Oil giants Eni and Shell will stand trial in Italy over allegations of bribery and corruption in the 2011 purchase of an offshore oil block in Nigeria.

…email exchanges between Shell management cited in a report by corruption watchdog Global Witness, and seen by AFP, suggest that Shell was aware the money was likely to be funnelled to individuals, including Etete and Jonathan.

By AFP: PUBLISHED: 11:25, 20 December 2017

Italian giant Eni and fellow petroleum company Shell will stand trial in Italy over allegations of bribery and corruption in the 2011 purchase of an offshore oil block in Nigeria.

A judge in Milan ordered Eni, Shell and key figures such as Eni chief Claudio Descalzi and his predecessor Paolo Scaroni to stand trial in proceedings to begin March 5. read more

Shell and Eni’s acquisition of Nigeria’s infamous OPL 245 oil block in Nigeria is now mired in an international corruption investigation that has spread to the United States, sources say, with a huge leak of documents of the companies revealing the deal was a financial disaster for the people of Nigeria from the beginning.  They also indicate that some of the money ended up in the hands of top politicians that include former President Goodluck Jonathan.  

Shell and Eni’s acquisition of Nigeria’s infamous OPL 245 oil block in Nigeria is now mired in an international corruption investigation that has spread to the United States, sources say, with a huge leak of documents of the companies revealing the deal was a financial disaster for the people of Nigeria from the beginning.

They also indicate that some of the money ended up in the hands of top politicians that include former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The companies, and several of their senior managers in Nigeria and Italy are already facing charges. read more

11 April 2017

Shell has admitted for the first time it dealt with a convicted money-launderer when negotiating access to a vast oil field in Nigeria. It comes after emails were published showing Shell negotiated with Dan Etete, who was later convicted of money laundering in a separate case. Shell and an Italian oil company paid $1.3bn (£1bn) to the Nigerian government for access to the field. Investigators claim $1.1bn was passed to a firm controlled by Mr Etete.

Shell and the Italian firm ENI agreed a deal with the Nigerian government for the rights to exploit OPL 245, a prime oil block off the coast of the Niger Delta. read more

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORK APR 10, 2017

Global oil giant, Shell, has been forced to admit that it knew it was paying bribes to Nigerian government officials during the transaction for OPL 245. Shell, which had consistently denied wrongdoing, on Monday, admitted that the transaction lacked fidelity.    

On Sunday, Global Witness and Finance Uncovered exposed freshly leaked emails showing that Shell knowingly participated in a massive bribery scheme for one of Africa’s most valuable oil blocks, which robbed Nigerians of $1.1billion. read more

FULL ARTICLE

Current chief executive Ben Van Beurden has also been caught up in the investigation. He was not in position when the deal was complete, but after Shell’s Hague offices were raided in February last year, Dutch authorities wire-tapped a call between Van Beurden and then chief financial officer Simon Henry in which Van Beurden allegedly urged Henry not to disclose the raid to shareholders.

Wiretap: After Shell’s headquarters in the Hague were raided in February last year, ceo  Ben Van Beurden urged chief financial officer Simon Henry not to disclose the raid to shareholders

By Sabah Meddings For The Daily Mail: PUBLISHED: 21:51, 10 April 2017

Shell was last night accused of taking part in ‘one of the worst corruption scandals the industry has ever seen’ after buying an oil field in Nigeria.

The Anglo-Dutch giant joined forces with Italian rival Eni to acquire the site off the coast of the West African country for £1billion – giving it access to 9bn barrels of oil, worth nearly half a trillion dollars at today’s prices. But leaked documents suggest it knew much of this cash would fall into the hands of a convicted money launderer and be used to bribe government officials. read more

A trove of internal Shell emails seen by the Financial Times and dated between 2008 and 2010 leave no doubt that senior people within the company knew that most of the $1.3bn paid together with Eni for OPL 245 was destined for Malabu, and that much of the money would end up with Mr Etete and associates. Shell had previously said only that the money was paid to a Nigerian government escrow account.

