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Royal Dutch Shell to weigh vaccine mandate, firing staff on resistance
Sep. 09, 2021 11:22 AM ET Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.A)Royal Dutch Shell plc (RDS.B)By: Niloofer Shaikh, SA News Editor 30 Comments
Posts under ‘Shell Employee Safety’
Royal Dutch Shell to weigh vaccine mandate, firing staff on resistance
Shell in talks with Nigeria to divest onshore oil stakes
REUTERS
Shell in talks with Nigeria to divest onshore oil stakes
May 18, 2021: Shell, the operator of the West African country’s onshore oil and gas joint venture SPDC, has struggled for years with spills in the Niger Delta as a result of pipeline theft and sabotage as well as operational issues. The spills have led to costly repair operations and high-profile lawsuits. Speaking at the company’s annual general meeting, CEO Ben van Beurden said that Shell can no longer be exposed to the risk of theft and sabotage.
Shell resumes LNG shipments from world’s largest floating structure
Shell resumes LNG shipments from world’s largest floating structure
Workers removed from North Sea platform after colleague tests positive for Covid-19
Workers removed from North Sea platform after colleague tests positive for Covid-19
More than a dozen workers have been removed from a North Sea platform after a colleague tested positive for Covid-19.
Energy giant Shell confirmed that a crew member, who was demobilised from the Nelson platform on Friday, subsequently tested positive for the virus.
Contact tracing then found another 14 people had come into close contact with the individual, who were all removed from the installation on Sunday as a precaution.
Shell says Pennsylvania ethane cracker about 70% complete
Shell says Pennsylvania ethane cracker about 70% complete
By Reuters Staff: October 9, 2020
Oct 9 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc said on Friday its multibillion-dollar petrochemical complex near Pittsburgh was about 70% complete and remains on track to enter service in the early 2020s.
After temporarily suspending construction activities on the ethane cracker in March to limit the spread of coronavirus, Shell said it has been re-introducing workers at a measured pace – bringing the total number of workers on site to about 6,500.
Shell to change-up FIFO roster at Australian operations
Shell to change-up FIFO roster at Australian operations
Paul Hunt: Senior Journalist: Oil & Gas, Policy. 07 August 2020
SHELL is urging its staff to move to a new fly-in, fly-out, roster, a move that has been described by unions as “unsafe.”Currently FIFO staff work three weeks on, four weeks off, then three weeks on and five weeks off but under the new proposed agreement, employees would simply do a four week on, four week off roster.
In a power-point presentation leaked to Energy News this week, Shell Australia said a new roster was needed due to interstate travel restrictions, and the combined impact of a 14-day quarantine requirement for FIFO staff.
SHELL PUBLISHES ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS
12-Mar-2020
Royal Dutch Shell plc published its Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended December 31, 2019. The 2019 Annual Report and Accounts can be downloaded from www.shell.com/annualreport.
In compliance with 9.6.1 of the Listing Rules, on March 12, 2020, a copy of the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts was submitted to the National Storage Mechanism. This document will shortly be available for inspection at http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM.
Printed copies of the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts will be available from April 16, 2020, and can be requested, free of charge, at www.shell.com/annualreport.
Shell request sees Survitec increase lifeboat capacity on Shearwater gas hub
Shell request sees Survitec increase lifeboat capacity on Shearwater gas hub
Jackdaw will be tied back to the Shearwater platform, pictured.
A request by Shell has seen offshore safety firm Survitec increase lifeboat capacity on the oil and gas giant’s Shearwater gas hub.
The project, commissioned by Shell last year, asked Survitec to to increase lifeboat capacity on Shearwater by more than 22%.
The replacement of three 49-person capacity lifeboats increased total capacity from 147 to 180.
Andrew Sinclair, Shell project manager said: “This project was a priority for the Shearwater Asset allowing for a ramp up in project and maintenance activity to help unlock the platforms potential and secure a bright future for the facility.”
Shell suspend Curlew decom work due to ‘incident’ with worker
by David McPhee and James Wyllie: 26 July 2019
Oil giant Shell has confirmed all decommissioning work on the Curlew floating production vessel (FPSO) has been suspended due to an “incident” involving a worker.
