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February, 2020:

Shell plans major drilling in Mexico, but oil may take years

Royal Dutch Shell Plc is pushing ahead on its massive deep-water drilling plan in Mexico, even as it doesn’t foresee production starting under the current government.

The global oil major plans to drill four wells this year, and a similar amount next year, said Alberto de La Fuente, Shell’s Mexico country chief. It’s part of a drilling campaign that will include 10 to 13 wells and cost from $800 million to $2.4 billion.

Shell has a major position in Mexico’s deep-waters at a time when access is hard to come by. Mexico’s new government under Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also known as AMLO, has promised to reverse the neoliberal policies of his predecessor and has canceled further auctions and joint-venture opportunities with state owned Petroleos Mexicanos. 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 Explores Adding More Cheap Ethanol to Gasoline in Iowa

BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are exploring adding more ethanol in gasoline in top corn state Iowa to take advantage of how cheap the biofuel has become.

The oil majors are gauging driver interest at a small number of stations in 15% ethanol blends, up from the current state standard of 10%, after the Trump administration in May allowed an increase nationwide.

Adding more ethanol to gasoline may help Midwest farmers who have been struggling to find markets for corn after biofuels demand plateaued last year. Ethanol futures slumped to the lowest in more than a decade in 2019, making it unprofitable to make the biofuel that accounts for about a third of demand for the U.S. corn crop. But cheap ethanol won’t save drivers much money: At current prices, filling up a Ford-F150 would only cost about a quarter less. 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.

UPDATE 2-Asia to absorb LNG supply growth from mid-2020 -Shell

Ekaterina Kravtsova, Nina Chestney: FEBRUARY 20, 2020

* LNG supply soared over past year, excess cargoes sent to Europe

* Shell sees supply growth easing from mid-2020

* Expects impact of coronavirus on Chinese demand to be temporary

* (Updates throughout with outlook for 2020, quotes from webcast)

By Ekaterina Kravtsova and Nina Chestney

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) – Asia will be able to absorb most of the growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply from the second half of 2020, with Europe ceasing to be a balancing market, Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday.

Excess cargoes have been sent to Europe in the past year as global LNG supply has been soaring, in particular from projects in the United States and Australia. 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.

Canada’s Trudeau stresses the need for peaceful end to pipeline protests

COMMODITIES FEBRUARY 17, 2020 / 11:14 PM

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday called for a peaceful solution to end rail blockades by indigenous rights groups protesting the construction of a natural gas pipeline.

Indigenous communities across Canada have blocked key rail lines for nearly two weeks to oppose construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline in British Columbia, which has forced Canada’s biggest railroad, Canadian National Railway Co, to shut operations in eastern Canada.

Trudeau, who called off a planned Barbados trip to resolve the escalating pipeline protests, told his top cabinet ministers that this “urgent situation needs to be approached in a way that builds trust and respect toward an immediate resolution with all parties.” 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 agrees China deal to bolster green power

The Times

Royal Dutch Shell has thrown its weight behind a Chinese-backed energy storage venture building what is claimed to be Europe’s largest battery in Wiltshire.

The Anglo-Dutch energy group will use a 100-megawatt battery near the village of Minety to provide back-up electricity to the National Grid when supplies of wind and solar power dip. The battery can be charged when electricity is cheap and then discharged at peak times when prices are high.

The project has been bankrolled by CNIC, the Chinese investment fund, and China Huaneng Group, a state utility company that is also constructing the battery. 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.

Egypt’s offshore segment poised for growth

Carla Sertin Carla Sertin: Feb 12, 2020

At the close of Egypt’s Red Sea bidding round, it is clear that international oil companies see opportunity in the country, and its growth is just beginning to swell. Egypt awarded Shell, Mubadala, and Chevron exploration rights in the Red Sea. Chevron and Shell each won one block, and a third block was awarded to Shell and Mubadala.

