Feb 19th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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CBS News
Shell cracker plant once again issued pollution violation notice
BY PATRICK DAMP: / CBS PITTSBURGH
INDUSTRY, Pa. (KDKA) – The Shell cracker plant in Beaver County has once again been issued a pollution violation notice.
This is the third time the state’s department of environmental protection has said the plant has exceeded emission limits, once again violating rolling 12-month standards in November and December.
The plant has only been operational since November.
The DEP said in November it emitted 716 tons of volatile organic compounds, 200 tons above what is allowed. read more
Feb 4th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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Pa. advocates issue intent to sue Shell cracker for emissions violations
JON HURDLE: Inside Climate News: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: FEB 3, 2023
Two environmental groups said on Thursday they intend to sue Shell Chemical Appalachia, operator of a big new petrochemical plant in Potter Township, for its violation of federal and state air-quality standards.
The Environmental Integrity Project and the Clean Air Council gave Shell a required 60 days to respond to their notice of intent to sue on the grounds that the company violated the federal Clean Air Act, a state plan to implement it, a Pennsylvania air-quality law and the state permits under which it is allowed to emit specific quantities of some contaminants.read more
September was a tumultuous month for the Shell chemical plant in Beaver County.
On Sept. 3, a missing O-ring in a circulation pump led to a leak of isobutane vapor. Two days later, brown emissions were seen coming out of high pressure ground flares — two metal combustion chambers that burn off unwanted gasses from the ethane cracker.
Three days after that, two separate flanges leaked hydrocarbons, and an ethylene refrigerant compressor tripped after it registered a high dew-point temperature. It tripped again two days later because of high vibration, which cascaded into a trip of several other systems.read more
Jan 12th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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Shell Energy Broadband Reviews recently posted on broadband.co.uk
Reviewer Caroline Deakin: Location South West: Date 2022-12-18
Comments
Unbelievably bad. Have spoken to 7 different Shell, so called ‘customer advices, people. They have been polite but obviously make it up as they go along. They pretend they are referring to my notes but have no record of anything. Have waited ,in 2 whole days for engineers I was told would come, either AM or PM and would text me to confirm time. They didn’t come or text. I am being charged for a service I am not receiving. I have wasted hours phoning or waiting for Open Reach. I am under contract and want terminate but apparently can’t, or have to pay a severence fee. That is so wrong. Can Shell do this, arn’t they regulated.Are they as bad as energy providers as they are at telecoms?read more
Dec 24th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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“We have questions to answer” about single-use plastic waste, reveal internal emails from Shell
24 Dec 2022
Shell is under scrutiny as a result of internal emails put into the public domain relating to the controversial Shell Petrochemicals Complex situated along the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
The multi-billion-dollar Shell facility was fully operational in November after years of construction and has already been charged by state environmental agencies for exceeding the annual limit for volatile organic compounds that create lung-damaging smog. Among the documents, released on December 9, was an email correspondence within Shell’s communications team.read more
Nov 13th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell to pave roads with plastic-enhanced asphalt
Chrissy Suttles, Beaver County Times
POTTER TWP. — Shell Polymers will partner with a chemical recycling company to pave roads at its petrochemical site with asphalt enhanced with recycled plastic additive.
Shell on Thursday announced plans to pave nearly six miles of site roads and 47,000 square yards of parking lots with the mix at its Beaver County site, which will begin turning natural gas into plastic pellets next year.
Hilary Mercer, Shell Polymers senior vice president, called the move a “win-win” for the environment and the cracker plant project “by using materials that would otherwise have been plastic waste.”read more
Mar 17th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell: Pennsylvania ethane plant completion expected in 2022
MONACA, Pa. (AP) — Shell Chemicals officials say the planned multi-billion-dollar petrochemical, or ethane cracker, plant in western Pennsylvania is expected to be completed next year.
The company said in a statement Tuesday that the company is now in the early stages of commissioning and start-up activities, the Beaver County Times reported.
Shell CEO Ben Van Beurden said in an earnings call last month that the complex, now more than 70 percent complete, would likely be “fully operational” sometime in 2022.read more
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) says its $6B petrochemical complex in northwest Pennsylvania is now more than 70% complete and projected to be operational sometime in 2022.
Shell previously projected the startup in this year’s H1 after suspending work in March 2020 due to pandemic concerns.
The project is one of the largest construction sites in North America and includes a 1.6M mt/year cracker and three polyethylene plants with a combined capacity of 1.6M mt/year.