The occurrence is understood to have been a “confined space incident” during tank cleaning work two weeks ago.
It has been claimed that the situation resulted in a male worker running out of oxygen while in the tank.
Shell said no one was injured.
Augean North Sea Services is carrying out cleaning and waste disposal on the FPSO at the Port of Dundee.
Dutch court orders Shell to pay $2.8 million fine for 2014 plant blast
JUNE 17, 2019 / 2:17 PM
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – A Dutch court on Monday ordered Royal Dutch Shell to pay a 2.5 million euro ($2.8 million) fine for failing to prevent an explosion at its Moerdijk facility in 2014 and for breaching emissions limits at the plant.
The district court in Den Bosch said Shell had not done enough to prevent an incident on June 3, 2014 which resulted in a series of explosions and a large fire at the Moerdijk chemical plant.
“The factory, employees, the surroundings and the environment were subject to great danger that day”, the court said. “This justifies a significant punishment.”
Explosion at Shell’s Scotford refinery
Explosion at Shell’s Scotford refinery
Emergency crews responded to an explosion and fire at Shell’s Scotford refinery in Alberta on Monday, a company spokeswoman said. There were no reported injuries.
The Scotford facility houses a 100,000 barrel-per-day refinery and a 255,000 bpd oil sands upgrader.
Local media reported flames and a large plume of black smoke coming from the refinery.
Shell spokeswoman Tara Lemay said the fire broke out around 8:45 a.m. local time and employees were being moved away from the incident as a safety precaution. Roadblocks have been set up at the entrances to the Scotford site and on roads nearby.
Violations against contract workers at Shell in Nigeria taken to UN Human Rights Council
“Contract workers at Shell Nigeria are living in poverty, with no job security and poor healthcare that is costing workers’ lives. Contract workers face dismissal if they join a union or ask for a pay rise. They lack safety equipment and risk death in the field.”
Published by John Williams, Digital Assistant Editor
LNG Industry,
Royal Dutch Shell violations against contract workers in Nigeria came under scrutiny at the 40th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
Royal Dutch Shell violations against contract workers in Nigeria came under scrutiny today at the 40th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
In a joint statement to the General Assembly of the Human Rights Council, IndustriALL Global Union and Swiss organisation, Europe-Third World Center (CETIM), said:
$165K Settlement Reached With Shell Oil Over Refinery Violations in 2015, 2016
$165K Settlement Reached With Shell Oil Over Refinery Violations in 2015, 2016
By Bay City News: Published Mar 14, 2019
The Shell Oil Company has agreed to pay $165,000 as part of an agreement with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District regarding air quality violations at their refinery in Martinez in 2015 and 2016, according to air district officials.
The settlement, which the district announced today, addresses 16 violations over two years including sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide emissions, a shelter-in-place order, a cargo vessel tank that was overdue for emissions inspections and broken seals on a liquid storage tank.
Safety strife for Shell’s LNG giant Prelude
The Prelude project will be fired up 475 kilometres north-east of Broome, ready to liquefy natural gas straight from the ocean floor and ship it around the world.
Peter Milne: The West Australian:
Shell has struggled through a series of safety missteps as it readies its cutting-edge Prelude floating LNG vessel for production.
Shell reported 17 incidents to the offshore safety regulator NOPSEMA between May and October 2018 that the regulator classified as dangerous occurrences.
The reports, obtained by WestBusiness through a freedom of information request, show the challenges facing hundreds of WA workers that have helicoptered about 500km back and forth between Broome and the 488m-long giant since it arrived from South Korea in July 2017.
One difficulty with floating LNG vessels is that an LNG carrier must berth alongside as the two vessels bob about in the sea, unlike floating oil production facilities that offload oil to a tanker a safe distance away through long flexible hoses.
In early May 2018 Shell tried to bring the LNG carrier Gallina alongside.
A tow rope to a tug failed when the 290m-long carrier was just 50m from Prelude and the operation had to be aborted.
That problem was caused by a tow rope that was incorrectly assembled.
