Jun. 30, 2018 12:54 AM ET

Summary

• Renewal of assets with great focus on the future.
• Natural gas as energy source will continue to grow.
• Share buybacks and generous dividends.

Background

Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) (NYSE:RDS.B) has been actively focusing on what kind of business it wants to be involved in. Part of this activity is to change the composition of its assets. It has been selling plants and oil licenses, and invested where it wants to position the company.

Disposals have also been done to reduce the total debt level. Much of the debt came from the $35 billion acquisition of BG Group back in March of 2016.

Disposals

Early this year, Shell communicated that its plans were to leave oil and gas operations in as many as 10 countries and instead focus more heavily on gas-rich Australia and shale opportunities in the United States. read more

Jun. 29, 2018 5:15 PM ET|By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Shell-Partners consortium ready to build Dutch offshore wind farm

Reuters Staff: JUNE 28, 2018

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – A consortium led by Swiss investor Partners Group and Royal Dutch Shell said it has secured financing for the building of a 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) wind farm in the Dutch part of the North Sea.

Shell and consortium partners Eneco, Van Oord and Mitsubishi/DGE were awarded the “Borssele 3 and 4” project in December 2016, at what at the time was the Netherlands’ lowest-ever strike price of 54.50 euro cents per megawatt-hour.

Building of the wind farm, which will have the capacity to power around 825,000 households, will start in the fourth quarter of 2019, with production expected to begin in 2021. read more

U.S. court dismisses climate change lawsuits against oil companies

(Reuters) – A federal court in California dismissed climate change lawsuits by the cities of San Francisco and Oakland against five oil companies, saying the complaints required foreign and domestic policy decisions that were outside its purview.

San Francisco and Oakland sued Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, ConocoPhillips, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, and BP Plc last year seeking an abatement fund to help the cities address flooding they said was a result of climate change.

Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said in the ruling that the dangers raised by the complainants were real and worldwide, and both parties accepted the science behind global warming. read more

Production at the Groningen natural gas field will come in lower than expected this year as the Dutch government works to end production completely by 2030 in an effort to limit seismic risks in the region.

Output will have fallen to 19B-20B cm in the year ending October 2018, the Dutch gas sector regulator says, below the original cap of 21.6B cm set for the year and down from 24B cm last year.

The Groningen field is a joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM). read more

By Linda A. Thompson: June 27, 2018

A Dutch opposition lawmaker is pushing the government to launch a parliamentary inquiry into Shell, calls that follow criticism of the oil giant’s past deals with the tax authority.

Jesse Klaver, the leader of the Dutch Greens, is specifically focused on a 2004 tax ruling the tax authority issued to Royal Dutch Shell Plc. A parliamentary inquiry would be lawmakers’ only shot to question Shell executives about the deal, and would be the latest development in scrutiny of the company’s tax planning. read more

Judge tosses San Francisco-Oakland climate change lawsuit against big oil companies

SAN FRANCISCO — A U.S. judge who held a hearing about climate change that received widespread attention ruled Monday that Congress and the president were best suited to address the contribution of fossil fuels to global warming, throwing out lawsuits that sought to hold big oil companies liable for the Earth’s changing environment.

Noting that the world has also benefited significantly from oil and other fossil fuel, Judge William Alsup said questions about how to balance the “worldwide positives of the energy” against its role in global warming “demand the expertise of our environmental agencies, our diplomats, our Executive, and at least the Senate.” read more

Ron Bousso, Shadia Nasralla: JUNE 25 2018

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday it will develop the Fram gas field in the North Sea, its third project approval in the aging basin this year.

Shell’s final investment decision (FID) on Fram follows the green light for the expansion of the Penguins field in January, and the 50-50 joint venture Alligin field in the west of Shetlands area which is operated by BP.

The UK North Sea is one of the world’s oldest offshore basins whose production started in the 1970s and peaked in the late 1990s. It has enjoyed a modest production revival in recent years thanks to a wave of new projects coming on stream. read more

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) approves its second North Sea project in six months, moving forward with development of the Fram natural gas field it considered uneconomical to produce six years ago.

