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February, 2018:

Royal Dutch Shell: Q4 Earnings Results Show Reasons For Caution

8 FEB 2018

Summary

Analysts and the financial media were very excited about Royal Dutch Shell’s Q4 2017 results, but there is a lot to be concerned about here.

The company divested more than 250kboe/day in producing assets, which juiced its net income but hurt total production.

The company’s three-year RRR is only 78% with an 8.9-year reserve life. This needs to be corrected quickly if the company is to survive.

Royal Dutch Shell failed to generate sufficient cash to pay its shareholder distributions over the past few years but finally appears to have corrected this problem. 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.

Exclusive: Dutch energy firm Eneco’s shareholders seek sale to rival – sources

Power-generating windmill turbines are seen at the Eneco Luchterduinen offshore wind farm near Amsterdam, Netherlands September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Clara DeninaToby SterlingDasha Afanasieva: 8 FEB 2018 LONDON/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The owners of Dutch energy firm Eneco oppose a stock market listing and instead want to pursue a private sale of the company to another industry player in coming months, according to two banking sources close to the matter.

Eneco’s shareholders, 53 municipal governments, voted in October to privatize the company. They have not said whether they favored an IPO of part of the firm or an outright sale that would allow them to completely exit a business which was forced to split off its lucrative grid operations last year.

The sources, who estimated Eneco was worth up to 4 billion euros ($4.9 billion), said the owners had decided on the latter option and wanted the sale process to be launched by the summer. 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.

North Sea Forties oil pipeline ramps up slowly after latest outage – sources

Royal Dutch Shell’s Shearwater platform was closed as of Thursday morning and expected to restart later in the day, a company spokesman said.

Reuters Staff: 8 FEB 2018

* Buzzard oilfield restarts, pumping below full rate-source

* Forties has temporary flow restriction-sources

* North Sea “becoming more like Libya”, says trader (Adds details on fields restarting, flow restriction, quotes)

By Alex Lawler and Amanda Cooper

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Oil and natural gas flows along Britain’s biggest and most important oil pipeline, Forties, were ramping up slowly on Thursday as the system restarts after its second unplanned outage in two months, industry sources 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.

Shell Russian exec says impact of Western sanctions was minimal

Reuters Staff: FEBRUARY 7, 2018

ORZHOK, Russia, Feb 7 (Reuters) – International oil major Royal Dutch Shell’s Russian business felt minimal impact from Western sanctions on Russia, the branch’s head Sergey Starodubtsev said on Wednesday, adding the firm was fully compliant with international law.

Shell Neft, the Russian arm of the global oil company, plans to double the number of petrol stations in Russia, currently at 259, in the next four to five years, and sees fuel sales rising 8 percent to 12 percent this year, Vitaly Maslov, head of Shell’s Russian retail business, told reporters. 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.

Production of Nigeria’s Bonga oil ramping up after shutdown -Shell Nigeria

Reuters Staff: LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) –

* Production of Nigeria’s Bonga crude oil is “being ramped up gradually” after brief shutdown, a spokesman for Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production company (SNEPCo) said on Monday

* The company performed a “brief shutdown” from Jan. 16-28 for repairs on a piping system. It added that “further checks and ancillary repairs” mean that oil and gas production were gradually ramping up

* Traders told Reuters the maintenance had impacted oil loadings, and a list of vessel loadings showed the last cargo to load was the suezmax Sea Garnet on Jan. 17. The Narmada Spirit is expected to load early this week, according to loading plans seen by Reuters 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 doubles profits but faces multibillion-dollar Dutch quake bill

Damage claims over tremors linked to Dutch gasfields clouds strong earnings for 2017

The Dutch government said this week that an independent commission will rule on thousands of claims from people affected by tremors caused by a gasfield run by NAM, a joint venture owned 50-50 by Shell and ExxonMobil. Van Beurden said: “We are talking about multibillion-dollar potential bill for years to come because these earthquake will continue to occur unfortunately. 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 giant’s moves fuel recovery hopes in North Sea

Oil giant’s moves fuel recovery hopes in North Sea

MARK WILLIAMSON: 2 FEB 2018

FOLLOWING encouraging announcements from several firms, Royal Dutch Shell may have provided the clearest signal yet that brighter times are in prospect in the North Sea following three grim years.

After the company announced bumper profits, chief executive Ben van Beurden seemed keen to flag the significance of Shell’s decision last month to redevelop the giant Penguins field off Shetland.

He noted the move followed a period in which Shell focused on selling off North Sea assets and cutting costs in response to the sharp fall in oil prices since 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 faces struggle over €3bn Eneco deal

The Sunday Telegraph understands that Shell is facing internal divisions over the deal and mounting political opposition.