In the intercepted phone call with Mr Henry, Mr van Beurden acknowledged Shell’s own investigation uncovered “unhelpful” and “stupid” email exchanges among former UK intelligence agents hired by the company to help negotiate the OPL 245 deal. read more

Stephen Twigg MP, the chair of the international development committee, has called on the government to make clear what action it was taking.

The chair of parliament’s international development committee has called for the government to make clear what it is doing to investigate a $1.3 billion oil deal signed by Shell and Italian oil company ENI in Nigeria.

The call comes after BuzzFeed News and the Italian newspaper Il Sore 24 Ore published “Shell Shocks”, a cache of emails and court documents revealing that Shell top executives signed off on a deal with full knowledge that most of the money would go to Malabu, a company connected to a former Nigerian oil minister, Dan Etete. read more

Simon JackBusiness editor

The BBC has seen evidence that top executives at Shell knew money paid to the Nigerian government for a vast oil field would be passed to a convicted money-launderer.

It also had reason to believe that money would be used to pay political bribes.

The deal was concluded while Shell was operating under a probation order for a separate corruption case in Nigeria.

Shell said it did not believe its employees acted illegally.

OPL 245 is an oilfield off the coast of Nigeria whose estimated nine billion barrels of oil are worth nearly half a trillion dollars at today’s prices. Shell has been active in Nigeria for nearly 60 years and was keen to acquire the field. read more

Nigeria: Malabu Scandal – Jonathan Must Have Gotten $200 Million, Middleman Tells FBI, Others

By Samuel Ogundipe

Former President Goodluck Jonathan probably received as much as $200 million to approve the controversial $1.3 billion sale of OPL 245 oil field, Italian prosecutors said in court documents.

The documents, which were extracts of a thorough investigation by Italian authorities into the deal, also confirmed that Shell and ENI knew a good chunk of the $1.3 billion will be disbursed as kickbacks to Nigerian politicians, yet went ahead with the deal.

The findings were obtained by BuzzFeed and Italian business newspaper, Il Sole 24 Ore. BuzzFeed released its own version earlier today. read more

By John Donovan

Printed below are extracts from a communication received from a Shell Civil Engineer who, until recently, worked on the construction of the ill-fated Kashagan oil field.

He says his dire warnings in regard to construction issues were escalated to Shell top management, including Andy Brown, but were ignored.

He has also raised the subject of Shell depriving sacked workers tax breaks on redundancy pay. A policy he describes as theft.

The same source supplied related, apparently authentic, Shell emails. read more

Nepotism: the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.

THE FOLLOWING INTRODUCTION INCLUDES COMMENT FROM A SHELL INSIDER SOURCE

Daryl Riemer (26 years old) was hired externally to Shell Deer Park Refinery into a dept where his manager Jeffrey Gribnau, is his brother-in-law. 

In a Shell internal email dated 25 April 2016, Jeffrey gives all kinds of excuses of how it wasn’t nepotism and their code of ethics wasn’t violated.

The job position Riemer took is normally filled internally from very experienced employees. 

No surprise then that his appointment has generated debate and resentment leading to the leaked internal emails, which can be read below. read more

By: MICHEAL KAUFMAN: Published: Jun 1, 2015

According to internal documents seen by The Guardian, questions are raised over whether Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A) attempted to steer the course of the presentation of a climate change program that the oil giant was sponsoring at the Science Museum in London. The company questioned the museum over a section of the project that provides non-governmental organizations (NGOs) a chance to highlight issues that are of concern to them pertaining to Shell’s operations. read more

10th Anniversary of Spectacular Domain Name Win Over Shell

By John Donovan

Ten years ago, in May 2005, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited served proceedings in New York against my late father Alfred Donovan, via The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in an attempt to seize the top level (.com) domain name for its newly merged company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

The new company had arisen from the ashes of the hydrocarbon reserves scandal, which in January 2004, had engulfed The Shell Transport and Trading Company and Royal Dutch Petroleum Company. read more

Chris Finlayson representing Shell and Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom’s Vice Chairman

By John Donovan

Royal Dutch Shell executive Chris Finlayson held a leadership position in Shell’s Sakhalin II project in Russia from September 2005 to September 2009.

