4 October 2016: Agency Report

The Federal Government is demanding $406.75 million from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and its subsidiary, Shell Western Supply & Trading Limited, over alleged crude oil theft.

The amount, according to court documents presented in Lagos on Tuesday, represents the shortfall of the money the multinational oil firm paid into the Federal Government account with Central Bank of Nigeria.

The money was said to be for crude oil lifted in 2013 and 2014. read more

Punch: Uncertainty persists over reopening of Forcados oil terminal

2 October 2016

More than seven months after it was shut down, the Forcados export terminal remains offline, with the operator, Shell Petroleum Development Corporation, saying it cannot tell when it will be reopened.

September 21, 2016 marked exactly seven months that Shell declared force majeure on the export of Forcados, one of Nigeria’s largest crude oil grades.

The force majeure, a legal clause that allows it to stop shipments without breaching contracts, came a week after the Forcados export line was attacked by militants in the Niger Delta. read more

Iraq’s OPEC revolt shows Saudi-Iran oil deal fragility

By Rania El Gamal and Alex Lawler | ALGIERS

For years, debates in the OPEC conference room were dominated by clashes between top producer Saudi Arabia and arch-rival Iran.

But as the two managed to find a rare compromise on Wednesday – with Riyadh softening its stance towards Tehran – a third OPEC superpower emerged.

Iraq overtook Iran as the group’s second-largest producer several years ago but kept its OPEC agenda fairly low-profile. On Wednesday, Baghdad finally made its presence felt. read more

By Staff Writer on Sep 7, 2016 at 3:19 pm EST

In the past few years, the global energy market has undergone major changes. The usage of traditional energy resources has dropped significantly, while demand for cleaner, environmental-friendly energy sources has escalated. People are now increasingly becoming aware of the effects of greenhouse gases emissions from conventional energy sources, crude oil, and coal on our natural environment and most importantly, the ozone layer.

Last year, the Paris Agreement (COP21) was a major breakthrough for the renewable industry, as leaders from around 195 countries agreed to curb their carbon emissions. The energy producers aim to maintain the rise in global temperature to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels in the coming few years. The agreement has provided a positive momentum to the green-tech resources as a number of international energy companies have now started to increase their exposure in the segment. read more

By Staff Writer on Sep 7, 2016 at 11:30 am EST

The oil majors continue to overlook the low crude environment, which is expected to persist for longer, so much so that they have resorted to increasing their production at record-breaking highs. According to estimates by analysts, overall output from the seven largest energy giants globally is set to surge 9% between 2015 and 2018.

Energy giants are grappling with deteriorating balance sheet positions, even as prices continue to hover near $50 per barrel, dropping from $115 per barrel in June 2014. However, they continue to pump crude from plants sanctioned earlier. read more

Shell Midstream Partners IPO – Bidness ECT

The Value Portfolio: Sept 2, 2016

Shell Midstream Partners (NYSE: SHLX) is a master-limited partnership formed by Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS.A) (NYSE: RDS.B). The company was formed for the purpose of purchasing midstream assets and renting them out for reliable fee-based income. This fee-based income provides investors with a secure dividend which currently amounts to more than 3% and has a strong history of growth.

Shell Midstream Partners has had a difficult time recently, though not as a difficult of a time as all the other oil companies. Since mid-2015, when other midstream companies such as Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI) began to take a big hit, Shell Midstream Partners has seen its stock price drop from almost $48 per unit to just over $30 per unit, a drop of almost 40%. This drop means that Shell Midstream Partners has seen its yield almost double to more than 3% per unit. read more

By Staff Writer on Sep 1, 2016 at 12:30 pm EST

After militant attacks on its oil facilities in Nigeria, as well as numerous pipeline outages, Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Forcados pipeline in the West African country is at last ready to start deliveries this month.

