BBC NEWS: 30 JUNE 2020

Shell, one of the world’s largest oil companies, has warned that the low price of oil could reduce the value of its assets by up to $22bn (£17.9bn).

It said it expects oil to change hands at $60 per barrel in the long term and to be priced at $35 this year and $40 next year.

Shell follows rival BP in telling investors that oil hardware is not worth as much as it used to be.

BP told investors this month its assets could be worth $17.5bn less.

Countries across the globe have ordered people to stay indoors and not travel as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, which has caused a slump in demand for oil. read more

By Nick Cunningham – Jun 30, 2020, 5:00 PM CDT

Royal Dutch Shell said that it could cut the value of its oil and gas assets by as much as $22 billion, as it takes a dim view of the state of the oil market. The move adds more evidence to the notion that a huge slice of oil reserves will wind up as stranded assets.  Shell cut its Brent oil prices forecast from $60 per barrel to $35 for this year, and lowered its 2021 and 2022 forecasts to $40 and $50 per barrel, respectively, down from $60 previously. The lower outlook reflects the expected damage to the oil market due to the coronavirus and the negative impacts on the global economy, Shell said. read more

Big Oil’s Long Bet on Hydrogen Offers a Climate Lifeline

(Bloomberg) — On particularly cold winter days, the vast majority of the U.K.’s energy comes from burning natural gas. That arrangement will have to change radically–and soon–if the country is to hit its legally mandated target of net-zero emissions by 2050. As other countries adopt similar targets to align with the Paris climate agreement, they too will have to find an alternative to natural gas. That leaves fossil fuel companies with a ticking clock.

Hydrogen burns cleanly, leaving only water behind. That’s made it an attractive alternative fuel source–not just for governments looking to satisfy climate mandates, but also for oil companies trying to ensure their continued relevance. Oil-and-gas majors such as Shell, Equinor, and BP have spent tens of millions of dollars on pilot projects. Now in the face of record-low oil prices, frozen international travel, and growing shareholder unease over greenhouse gas emissions, investing in hydrogen has taken on a new urgency. read more

The fossil fuel company Shell must be held accountable for significant and systematic pollution caused by oil extraction in the Niger delta, lawyers will argue in the supreme court.

Nigerians from the Ogale and Bille communities say they have suffered decades of pollution, including the contamination of their water wells with potentially cancer-causing chemicals, as well as the devastation of mangrove vegetation, all of which was documented by the UN in a groundbreaking report in 2011.

The United Nations environment programme (UNEP) said in its report it could take 30 years to clean up the pollution caused by oil extraction and recommended an initial fund of $1bn (£800m) for the first five years to be paid by the oil companies that operate in Ogoniland – including the largest company, Shell. read more

Okpabi and others (Appellants) v Royal Dutch Shell Plc and another (Respondents)

Case ID: UKSC 2018/0068

Issue(s)

Whether and in what circumstances the UK-domiciled parent company of a multi-national group of companies may owe a common law duty of care to individuals who allegedly suffer serious harm as a result of alleged systemic health, safety and environmental failings of one of its overseas subsidiaries as the operator of a joint venture operation.