Portions of the site’s water treatment facility are being commissioned and the site’s 250 MW power plant will soon follow, the company says.
Shell has “hit peak oil, but not peak opportunity,” as its impressive portfolio of assets should drive long-term shareholder returns in the tens of billions of dollars, The Value Portfolio writes in a bullish analysis posted on Seeking Alpha.
New York — Shell Chemical announced that construction at its $6 billion petrochemical complex in Pennsylvania is expected to be completed in 2022, Shell CEO Ben Van Beurden said during an earnings call Feb. 4.
Shell previously expected the Pennsylvania project to start up in the first half of 2021 after suspending work in mid-March 2020 due to coronavirus pandemic concerns.read more
Nov 7th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Environmental groups want Shell air permit denied
By Paul J. Gough – Reporter, Pittsburgh Business Times, Nov 6, 2020, 1:44pm EST
Environmental groups are urging the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to deny Shell Pennsylvania Chemical’s air quality permits on the basis of what they say will be too much pollution into the Pittsburgh region.
Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community’s letter is the latest volley in environmentalists’ battle against the Potter Township project, costing in excess of $6 billion, that has remade a portion of the Ohio River coastline and brought thousands of construction jobs into the region. They’ve asked for a 30-day extension for more information about the permits as well.read more
Oct 10th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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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.read more
Jun 4th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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A massive Pennsylvania plastics project, owned by Shell, that President Donald Trump touted during a visit last year faces risks of oversupply and a low price outlook, an energy industry report said on Thursday.
Pandemic exposes cracks in oil majors’ bet on plastic
Joe Brock: JUNE 4, 2020
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The energy industry’s bet that a petrochemicals boom would support decades of oil and gas sales growth is on shaky ground as an already saturated plastic market is hit by a coronavirus demand shock.
While soaring demand for personal protective equipment and takeaway food containers has boosted sales of some plastics, it is likely to be only a temporary spike, say analysts.read more
May 15th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Shell adding more workers to Beaver County construction site
By: Paul J. Gough – Reporter, Pittsburgh Business Times Updated: May 14, 2020 – 5:13 PM
BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — Shell Pennsylvania Chemicals is planning to reintroduce more workers to its Beaver County construction site, which had been temporarily shut down in March over Covid-19 safety concerns.
Several weeks ago, Shell began to add more workers from the 300 or so that had remained there for security and other approved purposes even after the construction had been temporarily halted. It now has 800 workers there as it adds employees, but it’s a small portion of the 7,000 or so it had two months ago.read more
Mar 19th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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MARCH 18, 2020 / 8:41 PM
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDSA.L will temporarily suspend construction activities on a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker being constructed along the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, amid concerns about coronavirus spreading, the company said in a statement late Wednesday.
Some local officials have called for construction to be stopped to limit the potential spread of the novel coronavirus, due to the large number of workers on the project.read more
Sep 2nd, 2019
by John Donovan.
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By Gideon Cohn-Postar: September 2 at 10:05 AM
Shortly before President Trump visited the Royal Dutch Shell plant in Pennsylvania on Aug. 13, thousands of workers received a memo from Shell about the company’s expectations of the event. The memo informed them that their attendance at the speech was “not mandatory,” but that if they did not scan in to work that morning, they would not receive their pay for the day. They also would lose eligibility to receive the 16 hours of overtime pay built into their workweek.
Although some workers chose not to attend, Trump spoke before a warehouse packed with Shell employees. At one point, the president turned to the union leaders and demanded that they support his reelection campaign. Trump told the workers that if the leaders refused to back him, they should “vote them the hell out of office because they’re not doing their job.”read more
Aug 27th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Shell Petrochemical Plant under construction in Beaver County Pa., Crowded with Cranes. Aug 2019
Operating Heavy machine is no joke. If anything goes wrong, it can claim lives.
So, as a crane operator, you should make sure the whole operations go smoothly. Following, we are giving you a few safety tips to help you out!
What You Need to Know
Tower and mobile cranes are useful for different construction scenarios. But they do present a few hazards like:
Collapse: Crane collapse are unfortunate events that may lead to severe (even fatal) injuries to both workers and bystanders.
Load Falling or Line Snapping: As tower cranes are high, there is a possibility that high winds or tight spaces can make the load fall. This is a great danger for everyone on the ground level.read more
Thousands of union workers at a multibillion-dollar petrochemical plant being built outside Pittsburgh were given the choice of attending a speech by President Trump on Tuesday or staying away — and losing some of their pay for the week.
