October and this month that they’ll end deliveries of petroleum-powered cars by 2025. A target for hybrids and electric vehicles to be 90 percent of Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd.’s sales by 2020 is still on track, according to a company presentation last week, despite making up about 1.5 percent of the total in the first half. read more

Andrew Ward, Energy Editor: 19 Dec 2018

The Chinese investment bank CICC has joined oil majors Saudi Aramco, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron in backing a Californian start-up that is developing machine learning technology for the oil and gas sector. Maana has so far focused on uses of data to help oil and gas companies increase speed and reliability in their operations.

FULL FT ARTICLE

By MarEx  18 December 2017

Shell has launched an investigation after a lifeboat accidentally “descended” from the aging Brent Alpha platform during maintenance.

A Shell spokesperson said that on Saturday morning, a mechanical failure occurred during routine maintenance, “allowing [the lifeboat] to descend into the sea.” The BBC reports that the lifeboat davit’s clutch slipped during work on the boat. No injuries were reported, and the boat was recovered the following day. read more

REUTERS STAFF: 18 DECEMBER 2017

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Three offshore oil workers filed a lawsuit against units of Royal Dutch Shell and Enbridge, seeking $1 million in damages for injuries they allegedly received during a Nov. 8 fire on a U.S. Gulf of Mexico production platform.

The suit, filed in Galveston County court in Texas on Dec. 5, claims safety lapses on Shell’s Enchilada platform caused severe injuries to the three. The complaint seeks more than $1 million in damages from Shell International Exploration and Production, Shell Offshore, and Garden Banks Gas Pipeline Co, a unit of Enbridge, which owns a gas pipeline connected to the platform. read more

Fun Trading: 18 Dec 2017

Summary

• Shell announced that production from the Shearwater and Nelson platforms in the central North Sea had been suspended due to Forties pipeline shutdown.
• Forties pipeline is a vital artery of the North Sea production. Production loss is estimated at about 400K Boep/d which is significant and may boost oil prices for weeks.
• This situation could be considered as a net positive for Shell and other oil majors.

Investment Thesis:

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) (RDS.B), BP P.l.c (BP), and Exxon Mobil (XOM) are the most reliable long-term oil companies and should be part of your main oil portfolio. However, this special status comes with the shareholders’ obligation to follow tightly what is going on with the company on the day-to-day news which may eventually change the future outlook — in this case with a potential production cut. This is exactly what I intend to discuss today. read more

Tristan R. Brown: 18 Dec 2017

Summary

• Royal Dutch Shell doubled down on its previously-announced investments in clean energy earlier this month when its CEO told investors that it has raised this to $2 billion next year.
• The company also announced its intention to reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% through 2050.
• While the success of Shell’s proposed energy transition remains uncertain, its plans reflect recent developments in the energy markets and multinational policymaking.

Last July the multinational petroleum and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A)(RDS.B) announced its intention to spend $1 billion a year on clean energy investments through its New Energy division. As I highlighted the following month, this decision was set against a busy backdrop of involvement by the company in the Climate Leadership Council, which (unsuccessfully) urged the Trump administration to keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Accord, and investments in renewable electricity capacity. Those maneuvers, it turns out, were just the opening moves. As reported by The New York Times last week, Shell’s transition from a fossil fuel producer to a broader energy provider is rapidly accelerating. read more

Shell’s Enchilada platform, sitting atop Garden Banks Block 128 in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, caught fire early Wednesday (Nov. 8), injuring two workers. This map shows the location, outlined in yellow.

The lawsuit claims Shell and the pipeline operator were negligent or grossly negligent, failing to maintain a safe work environment…

Updated Dec 15, 9:54 PM; Posted Dec 15, 9:53 PM

By Jennifer Larino: [email protected] NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

Three workers injured in a November fire on Shell’s Enchilada platform in the Gulf of Mexico are suing the oil and gas company in a Texas county court. The suit claims Shell, its Gulf of Mexico subsidiary and a pipeline operator “acted with flagrant and malicious disregard” for the health and safety of the workers leading up to the incident. read more

December 16, 2017: Lionel Faull and Idris Akinbajo

A British judge ruled on Friday that up to $85 million from the notorious Malabu oil deal should be returned to the Nigerian government.