The three concessions cover a combined 10,000sqkm, and will require a minimum investment of $326mn. The licensing round started in February, following Egypt’s gas boom in multiple regions. The Red Sea bidding round included ten exploration blocks, each approximately 3,000sqkm. Saudi Arabia has also discovered large amounts of gas in the Red Sea, and is planning to conduct feasibility studies. It will use its autonomous subsea seismic acquisition fleet for its Red Sea exploration efforts, which are expected to intensify in the next two years. 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.

Explainer: Why are indigenous groups protesting a Canada gas pipeline?

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Protests broke out in many parts of Canada over the past week, triggered by arrests of dozens of protesters on traditional indigenous land along a route for TC Energy Corp’s (TRP.TO) planned Coastal GasLink pipeline.

The demonstrations have disrupted freight and passenger rail and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday urged protesters to find a quick solution.

WHAT ARE THE PROTESTS ABOUT?

The flashpoint was police arrests that started last week in northern British Columbia of protesters who oppose the pipeline’s construction on traditional land of the Wet’suwet’en indigenous people. 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 new solar farm to help power a natural gas plant in Australia

Anmar Frangoul:
  • Shell Australia describes the facility as its “first large-scale solar farm”.
  • Queensland chosen as the project’s location because of reliable sunshine.

Shell Australia is set to construct and operate a solar farm made up of around 400,000 photovoltaic panels in the state of Queensland.

In an announcement Friday, Shell Australia described the facility as its “first large-scale solar farm” and said it would have a capacity of 120 megawatts.

Work on the project is set to finish in 2021, with Shell Australia saying up to 200 new jobs will be created during the construction phase.

Queensland was chosen as the project’s location because it had “some of the most reliable sunshine in the world”, the company added. The solar farm will help to power operations at the QGC onshore natural gas project and cut carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 300,000 tonnes a year. 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 Total reject Chinese force majeure on liquefied natural gas contracts

Bloomberg News: China LNG Force Majeure Rejected (6:29 p.m. HK) 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 firms must dig deep to find diverse workforce, Shell top manager warns

North Sea firms must dig deep to find diverse workforce, Shell top manager warns

: 07/02/2020, 6:00 am

North Sea firms must dig deeper into the talent pool to find “unicorns” within the workforce, a Shell plant boss warned yesterday.

Teresa Waddington, natural gas liquids plant manager for Shell in Fife, said operators and contractors wanting to be diverse and inclusive should target people who might not ordinarily apply and were currently “invisible” to employers.

She called on the north-east oil and gas sector to “redress the balance and really champion diversity”.

She added: “As a manager I write a job description for a unicorn and then I pick from a stable of horses – that’s the reality of it.

“A lot of people count themselves out when they don’t meet the unicorn job description in the first place. 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 to Build First Big Solar Plant in Move to Power Production

Royal Dutch Shell Plc will build its first large-scale solar farm as part of its plan to expand into power generation.

Shell, which has set itself a goal to become the world’s top electricity producer by 2030, expects to complete the plant in Queensland, Australia, early next year. The facility will indirectly supply the company’s QGC liquefied natural gas export facility, reducing that project’s carbon footprint.

“Solar is one of the building blocks of Shell’s power strategy,” said Greg Joiner, Vice-President for Shell Energy in Australia. “We are increasingly incorporating renewable energy into customer offers, as we have done here for QGC.” 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.

Asia LNG prices plummet to record lows as China shuts down

|About: Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A)| By , SA News Editor

Liquefied natural gas is selling at the lowest price on record in Asia, a troubling sign for U.S. energy producers who have relied on overseas shipments of shale gas amid a weak domestic market.

Asian LNG prices fell to $3/MMBtu today, plunging from above $5/MMBtu as recently as Jan. 15, as a glut in the commodity spreads from the U.S. all over the globe.

“The fundamentals were already really weak” even before the coronavirus outbreak stalled economic activity in China, says Ira Joseph, head of gas and power analytics at S&P Global Platts. “The whole market is really oversupplied.” 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 plans major Pernis oil refinery turnaround from early May

FEBRUARY 6, 2020

LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday it is planning a major maintenance turnaround at its Pernis oil refinery in the Netherlands starting on May 4.