Shell, along with partner Exxon Mobil (XOM -1.7%), says it plans to produce as much as 13K boe/day from two wells in the Fram field by 2020, adding ~10% to the company’s current output in the U.K. North Sea.

Steve Phimister, head of Shell’s U.K. exploration and production unit, says deep cost cuts following crude’s decline and connecting smaller oil and gas pools to bigger projects are allowing it to squeeze more out of an aging North Sea, and that the company may take several more investment decisions in the North Sea this year because of the improved economics. read more

Shell, Exxon not to seek compensation for end of Groningen gas production: government

Reuters Staff: Monday June 25, 2018

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Energy companies Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil will not submit a claim for missed revenue due to the Dutch government’s decision to halt gas production at the Groningen field by 2030, the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs said on Monday.

“A lot of gas will be left in the ground,” Economy minister Eric Wiebes said at the presentation of his deal with the oil majors responsible for extracting Groningen gas.

“That gas is the property of the oil companies, but they will not submit a claim and the government is not required to compensate them.” read more

Shell to develop North Sea Fram gas field

Monday 25 June 2018

Oil company Shell has given the final go-ahead to develop the Fram gas field in the North Sea.

The field, 100 miles east of Aberdeen, is expected to produce about 41 million cubic feet of gas a day.

It will be connected using subsea infrastructure to the neighbouring Shearwater platform.

Steve Phimister, Shell’s vice president for upstream in the UK and Ireland, said reducing development costs had allowed investment in new projects.

He said: “With our strong record of operational excellence and project execution, we will look to invest in further projects as we work to grow our business in the North Sea.” read more

By Kevin Crowley and Kelly Gilblom
25 June 2018, 00:00 BST

Big Oil’s fortunes are becoming tied more closely to natural gas than ever before.

Majors including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc have boosted their proportion of gas output in recent years, helping them trim Exxon Mobil Corp.’s lead as the world’s most valuable oil company. Meanwhile Chevron Corp. added two giant Australian liquefied natural gas projects and Exxon is punching back with two major projects of its own, in Papua New Guinea and Mozambique. read more

Shell hoping impact of decommissioning project will be felt far beyond Brent

In the year since the Brent Delta platform came ashore for dismantling, its past and present owners have found there isn’t much that can’t be reused or given away.

The Brent Delta platform with the flare stack and most of the accommodation block dismantled.

Written by Mark Lammey – 21/06/2018 7:20 am

Bedding to an animal charity, mattresses and furniture to people in need, and emergency Marks and Spencer tinned food supplies to food banks – just about everything is of value to someone.

Pumps are being refurbished and 4,400 tonnes of steel has been cut up into “coupons” ready to be sold.

Current owner Able UK is even selling the sand it dug up when it was strengthening the quayside which would receive Brent Delta at its yard in Hartlepool. read more

Shell joins UK offshore wind partnership group

Shell Global Solutions International BV has today joined the Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA), the Carbon Trust’s collaborative research, development and demonstration programme.

Written by David McPhee – 21/06/2018 10:50 am

The oil giant joins existing partners EnBW, E.ON, Equinor, Innogy SE, Orsted, ScottishPower Renewables/Iberdrola, SSE Renewables and Vattenfall Wind Power on the OWA roster.

Set up in 2008, the Carbon Trust’s OWA programme is primarily structured around five research areas: Access Systems; Cable Installation, Electrical Systems; Wake Effects and Wind Resource; and Foundations.

Dorine Bosman, VP Wind Development at Shell, said: “The Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator is a good example of the collaboration required between public and private sectors. The research and development programme will be key to delivering technical, commercial and financial innovations for large scale and sustainable offshore wind opportunities in the future.” read more

Nigeria: Court Orders Shell to Pay $3.6 Billion Fine Over Oil Spill

20 June 2018

Lagos — Justice Mojisola Olatoregun, sitting at a Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a suit by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd challenging the imposition of $3.6billion fine on it by the Federal Government.