This is the first money to be successfully recovered from the $1.1 billion sale of the fantastically rich offshore oil block, OPL245, that has been mired in corruption allegations and legal trench warfare for years.

The sale, which was brokered by the then-government of Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, supposedly resolved a long running contest for the block between oil giant Shell and shelf company Malabu, beneficially owned by former Nigerian oil minister Dan Etete. read more

31 million barrels of oil later, new life for old rig

Royal Dutch Shell’s 36-year-old Cougar oil and gas platform. The bulk of the platform was converted into an artificial reef in November.

By Collin Eaton: December 15, 2017 Updated: December 16, 2017 12:17am

This location, however, will never produce oil. Instead, the 3,000-ton frame, from a retired platform operated by Royal Dutch Shell, will become home to barnacles, mussels, sponges and other aquatic invertebrates and a way station for migratory fish from red snapper to whale sharks seeking food and shelter. read more

From PortNews: December 15, 2017

On 14 December 2017, joint delegation of Gazprom and Shell visited Commercial Sea Port of Ust-Luga, JSC to discuss cooperation under Baltic LNG project, says the press center of CSPU.

An LNG plant able to produce 10 mln t per year for export shipments by sea-going ships is to be built at the port of Ust-Luga, north of CSPU.

Representatives of the delegation (17 members) visited Yug-2 terminal and discussed a number of issues related to transshipment of oversized equipment intended for the LNG plant. read more

Shell Canada’s SEEL Program Fund provides learning experiences beyond the classroom

Undergraduate students and representatives recognized at annual luncheon

On Nov. 30, the University of Calgary hosted the 10th annual celebratory luncheon for a diverse group of students who participated in activities funded by the Shell Experiential Energy Learning (SEEL) Program.

Having just completed its 11th year, the SEEL Program at UCalgary provides funding to undergraduate students and groups for field trips, conferences, special projects and other activities focused on sustainable energy, environment and economy, with a priority placed on hands-on learning experiences. read more

December 15, 2017

Unilever and Shell did not directly threaten to move their head offices out of the Netherlands if the dividend tax was not abolished, senior officials told a parliamentary hearing on Friday, the Financieele Dagblad reported.

However, officials did make it clear they had warned about the possible consequences if the tax was not abolished, the paper said.

Both companies have split headquarter operations between the Netherlands and UK and are thought to have lobbied hard to get the new government to abolish the 15% tax.  The UK does not charge a tax on dividends. read more

By Jimitota Onoyume: 14 Dec 2017

WARRI—No fewer than  1,686,000 victims of Bonga oil field spillage in Rivers State have  dragged oil giant, Shell Nigeria Exploration Company, SNEPCO, before a United Kingdom court over its alleged failure  to pay $3,600,191,206  as compensation to them and communities affected by the incident.

Director, Oil Spill Victims Vanguard, OSPIVV, Mr Harrison Jalla, who disclosed  this to newsmen in Warri,  Delta State, said he filed a pre-action notice at the TCC High Court of Justice in London  for the victims and  communities, noting that it was unfortunate that the oil giant had allegedly failed to cushion the pains suffered by victims of the spill. read more

BY HENNING GLOYSTEIN: DECEMBER 15, 2017

* OPEC-led supply cuts, Forties pipeline outage support crude

* But rising U.S. output, driven by shale, weighs on market

SINGAPORE, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Oil markets were stable on Friday as the Forties pipeline outage in the North Sea and the ongoing OPEC-led production cuts supported prices, while rising output from the United States kept crude from rising further.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $57.13 a barrel at 0119 GMT, up 9 cents from their last settlement. read more

Big Oil’s slump is over and industry domination beckons, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

In 2018, companies from Royal Dutch Shell Plc to Exxon Mobil Corp. will find themselves with a surplus of cash to fund dividends, ruling the world of deep water mega-projects and even coming out ahead in tax negotiations with oil-reliant governments around the globe, according to Michele Della Vigna, Goldman’s head of energy-industry research.

The industry’s success in cutting costs, paired with a low oil price that keeps smaller competitors out of the biggest projects, has created an environment where only major players can compete, Vigna said. That should bolster earnings and return the industry giants to a position of dominance not seen in 20 years. read more

By Jared Stonesifer Posted Dec 13, 2017 at 2:18 PM

Shell Chemicals’ employees donated hundreds of gifts to the Aliquippa Salvation Army on Wednesday, gifts that will eventually go to 76 needy children in Beaver County.