Facts

The Appellants (some 42,500 people) are citizens of Nigeria and inhabitants of the areas allegedly affected by oil leaks from pipelines and associated infrastructure, that SPDC operates on behalf of an unincorporated joint venture in which numerous participating interests are held, in and around the Niger Delta. The leaks are said to have impacted their lives, health and local environment. They contend that the Respondents are responsible. Royal Dutch Shell Plc (‘RDS’) is the parent company of the Shell group of companies, incorporated in the UK. The Shell Petroleum Company of Nigeria Limited (‘SPDC’, the other Respondent) is an exploration and production company incorporated in Nigeria and is a subsidiary of RDS. The claims against RDS and SPDC are based on the tort of negligence under the common law of Nigeria which, for present purposes, is to be regarded as the same as the law of England and Wales. The claim against RDS is brought on the basis that RDS owed the claimants a duty of care either because it exercised significant control over material aspects of SPDC’s operations and/or assumed responsibility for SPDC’s operations. RDS applied under CPR Part 11(1) for orders declaring that the court had no jurisdiction to try the claims against it, or should not exercise such jurisdiction as it had. At first instance Fraser J held that there was no arguable case that RDS owed the Appellants a duty of care. The Appellants appealed to the CA against the judgment and Order of Fraser J. The CA upheld the decision of Fraser J. The Supreme Court has since clarified the law in this area, including by reference to the CA’s decision in this case, in Vedanta Resources PLC and another (Appellants) v Lungowe and others (Respondents) [2019] UKSC 20. read more

Wells Fargo and Shell join in solar deal

By Steven Mufson: June 23, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. GMT+1

Wells Fargo will buy 150 megawatts of solar power from Shell Energy, a move that demonstrates widening corporate interest in renewable energy even among some of the strongest supporters of fossil fuels.

The deal is modest: Wells Fargo says the 150 megawatts, purchased from three locations in Virginia and one in California, would meet about 8 percent of its global energy needs.

But it carries symbolic value. Wells Fargo, the second-biggest lender to fossil fuel companies over the past four years, is buying carbon-free electricity from Shell, a company that’s been in the oil business since the 1880s. The deal also shows the appeal of solar projects even in the midst of the punishing economic downturn brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic. read more

Electric Car Charging Stations Are Finally About to Take Off

(Bloomberg) — The electric vehicle sector has been stuck for years with a chicken-and-egg problem. Until there were extensive networks of public charging stations, a critical mass of people would never feel comfortable driving EVs–but until a critical mass of people were driving EVs, there was no sense in investing in extensive networks of public charging stations.

It may be the coronavirus pandemic that finally breaks the stalemate. BloombergNEF’s latest Long-Term Electric Vehicle Outlook predicts that EVs sales will experience a smaller dip than traditional auto sales as a result of the broader economic squeeze, and that they’ll bounce back more quickly once the market recovers. EVs and the infrastructure needed to charge them have also been a part of many of the stimulus packages announced by European and Asian governments. Just in the past few weeks, Germany included chargers in its €2.5 billion proposed economic package, and the European Union announced that it’s aiming to have 1 million public chargers by 2025, from fewer than 200,000 today. read more

Shell and Total join UK floating offshore wind syndicate

By David McPhee: 22/06/2020

North Sea oil giants Shell and Total have joined a UK floating offshore wind consortium created to drive forward the technology.

The oil firms will work alongside offshore wind developers EDF Renewables, EDP Renewables, Equinor, ESB, Mainstream Renewable Power, ScottishPower Renewables and SSE Renewables as part of Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult’s national Floating Offshore Wind Centre of Excellence (FOWCoE). read more

MSP ‘deeply disappointed’ by loss of Shell decommissioning job to Norway

By Mark Lammey: 19/06/2020

A Scottish politician said yesterday he was “deeply disappointed” that an oil production vessel which has sat in Dundee for a year will be dismantled in Norway.

North-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald claimed the scrapping of Shell’s Curlew vessel could have been done at a number of Scottish locations “had they been given the opportunity to tender”.

Mr Macdonald called for “action” to help Scottish yards win more North Sea oil and gas decommissioning work. read more

IBM, Shell Team Up To Power Digital Platform For Mining Industry

Oil Spill Clean-Ups in Nigeria Lack Progress, Groups Say

William Clowes: Bloomberg: June 17, 2020

(Bloomberg) –Nigeria and Royal Dutch Shell Plc have failed to implement most recommendations made by the United Nations to clean up oil pollution in the Niger River delta, according to a new report.