“Your attendance is not mandatory,” one of the construction site’s contractors wrote in rules for the speech that were shared with its employees, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which first reported on the matter. But the rules said that only those who arrived at 7 a.m., had their work IDs scanned and then stood waiting for the president for several hours would get paid for the time.read more
Aug 14th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Royal Dutch Shell’s New Plastic Plant Stirs Debate
AUGUST 13, 2019
Royal Dutch Shell has announced plans to open a huge new plastic plant in Pittsburgh’s Beaver County. Not everyone is pleased with this development. Plastic Passion As reported by The New York Times, oil company Royal Dutch Shell is building a $6 billion plastic factory near Pittsburgh that will create 3.5 billion “tiny pellets that can be turned into items like phone cases, auto parts and food packaging.” While the factory would be a boost for the local economy, environmental activists argue that there is already far too much plastic in the world as it is, as many towns in America struggle with recycling. Re: Recycling Shell argues that the problem is not plastic, but plastic that is not properly disposed of. It donated to extend the hours of a local recycling center near the plant, but like in much of the country, Pennsylvania’s Beaver County has to limit the type of plastic it can accept, because there aren’t many buyers who want to repurpose it. Gas It Up This investment in plastic is seen as a move by both Shell and Pennsylvania to diversify, as the prices have fallen for the natural gas the area was known for, and the energy industry is looking for ways to get ahead of the demand for clean energy, low fuel prices and the increasing popularity of fuel-efficient automobiles. Petrochemical giants like Exxon Mobil and Dow have also made similar moves in recent years. Still, investors and analysts continue to see plastic as a risky investment, as shareholders are increasingly voicing concerns about plastic waste. -Michael Tedder Photo: Arnd Wiegmann / REUTERSread more
At approximately 5 a.m. on September 10, during heavy rains brought on by Tropical Storm Gordon, a methane gas pipeline run by Energy Transfer Partners in Beaver County was hit by a landslide and exploded. No lives were lost, but a home was destroyed, dozens were evacuated and several farm animals were killed in the blast.
The pipeline had been operating for one week.
Environmental groups in the Pittsburgh region say the incident raises significant questions about the long-term safety of pipelines and natural gas infrastructure all over Western Pennsylvania.read more
Houston — Shell’s plans to build a world-class ethane cracker in western Pennsylvania took a step forward Friday with the approval by the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of rate structures for the company’s proposed Falcon Ethane Pipeline system.
The approval allows Shell to move forward in its plans to build the 97-mile pipeline designed to carry ethane extracted from Marcellus and Utica gas produced in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
The Falcon Pipeline, with a proposed capacity of about 107,000 b/d, will originate at two ethane supply points in Ohio and one ethane supply point in Pennsylvania and will transport the ethane to delivery points in Ohio and Pennsylvania, including the 86,000 b/d ethane cracker that Shell proposes to build near Monaca, Pennsylvania.read more
Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) has been cleared to continue constructionof its multi-billion dollar ethane cracker in western Pennsylvania after the U.S. Department of Commerce waived restrictions on imported steel from South Korea, Argentina and Brazil.
Piping for the Shell project has been sitting in port for months, unable to move to Pennsylvania since the Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminum imports.
The cracker, which is expected to enter service in the early 2020s, is designed to consume more than 100K bbl/day of ethane to produce 1.5M metric tons/year of ethylene and 1.6M metric tons/year of polyethylene.
Apr 4th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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By Jared Stonesifer : Posted Apr 3, 2018 at 8:56 PMUpdated Apr 3, 2018 at 8:56 PM
CENTER TWP. — Nearly 100 people turned out to a public hearing at Central Valley High School to voice their opinions on Shell Pipeline’s proposed Falcon ethane pipeline project.
If constructed, the pipeline would transport up to 107,000 barrels of ethane per day to Shell Chemicals’ $6 billion ethane cracker plant in Potter Township.
It would consist of two legs: one coming into western Beaver County from Ohio and West Virginia, and another coming into southern Beaver County through Allegheny County. The two legs will join south of the Potter Township plant.read more
Mar 29th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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By Jared Stonesifer : Posted Mar 28, 2018 at 5:00 PMUpdated Mar 28, 2018 at 5:00 PM
Shell Chemicals has received nearly $4 million from the state to help the company perform improvements to a 10-mile stretch of railroad track between Aliquippa and Potter Township.
The money came from the Rail Transportation Assistance Program and the Rail Freight Assistance Program through the state Legislature.