ALIQUIPPA — Shell Chemicals’ employees donated hundreds of gifts to the Aliquippa Salvation Army on Wednesday, gifts that will eventually go to 76 needy children in Beaver County.

Shell spokesman Joe Minnitte said he had to rent a small U-Haul truck Wednesday to deliver the toys, clothing, bicycles and other gifts.

Shell employees, both locally and in Houston, have donated to the Aliquippa Salvation Army for the last three years. About 40 children were served three years ago, 50 children last year, and 76 this year. read more

14 Dec 2017

Digital media and social video specialist Brave Bison Group PLC (LON:BBSN) has extended its commercial partnership with Royal Dutch ShellPLC (LON:RDSA) for two years.

Brave Bison said the new partnership significantly builds upon the current deal managing Shell’s YouTube channel with an improved contract that will include strategic and proposition development services, reporting and analysis services, and creative services.

The extension has been back-dated to start in August 2017 and will run until August 2019. read more

Oil major Shell said today that it had suspended production on two of its North Sea platforms due to the Forties pipeline shutdown.

Written by Mark Lammey – 12/12/2017 12:27 pm

Owner Ineos has said it will take “weeks rather than days” to fix the leak, which was detected during a routine inspection at Netherley last week.

The 235-mile pipeline system links more than 80 North Sea field to the UK mainland and the Ineos site in Grangemouth. It delivers almost 40% of the UK’s North Sea oil and gas production.

Ineos completed a deal to buy the system from BP for up to £190million ($250million) at the end of October. read more

By Ben van Beurden: Chief Executive Officer at Shell

It’s time for Shell to accelerate its efforts in the transition to a lower-carbon world. This is how I plan to drive change through the company.

How will a future CEO of Shell judge what I have just announced? Will they look back to the end of 2017 and consider it a turning point? In 20 years? 30 years? If things move as I expect, they probably will.

By then, I believe Shell will be at least as profitable and successful as today but it will be a very different company.

We will still have plenty of oil and gas in our energy mix but other areas of the business, which are small today, will have grown. read more

REUTERS STAFF: DECEMBER 12, 2017

OSLO, Dec 12 (Reuters) – Norway’s $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, will probably win backing from parliament for its proposal to cut most oil and gas stocks from its portfolio, business daily Dagens Naeringsliv reported on Tuesday.

If adopted by parliament, the fund would over time divest billions of dollars from oil and gas stocks, which now represent 6 percent – or around $37 billion – of its benchmark equity index. read more

By Neanda Salvaterra: December 12, 2017: Dow Jones Newswires

Royal Dutch Shell PLC said on Tuesday it has suspended production on two offshore oil and gas platforms following the shutdown of a major European oil transport node.

The British-Dutch oil giant confirmed that it has halted the flow of oil and gas from its Shearwater and Nelson platforms in the central North Sea as a result of the shutdown of the Forties Pipeline System owned by Ineos, a refining and chemicals company. read more

Singapore (Platts)–12 Dec 2017 202 am EST/702 GMT

Global energy major Shell is investigating claims of unethical dealings including charges of corruption in its tanker chartering team in Singapore and at least one employee has been asked to take leave pending further investigation, sources familiar with the developments have told S&P Global Platts.

It all started a few weeks ago when one member of the chartering team, acting as a whistleblower, made a complaint against a colleague for allegedly channeling a large part of the chartering business through a specific brokerage for pecuniary gains, sources said. read more

Esther Kiobel holding a photo of her late husband Dr. Barinem Kiobel

The list of three court cases in blue text below was taken today from the live Pacer Electronic court records system in the USA.

Esther Kiobel is the plaintiff in each case.

All of the litigation relates to Royal Dutch Shell, the oil giant she holds responsible for the murder of her husband Dr. Barinem Nubari Kiobel. He was executed on false charges with eight other prominent Ogoni collectively known as the Ogoni 9.

As can be seen, the first case was filed on 20 Sept 2002. Here we are, over 15 years later and not one minute has been spent in court on hearing the actual merits of her claim. read more