The venture was described as “the Mother of all Projects” by the Financial Times.

When Finlayson joined the Sakhalin II project, Shell was the controlling stakeholder in the venture.

By the time he departed, Shell had lost its controlling stake and had become a junior partner in humiliating circumstances.

The Putin government found out that Shell had hidden information from them in a high level cover-up. As a Russian government minister, Oleg Mitvol, confirmed to the news media at the time, and more recently in a GERMAN TV documentary segment broadcast across Europe, I supplied that crucial insider information to him. I did so before the real nature of Putin had become apparent.   read more

By John Donovan

Andrew Manley worked at Shell for 30 years, leaving at the end of January 2010.

By then he was Downstream-One Programme Director. 

Mr Manley was a hapless individual and his emails were prone to leakage.

I published them, including the one when he announced his departure to no doubt delighted colleagues.

The IT project he led was plagued by delays. 

Mr Manley left to become an overpaid “high-flying Ministry of Defence mandarin.”

He grew very close to his 32 year old private secretary Laura Clare who he quickly promoted to be his chief of staff. Both are shown right. She obviously had impressive credentials. read more

The Corrib corruption scandal and cover-up will  be raised at the Shell AGM on Tuesday. I can state on good authority that Shell lawyers have already prepared a script for Ben van Beurden to use for evasion purposes when confronted by OSSL directors. It mentions waiting for the outcome of the investigation by the Irish Police Ombudsman. Van Beurden can either continue with the cover-up tactics, or pick up the phone and ask Michael Crothers or Brian Foley to tell him the truth. Although unpalatable, it will emerge sooner or later. 

By John Donovan

REPLY TO POSTING ON SHELL BLOG BY LONDONLAD

LondonLad, no doubt by accident, you have misconstrued what OSSL stated. They never said that the allegation was first made 5 years ago. Please read it again. It is not an important point, but if something inaccurate is stated in print, then it is best to correct any such mistake immediately.

The first I heard about any of the relevant allegations was on 10 Sept 2012 when a long detailed email from OSSL to Brian Foley, the Contracts Manager for the highly controversail Corrib Gas Project, was forwarded to me without explanation. read more

Astonishingly, none of these Shell officials, nor John Gilligan, Alan Shatter, or anyone else in the Irish government, police, or any oversight body, has asked me to supply the voluminous evidence. No one seems shocked, or even interested. There have been no denials issued, nor have I received any threats of litigation, as could be anticipated if the allegations were without foundation. This seems to be a rotten state of affairs? I am now beginning to wonder if Shell has bought the whole Irish Establishment?

EMAIL SENT BY JOHN DONOVAN TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE IRISH PARLIAMENT (THE DAIL)

From: John Donovan <[email protected]>
Subject: SHELL INDUSTRIAL SCALE CORRUPTION OF THE IRISH POLICE
Date: 6 May 2013 15:32:09 GMT+01:00
To: [email protected]

Irish Police corruption, booze and violence sponsored by Shell

Dear Mr Shane Ross TD

I am writing to you and all other members of the Dail on an exceptional basis concerning a matter that should be a cause of great concern.

I sent an email to your Justice Minister Mr Alan Shatter over a month ago concerning alleged widespread corruption of the Garda by Shell E&P Ireland.