According to Bloomberg, Kola Karim, CEO of Shoreline Group, an energy company that uses the terminal, said operations were expected to resume in the middle of September. A spokesman for the company declined to comment on the matter. read more

Bidness Etc discusses how militant groups are affecting operations of foreign energy companies in Nigeria

By Staff Writer on Aug 22, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A), Chevron, and other energy companies are losing hope in the Nigerian government as the safety conditions of the country are not showing signs of improvement. Although on Saturday, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) agreed on a ceasefire, the emergence of other militant groups along with low probability of a deal between the officials and the groups anytime soon has raised doubt about the country’s oil and gas sector recovery. read more

By Libby George and Ulf Laessing | LONDON/LAGOS

Oil companies and even Nigerian officials are losing faith in a deal anytime soon with militants who have slashed the nation’s oil output, casting doubt on a production recovery in what is typically Africa’s largest oil exporter.

In the six months since the first major attack on Nigeria’s oil – a sophisticated bombing of the subsea Forcados pipeline – dozens of attacks have pushed outages to more than 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), the highest in seven years. read more

With the recent shutdown of pipeline owned by the energy giant in Nigeria coupled with the pipeline outages and militants attacks, we forecast a crude price rally

By Staff Writer on Aug 14, 2016 at 6:34 am EST

Following a string of attacks on its oil facilities combined with pipeline outages in Nigeria, Royal Dutch Shell (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) has finally declared a force majeure on Bonny Light crude oil. Citing statement by the company on Friday, Reuters reported that the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) was shut down after a leakage by Aiteo, the pipeline’s operator. Aiteo was unavailable to comment on the matter.

Natasha Obank, spokesperson for the company stated: “The pipeline has been shut down for a joint investigation visit into the cause of the leak and repairs.” read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Aug 1, 2016 at 7:57 am EST

Just when you thought oil prices will rebound they got even worse. The last few weeks have been quite eventful for the oil and gas industry, with companies releasing their second-quarter earnings. The quarter hasn’t been as rewarding for integrated oil and gas majors.

The decline in crude oil price has persisted for quite a while now. West Texas Intermediate was down 0.50% at $41.40 per barrel, while Brent Crude was down 0.32% at $43.39 per barrel, earlier today. read more

25 July 2016

Oil prices have fallen to a three-month low, hit by rising concerns that a global oversupply of both crude and natural gas will dampen prices.

US oil fell 2.4% to $43.11 (£32.72) a barrel, its lowest level since April, meaning it has now fallen by 12% so far this month.

Brent crude dropped 2.1% to $44.75, its lowest level since 10 May.

Shares in oil and firms also lost ground, with Exxon Mobil shares down 1.8% and Chevron down 2.6%.

“Crude oil markets have been under pressure as oil supplies have started growing with the resumption of output from the capacity lost due to wildfires in the Canadian oil sands,” said EY energy analyst Sanjeev Gupta. read more

By Staff Writer on Jul 19, 2016 at 9:07 am EST

World’s leading integrated oil and gas company, Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A), concluded a deal to acquire BG not too long ago. The move was widely perceived as an aggressive step to become a dominant supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) across the globe. The deal is expected to help Shell diversify its operations and enable it to benefit from cost synergies in the years to come.

The merger came at a time when oil prices were on a downward trajectory, with the step expected to drive the company out of the downturn. Oil prices that were once above $110 per barrel have now plunged below $50. Last year, when the Dutch company announced the deal, many mergers and acquisition pundits criticized Shell’s willingness to pay 50% premium in a depressed crude oil environment. read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Jul 19, 2016 at 7:35 am EST

Thanks to Brexit vote, the oil and gas markets are experiencing significant level of uncertainties. With UK now stepping out of the European Union, many oil and gas companies have reduced operations as they feel that demand may not be as robust as it used to be.

The North Sea is one of the highest cost regions in the world. With the recent development in the UK market, companies fear higher costs, which can derail operations in the region. As reported by Bloomberg, Wood Mackenzie, a consulting firm, has indicated that around 30% of the fields in the region are operating at a loss. read more

By Staff Writer on Jul 18, 2016 at 7:30 am EST

Crude oil prices have dropped below the $50 per barrel mark yet again after hitting their highest level in 2016 last month. US crude benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is trading at $45.97 per barrel while Brent is trading at $47.69 per barrel in European Markets today. The global crude oil benchmark reached as high as $52.51 per barrel earlier in June.