The court resolved all the issues in the defendant’s favour and dismissed the suit.

Shell sued the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), challenging its powers to impose levies or fines over oil spills.

The plaintiff prayed the court to declare that NOSDRA cannot, in the light of Section 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution, validly exercise any powers under Section 5, 6, 7 and 19 of the NOSDRA Act. read more

By Linda A. Thompson

Practitioners are divided over whether an agreement between Shell and the Dutch tax administration breaks EU government aid rules.

The debate has heated up in recent days after an article released June 18 by a Dutch academic claimed Royal Dutch Shell Plc avoided a tax on dividends by routing shares through a trust in the Channel Island of Jersey.

Shell didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

The company received permission to use the structure in 2005 during a merger of its British and Dutch parent companies, but the agreement may have violated Dutch withholding tax rules, according to the article, written by Jan van de Streek, a professor at the University of Amsterdam. read more

After the discussions between Buhari and van Beurden, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, sent a letter to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigeria’s state-owned oil company NNPC, Mikanti Baru, instructing the corporation and the Anglo-Dutch oil company to conclude arrangements for the start of the project.

BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK JUN 20, 2018

After years of delay, Shell has received approval to begin the Bonga Southwest project, following discussions held in London between its CEO Ben Van Beurden and Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.

The project, which was first scheduled for completion in 2014, is expected to add 225,000 barrels per day to Nigeria’s present production average of 1.8-2.00 million bpd.

After the discussions between Buhari and van Beurden, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, sent a letter to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigeria’s state-owned oil company NNPC, Mikanti Baru, instructing the corporation and the Anglo-Dutch oil company to conclude arrangements for the start of the project. read more

Shell dumps interest in two Norwegian fields

Shell adds $556 million toward its goal of divesting $30 billion in a streamlining effort.

By Daniel J. Graeber: June 20, 2018

June 20 (UPI) — Supermajor Royal Dutch Shell said Wednesday it sold off its entire stake in two fields in production off the Norwegian coast for $556 million.

Shell’s subsidiary in Norway sold its entire 44.56 percent interest in the Draugen field and its 12 percent in the Gjøa to Norwegian energy company OKEA.

OKEA CEO Erik Haugane in a statement on the deal said the agreement with Shell was a “high-quality acquisition.”

His company estimates it will become the 19th largest producer offshore Norway with the deal. The Shell acquisition gives it a boost in net production of about 22,000 barrels of oil equivalent. read more

Shell hits back at criticism of tax structure

Reports allege oil group’s plan has cost Dutch treasury as much as £6.1bn in lost income

Shell has hit back at criticism of a tax structure it set up as part of a relocation of its headquarters from London to The Hague following reports that it has cost the Dutch treasury as much as €7bn (£6.1bn) in lost income. Calls have been made for the European commission to investigate the oil group’s tax affairs after reports claimed that a multibillion-euro bill has been avoided through the use of an offshore trust in Jersey since 2005. FULL ARTICLE read more

Shell Disputes EUR7 Billion Lost Tax Claim – Guardian

LONDON (Alliance News) – Royal Dutch Shell PLC has “hit back” against claims regarding its relocation from London to the Netherlands, which resulted in a EUR7 billion loss of income to the Dutch treasury, the Guardian reported on Monday.

Dutch newspaper Trouw claimed that the British-Dutch multinational oil & gas company’s Dutch tax authority agreement conflicted with EU rules and that Shell owes “as much as EUR7 billion” in taxes.

“I am astonished about the way we are portrayed in Trouw. This is tendentious. The fact that our headquarters is in the Netherlands has been very good for the Dutch treasury,” Shell Nederland President Director Marjan van Loon said in a statement. read more

By Janene Pieters on June 18, 2018 

The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, wants the government to explain a controversial deal that Shell made with the Dutch tax authorities in 2005. As a result of this deal, Shell’s British shareholders are exempt from dividend tax in the Netherlands, through which the Dutch treasury lost out on over 7 billion euros, newspaper Trouw reported on Saturday.