Mr Shatter is aware that I have in my possession a vast array of what I believe to be related authentic documents and correspondence.  It includes an invoice from a small firm – The OSSL Company – to Shell E&P Ireland for over 35,000 euros (plus VAT) spent on the procurement of alcohol distributed to the Garda by OSSL, on behalf of its long time client, Shell. read more

Despite his scandal-ridden record at Shell, Chris Finlayson was recently appointed as Chief Executive of BG Group plc. We have already published articles relating to his involvement in the Shell reserves fraud and his time as head of Shell in Russia, when he played a starring role in the Sakhalin 2 debacle, which cost Shell untold billions. This article takes us back even further, to his time as a director of Shell’s North Sea operations and his involvement in the notorious “TOUCH FUCK ALL” policy…

CHRIS FINLAYSON’S SCANDAL-RIDDEN TIME AT SHELL: ONE CAN OF WORMS AFTER ANOTHER

By John Donovan

Despite his scandal-ridden record at Shell, Chris Finlayson was recently appointed as Chief Executive of BG Group plc.

We have already published articles relating to his involvement in the Shell reserves fraud and his time as head of Shell in Russia, when he played a starring role in the Sakhalin 2 debacle, which cost Shell untold billions.

This article takes us back even further, to his time as a director of Shell’s North Sea operations and his involvement in the notorious “TOUCH FUCK ALL” policy adopted by Shell Expro, which ruthlessly put production and profits before the safety of employees. read more

The latest allegation is that the local Irish Police involved in the Corrib Gas Project were supplied with alcohol by Shell EP Ireland.

By John Donovan

Printed below is a self-explanatory email I sent on 11 November 2012 to Mr Michiel Brandjes, Company Secretary & General Counsel Corporate, Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

I sent him further information earlier today including a related email sent to RDS Plc Chief Executive Mr Peter Voser.

I also made reference to the copy of a letter from a solicitor that has been supplied to me.

The solicitor acts for clients in County Mayo concerned by any implication that they have been involved in any corrupt activity allegedly sponsored by Shell.
read more

John Donovan, Shell Shareholder

Free access to over 40,000 articles, comment, historical information and news archive relating to corporate tax dodger Royal Dutch Shell, the world’s third largest company by revenue.

A TV documentary feature about our co-founder John Alfred Donovan, has aired in many countries. A related article was published in 10 languages.

John  is wrongly credited on zoominfo.com as being the founder, owner and Group Chairman of Royal Dutch Shell. He is, in fact, a long-term shareholder in Royal Dutch Shell Plc and its predecessor, Shell Transport & Trading Company Limited. read more

It seems Shell violated its own principles in Libya…

SUMMARY OF AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE DUTCH MAGAZINE VRIJ NEDERLAND ON 1st AUGUST 2012 (TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH)

Shell consolidated its interests in Libya by appeasing Qaddafi’s confidants with jobs for their children.

Ahmed Sawani was in 2006 a freshman in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tripoli. In despite of the fact he just started studying, he got a job at Shell Libya. According to a comment in a leaked Shell document, Ahmad’s father was director of the Qaddafi Foundation, an acquaintance of the country chairman of Shell Libya, Mark Hope. Just like the Sawanis many other Very Important Persons are mentioned in the VIP document. The opposite also happened when a minister, Tahar Jehaimi, was relieved from his post and nothing was heard from him for a long time. It was mentioned as a reason for closing the file of his child. read more

European Journal – The Magazine from Brussels

European Journal is a 30 minute magazine on DW that delivers the inside take – reports on important political, economic and cultural developments in the EU with a strong focus on the European integration process. European Journal features issues that move Europeans and shows Europeans on the move.

Entire TV programme broadcast in English language across Europe can be viewed here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYusVi-qVRk&noredirect=1

The images shown below are all screenshots.

THE VIDEO: Narration by Nina Haase read more

It seems to me slightly over-the-top for the Sakhalin Energy source to compare the Russian Federation Government dealings with the Donovans to “another mistake similar to signing The Non-Aggression Pact between the USSR and Germany of 1939…”

By John Donovan

Definition of a “loose cannon” – An unpredictable or uncontrolled person who is likely to cause unintentional damage.

Over the last few days I have received many emails from a disgruntled translator, apparently a lady, who has been involved for some years in the Sakhalin 1 and 2 oil and gas projects.

The number, frequency and length of the emails has increased. An email received yesterday was several A4 pages in length. Eight more emails were received last night.