Nine days later something as trivial as wrongly shaped plastic thwarted another attempt to load LNG on to Prelude.
It was thought the Gallina was safely secured to the Prelude by 16 mooring lines that ran through guides on the Prelude called fairleads. As the crew prepared to connect the LNG loading arms a mooring line failed and the Gallina was released and pulled away.
Afterwards it was found that all 16 lines had been significantly damaged by rubbing against sharp edges of nylon liners in the fairleads.
This seemingly trifling detail could have caused a “complete mooring failure” with “potential for serious consequences” if it had occurred later while LNG was being transferred.
Two weeks later the Gallina successfully offloaded its LNG and Prelude had gas to power itself and test its processing plant.
However, having gas on board the Prelude increased the risks Shell had to manage.
A flange leaked near the LNG loading arms as super-cold -162C LNG sitting at the bottom of a pipe caused it to contract and bend.
Another type of gas, hydrogen sulphide, was released when construction debris from the Korean shipyard was being removed from a tank and the area was evacuated.
In July a fire damper intended to keep gas from entering the air-conditioning system for the accommodation quarters failed to close when tested but was repaired quickly.
In August, Prelude lost all its power supply when a pump sending water to a gas-fired boiler tripped.
All workers on the Prelude and the attached 750-bed Posh Arcadia floating hotel went to their muster stations as the diesel emergency generators powered up to supply essential services.
But a transformer failed and the system to cover the deck with firefighting foam was left without power and unable to operate.
Other problems included a test of a system to cover the top of LNG tanks with a deluge of water in an emergency that found it delivered only half the planned amount of water as the system used undersized valves.
There was a small fire when dust in an oxygen cylinder valve ignited, leading to a muster of all personnel.
Newly installed insulation on a hot high-pressure steam line was seen smouldering and when the insulation was pulled away it caught fire. The insulation had been secured by combustible tape.
A Shell spokeswoman said the company had a rigorous program on Prelude to identify and manage risk in a controlled way.
“It is not unexpected for issues to arise during this phase of a project and it is standard practice to notify NOPSEMA,” she said. “We are proud of our safety and reporting culture.”
She said Shell encouraged workers to raise safety concerns.
TEETHING PROBLEMS
2017
July: Prelude arrives from Korea
2018
May: Tow line to tug fails, mooring lines fail
June: LNG loaded onto Prelude, gas leak, flood detection not working
July: Hydrogen sulfide leak, flooded machinery room, fire dampers did not close
August: No power to fire-fighting foam
September: Smouldering insulation
October: Small fire
December: 750-bed accommodation vessel for additional workers leaves, wells opened and gas flows to Prelude.
2019
February: Preparing for first export of condensate
RELATED
The links below are to a series of articles, many triggered by a well-placed whistleblower directly involved in the pioneering Royal Dutch Shell Prelude project. Includes articles by Mr Bill Campbell, the retired distinguished HSE Group Auditor of Shell International and another retired Shell guru with a track record of spotting potential pitfalls in major Shell projects.
Shell ponders Crux field connection to Prelude FLNG project
MELBOURNE, Feb. 5, 2019: By Rick Wilkinson OGJ Correspondent
The Perth-based Australian subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell PLC has begun the approval process for a potential $2-billion (Aus.) development of its Crux natural gas-condensate field in the Browse basin license AC/L9 offshore Western Australia as a tie in to the company’s Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) facilities.
Crux has long been considered a likely second phase to Shell’s $16.6-billion (Aus.) Prelude development that has recently been brought on stream via the world’s largest FLNG vessel permanently moored in the field.
Initially the hook-up was not envisioned for many years, as a back-fill when production of gas from Prelude began to decline late next decade. A development plan recently submitted to Australia’s National Offshore Petroleum Safety & Management Authority (NOPSEMA), however, outlines the start of front-end engineering and design work for Crux later this year leading to a final investment decision in 2020.
Shell’s Prelude LNG inches ahead amid talk of technical problems
Shell’s Prelude floating LNG project has taken longer than expected to start up. Shell Australia
By Angela Macdonald-Smith: 01 Feb 2019
Energy giant Shell has brushed off persistent talk about technical problems dogging the start-up of the huge Prelude floating LNG project off Australia’s far north-west coast but has signalled the first LNG cargo from the closely watched venture may still be several weeks away.