The Kamer now wants to know whether this tax deal is allowed under Dutch law, and whether any politicians were involved in making it, according to newspaper AD. SP leader Lilian Marijnissen called it a “stinky” deal. GroenLinks wants a parliamentary inquiry into dividend tax. And the four coalition parties – VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie – jointly submitted questions to State Secretary Menno Snel of Finance.  read more

By Kelly Gilblom: 18 June 2018, 05:00 BST

Shale oil hasn’t always been Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s best friend, but they’re working on the relationship.

Shell is said to have bid, with partner Blackstone Group LP, on a portfolio of U.S. shale assets BHP Billiton Ltd. wants to sell for about $10 billion. If it wins, the Anglo-Dutch oil major could exceed its goal of doubling its American onshore output, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.

That would boost the unit’s free cash flow — currently on track to grow by $2 billion by 2025 — and turn around a shale portfolio that is currently “mid-lower ranked,” analysts from the bank including Christyan Malek said in a report. read more

Dutch ecologist party asks for investigation of Shell dividend tax payment

Sat 16 June 2018

The Dutch ecologist party, Groen Links, has asked parliament this Saturday to appoint a commission to investigate payment of taxes on dividends by multinational oil company Shell. According to newspaper Trouw, company has since 2005 avoiding this rate “with permission of Dutch Treasury, through Jersey, island of channel of La Mancha [a dependence British Crown]”. During those years, “Shell has distributed among its shareholders about 45 billion euros, of which 7 billion should have been entered in coffers of state.” Shell claims that it has not violated tax rules. read more

Shell’s home energy supplier hikes bills by 5.9pc

By Jillian Ambrose, energy editor

The energy supplier owned by Royal Dutch Shell will raise the energy bill of around 165,000 British homes by almost 6pc from next month.

First Utility, the largest energy supplier outside of the Big Six, said the rising price of wholesale energy and policy schemes pushed its costs higher by 9pc compared to last year.

As a result the supplier will “regrettably” lift its standard variable tariff for gas and power by an average of 5.9pc, or £5.58 a month.

First Utility’s default tariff will rise from an average of £1,132 a year to £1,199 a year, but this only applies to around 20pc of its customers. The rest have opted for fixed prices deals which won’t change. read more

Forgotten no more: Shell Oil preserves slave cemeteries

Published: Thu, June 14, 2018 8:48 AM Updated: Thu, June 14, 2018 8:49 AM

CONVENT, La. (AP) — A major oil company is taking steps to honor once-forgotten slaves buried on its land west of New Orleans in an area where sugar plantations once abounded, an effort that some hope will grow into a larger movement to recognize and protect such cemeteries around the country.

The Shell Oil Company marked, blocked off and spruced up the tracts near its Convent refinery west of New Orleans and held dedication ceremonies in March, about five years after archaeologists confirmed the presence of slave burial grounds in 2013. The company also has been working with the nearby River Road African American Museum to arrange commemorative events and accommodate visitors.

It’s the latest example of the South’s decades-long path to acknowledging unsavory aspects of its history. read more

REUTERS STAFF: JUNE 13, 2018 / 4:03 PM

ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s Supreme Court threw out an appeal from Shell and four former Shell managers to stymie a corruption trial that has also involved Eni’s chief executive, legal sources said on Wednesday.

The long-running graft case on alleged corruption in Nigeria, revolves around the 2011 purchase by Eni and Shell of Nigeria’s OPL-245 offshore oilfield for about $1.3 billion. The trial began last month, with the next hearing set for June 20. read more

Jun. 13, 2018 12:05 PM ET|By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Italy’s Supreme Court rejects an appeal from Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) and four former Shell managers to reverse a trial on alleged corruption in Nigeria, which also has implicated Eni (NYSE:E) CEO Claudio Descalzi.