The most recent emails are all addressed to me and copied to many people in Sakhalin Energy and the ExxonMobil Sakhalin project. read more

SELF-EXPLANATORY EMAIL SENT 2 JULY 2012 TO SAKHALIN ENERGY & ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC

The name of the source of the current emails has been deleted, but will be disclosed tomorrow.

It is an understatement to say that the source is not fond of “the Donovans” or their website.

From: John Donovan <[email protected]>
Subject:
Date: 2 July 2012 15:29:42 GMT+01:00
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected],

Dear Mr Chernyakhovskiy

Please be advised that it is my intention for reasons of transparency to publish in full the emails sent by XXXXX XXXXXXXX earlier today. read more

By John Donovan

I have printed below extracts from a mysterious email, partly in English and partly in Russian, circulated to a number of people at Sakhalin Energy earlier today, with a copy supplied to us. it seems to have been sent by a disgruntled employee (an interpreter/translator?) and has a sinister aspect with a reference to the Mafia (the Russian Mafia?).

It also makes a reference to plagiarism and contains a threat to “sell my story to royaldutchshellplc.com and become the Donovans’ friend…” read more

EMAIL FROM JOHN DONOVAN TO ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC COMPANY SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE, MR MICHIEL BRANDJES

SENT SUNDAY 17 JUNE 2012

From: John Donovan <[email protected]>
Subject: Disgruntled Shell Libya Security Staff
Date: 17 June 2012 16:01:20 GMT+01:00
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]

Dear Mr Brandjes

As you will no doubt be aware, over the last few days we have published whistleblower articles containing leaked Shell emails emanating from Shell Libya.

We published the most recent Shell internal email on the same day it was widely circulated inside Shell i.e. yesterday 16 June 2012.

The information is being supplied by a group of disgruntled Shell Libya security staff who have made serious allegations of misdeeds. read more

By John Donovan

We have already published an article containing a leaked email purportedly sent on 14 June 2012 by disgruntled Shell Exploration & Production Libya staff to senior Shell managers. Shell claims that it is withdrawing from Libya because of a deteriorating security situation. It self-evidently prefers to do business with dictators (a policy stretching back to Hitler).

The disgruntled employees – 17 in total, are all members of Shell’s security staff in Libya.

We now have a Statement of Complaint signed by all 17, detailing serious allegations against Salah Alshaafi, the chief of the Shell Security team. read more

LEAKED SHELL MAJNOON OIL FIELD (IRAQ) 25 PAGE WEEKLY SITE REPORT “MAJNOON HAPPENINGS” DATED 10 JUNE 2012

TEXT HIGHLIGHTED IN RED: “The information included in the report is confidential“

 25 PAGE CONFIDENTIAL REPORT

Full episode 02.05.12 | 22:30 – 23:00 UTC

European Journal – The Magazine from Brussels

European Journal is a 30 minute magazine on DW that delivers the inside take – reports on important political, economic and cultural developments in the EU with a strong focus on the European integration process. European Journal features issues that move Europeans and shows Europeans on the move.

Britain: Shell’s Enemy No. 1

John Donovan is a thorn in the side of the Shell oil group. For the past ten years, he has been posting about environmental abuses and other shortcomings at the global oil concern.

John Donovan’s campaign against Shell has already cost the company dearly. He supplied the Russian government with information about lax safety standards at the Sakhalin II oil-drilling project. Moscow took advantage of the revelations to divest Shell of its majority stake in the project in favor of the Russian oil company Gazprom. The source of Donovan’s vendetta against Shell has its roots in a personal dispute: Donovan was involved in a number of marketing campaigns with Shell, and later accused the company of violating intellectual property agreements. After Donovan’s own company went bankrupt, he became one of the biggest critics of the Shell group. read more

Because of the royaldutchshellplc.com domain name, we receive job applications, business proposals, pension enquiries, even threats meant for Shell (as supplied today). We deal with all such matters as agreed with Mr Brandjes, sometimes corresponding with the parties on behalf of Shell, occasionally passing on correspondence to him.  We have been offered oil wells and coalmines.

