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May, 2020:

Oil Firms Raise $171 Billion in Debt as Virus Hits Fuel Demand

Bloomberg News: Jacqueline Poh: May 29, 2020: 10:51 AM EDT

Bloomberg) — Oil and gas companies worldwide have raised $171 billion of debt from the loan and bond markets since March after the coronavirus pandemic hit demand for fuel.

The $171 billion tally is equivalent to the volume of bonds sold for the industry in the whole year of 2019. The debt pile is set to grow further with almost $120 billion of borrowings due by the end of the year that will need to be either repaid or refinanced. Of that amount, $43 billion is in bonds and $76 billion in loans. read more

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Shell, XOM to seek arbitration against Netherlands: report

Shell, XOM to seek arbitration against Netherlands: report

May 29, 2020

Shell and ExxonMobil will file an arbitration claim against the Netherlands government over compensation for the early closure of gas field, according to Global Arbitration Review (GAR).

The companies operate the Groningen gas field through NAM — a 50-50 Dutch joint venture. Production from the onshore gas field causes earthquakes affecting local communities, which has prompted the government to shut it down early.

NAM is working with the Dutch government and other stakeholders to fulfill its obligations to residents of the area, which include compensation for damage caused by the earthquakes. 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.

Coronavirus Outbreaks Threaten Oil Majors’ Biggest Projects

Coronavirus Outbreaks Threaten Oil Majors’ Biggest Projects

By Sarah McFarlane and Vipal Monga:

Oil majors including Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Total SA are scrambling to cope with coronavirus outbreaks among their workers that could threaten the profitability of some of their largest projects.

FULL ACCESS SUBJECT TO SUBCRIPTION

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Why I cut ‘severe’ dividend slasher Shell

Merchants (MRCH) fund manager Simon Gergel has cut the investment trust’s stake in Shell (RDSB) by a third in response to the oil company’s historic move to slash its dividend last month.

The Anglo-Dutch company cut its quarterly dividend by two thirds from 47 to 16 US cents at the end of April, as the coronavirus crisis precipitated the first such move since the second world war.

Shell’s decision shocked income fund managers two days after rival BP (BP) had chosen to maintain its own dividend. However, Gergel reiterated his view that the company’s changing plans were as much of a challenge to the investment case as the loss of income. 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 Offers Staff Voluntary Severance Pay

Shell Offers Staff Voluntary Severance Pay

As the price of a Brent barrel is trading at nearly half of what it was at the beginning of the year, Royal Dutch Shell Plc (NYSE: RDS.A) is planning on offering some staff voluntary severance, according to Bloomberg sources.

In a note to its staff, Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said that the Dutch oil major was working to become leaner and more resilient, according to the Bloomberg sources who saw the correspondence. read more

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OPL 245: How Italian Prosecutors Hid Vital Information from Judge

OPL 245: How Italian Prosecutors Hid Vital Information from Judge

By Davidson Iriekpen:

Facts have emerged that the lead Italian prosecutor in the criminal case involving Shell and ENI over the OPL 245 affair, Dr. Fabio De Pasquale, concealed a significant material fact from the Milanese court concerning the former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, THISDAY has learnt.

In the transcripts of the hearing with Criminal Proceeding No. 54772/13 RGNR, the prosecution witness, Ferri Alessandro, had told the court that Adoke owned the property at No. 271, Cadastral Zone A06 Maitama, Abuja, for which he had collected a mortgage of N300 million from Unity Bank in 2011. read more

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Shell, Pieridae to try again after Alberta regulator blocks license transfers

Shell, Pieridae to try again after Alberta regulator blocks license transfers

May 15, 2020 4:58 PM ET|About: Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A)|By: , SA News Editor