The multinational announced the beginning of production from the offshore Prelude gas field in late December but is still in the process of commissioning the complex LNG processing systems on board what is the world’s largest floating structure.
Shell fined S$400,000 for Pulau Bukom fire that injured 6 workers
Shell’s Pulau Bukom industrial site in western Singapore. (Photo: AFP)
(Updated: )
SINGAPORE: Oil giant Shell has been fined S$400,000 for a fire which broke out at a petroleum refinery on Pulau Bukom in 2015, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Tuesday (Jan 8).
The fire left six workers injured, including two with critical injuries after they suffered 50 per cent and 70 per cent burns.
On Aug 21, 2015, two groups of workers were simultaneously conducting maintenance and project works on a crude distillation unit at the refinery, said the ministry.
Shell boss ‘still unhappy’ over safety record despite redoubling of efforts
Ben van Beurden Photographer: Aaron M. Sprecher/Bloomberg
The boss of oil giant Shell has admitted he is “still unhappy” with the firm’s safety performance, despite pledging a redoubling of efforts in 2018.
Written by David McPhee –
Chief executive, Ben van Beurden, raised a call to redouble the firm’s focus on safety last year after a number of serious incidents in 2017.
An overturned tanker spill and explosion in Pakistan caused the tragic death of 200 people, while there were also fatalities in Canada and Nigeria.
Mr van Beurden added he is also focusing on restoring trust in the oil firm.
He said: “I’m still unhappy with our safety performance.
Shell to load first condensate cargo from Prelude FLNG project end Jan
- Author Andrew Toh Wanda Wang Eric Yep
- Editor Wendy Wells
Singapore — Shell will load the first condensate cargo from Australia’s Prelude FLNG project at end January, according to shipping reports and sources Thursday.
The condensate will be loaded in a 80,000 mt clip over January 31 to February 2, shipping reports showed.
A vessel has not been fixed for the cargo, and shipbrokers said Shell began looking for an Aframax tanker to load the cargo Thursday.
Shell did not immediately respond to an email query seeking comment.
The destination of the cargo is unclear, though trade sources have said that the oil major will likely use the cargo within its own network of splitters and refineries.
Shell’s ocean giant Prelude a step closer to full start
Shell’s giant Prelude floating LNG vessel is edging closer to production as the accommodation vessel that housed up to 750 workers over the year moves away to allow the final stages of start-up to occur.
The Posh Arcadia accommodation vessel sailed to a station about 6km north of Prelude on Thursday morning, according to vessel tracking website MarineTraffic.
A Shell spokeswoman said the company continued to prepare Prelude for operations. “We expect to see production around the end of the year,” she said.
Stanlow oil refinery fire damage puts 180 jobs at risk
14 December 2018
About 180 jobs are at risk after energy giant Shell announced the closure of two fire-damaged chemical units within an oil refinery in Cheshire.
The positions at Stanlow in Ellesmere Port are in question following a blaze at the site in August, which damaged the units.
Shell said the cost of fixing the damage was “not economically viable”,
The two chemical plants at the site are owed by Shell but are run under a management agreement by Essar Oil UK.
Essar Oil UK employs over 900 staff, and a further 500 contractors also operate at the refinery.
Workers taken off Shell’s Brent Charlie after power failure
More than 130 workers have been evacuated from a North Sea oil platform after it lost power.
Written by Reporter –
Shell’s Brent Charlie, which is 185km (115 miles) North East of Lerwick, Shetland, contacted HM Coastguard just before 5pm on November 27 reporting that they had lost power and were running on backup batteries.
“The Brent Charlie platform was shut down for maintenance and although the 184 crew were safe and well the platform had limited power, meaning no lighting, heating or water,” said a spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
“With severe incoming weather HM Coastguard and Shell made the decision to ensure the safety of the crew and to declare an emergency situation and evacuate 135 non-essential crew.