The UN Environment Programme in 2011 proposed the creation of a $1 billion fund to repair the damage done by decades of crude spills in the Ogoniland area in southeastern Nigeria. However, progress has been poor and the little work that has been done is sub-standard, advocacy groups including Amnesty International said Thursday. read more

Zacks Equity Research: Zacks June 15, 2020

Shell Foresees LNG Market Rebounding From Coronavirus Lows

Shell & LNG

Shell became the largest LNG producer in the world following the acquisition of BG Group Plc in 2016, which boosted its portfolio of supply contracts and stakes in LNG plants around the world. In fact, in the recently-released quarterly report, Shell’s earnings per ADS of 74 cents outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 51 cents on higher LNG sales volumes.

Coronavirus Hurts LNG Volumes

Over the past few months, the oil and gas industry has been in shambles, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that shook most sectors until now. Global fuel demand is visibly dented in the aftermath of large-scale travel bans imposed globally. As a result, the outlook for all the industries in the energy sector business is downbeat. read more

Shell looks to Brazil solar power sales from farms that are due online in 2023

Luciano Costa: JUNE 9, 2020

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell PLC is ready to start negotiating with potential clients the sale of future solar power on Brazil’s free energy market from its first farms due to start operating in 2023, Shell’s solar business development manager for Latin America said.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Maria Gabriela da Rocha said the startup date would depend on the negotiations and was part of Shell’s strategy to move into renewable energy, betting on industries’ increasingly wanting to sign long-term clean energy contracts. read more

Shell boss ‘bothered’ by depiction of firm as ‘unwelcome player’ in energy transition

Royal Dutch Shell Plc had been turning out about 2.7 million barrels of oil each day until the novel coronavirus took hold of the world.

By Bloomberg: 09/06/2020

Demand for oil, the company’s core product, dropped almost a third in April, and the price of West Texas Intermediate briefly dipped into negative numbers for the first time.

It’s not easy to run an oil major when people suddenly stop needing oil.

Chief Executive Officer Ben van Beurden responded by slashing spending and cutting Shell’s dividend for the first time since World War II. read more

Shell suspends operations in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta area after seismic activity

JUNE 7, 2020

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Oil company Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSa.L) said it has suspended operations at its Bajada de Añelo site in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta area after seismic activity in the region.

Shell, which operates the block along with local state oil firm YPF, said in a statement late on Saturday that the preventative suspension of activities came after seismic movements were registered in an area of Argentina’s Neuquén province near the Andes mountains bordering on Chile. read more

Shell signs up Bureau Veritas for emissions fight

by Ed Reed: 04/06/2020, 7:40 am

Bureau Veritas has signed a global framework agreement with Shell to help reduce emissions from operations.

Shell has set a target of maintaining methane emissions intensity below 0.2% by 2025.

Bureau Veritas has said it will help Shell detect leaks across its assets. The Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) process will allow Shell to monitor, quantify and control emissions in order to minimise its carbon footprint. read more

A massive Pennsylvania plastics project, owned by Shell, that President Donald Trump touted during a visit last year faces risks of oversupply and a low price outlook, an energy industry report said on Thursday.

Pandemic exposes cracks in oil majors’ bet on plastic

Joe Brock: JUNE 4, 2020

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The energy industry’s bet that a petrochemicals boom would support decades of oil and gas sales growth is on shaky ground as an already saturated plastic market is hit by a coronavirus demand shock.

While soaring demand for personal protective equipment and takeaway food containers has boosted sales of some plastics, it is likely to be only a temporary spike, say analysts. read more

Nature based solutions: Shell Energy debuts new ‘carbon neutral’ tariffs

Energy giant launches new carbon offset tariffs, as polling shows majority of public think lockdown has made them more aware of climate impacts

James S Murray: 03 June 2020

Shell Energy Retail has this week launched two new ‘carbon neutral’ energy tariffs for British households, combining its existing 100 per cent renewable power offer with a promise to offset emissions from heating and cooking through investment in nature-based projects. read more