  • A controversial license transfer deal between Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) and Pieridae Energy (OTC:PTOAF) over aging assets in Alberta that failed to win approval from the province’s energy regulator say they will try again.
  • The regulator yesterday refused to allow licenses for sour gas wells, pipelines and other facilities to be transferred to Pieridae Energy from Shell Canada, saying the deal appeared to reduce Shell’s responsibility for cleaning up the sites, adding that the extent of contamination at the hundreds of facilities is unknown.
  • Shell says it will look for a way to transfer the licenses to Pieridae and keep the cleanup liabilities.
  • read more

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    Germany denies Nord Stream 2 pipeline waiver of EU rules

    The regulator said the Nord Stream 2 consortium – which also includes Uniper, Wintershall-Dea, Royal Dutch Shell, OMV and Engie – did not qualify for an exemption…

    Vera Eckert: MAY 15, 2020

    FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s energy regulator on Friday declined to grant a waiver of European Union gas directives to the operators of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, dealing a fresh blow to the project to carry gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

    Nord Stream 2, designed by Russia’s Gazprom to increase direct shipments to Europe, is far behind schedule and has faced political opposition from Washington, as well as from Ukraine and Poland through whose territory Russian gas is shipped to consumers in western Europe. 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.

    Malabu Oil Block: ex-minister Orubebe’s wife quizzed over N360m deals

    Malabu Oil Block: ex-minister Orubebe’s wife quizzed over N360m deals

    MAY 15, 2020

    From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

    Former Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godsday Orubebe’s wife Maureen, has been grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a N500 million deal linked to the $1.092 billion Malabu Oil Block scandal.

    Mrs. Orubebe is also being investigated for alleged money laundering.

    She was alleged to have bought three assets from the company of one of the suspects on trial over the Malabu Oil Block Settlement Agreement.

    The assets were alleged to be part of those which over $523 million (out of $1.06b) was used for. 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 for investment in Nigeria LNG venture

    Shell poised for investment in Nigeria LNG venture

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

    Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) says all conditions have been met for the final investment decision on a new liquefied natural gas processing unit at Nigeria LNG, including a formal commitment from the groups expected to provide financing for the project.

    Nigeria LNG is a joint venture, with 49% owned by Nigerian National Petroleum, 26% by Shell, 15% by Total (NYSE:TOT) and 10% by Eni (NYSE:E).

    Once operational, the new unit Train 7 will add 8M metric tons/year of capacity to the Bonny Island facility, taking the total to ~30M mt/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.

    Alberta Energy Regulator blocks sale of Shell assets over clean-up concerns

    Alberta Energy Regulator blocks sale of Shell assets over clean-up concerns

    The Canadian Press: May 14, 2020

    CALGARY — Alberta’s energy regulator has cited clean-up concerns in blocking the sale of sour gas wells, pipelines and other facilities from an energy giant to a much smaller company.

    In a decision released Thursday, the regulator said Calgary-based Pieridae Energy’s attempted purchase of the southern Alberta assets from Shell Canada goes against the intent of environmental laws.

    The issue was seen as a test case of the regulator’s determination to avoid clean-up costs for energy facilities falling to the taxpayer. 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 adding more workers to Beaver County construction site

    Shell adding more workers to Beaver County construction site

    By: Paul J. Gough – Reporter, Pittsburgh Business Times
    Updated: May 14, 2020 – 5:13 PM

    BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — Shell Pennsylvania Chemicals is planning to reintroduce more workers to its Beaver County construction site, which had been temporarily shut down in March over Covid-19 safety concerns.

    Several weeks ago, Shell began to add more workers from the 300 or so that had remained there for security and other approved purposes even after the construction had been temporarily halted. It now has 800 workers there as it adds employees, but it’s a small portion of the 7,000 or so it had two months ago. 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.

    Sakhalin-2 LNG postpones part of maintenance to 2021 -source

    Sakhalin-2 LNG postpones part of maintenance to 2021 -source

    Russia’s Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant will postpone some annual maintenance work to 2021 due to logistic difficulties over the spread of the coronavirus, a source familiar with the plans told Reuters on Tuesday.