In a news release announcing the money, Gov. Tom Wolf said Shell will receive $3.8 million “to transport construction materials for Shell’s plant and outbound products from the completed plant, which will improve the efficiency of operations and safety.”read more
Royal Dutch Shell expects its chemicals division to earn between $3.5 billion to $4 billion annually by 2025, and Beaver County’s ethane cracker plant will likely play a role in that.
Shell executives made those remarks Wednesday during an open house for investors. The event was designed to highlight the gains being made in Shell’s many downstream businesses, which includes the chemicals sector.
The company, which is in the midst of building a $6 billion cracker plant in Potter Township, has repeatedly maintained its Beaver County project will be ready for production sometime early in the next decade.read more
The state Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing April 3 at Central Valley High School to discuss Shell Pipeline Co.’s Falcon ethane pipeline project.
CENTER TWP. — The state Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing April 3 at Central Valley High School to discuss Shell Pipeline Co.’s Falcon ethane pipeline project.
The department decided last month to host a series of public hearings in the three counties in western Pennsylvania that will be impacted by the pipeline: Beaver, Allegheny and Washington.read more
Feb 20th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Shell gives $1 million to CCBC for process technology program
By Paul J. Gough – Reporter, Pittsburgh Business Times
Shell will give $1 million to the Community College of Beaver County to fortify CCBC’s process-technology program ahead of Shell’s ethane cracker being built a few miles away from campus. “Our partnership with the college has been developed and strengthened over the past several years and epitomizes the type of collaborative educational partnerships we strive to build in our communities,” said Shell Chemicals VP Hilary Mercer.
Jan 30th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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By Paul J. Gough – Reporter, Pittsburgh Business Times
Updated
A coalition of environmental groups is raising concerns about the route of the pipeline Shell Chemicals is using to carry ethane to its petrochemical plant under construction in Beaver County.
FracTracker Alliance announced Monday its own environmental study of the route of the 97-mile Falcon Pipeline through 22 towns in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The study said 550 houses, 20 businesses, 240 wells and five schools are among 1,000 feet of the pipeline as well as three bodies of water in the Ambridge Reservoir watershed.read more
Jan 20th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is inviting public comments on a proposed water obstruction and encroachment permits for a nearly 60 mile ethane pipeline by the Shell Pipeline Company. Royal Dutch Shell is building the $6 billion facility on the Ohio River in Beaver with a view toward using ethane from the Marcellus shale play and processing it into ethylene and, finally, polyethylene for the plastics industry.
The 12-inch pipeline would connect the Shell ethane plant in Beaver County with facilities in other parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio, according to DEP.read more
Jan 18th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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By Jared Stonesifer:Posted Jan 17, 2018 at 2:00 PMUpdated Jan 17, 2018 at 2:02 PM
POTTER TWP. — Construction on Shell Chemicals’ ethane cracker plant is ahead of schedule, with more than 1,800 workers currently on site, according to a local building trades official.
Mike McDonald, president of the Beaver County Building and Construction Trades Council, said he met with Shell officials recently to discuss the progress on the $6 billion cracker plant in Potter Township.read more
An umbrella group for 140 Presbyterian churches in Allegheny County is calling for a halt to the construction of a sprawling petrochemical plant in neighboring Beaver County, saying it would worsen already high levels of pollution and cancer risk in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“We are part of a faith tradition that has affirmed our responsibility to care for the earth as our home and care for all people, especially our most vulnerable populations,” says a letter signed by officials of the Pittsburgh Presbytery, representing more than 28,000 members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Allegheny County.
“This plant, and subsequent plants that are planned for the Ohio Valley, will be mass producing plastic products that have been linked to the death of animals and the diminishment of fragile natural habitats,” said the letter, approved by presbytery representatives at their December meeting.read more
Shell Chemicals has launched a dedicated website where job applicants can peruse career opportunities at the company’s future ethane cracker plant in Potter Township.
Shell Chemicals has launched a dedicated website where job applicants can peruse career opportunities at the company’s future ethane cracker plant in Potter Township.
The website, www.shell.us/pajobs, will link job applicants to 16 different subsets of jobs, ranging from boilermakers and electrical engineers to heavy-equipment operators and safety specialists.read more
Nov 22nd, 2017
by John Donovan.
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The proposed route of the 97-mile Falcon Pipeline is shown above
By Jared Stonesifer:Posted Nov 21, 2017 at 11:25 AMUpdated Nov 21, 2017 at 12:12 PM
Shell Pipeline Co. has contracted with an additional 10 local landowners to use their properties during construction of the 97-mile Falcon Ethane pipeline.