LETTER SENT TO MR GARY THOMSON, SHELL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED ON 30 May 2012: FROM ALFRED AND JOHN DONOVAN

Dear Mr Thomson

Data Protection Act 1998 – Subject Access Request (SAR)

Thank you for your letter dated 14 May 2012.

Please find enclosed completed application forms together with cheques based on a fee of £10 per applicant, if that is appropriate.

The application is made on an annual basis in joint names; the formula requested by your former colleague Mr Richard Wiseman and agreed to by us. Mr Wiseman informed us that after his retirement as Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc., the Company Secretary and General Counsel Corporate, Mr Michiel Brandjes, would be our designated contact with Shell. This has been the case since Mr Wiseman’s departure. read more

I’ve recently learned that a Kate Smith is about to become Director of the Americas Department at the FCO.  Would this by any chance be the same Kate Smith who moved from the FCO to Shell in 2008 as head of UK government relations?   Is there any word of that Kate Smith (for it must surely be she?) taking a sideways move back to the FCO?  This kind of revolving door move from diplomatic service to Shell and back surely, if that is the case, deserves some comment?

3 May 2012

By John Donovan

Printed below is an email I sent to Mr Michiel Brandjes on 1 May, which I also copied to Kate Smith, Shell UK Head of UK Government Relations. Mr Brandjes is Company Secretary & General Counsel Corporate of Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

There has been no response thus far. Any response received will be added to this article.

Reminds me of a revolving door controversy in America also involving Shell.

As US Interior Secretary, Gale Norton was responsible for the 2006 decision to award valuable oil shale leases in Colorado to a Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary. Months later she became General Counsel of Shell Oil. We were approached and supplied Shell internal documents to a U.S. government agency investigating related allegations of corruption, of which Norton was eventually cleared. read more

John Donovan at the Shell Centre, 4 April 2012

Professional translation (by OneHourTranslation) of the German narration in the ARD TV Europa Magazine documentary feature: Great Britain: A lone fighter against Shell. Broadcast Saturday 21 April 2012.

Great Britain: A lone fighter against Shell

Next to the London Eye, the Shell Centre stands tall. Its enemy stands at the door.

“You might find that interesting,” says John Donovan. He distributes flyers to inform people about the oil company’s drilling projects.

“Shell destroys communities,” is what the banner says. An older gentleman and a handful of like-minded people are aggravating one of the world’s largest oil giants. read more

EMAIL DATED 13 APRIL 2012 SENT BY JOHN DONOVAN TO MR MICHIEL BRANDJES, COMPANY SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC. POSTED AS AN ARTICLE

From: John Donovan <[email protected]>
Subject: Chinese whispers linking Shell with Neil Heywood/Hakluyt
Date: 13 April 2012 10:30:07 GMT+01:00
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]

Dear Mr Brandjes

On 31 March 2012 I sent you an email under the subject heading: Chinese Whispers about the death of a Hakluyt agent

I pointed out the connection between Royal Dutch Shell, Hakluyt & Co Ltd and Neil Heywood, the Hakluyt agent whose untimely demise in mysterious circumstances, appears to be a key factor in the unfolding momentous events in China, which has sparked worldwide interest. read more

By John Donovan

Visitors to this website must wonder why Shell does not sue me for defamation, given the frequent outspoken articles about the oil giant published under my name?

The short answer is that there is no defamation if what is stated is true.

Readers may find the long answer more interesting.

Royal Dutch Shell officials have fretted for years about the prospect of me raising this very subject during a Q & A session at the AGM.

I may do so this year.

This is an extract from a Shell internal communication: read more

Picture Caption: John Donovan in 2009. On his website, this former adman has posted more than 25,000 items on oil giant Shell.

Thanks to a network of “moles” inside the company, this early retiree from Britain is posting on his website reports on shortcomings inside the world’s largest oil group. It’s a dogged pursuit that has already cost the Anglo-Dutch giant several billions.