Although oil prices have recovered some momentum after touching 12-year lows of $27 per barrel earlier in 2016, it still has a lot of ground to gain before reaching summer-2014 levels. Oil market showed some positive gains in June when oil prices crossed the psychological barrier of $50 per barrel. However, it was short-lived as it is currently trading below $48 per barrel. read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Jul 15, 2016 at 10:04 am EST

Royal Dutch Shell plc. (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) finally closed its $52 billion merger with BG group in February. The deal is considered as one of the largest mergers in the oil and gas sector and is expected to help Shell diversify its operations and benefit from cost synergies.

The Shell-BG merger comes at a time when oil prices have plummeted significantly. Oil prices that once traded over $110 per barrel have now tumbled to as low as $50 per barrel. Last year, when Shell approached BG for the first time, many criticized the deal especially because of the 50% premium Shell was willing to pay in a depressed crude environment. read more

By Staff Writer on Jul 5, 2016 at 9:04 am EST

Earlier in March, Saudi Aramco’s subsidiary, Saudi Refining, Inc (SRI) and Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A), announced to dissolve their fuel partnership, Motiva Enterprise. Due to contradictory interests, both the entities signed a letter of intent (LOI), showing the division of assets held under joint venture (JV).

However, the disbanded venture has stuck another blow as Shell is seeking up to $2 billion as a part of breakup from its giant refining enterprise. The hefty compensation is due to Saudi Aramco’s retention of a larger stake in the venture for almost two decades. read more

By Erwin Seba: Friday, 1 July 2016

HOUSTON, July 1 (Reuters) – Motiva Enterprises’ Convent, Louisiana refinery has shelved plans for a gasoline unit overhaul in October despite a six-to-nine-month delay in a planned revamp of the refinery, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans on Friday.

Earlier this year, Motiva began planning the October overhaul of the 92,000 barrel per day (bpd) fluidic catalytic cracking unit at the 235,000 bpd Convent refinery.

Instead, the FCCU will remain in operation until at least June 2017 when it will be permanently closed, said the two sources who were not authorized to speak to the media about the matter. read more

By Wilda Asmarini: Markets | Wed Jun 29, 2016 

Indonesia’s Pertamina has selected Shell to process a million barrels per month of Iraqi crude at a Singapore refinery, a senior official at the state-owned company said on Wednesday.

The quest for oil-processing capacity abroad is partly spurred by a lack of investor interest in building domestic refineries because of unfavourable investment conditions set by the government.

“We’ve selected Shell because they are the most competitive,” said Daniel Purba, senior vice president of Pertamina’s Integrated Supply Chain unit. read more

Business | Mon Jun 27, 2016 7:26pm IST

** Royal Dutch Shell and BP defy a broad market sell-off after Britain’s vote to leave the EU

** Investors cite oil majors’ dollar dividends and income as key attraction points

** A weaker pound makes Shell and BP a cheaper alternative to U.S. peers Exxon Mobil and Chevron

** With dollar-based dividends, which both companies chose due to the underlying oil price, the depreciation of the pound offered automatic gains

** “The oil sector has been the perfect hedge against Brexit,” says Richard Hulf, co-manager of the Artemis Global Energy Fund, which holds shares in Shell and BP read more

By Staff Writer on Jun 27, 2016

Problems of international oil and gas companies, including Shell and Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), in Nigeria might end in the near future as the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, has asked the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the southern region of the Niger Delta. The group has asked the President to hold a referendum in the country and to assess how the multinationals and the government are adversely impacting the locals. The talks between the two parties are expected to bring an end to the political turmoil in the country, which has been haunting Africa’s biggest economy for the past few months. read more

NEW YORK | BY JESSICA RESNICK-AULT: Fri Jun 17, 2016

Global oil majors Chevron Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are putting small refineries on the auction block as they look to trim lower-margin assets in the face of headwinds from rising crude oil prices.

