Shell Canada has announced it’s testing the waters to sell its refinery and chemical facilities in Corunna.
Shell’s plant in Corunna is for sale, the company announced Wednesday. (Handout)
Shell Canada is testing the waters to sell its Sarnia-Lambton refinery.
The fossil fuel giant that’s operated since 1963 at the 77,000 barrel-per-day Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Corunna announced Wednesday it’s been looking to find a buyer for the refinery, chemical plant, and Sarnia distribution terminal – as well as another distribution terminal in Hamilton and Shell’s 45 per cent stake in the Sun Canadian Pipeline – for about a year, said spokesperson Olwen Gover.
The about 400 jobs on the grounds south of Aamjiwnaang First Nation and along the St. Clair River are being shopped as part of the deal, she said.
“The intent expressed to potential buyers is to preserve jobs and the capability that Shell people are known for,” she said.
Shell will continue operating the site if it doesn’t sell, she said.
“There are no plans to close any of the site.”
The refinery is one of the company’s best, but is not part of Shell’s long-term strategy to transition to “new energies,” Gover said, noting the announcement came Wednesday – the process to find a buyer is expected still to take months, she said – so Shell could be transparent with employees.
“Shell’s strategy is to focus on cash engines of conventional oil and gas, integrated gas and oil products to deliver the cash to fund future growth in new energies,” she said, pointing to an investment in liquefied natural gas the company made last year.
“Moving away from the oils to the gasses,” she said.
She touted the site’s strong performance when it comes to safety, calling it a cornerstone of Shell Canada and adding there are strong ties with the surrounding community.
“The team has really delivered incredible value to Shell and to the local community and Ontario,” she said.
Work has also been done in the last few years to improve reliability at the site, she said.
“We see the value in the Sarnia Manufacturing Centre and we think others will see more value.”
No information was available about the asking price or prospective buyers, she said.
Shell intends to continue marketing in Ontario, honouring branded supply and wholesale agreements, she said, in a news release.
Shell’s retail and aviation businesses in Ontario are not for sale, it says.
The company says the Sarnia Manufacturing Centre was originally built by Canadian Oil Companies Limited in 1952.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