Christoph Giesen

The enemy is on his way. Waking early, he drives to London, leaves the car around the corner in a parking garage, and heads to York Road and the entrance of the Shell Centre, the headquarters of the most powerful oil company in the world. The Centre is a huge gray concrete block right by the River Thames. When the oil executives look out their windows, they see the British Parliament and the London Eye, Europe’s largest Ferris wheel. And now and then, peering down at the entrance, they can see John Donovan, the early retiree from Colchester in East Anglia. The man who is costing Shell billions. read more

I am described as having a stately stomach and accurately combed hair over a bald head. So we know that the journalist in question is unbiased, fearless, and truthful.

By John Donovan

On Saturday 17 March 2012 the largest broadsheet German daily national newspaper, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, published a whole page article by the journalist Christoph Giesen about this website royaldutchshellplc.com, which it correctly says has cost Shell billions of dollars.

SEE: Royal Dutch Shell’s No1 Enemy

The article is displayed below divided into two images, each of which can be enlarged by clicking on the image. PDF and English translation versions will be published.

I am described as having a stately stomach and accurately combed hair over a bald head. So we know that the journalist in question is unbiased, fearless, and truthful. read more

Some Shell employees complained on their website Royaldutchshellplc.com that a “Swiss Mafia” is running the group.

Meanwhile, staff flocked to Royaldutchshell.com to attack the groups management.

Influential? you bet. The Donovans and their blog are regularly quoted in the mainstream media? no doubt that the father-and-son team is an ongoing headache for Shell.

By John Donovan (article updated end of 2013)

We have published below a selection of links to newspaper, magazine and book extracts featuring comments/reports relating to this website.
read more

DAILY MAIL ARTICLE 1 SEPTEMBER 2007

By Sam Fleming

‘As it stands we’re on the back foot and our aim should be to develop a strategy (or options) that puts us in a more positive and secure position.’

‘Do we fully understand our own position. Are there on-going issues that we need to know about/fix. Ensure we are on solid ground. Are we making the most of what we’ve got’

The Shell emails admitting the firm’s concern at the claims

ROYAL Dutch Shell is getting rattled by a ‘gripe site’ that alleges there are safety problems with its North Sea oil platforms. read more

A Sunday Times article published in June 2001 detailed Shell/BP undercover activities including infiltration, spying and subversion operations around the world directed at perceived enemies. Contrary to The Sunday Times headline, it was not limited to “green groups”– as can be confirmed by reading the article.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

By John Donovan

In a Reuters article published today, the UK company Hakluyt & Company Limited is described as “an ultra-secretive firm that is purported to spy on companies in order to gather intelligence in a more covert manner.”

A Sunday Times article published in July 2001 detailed Shell/BP undercover activities including infiltration, spying and subversion operations around the world directed at perceived enemies. Contrary to The Sunday Times headline, it was not limited to “green groups”as can be confirmed by reading the article. The clandestine activity was carried out by Hakluyt & Company Limited.
read more

By John Donovan

Irish police investigation into alleged death threats against Shell whistleblowers on the Corrib Gas Project

In October 2010 I notified the Chief Police Commissioner of the Garda about alleged death threats made against Shell Corrib employees. Insiders had supplied us with a series of Shell internal emails containing sensitive confidential information about the Corrib Gas Project. Shell senior management had advance notice of the information I supplied to the Irish police and did not deny that the emails were authentic.

Except for an acknowledgement letter I received from a Chief Superintendent, I heard nothing further until I received a letter from Superintendent Patrick Diskin in April 2011. As a result of his letter, we supplied more information to the Garda. read more

Despite giving the impression to the contrary, Royal Dutch Shell has continued funding a fanatical regime intent on the extermination of the Jewish people. Iran is bent on developing nuclear weapons to destroy Israel, finishing the job that Shell’s former Nazi partners embarked upon, killing millions of Jews in the Holocaust.