Chevron, the second largest U.S. oil company, is soliciting interest in its Burnaby, British Columbia, refinery and gasoline stations, the company told Reuters. Shell is looking for buyers for its Martinez, California, refinery, two people familiar with the situation told Reuters. Shell declined to comment. read more

By Staff Writer: Jun 16, 2016

Oil majors including Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) and Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) heaved a sigh of relief when militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) agreed to hold peace talks with the Nigerian government. However, the relief was short-lived when on Thursday the militant group claimed to have blown up another pipeline owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The attack comes as a great setback for oil producers and the Nigerian government as the militant group had agreed to hold talks with them, provided certain conditions were met. The NDA tweeted from one of its unverified accounts: read more

By Staff Writer: Jun 15, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) plans to further strengthen its foothold in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market, as according to Reuters, the company will sign the Baltic LNG project deal with Russian energy giant, Gazprom in the coming days. The multi-billion dollar deal with London-based BG Group has already increased the company’s exposure to the LNG segment.

According to news sources, Shell CEO, Ben van Beurden, will sign the deal at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is also expected to attend the meeting. read more

By Staff Writer: Jun 14, 2016

Finally, Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A), Chevron and other oil and gas companies can heave a sigh of relief as the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers has agreed to consider peace talks with the Nigerian government. The group has said that it does not have new demands, as it just wants foreign oil and gas companies to leave the southern region of the Niger Delta and stop oil pollution.

The group said it wants “genuine attitude” by the government and a “conducive atmosphere” to carry out dialogue. This is definitely good news for the Nigerian economy and international energy companies which have suffered badly in the past few months. The Avengers started to attack oil infrastructure in February, when they blew up Shell’s Forcados terminal and under-water pipeline. read more

By Gas By Staff Writer: Jun 13, 2016 at 11:34 am EST

As awareness about the hazardous effects of fossil fuels is increasing, and governments and environmentalist groups are encouraging the use of renewable energy sources, it seems as if a major change in global energy sector is on its way. Over the past few years, the global energy arena has witnessed a number of changes, as coal has lost its dominant position in the industry, while consumption of renewable energy sources has increased in power generation. read more

By Micheal Kaufman: Jun 8, 2016 at 10:50 am EST

Although Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) is carrying out repair-work at two sites in Nigeria, the company said it could not “operate or repair” the facilities in the Niger Delta if its employees are not safe. The militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, has attacked Shell’s Nigerian facilities thrice in the past five months.

Attacks

First, the militants attacked Shell Forcados terminal and an under-water pipeline in February. The pipeline links offshore port with the onshore crude oil storage tanks. This was the first time that the group carried out an attack in public. read more

By Micheal Kaufman: Jun 4, 2016 at 10:50 am EST

The Nigerian government’s problems are only expected to worsen; the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, has vowed again to bring the country’s crude oil production to “zero.” In the past few months, the group has attacked oil and gas facilities of foreign energy companies, including Chevron, Shell, and Eni, in a bid to force them to leave the southern region of the Niger Delta. The militants want international oil companies to end oil pollution in the country and give a higher share of crude sale revenue to the locals. read more

Shell, ConocoPhillips and Total are also considering to divest their assets in the Niger Delta.

By Micheal Kaufman: Jun 1, 2016

Operations of international oil & gas companies seem to be in a lot of trouble in Nigeria as militant activities have accelerated in the past few weeks. The militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, has again targeted a Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) facility today, pressurizing it to leave the impoverished area. This is the fourth attack on a Chevron facility in Africa’s biggest economy.

The militant group said on Twitter that it blew up the energy company’s RMP 23 and RMP 24 crude oil wells in the Niger Delta at 3:44 AM. According to the Niger Delta Avengers, these two wells are Chevron’s largest oil producing wells. read more

By Micheal Kaufman: May 20, 2016 at 2:09 pm EST

The energy sector has been badly affected due to substantial decline in oil and gas price. This has forced companies to implement counter steps such as capital expenditure reduction and asset disposals.

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A), a major oil company, is reportedly looking for buyers for its North Sea assets. The assets had been mainly bought during its multibillion takeover of BG Group.

According to a report by Bloomberg, the company is in talks with chemical producers including privately owned Neptune Oil and Gas and Ineos Group AG, established by former CEO of Centrica Sam Laidlaw. Shell could look to sell a package of assets and want to gauge buyers’ sentiments before formal assets disposals process is launched. With no final decision been made yet, there is also a possibility that the assets might be retained. read more

By Micheal Kaufman on Apr 14, 2016

The oil slump has persisted for over 18 months now and it’s not surprising that several small and mid-sized companies have yielded to bankruptcy and debt pressures. Previously, the Street analysts were optimistic about the future outlook and the profitability of the oil giants; however, those expectations were reversed when the market situation took a turn for the worse in January.