The appeal hoped to reverse the trial to the preliminary hearing stage due to what it said were procedural errors, but the court ruled that the appeal was inadmissible.

Nine current and former company executives or contractors, including Descalzi, are accused by Italian prosecutors of paying bribes to secure the license to explore Nigeria’s OPL-245 offshore oilfield, which holds ~9B barrels of oil but has never entered production. read more

A Quick Snapshot Of Shell’s Integrated Gas Business

 Trefis Team , Contributor

Royal Dutch Shell’s (NYSE: RDS.A) Integrated Gas business accounts for 20% of the company’s value, according to our estimates. LNG price movement is closely related to that of crude oil prices. As such, the average price realization for LNG was lower in 2015 and 2016. However, a recovery in oil prices since the second half of 2017 led to better price realization for Shell in the recent quarters, and this has aided the segment growth. We expect a low single digit segment revenue growth in 2018, and beyond, led by an increasing demand for LNG. We have created an interactive dashboardhighlighting the company’s Integrated Gas business. You can adjust revenue drivers and margins for 2018 and 2019 to see how it impacts the company’s overall revenues, earnings, and price estimate. Below we discuss our expectations and forecasts for the segment. read more

BY MAREX 2018-06-11 12:58:00

Shell’s giant floating liquefied natural gas plant (FLNG), the Prelude, moved closer to production last week when she received a cool-down cargo from the LNG carrier Gallina.

The 70,000 dwt Gallina transferred a load of LNG to the Prelude on Wednesday and Thursday as the plant prepares for commissioning. It was the first time that Prelude has had an LNG carrier alongside to test the plant’s sophisticated loading arms.

Prelude is now testing its systems in preparation for first gas from Shell’s Prelude field, which holds an estimated three trillion cubic feet of natural gas (in combination with the adjacent Concerto field). Royal Dutch Shell hopes to begin generating revenue from the multi-billion-dollar project sometime this year. read more

LONDON, June 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ —

Orbit Energy Ltd, an exciting new entrant to the Great Britain (GB) electricity and gas market, has agreed to an exclusive five-year deal with Shell Energy Europe Ltd for the supply of its power, gas and environmental products.

This agreement allows Orbit Energy to hedge its commodity risk and secure competitive energy prices for its customers, enabling accelerated growth in 2018.

“Adding Shell Energy Europe as our strategic trading partner allows us to provide stable prices and peace of mind to our customers from day one. This partnership is a critical milestone, one that will support sustainable growth through continuity of supply for all Orbit Energy customers”; said Tim Szakacs, Co-founder and CEO, Orbit Energy. read more

Jun. 8, 2018 10:39 AM ET|By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Shell campaigner loses High Court case against Corrib gas pipeline

MAURA HARRINGTON – Campaigner against the Shell Corrib gas project in Co Mayo. Alone, unrepresented, faced four senior counsel. 

By Ann O’Loughlin: 08/06/2018 – 12:15:57

A campaigner against the Shell Corrib gas project in Co Mayo has lost her High Court bid to overturn a ministerial consent for a pipeline bringing gas to a refinery at Ballinaboy.

Maura Harrington, who has opposed the project since 2001, has described it as “a land, sea and air attack on the place that is Erris”. read more

Oil majors to bid on choice stakes in Brazil’s offshore

Alexander Alper, Marta Nogueira: JUNE 7, 2018

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Executives from oil majors were set to gather in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday to compete for stakes in Brazil’s pre-salt oil play, home to some of the world’s most alluring offshore geology, as rising oil prices boost appetite for expensive offshore projects.

A record 16 companies, including Chevron Corp, BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc registered to bid for four blocks in the offshore Campos and Santos basins, part of the so-called fourth pre-salt auction on Thursday. read more

Claire Poole , CONTRIBUTOR: June 6, 2018

Royal Dutch Shell took the top spot among oil and gas companies on the Forbes Global 2000’s list of the biggest and most powerful public companies, surpassing last year’s leader Exxon Mobil Corp.