Bacton gas terminal: £300m spent on upgrading plant
22 November 2018
The energy giant Shell is to increase the amount of gas processed at a Norfolk terminal by 16% – securing its future for “decades to come”.
The firm has spent £300m updating the plant at Bacton to allow 400 million cubic feet (11,300 litres) of gas to be processed.
“This means we can use the facilities more and reduce operating costs,” Anne O’Halloran, from Shell, said.
This firm is also drilling more wells in the Southern North Sea gas field.
Dow, Shell Accused Of Polluting Drinking Water With TCP
By Lauren Berg
Law360 (September 24, 2018, 5:05 PM EDT) — The Golden State Water Co. has accused the Dow Chemical Co., Shell Oil Co. and others of product liability violations for contaminating drinking water with unsafe amounts of TCP, a toxic chemical…
UPDATE 3-Fire breaks out at Shell chemical plant in UK, nearby Essar refinery unaffected
By Amanda Cooper, Shadia Nasralla: AUGUST 22, 2018
* All staff evacuated – fire services
* Shell-owned chemical plant operated by Essar
* Scale of fire unclear – fire services
SOURCEShell boss on 50 years in the ABZ project
In spite of everything hurled by the North Sea and global market conditions across half a century, and despite predictions to the contrary, Shell remains a big player on the UK Continental Shelf.
Energy Voice interviewed Shell UK upstream vice president Steve Phimister aboard the Shearwater platform.
Written by Jeremy Cresswell –
A characteristic throughout has been a quest to lead.
Driving Shell forward is VP Upstream President Steve Phimister who, by coincidence, was born the same year as Shell’s UKCS odyssey began 50 years ago.
The super-major has lived through boom times followed by harsh periods when commodity prices were in the basement and, from the late 1990s, speculation grew as to whether such companies had a future in the North Sea.
Shell Convent refinery heavy oil hydrocracker shut by fire – sources
REUTERS STAFF: AUGUST 12, 2018 / 11:12 PM
HOUSTON (Reuters) – The heavy oil hydrocracking unit (HCU) at Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s (RDSa.AS) 209,787 barrel per day (bpd) Convent, Louisiana, refinery was shut after a fire early on Sunday, sources familiar with plant operations said.
The fire broke out on the 45,000 bpd HCU, call the H-Oil Unit, at about 1:30 a.m. (0630 GMT) on Sunday, the sources said.
A Shell spokesman was not immediately available to comment.
No injuries were reported due to the blaze, the sources said.
Shell fined £60,000 after worker severely injured on Brent Delta
Written by Allister Thomas and Chris Jaffray –
The incident in November 2014 took place on the Brent Delta installation when a gas cylinder unexpectedly discharged, causing projectiles to strike a worker.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard today that technicians were required to replace a gas cylinder within a system used to extinguish fires on November 9, 2014.
One technician rolled what he thought was an empty cylinder and took off a protective cap, however the cylinder was in fact fully charged which caused an uncontrolled release of gas and a loud bang – resulting in the technician dropping the cylinder which caused the valve to shear, with projectiles severely injuring a second technician.
Investigation finds IT upgrade responsible for Corrib gas release
Shell announced last year that it was disposing of its 45 per cent stake in the Corrib gas field to a unit of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in an €830 million deal, resulting in about €1 billion of losses. The decision was announced just over 18 months after first gas finally flowed from the field 83km off the Mayo coast, after over a decade of opposition…
Lorna Siggins Western Correspondent: Wed, Aug 1, 2018
An investigation by the State’s energy regulator into the release of non-odourised gas from the Corrib gas refinery in north Mayo last year says it was caused by the upgrading of an information technology (IT) system.
“Deficiencies” in Shell E&P Ireland’s (SEPIL) operating procedures led to the incident last September, but there were no safety consequences for staff at the Corrib gas refinery or members of the public “in the immediate vicinity”, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has found.
Prelude FLNG Receives Cool-Down Cargo
Shell’s giant floating liquefied natural gas plant (FLNG), the Prelude, moved closer to production last week when she received a cool-down cargo from the LNG carrier Gallina.