The oil majors undertook several measures to tackle the slump. For starters, they lowered their capital and operating expenditures, went forth with mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity financing. They have taken the decision to reduce top executives’ pay amid one of the worst commodity downturns in the industry. read more

By Micheal Kaufman on Apr 11, 2016

Moody’s Investor Service reduced Shell’s issuer rating and rating of its guaranteed debt from “Aa1” to “Aa2”, and affirmed company’s Prime-1 commercial paper. Both ratings were under review for a potential downgrade, which was initiated on January, 22, 2016. Since January, the firm expected that the global oil prices will remain weak over the medium term and hinted several downgrades in the upcoming few months.

Shell Finance Netherlands Bv, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell – formed for the sole purpose of issuing debt – also had its issuer rating cut from “Aa1” to “Aa2”. Moreover, Shell’s US-based subsidiary, Shell Oil Company, also got its issuer rating cut from “Aa2” to “Aa3” and has been assigned a Negative outlook. read more

By Micheal Kaufman on Apr 6, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) has shipped a cargo of Bintulu condensate from Malaysia to New Orleans, Louisiana, Reuters reported citing a trade source familiar with the matter. This is the first time that the US is importing this type of a condensate from Malaysia.

According to news sources, the Polaris, vessel containing 200,000 barrels of the offshore oil produced by the Malaysian state oil giant, Petronas, left the Malaysian terminal in February. The tanker stopped at Singaporean port, before heading towards Louisiana. read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Apr 3, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell plc. (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) unlike BP plc. (ADR) (NYSE:BP) is looking less enthusiastic for the exploration and production of shale gas. As reported by Bloomberg, Shell has indicated that it is not pursuing with the development of the Fushun-Yongchuan shale gas block in the China’s Sichuan province.

The news comes following BP and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) latest deal for shale gas exploration in the country. Both the parties signed a production sharing contract (PSC) for shale gas exploration, development, and production in China’s Nejiang-Dazu block in the Sichuan basin. read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Feb 26, 2016

The oil and gas companies have been severely hit by a more than 70% crash in crude oil prices over the past one and a half year. Their only saving grace, however, is the high refinery margin. In 2015, the falling revenue of oil giants from the upstream segment — the likes of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), Shell, and BP — was offset by the high margins from the refinery segment.

Bidness Etc here discusses whether in 2016, the energy companies will continue to enjoy the oil refinery boom, or the glut in the downstream segment would weigh down the energy companies’ performance. read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Feb 12, 2016 at 1:58 pm EST

The biggest energy deal of 2015, between Royal Dutch Shell Plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) and BG Group, is just three days away from its closing. On Monday, the two European energy giants will merge to form one of the biggest companies in the global oil and gas industry.

Today is the last trading day for BG Group on the London Stock Exchange. The company would be delisted from the Stock Exchange, effective February 15.

Though $70 billion may seem a lot to many people in the low oil environment, Bidness Etc believes the benefits of the merger are likely to outweigh its costs in the long-run. read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Feb 2, 2016 at 6:49 am EST

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) recently downgraded Royal Dutch Shell’s (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) credit rating from “AA-” to “A+,” as a result of the depressed crude environment. Since June 2014, crude oil prices have fallen more than 70%.

The downgrade came just weeks after the S&P lowered Brent crude expectations for the year. Initially, it expected the global crude oil benchmark to trade at around $55 per barrel. However, only last month the firm cut its price forecast to $40 per barrel, when the market conditions failed to recover. read more

By Muhammad Ali Khawar on Jan 22, 2016 at 8:14 am ESt

A few days before the shareholders’ meetings on January 27 and January 28, the proposed merger of Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) and BG Group has received major support from one of the biggest shareholders of Shell. According to Reuters, Norges Bank Investment Management said it will vote in favor of the proposed merger.