A video posted on the company’s Dutch website said the major maintenance will take place in May and June and involve cleaning towers and heat exchangers as well as replacing others.

The major maintenance means Shell will not have to do another maintenance of the same scale for another 3 to 6 years at the refinery, which is Europe’s largest with a capacity to process 404,000 barrels per day of crude. 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 and gas giant Shell restricts travel to Hubei Province on virus

NEWS: FEBRUARY 5, 2020 / 4:57 PM /

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has banned business travel to and from China’s Hubei province due to the coronavirus, the company said in a statement.

Shell has restricted non-essential business travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

(Reporting By Jessica Resnick-Ault)

SOURCE

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 boosts crude output in top U.S. shale field to 250,000 bpd

FEBRUARY 5, 2020

(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell, which plans billions of dollars in spending on shale drilling projects, boosted output in the top U.S. shale field to 250,000 barrels per day in December, the company’s Permian Basin head said on Wednesday.

Shell plans to spend about $3 billion per year for the next five years on shale projects, said Amir Gerges, vice president of Permian assets for Shell, at the Argus Americas Crude Summit in Houston. Its Permian Basin production rose more than 100,000 barrels per day in the last year. 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 and gas giant Shell restricts travel to Hubei Province on virus

NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has banned business travel to and from China’s Hubei province due to the coronavirus, the company said in a statement.

Shell has restricted non-essential business travel to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

(Reporting By Jessica Resnick-Ault)

SOURCE

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.

After 105 years, Martinez refinery no longer owned by Shell

2 February 2020: Martinez Bay City News

After 105 years of Shell ownership, the Martinez Refining Co., LLC is, as of Saturday, the new owner of the refinery on the Carquinez Strait just west of Interstate Highway 680.

PBF Energy Inc., headquartered in New Jersey, will now operate the facility under the name Martinez Refining Co. LLC, and the $1 billion acquisition became official Saturday. The deal was struck in mid-2019.

The Martinez refinery employs approximately 700 people. It produces gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, petroleum coke, industrial fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gas, asphalt and sulfur. It also has a “coker” unit for processing heavy crude. 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.

Equinor, Shell pay $177.5M each for stake in Argentina oil block

Jan. 31, 2020 8:27 AM ET|About: Equinor ASA (EQNR)|By: , SA News Editor

Equinor (NYSE:EQNR) and partner Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) say they have paid a combined $355M to jointly acquire Schlumberger’s (NYSE:SLB) 49% interest in Argentina’s onshore Bandurria Sur block.

Each partner bought a 24.5% interest in the block that covers ~56K gross acres in the central area of the Vaca Muerta play.

The two companies also reached a preliminary agreement with 51%-owner YPF to acquire an additional 11% interest, which would give Equinor and Shell each a 30% non-operated interest and YPF owning 40% interest and continuing as operator. 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 boss highlights potential of North Sea and defends oil giant’s response to climate change

ROYAL Dutch Shell boss Ben van Beurden has said he sees no reason for the oil giant to curb investment in the North Sea amid concern about climate change insisting it has a key role to play in tackling the problem.

The Anglo-Dutch firm has come under attack from climate change campaigners who have disrupted operations off Scotland and blockaded the company’s North Sea headquarters in Aberdeen.

However, Mr van Beurden said the transition to net zero carbon emissions could not be achieved without the expertise of oil and gas giants such as Shell.

The company reckons it can support the development of clean energy systems while helping reduce emissions associated with the production and consumption of oil and gas that will be required to meet the needs of consumers and industry. 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 finalizes sale of Martinez Refinery

NEWS PROVIDED BY Shell : Feb 01, 2020, 03:17 ET

HOUSTON, Feb. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products US (Shell), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc announced today that it has formally closed on the sale of Shell’s Martinez Refinery in California to PBF Holding Company LLC (PBF), a subsidiary of PBF Energy, Inc., in exchange for $1.2 billion which includes the refinery and inventory. The deal also includes crude oil supply and product offtake agreements, and other adjustments. 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.