The 70,000 dwt Gallina transferred a load of LNG to the Prelude on Wednesday and Thursday as the plant prepares for commissioning. It was the first time that Prelude has had an LNG carrier alongside to test the plant’s sophisticated loading arms.
Prelude is now testing its systems in preparation for first gas from Shell’s Prelude field, which holds an estimated three trillion cubic feet of natural gas (in combination with the adjacent Concerto field). Royal Dutch Shell hopes to begin generating revenue from the multi-billion-dollar project sometime this year.
Shell boss hit by shareholder revolt over £8m pay
A quarter of Shell shareholders turned on Ben Van Beurden after he pocketed €8.9m (£7.8m)
The boss of Royal Dutch Shell has suffered a bruising shareholder revolt after more than a quarter of its investors voted against his multi-million euro payout for last year.
Ben Van Beurden pocketed €8.9m (£7.8m) for 2017 after trebling the company’s profits to $12.1bn (£9bn) as the oil giant staged an impressive recovery from a crash in prices.
But shareholders took against the FTSE 100 boss after an accident in Pakistan last year claimed the lives of more than 200 people in an explosion of a fuel tanker operated by one of the energy giant’s subsidiaries.
Shell Faces Shareholder Outcry Over Incident That Killed 200
BY Kelly Gilblom: 14 May 2018, 12:02 BST
Royal Dutch Shell Plc will face difficult questions at its annual general meeting next week after an investor-advisory group urged shareholders to challenge executive pay and the company’s response to a fatal accident in Pakistan.
Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., an influential adviser on corporate governance, has recommended investors reject Shell’s pay report at its AGM on May 22, saying it was initially “silent” on the Pakistan incident. ISS also said it could only offer “qualified support” to the re-election of the independent director looking after corporate social responsibility.
Shell boss Ben Van Beurden facing a shareholder revolt over his £7.8m pay packet
By City & Finance Reporter for the Daily Mail: |
The boss of oil giant Shell is facing the threat of a revolt over his £7.8million pay packet.
Institutional Shareholders Services, a leading investor advisory group, is recommending that Ben van Beurden’s pay is voted down at the annual general meeting later this month.
ISS said it also wants more information about how the 60-year-old’s bonus was affected by an incident in Pakistan in 2016, when a fuel tanker operated by a Shell Pakistan contractor exploded, killing more than 200 people.
Offshore industry ‘perilously close to disasters’ warning from HSE
The Health and Safety Executive has written to all oil and gas operators expressing concern about the number of gas releases in the industry.
The regulator said some had come “perilously close to disaster” and that more needed to be done to tackle them.
The HSE said a “lack of leadership” was often to blame for leaks, and called for firms to review their processes.
Operators have until July to respond with a summary of their planned improvements.
The HSE has written to operators ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster. The platform exploded in July 1988, leaving 167 men dead.
Shell pays out £41billion to governments globally in 2017
The firm also drew attention to a number of safety incidents in 2017 which it is working to address and provide support to victims for, including oil spills and theft in Nigeria, earthquakes in Groningen and a road tanker disaster in Pakistan.
Written by Allister Thomas –
The company has published the findings in a report to accommodate UK regulations requiring transparency on government payments.
It includes payments in 29 countries where Shell operates and does not include details related to refining, natural gas liquefaction, or gas-to-liquids activities which are not in the scope of UK regulations.
Shell made the largest contribution to Nigeria, paying over £3billion last year, while the smallest sum went to Bulgaria at £109million.
The funds for Nigeria include the government’s production entitlement, covering more than £2.1billion.
Shell reprimanded over Brent Bravo leak
The UK’s workplace safety watchdog has reprimanded Shell following a gas leak on the Brent Bravo platform in November.
Written by Mark Lammey –
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said Shell has failed to “prevent the uncontrolled release of flammable or explosive substances”.
Its inspector accused the oil major of failing to ensure valves on the rig were kept in “efficient working order and in good repair”.
Shell has been given until March 8 to comply with the improvement notice.
A spokesman for Shell UK said: “Shell UK can confirm that we were issued with an HSE improvement notice on 8th December 2017 in relation to a small hydrocarbon release on our Brent Bravo platform in the North Sea.