The $790 billion Norwegian fund is the fifth largest investor of European giant, Shell. It believes, amidst low oil prices, the deal will make both the energy companies stronger. The transaction will also be positive for the long-term interests of the companies’ shareholders, the bank added. read more

By Mushhood Khan on Jan 5, 2016 at 9:46 am EST

Just as Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) edges closer to its $50 billion takeover of BG Group, investors are losing confidence in the company.

Shell has secured regulatory approval from related authorities across the globe; the deal now only requires the shareholders’ vote, which will be obtained later this month. With oil prices trading at record lows, fund managers who own stakes in both BG and Shell, have reduced their share in the former.

Capital Group, one of the world’s leading investment groups, sold off majority of its stake in the BG deal during December. According to its securities filings, the Group sold around $600 million of BG shares last month, bringing down its stake from 2.2% to 0.9%. read more

Ahead of the final vote for the deal, crude oil prices have dropped significantly, presenting one last threat to the merger – by far, the biggest one of all the hurdles it has faced. Further declines in oil prices could be a deal breaker for Shell and BG.

By Mushhood Khan on Dec 28, 2015 at 6:46 am EST

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A), one of the largest integrated oil companies in the world, has been in pursuit of UK-based BG Group plc (OTCMKTS:BRGYY) for its valuable LNG assets and its deepwater acreage. Announced in April this year, the $70 billion deal is the biggest of its kind in the energy sector in more than a decade.

Completion of such a grand deal faces several challenges; companies might not be able to meet the conditions of merger, antitrust laws may pose legal hindrances, shareholders might vote against it, or the change in core business conditions might make the deal unviable over the course of time. read more

By Mushhood Khan on Dec 28, 2015 at 9:07 am EST

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) has terminated its rig contract with Transocean for the harsh environment semi-submersible rig, Polar Pioneer. The contract was initially scheduled to expire in 2017, but was rescinded today i.e. December 28. Transocean said in a press release that it would be compensated “for the early termination through a lump-sum payment.”

The contract for the Polar Pioneer rig was awarded to Transocean in 2013 at a $620,000 day-rate. The Polar Pioneer rig was a part of Shell’s controversial drilling project in the Arctic Ocean. It was used in the Burger J prospect in the Chukchi Sea, 70 miles from the village of Wainwright. read more

Royal Dutch Shell-BG Group Deal: Succumbed to Pressures?

According to various market participants, the merger does not make sense at low oil prices and so they are urging Shell to pay a termination-fee of $750 million to BG Group and walk out of the deal.

By Mushhood Khan on Dec 22, 2015

Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) has just entered the last stage of closing one of the biggest energy deals this year. Yesterday, the oil giant announced that BG Group would file a request for approval in the High Court, following the consent by China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) coupled with the unanimous decision of the boards of directors. Subsequently, the energy companies will publish scheme documents for their shareholders and set up a shareholders’ meeting. The companies are expected to release documents today. read more

By CITY & FINANCE REPORTER FOR THE DAILY MAIL: PUBLISHED: 21:55, 21 December 2015

Tumbling oil prices and shareholder discontent have not prevented Royal Dutch Shell’s £40billion takeover of BG Group entering the final stages.

The deal could complete in February after BG applied to the High Court to hold the shareholder meetings to vote on it in the new year.

The tie-up has been unpopular with some investors and experts who argue it does not make sense when the oil price is so low. 

The price of Brent crude plummeted to an 11-year low yesterday as excess supply continued to flood the market. 

Oil production is running close to record highs and Brent futures fell by as much as 2 per cent to a low of just above $36 a barrel, their weakest since July 2004. read more

By Micheal Kaufman on Dec 2, 2015

Environmentalists are winning the race against energy companies, as the world tries to adopt environmental-friendlier ways of energy generation. World leaders from over 19 countries and prominent personalities such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are at the UN Climate Summit in Paris, which has been ongoing from November 30 and will continue until December 11.