Shell Pipeline Co. has contracted with an additional 10 local landowners to use their properties during construction of the 97-mile Falcon Ethane pipeline.
According to the Beaver County recorder of deeds, Shell Pipeline secured 10 temporary road-access agreements with landowners in the southwestern portion of the county. The company intends to use the properties during construction of the ethane pipeline, which is expected to feed up to 107,000 barrels of ethane daily into Shell’s $6 billion cracker plant in Potter Township.read more
Nov 17th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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By Jared StonesiferPosted Nov 16, 2017 at 6:25 PMUpdated Nov 16, 2017 at 6:25 PM
Officials in Belmont County, Ohio, are eagerly awaiting a final investment decision on a cracker plant that could be built there but, in the meantime, they are learning everything they can from local officials who’ve already been through the process.
Officials in Belmont County, Ohio, are eagerly awaiting a final investment decision on a cracker plant that could be built there, but in the meantime, they are learning everything they can from local officials who’ve already been through the process.read more
Nov 16th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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Mark Dixon discussed the hazards of having an ethane cracker plant close to Pittsburgh during a talk in the William Pitt Union Assembly Room Wednesday evening. (Photo by Issi Glatts | Staff Photographer)
Remy Samuels: Staff Writer: November 16, 2017
When Mark Dixon found out Shell Oil Company planned to build a petrochemical plant in nearby Beaver County, he immediately thought of the pollution and environmental devastation that would soon take place there.
Nov 16th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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By Jared Stonesifer:Posted Nov 15, 2017 at 5:00 PMUpdated Nov 15, 2017 at 5:08 PM
Shell Chemicals is in the process of paying for the acquisition of a piece of property that would serve as a buffer between the $6 billion ethane cracker plant in Potter Township and nearby industrial properties.
Jim Palmer, president of the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development, said CED is acquiring about 54 acres that sit between the Shell site and the BASF and NOVA Chemicals properties.
The sale of the land, currently owned by the Lyondell Environmental Custodial Trust, is expected to close later this month. Palmer on Tuesday declined to disclose the sale price.
While Shell isn’t technically the buyer of the land, the company is underwriting the cost of CED acquiring the land. Under the agreement, CED will retain ownership but will sign a land covenant stating that no development of any kind can take place on the property.read more
Outlook for Q4, even in light of impending capex increase, looks bright due to Brent rallying.
Over $10 billion in net debt reduction since the end of Q3 2016.
Overview of Q3 results and what to expect going forward.
Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) (NYSE:RDS.B) has come a long way since it bottomed out in early-2016. Its latest earnings report reinforced the notion that when Brent is trading in the $50s, Shell’s cash flow position becomes balanced. Cash flow neutrality is the key breakeven point for the industry in the current environment, as oil & gas giants need to show that they can cover capital expenditures and large dividends through organic means at realistic prices. Let’s check out how Royal Dutch Shell did in a low $50s Brent world, with an eye on organic cash inflows and outflows.read more
A public health researcher delivered a dire warning on Monday during a panel on the implications of the planned Royal Dutch Shell ethane cracker plant in Beaver County.
“When we allow industry to get way out in front of public health and environmental oversight, we end up counting bodies,” said Dr. Brian Schwartz of the Geisinger Center for Health Research in Montour County.
Schwartz studies how environmental changes caused by energy exploitation activities, such as fracking, affect public health. He made his comments during the “Shale and Public Health” conference at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health, an event organized by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania.read more
Nov 8th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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HOUSTON, Nov. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC (Shell) today announced the official start of the main construction phase of its major petrochemicals complex in Potter Township, Pennsylvania. This follows the successful completion of the site preparation and detailed design and engineering work. The final investment decision was taken in June 2016, with commercial production expected to begin early next decade.
The early works program has been a significant project. Work included building bridges, relocating a state highway, improving existing interchanges, repositioning a rail line, and preparing foundations for the new complex. The site is now ready for the main construction to start.read more
POTTER TWP. — Shell Chemical’s ethane cracker plant project is about to enter an entirely new phase as main works construction starts at the Potter Township site, and with new construction comes a new leader.
Hilary Mercer, a native of Manchester, England who has spent the last 30 years working for Royal Dutch Shell in a variety of roles, has assumed the role of vice president for the local Shell project. She replaced Ate Visser, who had served as vice president of the project since 2014.
In that capacity, she will oversee all aspects of the project, from construction of the plant and safety issues to production and customer relations.read more
Royal Dutch Shell is pursuing a massive shift in its business model by focusing heavily on the petrochemical business, something that has its roots right here in Beaver County.