Royal Dutch Shell has struck a stumbling block in its march into the European power sector over plans to pluck a Dutch utility from public ownership.

The Anglo-Dutch oil major is a front-runner in the €3bn (£2.64bn) race to snap up Eneco from the hands of 53 Dutch municipalities after the decision to privatise the green energy company. 

The group already partners with Eneco on wind power projects in Europe, which could pave the way for its next step into the power market after buying UK energy supplier First Utility for a rumoured £200m. 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 production restrictions to prove costly for Dutch government, says WoodMac

Planned production cuts to the Europe’s largest gas field is to cost the Dutch state-run Enrgie Beheer Nederlands $5billion over the life of the field as well as cause the continent to look elsewhere for supply, according to analysts Wood Mackenzie. Groningen has been a major global asset for operators Shell, ExxonMobil and Energie Beheer Nederlands.

There have been a series of powerful earthquakes in recent years around the Groningen field brought on by gas mining, with a tremor last month registering 3.4 magnitude – the most powerful to hit since 2012.

Yesterday the Staatstoezicht op de Mijnen (SoDM) mining association recommending the Ministry of Economic Affairs imposes an output cap of 12 billion cubic metres (bcm)  annually over the next four years in the interests of safety.

The limit represents an annual cut of nearly half from the last cap of 21.6 bcm, and a drop of around 70% since the first cap was imposed in 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 can still grow in ‘rejuvenated’ North Sea, CEO says

Shell’s boss said yesterday that the North Sea is showing signs of “rejuvenation” and can provide the oil major with more room to grow.

Written by

Doubts about Shell’s commitment to the UK were raised last year when it agreed to sell a package of assets to Chrysaor.

But last month the Anglo-Dutch energy giant announced its decision to invest in redeveloping the Penguins area, 150miles north-east of Shetland.

The project will involve the construction of Shell’s first new manned installation in the northern North Sea in almost 30 years.

Chief executive Ben van Beurden said yesterday that the Penguins decision was “important” for Shell. 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 pledges share buyback despite worry over cashflow

Royal Dutch Shell has sought to reassure investors that it will soon be able to press ahead with a promised $25 billion share buyback, after doubts over its cashflow overshadowed a surge in full-year profits.

Ben van Beurden, chief executive of the Anglo-Dutch oil group, said that he was “obsessed” with starting share buybacks as soon as possible and was confident that it could afford them, despite reporting weaker-than-expected cash generation that sent its shares down 2.5 per cent yesterday. 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 LNG glut ‘conspicuously absent’: Shell CEO Ben van Beurden

by Angela Macdonald-Smith: Feb 2 2018 at 12:03 PM: Updated Feb 2 2018 at 3:19 PM

Royal Dutch Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden has declared that the energy giant’s confidence in the LNG market has been justified with no sign of the oversupply that others had warned of.

“The LNG glut is conspicuously absent isn’t it, much to the surprise of those that thought this was inevitable,” Mr van Beurden told reporters at Shell’s fourth-quarter results briefing in London. 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 Q4 2017 Earnings Conference Call February 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (NYSE:RDS.A) Q4 2017 Earnings Conference Call February 1, 2018 9:00 AM ET

Executives

Ben van Beurden – CEO and Director

Jessica Uhl – CFO and Executive Director

Analysts

Michele Vigna – Goldman Sachs Group

Jason Gammel – Jefferies LLC

Christyan Malek – JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Theepan Jothilingam – Exane BNP Paribas

Iain Reid – Macquarie Research

Lydia Rainforth – Barclays PLC

Oswald Clint – Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

Jason Kenney – Grupo Santander

Thomas Adolff – Crédit Suisse AG

Jonathon Rigby – UBS Investment Bank 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.

A BLUNT INSIDER JUDGEMENT OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL

Extract from the ebook “John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare” (now available on Amazon websites globally)

(BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT SHELL’S EPIC 25 YEAR FEUD WITH JOHN DONOVAN – which puts the extracts below in overall context.)

Extract below from pages 55, 56, 57 & 58 consisting of an informed damning judgement (in June 2004) on Shell management by Dr. John Huong a Shell Production Geologist. He blew the whistle internally on the reserves fraud that resulted in the forced merger of Shell Transport and Trading and Royal Dutch Petroleum, into Royal Dutch Shell Plc in 2005. He was fired for being a person man of high integrity. Eight companies in the Shell group jointly sued him for defamation, but eventually, six years later, settled that action along with his claim against Shell for wrongful dismissal.