By John Donovan

Reuters is reporting that an Iranian supertanker anchored near Singapore for the past week has just moored at Royal Dutch Shell’s refinery and is about to discharge 1.5 million barrels of Iranian crude. The latest news comes despite the impression from Shell that it had ended its treacherous relationship with Iran.

It appears to be directly at odds with an assurance given by Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser just a month ago. See Reuters article below.

Even though well versed in the duplicity, deceit and trickery of Shell, I had thought, based on such  signals from Shell, that the company had finally ended its trading with Iran. I should have known better. read more

By John Donovan

A regular contributor to our “Shell Blog” recently criticized the mix of postings on this website.

“LondonLad” said:

I am afraid that there clearly is very little news (i.e. aspects of Shell’s work) for the Donovan’s to rant on about recently. A great deal is re-printed as though it’s new but is merely old stories and anti-Shell propoganda that is old history.

Since we have over many years built an archive of over 28,000 articles, documents and advertising relating to Shell stretching back to the 1920’s, including Shell internal documents and communications, we have a wealth of information to draw on in providing related historical context to current news events.

Seems to be a winning formula given the increased traffic – 2,545,430 million hits and 1,513,016 million page views in January 2012. read more

In a front page lead story in the Financial Times, our site was properly credited with breaking news of the restructuring plans of Peter Voser.

FROM OUR ARCHIVE: EXTRACT FROM A RELATED EMAIL MESSAGE SENT BY JOHN DONOVAN TO OVER 400 SENIOR SHELL EXECUTIVES

Congratulations!

I am writing to offer our best wishes on your appointment/new title, as announced on our website royaldutchshellplc.com within the lists of Shell senior executive appointments we published on 22 June and 3 August.

The unauthorised publication of leaked Shell confidential information on our site has become a news event in its own right, regularly reported by The Wall Street Journal and other news organisations. read more

Dr Huong was buried in multiple injunctions arising from alleged defamatory postings on our website. Shell also attempted to have him committed to prison and was apparently keen that I should become a fellow prisoner, after they gave up trying to lure my father to Malaysia.

By John Donovan

In 2004, EIGHT companies within the Royal Dutch Shell Group collectively took legal action against Dr John Huong (above), a former Shell production geologist who blew the whistle on the reserves scandal and other nefarious activities carried out by Shell executives in breach of the much proclaimed Shell General Business Principles.

Dr Huong was buried in multiple injunctions arising from alleged defamatory postings on our website. Shell also attempted to have him committed to prison in Malaysia and was apparently keen that I should become a fellow prisoner, after they gave up trying to lure my father to Malaysia. read more

By John Donovan: 12 January 2012

Thefront page lead story published by the Financial Times newspaper today reports that European refiners have begun to sever links with Iran ahead of an EU meeting, which could impose a full oil embargo on the Iranian regime.

(A version of the article is also published on ft.com)

Iran is the world’s third-largest oil exporter.

Tensions and oil prices are heightened by the regimes threat to close the Strait of Hormuz.

The article reports that according to Argus Media, Royal Dutch Shell is the biggest buyer of Iranian crude. read more

Purported leaked email with video link received from an anonymous source with the covering message:

“Potential for another Shell director playing *General Patton…listen to the video…”

THE INTERNAL EMAIL

On behalf of Bob Turner,

All,
We have just posted the latest video clip on the IPO website. In this clip I talk about Gas to Offshore and our preparations and some issues around our culture which I call “NO” will no longer be the low risk option”.

Please have a look. I hope you find it informative and topical. My previous clips will be archived in the Library folder.

As always I welcome your feedback.

Have a safe day

Bob.

?Bob Turner Video

ENDS

*From Wikipedia article “List of plagiarism controversies“

On 6 June 2007, the Financial Times published a front page article under the headline: “‘Pipeliners All!’ Shell’s memo to Sakhalin”^[24] read more

14 October 2011
Vedomosti

Dysfunctional oil wells at Sakhalin-2 are threatening to decrease production at the field in Russia’s Far East and could be indicative of more serious problems.