    Russia’s second-largest LNG plant after Novatek-led Yamal LNG had initially planned to complete the work this summer.

    However, the source said the maintenance would be done gradually, at one of two lines and start in June. The first stage of the maintenance would last about a month, the source 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.

    Yes, oil is dead. Just read the writing on the wall.

    May 12th 2020

    It has been an interesting week. On the morning of May 6, I held a press conference in West Block before the weekly in-person session of Parliament opened. I spoke about how virtual Parliament is working, and Green recommendations to make it work better.

    When we got to questions, the first one was CBC’s Julie Van Dusen. She asked about a possible bailout to Big Oil. And I explained that the evidence was coming in thick and fast that oil’s day was done. And she zeroed in on: “Are you saying oil is dead?” 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 Earnings Battered By Virus, But Worst is Yet to Come

    Big Oil Earnings Battered By Virus, But Worst is Yet to Come

    Laura Hurst: May 11 2020, 4:31 AM

    EXTRACTS

    (Bloomberg) — Big Oil emerged from first-quarter earnings battered and bruised, but things are only going to get uglier.

    Major oil and gas producers from Norway to the U.S. saw profit plunge in the opening three months of the year. Exxon Mobil Corp. reported its first loss in over 30 years, Royal Dutch Shell Plc cut its dividend for the first time since the Second World War.

    Big Oil’s generous dividends have long been its main attraction to investors. But thanks to Shell Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden they are no longer sacrosanct, after he slashed his company’s payout by two thirds. 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 has bid in Dutch wind tender, eyes Rotterdam hydrogen plant

    AMSTERDAM, May 7 (Reuters) – Shell Netherlands said on Thursday it bid in a tender last week to build a 760 MW wind farm off the Dutch coast, and it hopes to couple it with a large new hydrogen plant it would build in Rotterdam.

    The Dutch subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell said it had entered a bid in the Hollandse Kust Noord tender, together with a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi.

    Other known bidders in the tender, the latest in a series of such auctions by the Dutch government, include Orsted of Denmark. 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.

    UK watchdog clears Shell’s ‘drive carbon neutral’ ad on petrol pumps

    By Matthew Green: MAY 6, 2020

    LONDON, May 6 (Reuters) – Britain’s advertising watchdog has ruled Royal Dutch Shell’s ad campaign on petrol pumps promising customers they can “drive carbon neutral” is acceptable, following complaints.

    The Anglo-Dutch oil major said in October it would become the first petrol retailer in Britain to offset the carbon dioxide emissions from customers’ fuel purchases at its service stations at no extra cost by backing forestry schemes.

    The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said in March it had launched an investigation into an accompanying advertising campaign after receiving complaints from people who thought it was misleading given the role of oil in climate change. 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 Majors Take On More Debt To Fund Dividends

    By Nick Cunningham – May 04, 2020, 5:00 PM CDT

    Exxon posted its first quarterly loss in more than 30 years. But even as debt mounts and questions arise about peak oil demand, the oil supermajor nevertheless vowed to protect its dividend while also aiming to grow indefinitely into the future. Exxon lost $610 million in the first quarter, down from a profit of $2.4 billion a year earlier. Worse, the period only included a few weeks of oil prices at catastrophically low levels. As a result, the second quarter is bound to lead dramatically worse numbers. 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 Has A Dire Warning For Oil Markets

    By Alex Kimani – May 04, 2020, 3:00 PM CDT

    After months of a deep and harrowing slide, fuel demand across the world is finally starting to sputter back to life. Traffic data, pipeline flows, and sales at gas stations in the Texas City of San Antonio, Beijing, and Barcelona all suggest that the oil demand slump may have already bottomed out. But don’t rush to pop the champagne corks just yet.  Indications so far are that the road to full recovery is going to be harder than climbing out of a subterranean pit, with many oil traders predicting that it might be a year or more before demand returns to pre-crisis levels. 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.