Extract Begins

CONTENT OF A LEAFLET PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE AND CIRCULATED IN JUNE 2004 AT THE SHELL CENTRE, LONDON. ALL EXTRACTS FROM COMMENTS MADE BY DR. JOHN HUONG

“I will supply for publication further informed comment and revelations in the run up to Shell’s AGM on 28 June. It will include examples of the toxic combination of arrogance, greed, dishonesty, and blatant disregard for all ethical norms by Shell Management, that has culminated in the current shame heaped upon the once proud Shell name.” 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 Triples but Cash Flow Disappoints

LONDON—Royal Dutch Shell PLC more than tripled its profit in 2017 on a rebound in oil prices, but its closely watched cash-flow figures fell short of expectations, alarming investors. The British-Dutch oil giant said Thursday its 2017 profit on a current cost-of-supplies basis… was $12.1 billion, up from $3.5 billion in 2016. Its earnings for the fourth quarter jumped to $3.1 billion from $1 billion a year earlier. FULL ARTICLE  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 profits double despite $2bn US tax charge

Profits at Royal Dutch Shell more than doubled in the fourth quarter of last year, despite the group taking a $2bn charge related to President Donald Trump’s US tax reforms. The recovery in oil prices coupled with steep cost cuts after a three-year downturn are fuelling a resurgence in cash flow and profitability at Shell and the world’s other largest oil and gas groups. FULL FT 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 annual profits up 242% to £8.5bn as oil prices rise

Royal Dutch Shell has reported a surge in annual profits to £8.5bn – a leap of 242% on the previous year.

The Anglo-Dutch oil major credited the performance on a recovery in oil and gas prices during a “year of transformation” within the business.

Underlying earnings – which reflect day-to-day operations and strip out one-off costs – more than doubled to £11.2bn and were aided by a £3bn contribution during the final three months of the year.

The company said: “Full-year earnings benefited mainly from higher realised oil, gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, improved refining performance and higher production from new fields, which offset the impact of field declines and divestments.” 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 ‘transformation’ doubles profits as oil recovery takes hold

Jillian Ambrose

Royal Dutch Shell has doubled its profits following the oil major’s worst financial year in over a decade as the oil market recovery takes hold.

The Anglo-Dutch oil giant said the “transformation” following its 2016 mega-merger with BG Group and $30bn portfolio overhaul has reopened flows of cash back into the business as oil prices soared to over $65 a barrel last year, from under $30 a barrel at its lowest point in early 2016.

Shell’s earnings on a ‘current cost of supply’ (CCS) basis, which is a standard oil industry measure, more than doubled from the previous year to reach $15.8bn (£11bn) for 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 poised to dethrone Exxon in oil titans’ cash clash

Ron Bousso: 1 FEB 2018 LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell could usurp its largest rival Exxon Mobil as the energy sector’s biggest cash generator after higher oil and gas prices combined with an improved performance lifted its 2017 revenue.Chief Executive Ben van Beurden has made no secret of his desire to challenge the dominance of the world’s largest listed oil company after its $54 billion purchase of BG Group in 2016 catapulted Shell into second place in terms of production.

The Anglo-Dutch company on Thursday reported a more than doubling of profit in 2017 to $16 billion, the highest since the start of the 2014 downturn as the effect of years of costs cuts and the integration of BG Group filtered through.

“We enter 2018 with continued discipline and confidence, committed to the delivery of strong returns and cash,” van Beurden said in a statement.

Shell’s shares were 1.1 percent lower at 0842 GMT, compared with a slightly positive open for the FTSE 100 index. 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 Makes as Much Money at $60 a Barrel as When It Was $100

The oil-price rally worked both ways for Royal Dutch Shell Plc as improved exploration and production lifted profit to a three-year high while refining and trading fell short of expectations as margins shrank.

Crude’s surge raised adjusted profit at Europe’s largest energy company to $4.3 billion last quarter, the highest since 2014. While the bottom line was better than expected — and Shell is making as much money with oil at $60 a barrel as when it was $100 — cash flow was the weakest since 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 Makes Mexico Comeback to Rule Deep Gulf Waters

In the span of a few hours, Royal Dutch Shell Plc became the new king of Mexico’s deep waters.

The super major — which once dominated the country’s oil industry and operates the deepest prospects in the U.S. side of the Gulf — made a comeback by winning about a third of the offerings in Mexico’s biggest-yet bidding round.

The auction of exploration and production permits on Wednesday was the strongest sign so far that Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto’s energy reform is bearing fruit by luring investment plans that will help get Mexico’s oil production back on track. 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.