Shell hit with HSE improvement notice at St Fergus
Written by Mark Lammey –
Energy giant Shell has been ordered to improve its safety procedures at the St Fergus plant near Peterhead.
The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the company had failed to made “adequate arrangements” to ensure that “emergency shutdown and emergency depressurisation valve actuators” were maintained in an “efficient state and effective working order”.
HSE initially gave Shell until December 21 to comply with the improvement notice, but the deadline has now been extended to February 28.
A spokeswoman for Shell said: “We can confirm that we have been issued with an improvement notice on 23rd November 2017 in relation to the maintenance of emergency shutdown valves at our St Fergus plant in North East Scotland.
Lifeboat Accidentally “Descends” from Brent Alpha
Shell has launched an investigation after a lifeboat accidentally “descended” from the aging Brent Alpha platform during maintenance.
A Shell spokesperson said that on Saturday morning, a mechanical failure occurred during routine maintenance, “allowing [the lifeboat] to descend into the sea.” The BBC reports that the lifeboat davit’s clutch slipped during work on the boat. No injuries were reported, and the boat was recovered the following day.
Oil workers sue Shell over Gulf of Mexico platform fire
REUTERS STAFF: 18 DECEMBER 2017
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Three offshore oil workers filed a lawsuit against units of Royal Dutch Shell and Enbridge, seeking $1 million in damages for injuries they allegedly received during a Nov. 8 fire on a U.S. Gulf of Mexico production platform.
The suit, filed in Galveston County court in Texas on Dec. 5, claims safety lapses on Shell’s Enchilada platform caused severe injuries to the three. The complaint seeks more than $1 million in damages from Shell International Exploration and Production, Shell Offshore, and Garden Banks Gas Pipeline Co, a unit of Enbridge, which owns a gas pipeline connected to the platform.
Workers injured in Shell platform fire in Gulf of Mexico file suit
Shell’s Enchilada platform, sitting atop Garden Banks Block 128 in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast, caught fire early Wednesday (Nov. 8), injuring two workers. This map shows the location, outlined in yellow.
The lawsuit claims Shell and the pipeline operator were negligent or grossly negligent, failing to maintain a safe work environment…
Updated Posted
Three workers injured in a November fire on Shell’s Enchilada platform in the Gulf of Mexico are suing the oil and gas company in a Texas county court. The suit claims Shell, its Gulf of Mexico subsidiary and a pipeline operator “acted with flagrant and malicious disregard” for the health and safety of the workers leading up to the incident.
Royal Dutch Shell Suspends Production on Two Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms
By Dow Jones Newswires
Royal Dutch Shell PLC said on Tuesday it has suspended production on two offshore oil and gas platforms following the shutdown of a major European oil transport node.
The British-Dutch oil giant confirmed that it has halted the flow of oil and gas from its Shearwater and Nelson platforms in the central North Sea as a result of the shutdown of the Forties Pipeline System owned by Ineos, a refining and chemicals company.
Shell says fire extinguished at Singapore refinery-petchem plant
REUTERS STAFF: DECEMBER 11, 2017
SINGAPORE, Dec 11 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell said a fire at its Singapore refinery-petrochemical site was extinguished on Sunday and no one was hurt in the incident.
The fire occurred at one of its manufacturing units on Bukom Island at about 10 a.m. (0200 GMT) and was extinguished shortly after by the site’s firefighters, a company spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement.
Shell was investigating the cause of the incident and did not expect any impact on its customers, she said.
One person injured after heavy oil leak at Shell Scotford northeast of Fort Saskatchewan
CATHERINE GRIWKOWSKY: 15 November 2017
One person was injured and the Shell Scotford site was evacuated for several hours after a heavy oil mixture leak on Wednesday afternoon.
The “hydrocarbon release” happened around 12:30 p.m. inside a processing unit at the Scotford Facility near Fort Saskatchewan, according to a statement sent by Tara Lemay on behalf of Shell. The all-clear was sounded at 6:30 p.m.
One person reported a minor injury and all non-essential personnel were moved off-site as a precaution, the statement said. All personnel were accounted for.