Energy Companies Coming in Front

The growing concern over global warming and rising temperatures has lined up global energy companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, BP plc. (ADR) (NYSE:BP) and Total SA (ADR) (NYSE:TOT). These companies have recently teamed up to support climate change and asked authorities to consider a carbon tax. read more

By: Micheal Kaufman: Oct 22, 2015

Royal Dutch Shell plc. (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) and BG Group plc.’s (ADR) (OTCMKTS:BRGYY) merger is faced with another setback, as the Australian antitrust regulator, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) now expects to make a decision by November 19. The commission announced on October 22, that the additional time will allow a more detailed review of the proposed acquisition.

The ACCC, earlier in September, had indicated that it will disclose its decision on the merger after two months. However, the regulatory authority has now decided to delay it by another two weeks. The delay in September had come amid ACCC’s concerns of Shell and BG’s overlapping businesses in Eastern Australia, which may limit competition. read more

By: Micheal Kaufman: Oct 19, 2015

The US Interior Department announced on Friday that it will cancel the auction of 2016 and 2017 natural gas and offshore oil leases in the Arctic Ocean. The auction was scheduled under the Department’s current five-year Chukchi Sea leasing program for 2012–2017. The division cited low crude oil prices and lack of interest from oil companies as the main reason behind its decision.

This news comes a few weeks after Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) withdrew its Arctic drilling plan. The oil giant had spent $7 billion for the Arctic campaign. It said last month that it has dropped its exploration and production (E&P) activities in the Burger prospect of the Chukchi Sea, as it found few traces of oil and natural gas in the region. The company was not satisfied with the drilling results; it had initially expected huge amount of oil traces in the Ocean. Shell has dropped all future plans of Arctic drilling for the foreseeable future. read more

By: Micheal Kaufman: Oct 16, 2015 

Global warming over the past few years has become a major issue. Companies around the world keep on pumping and burning record levels of conventional fossil fuels. Burning of fossil fuels leads to carbon emissions, which are highly detrimental for the environment. Activists have now have taken a stern hand regarding pollution and are urging companies to adopt safer cleaner fuels. President Barack Obama recently also stressed upon the importance of using alternatives, such as natural gas, which are safer for the environment. read more

Rakteem Katakey: Bloomberg.com: 5 Oct 2015

• Bonga phase 3 oil passes through floating production facility
• Shell has 55% of Bonga, Exxon 20%, Total, Agip 12.5% each

Royal Dutch Shell Plc expanded oil production off Nigeria’s coast by starting the third phase of its Bonga field. 

That phase has a peak production capacity of about 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent, Shell said Monday in an e-mailed statement. The floating production and storage facility serving Bonga’s third phase has a capacity of more than 200,000 barrels of oil and 150 million standard cubic feet of natural gas a day.

Shell has a 55 percent stake in Bonga and operates what it says were the first deposits to be developed in Nigeria’s deep waters in 2005. Exxon Mobil Corp. holds 20 percent, while units of Total SA and Agip, a subsidiary of Italy’s Eni SpA, each own 12.5 percent. read more

Bidness Etc discusses how European oil majors are impacted by the slowdown in the Chinese economy

By: Micheal Kaufman: Sep 25, 2015

The slowing Chinese economy has impacted the overall world economy and various other sectors. According to a Moody’s Investor service report EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa)’s mining sector is totally exposed to the economic crisis, followed by the oil and gas sector. Shipping, chemicals, and auto sector are considerably impacted while some other EMEA sectors including tobacco, telecoms, real estate, healthcare, and railways will be marginally impacted, since they are more regionally focused and their credit worthiness is not genuinely exposed. read more

Will Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (RDS.A) Maintain Dividends?

By: Micheal Kaufman: Sep 21, 2015

Analysts are concerned that future of Royal Dutch Shell plc’s (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) dividend is under immense risk, and expressed concerns that Shell will not be able to deliver its promise of 7% dividend yield. Currently, the American Depository Receipts (ADR) of Shell offers a one-year forward dividend yield of 7.6%, with quarterly dividend payment of 47 cents per share.

The glut in crude supply, China’s economy weakening, and lowered crude demand from Asian and European market has led oil prices to fall from $116 per barrel last June to below $50 per barrel this summer. Share prices of most energy companies have slumped. Companies that were once expecting crude oil prices to recover soon are now taking a long term bearish view of the oil market. read more