The Anglo-Dutch oil and gas giant ranked 11th among all companies on the list, up from 20th the previous year, mostly because of higher sales due to lofty commodity prices. Irving, Texas-based Exxon came in at 13th, the same as last year. read more

Nigeria’s oil wells may be flowing again, but the country’s largest operator says attacks continue to put a brake on output.

Written by Bloomberg – 05/06/2018 9:35 am

“Security in parts of the Niger delta remains a major concern with persisting incidents of criminality, kidnapping and vandalism as well as onshore and offshore piracy,” said Igo Weli, general manager for external relations at Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s local unit. The warning underlines the enduring threat of attacks even as production recovers from a major militant campaign in 2016.

Shell declared force majeure on Bonny Light crude shipments last month following pipeline leaks, while loadings of Forcados exports were also delayed. Weli didn’t specifically link those incidents to his comments on vandalism. read more

Jun. 5, 2018 1:09 AM ET

Summary

• Shell has made a huge bet on a deeply buried resource in the Gulf of Mexico.
• In this article we explain, why they continue to spend billions of dollars in Deepwater, when other companies have abandoned it.
• We also provide a range where we would consider adding to our Shell position.

FULL ARTICLE

Shell Settles With Epa For Hazardous Waste ViolationsBay

City News Service: Published 11:37 pm, Monday, June 4, 2018

Shell Oil will pay a settlement to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for hazardous waste violations at a crude oil refinery near Martinez. The settlement will include a $142,664 civil penalty and $220,300 in equipment improvements. The initial EPA complaint included failure to manage and report hazardous waste materials…

FULL ARTICLE

…the EU may protect the companies financing Nord Stream 2. Those include Royal Dutch Shell Plc…

By William Wilkes and Ewa Krukowska
4 June 2018, 05:00 BST

As Donald Trump’s trade policy risk worsening economic conflict with Europe Union, Russia’s Vladimir Putin is strengthening ties with the region.

Putin will mark 50 years of gas exports to Europe at an event in Vienna on Tuesday. A controversial 9.5 billion-euro ($11 billion) pipeline to feed more supplies from Siberia directly into Germany is progressing despite a U.S. sanctions threat. And Moscow-based Gazprom PJSC last month settled a seven-year-old pricing dispute with the European Union, enabling it to expand its market share. read more

Seven out of eight of the Netherland’s largest insurance companies snubbed Shell’s climate ambition by abstaining or voting with a fringe group’s resolution.

Written by David McPhee – 02/06/2018 6:00 am

Only one insurer, Allianz, voted against the resolution put forward by shareholder activist group, Follow This, who are calling for Shell to align its targets with the Paris Climate Agreement at its most recent AGM.

The three insurers based in the Netherland’s who voted for the resolution, Vivat, NN and Aegon, represent more than £850 million in investment.

APG, Achmea IM and Achmea Own abstained from the vote, Allianz rejected the resolution, while ASR closed Shell of investments for sustainability reasons. read more

Pope Francis, who wrote a major document on protection of the environment from global warming in 2015, is expected to address the group on the last day of the June 8-9 conference.

The conference, organized by Notre Dame University in the United States, is expected to be attended by the heads or senior executives of companies including ExxonMobil, Eni, BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Pemex, the source said.

The oil and gas industry has come under increasing pressure from investors and activists to play a bigger role in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gasses in order to meet goals set out in a 2015 climate agreement signed in Paris. read more

By Mathew Carr, 1 June 2018

Royal Dutch Shell Plc is attempting to market some of its natural gas as clean energy, packaging it with credits for eco-friendly projects that offset pollution coming from the fuel.

The oil giant is offering business customers in Europe a combination of gas and certificates that show emissions are offset with financing for carbon-reduction projects. It’s testing markets in Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain to gauge demand for what credits to use, according to David Wells, head of Shell Energy Europe. read more