Employees relocated after ‘hydrocarbon release’ at Scotford upgrader outside Edmonton
Emergency crews were called to respond to a hydrocarbon release at a Shell Canada’s Scotford upgrader facility northeast of Fort Saskatchewan on Wednesday afternoon. Craig Ryan/ Global News
By Emergency crews were called to respond to a hydrocarbon release at a Shell Canada facility northeast of Fort Saskatchewan on Wednesday afternoon.
The company said the incident unfolded at its Scotford upgrader facility which processes crude bitumen. Late Wednesday afternoon, Shell confirmed an alarm was sounded and personnel were “relocated away from the incident as a safety precaution.”
Hess Issues Statement on Impact from Incident at Shell Enchilada Platform in Gulf of Mexico
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) released a statement today about the impact on its operations resulting from a fire at the Shell Enchilada platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell advised in a statement on Nov. 12 that a plan for repairing the damaged portions of the asset is being developed. All production coming into the Garden Banks Gas Pipeline system also remains shut in until further notice.
Hess production is shut in at its Baldpate, Conger and Penn State Fields. Production is also shut in at the Shell-operated Llano Field (Hess 50 percent interest). Hess production at these fields is approximately 30 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Oil platform fire in Gulf of Mexico injures 2
By Carlie Kollath Wells: [email protected]: NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune: 8 November 2017
Two people were injured Wednesday morning (Nov. 8) in a fire on a Shell oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, the company said. The remaining 46 workers were safely evacuated.
A Shell spokesman said the fire happened at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday on its Enchilada platform at Garden Banks 128. Shell said it had identified the source of the fire and was “actively responding to the situation.”
Shell served improvement notice over gas leak blunder
Offshore workers were exposed to the risk of fire and explosion after blunder led to a gas leak on a southern North Sea installation.
Written by Alan Shields –
The uncontrolled release took place on the Barque PB, a normally unmanned platform, on July 19.
Around 138kg of flammable hydrocarbon gas was released from pipework connected to the vessel V2000, according to the Health and Safety Executive.
A subsequent probe found that flammable gas had been used to leak test the pipework instead of inert nitrogen gas – which was available.
Failings were found in the arrangements for the effective planning, organising and control for the reinstatement of the pipework.
Shell Reports Leak, Emissions at Deer Park, Texas Facility
By
Royal Dutch Shell reported a leak and emissions Tuesday at its Deer Park, Texas refinery and chemical plant.
“A leak was found on the bottom of debutanizer distillation column. The cause of the leak is still under investigation,” the refinery said in a statement to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. It added that it was “reducing feed rate to unit to minimize emissions.”
Deer Park is located along the Houston Ship Channel, 20 miles east of downtown Houston. The facility includes a 326,000-barrel-a-day refinery.
Uncontrolled shutdown at Shell Convent Plant after transformer explosion
Flaring and excessive black smoke pouring into the night sky after explosion and uncontrolled shutdown
By Greg Fischer Editor-in-chief: Sep 26, 2017
Around 8 p.m. on Tuesday night a huge flash could be seen in the sky in the direction of the St. James Motiva plant on Highway 44 and Highway 70.
Many people shared sightings of the explosion on social media. The St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office has stated that a transformer exploded, causing an electrical fire at an Entergy substation near the plant.
The substation is the main electrical source for the plant, commonly called Motiva. Entergy has reached out to clarify that the transformer is owned by the Shell Convent Refinery.
Oil giant Shell fined over North Sea diesel leak
NEWS FROM JULY 2, 2015 RELEVANT TO RECENT EVENTS
Oil giant Shell was today fined over £6,000 after a diesel leak on board the same North Sea platform where two workers died 12 years ago.
Sean McCue, 22, and Keith Moncrieff, 45, lost their lives when they were overcome by gas while working on the energy firm’s Brent Bravo rig in 2003.
The oil company was previously fined nearly one million pounds admitting safety breaches which led to their deaths.
Yesterday Shell UK bosses returned to the court after approximately 13 to 15 tonnes of diesel spilled into the North Sea despite warnings over the transfer system going back over a decade.
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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