Royal Dutch Shell is pursuing a massive shift in its business model by focusing heavily on the petrochemical business, something that has its roots right here in Beaver County.
Shell, the multi-national oil and gas giant that is one of the largest companies in the world, will have three new petrochemical projects come online early next decade. In addition to the local cracker project, Shell is making other chemical-sector investments in Louisiana and another in China.read more
Royal Dutch Shell will begin construction of a new $10bn petrochemicals site in the gas-rich Marcellus shale basin in the US within the next ten weeks as part of a radical growth plan for its petrochemicals business.
The oil major told investors that global demand for petrochemicals – which are used to manufacture the raw materials used to make plastics, paints and textiles – is set to grow by around 50pc by the end of the decade, making it a key area for the company’s growth.read more
OVER 500 EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS CITING OUR SHELL WEBSITES
See our link list of over 500 articles by the FT, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg, Forbes, Dow Jones Newswires, New York Times, CNBC etc, plus UK House of Commons Select Committee Hansard records, information on U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission websiteetc. all containing references to our Shell focussed websites, or our website founders Alfred and John Donovan. Includes TV documentary features in English and German, newspaper and magazine articles, radio interviews, newsletters etc. Plus academic papers, Stratfor intelligence reports and UK, U.S. and Australian state/parliamentary publications, also citing our Shell websites. Click on this link to see the entire list, all in date order with a link to an index of over 100 books also containing references to our websites and/or our activities.
John Donovan, the website owner A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
JOHN DONOVAN, THE OWNER OF THIS AND SEVERAL OTHER SHELL FOCUSSED WEBSITES
SHELL PRELUDE TO DISASTER
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 above, 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.
The campaign waged on this website by John Donovan to persuade Edward Heerema to rename the worlds biggest ship, The Pieter Schelte - which he named after his late father, Pieter Schelte Heerema, a former Officer in the German Waffen-SS - has been successful. On Friday 6 February 2015, Allseas announced that it was changing the ships name, and on 9 February announced the new name - Pioneering Spirit.
GLOBAL NEWS COVERAGE: FEBRUARY 2010
MORE INFORMATION: Contact details for over 176,000 employees and contractors of Royal Dutch Shell reached John Donovan and some environmental and human rights groups, ostensibly from disaffected Shell staff calling for a “peaceful corporate revolution” at the company. The database, from Shell’s internal directory, contained names and telephone numbers for all the company’s work force worldwide, including some home numbers. It was supplied with a 170 page covering note, explaining that it was being circulated by “116 concerned employees of Shell dispersed throughout the USA, the UK, and the Netherlands”, to highlight the harm done by the company’s operations in Nigeria. John Donovan brought the leak to the attention of Shell. Tests proved that the data was authentic and he destroyed the database after being informed by Mr. Richard Wiseman, the then Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, that the confidential information if publicly disclosed, could put Shell employees and contractors in real danger.
This is not a Shell website. That fact should be abundantly plain from the overall content of this home page and our sister Shell focussed websites, including shellnazihistory.com. Click on the Disclaimer link at top of this page for more information. You Can Be Sure Shell does not endorse or approve of this website. There are no subscription charges nor do we solicit or accept donations. It is an entirely free to use website drawing attention to the negative side of Shell while also publishing positive news about the company. The Shell logo image with the white text used on this website, as per the above example, is in the public domain because its copyright has expired and its author is anonymous. It can be found on WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. Our shellenergy.websitepublishes Shell Energy customer complaints posted on Trustpilot where there is an ample supply. Use this link for Shell’s own website.
Shell and BP take a beating as bank woes hit crude pricesMarch 15, 2023 17:36Proactive InvestorsBP PLC (LSE:BP.) and Royal Dutch Shell PLC (LSE:SHEL, NYSE:SHEL) shares have taken a hit, dropping over 8%, due to a sell-off in the banking sector.
The natural resources market has been volatile, with Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate falling by 4- …
Shell CEO Pay Up 50%March 9, 2023 21:23Manufacturing Business TechnologyCEO of Royal Dutch Shell Ben van Beurden speaks at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Shell paid outgoing Chief Executive Ben van Beurden a total of 9.7 million pounds ($11.5 million) in 2022 as the …
Former Shell CEO's pay jumped 53% to $11.5m in 2022March 9, 2023 11:17Gulf NewsBen van Beurden, chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell, speaks during the 26th World Gas Conference in Paris, France, June 2, 2015
Image Credit: Reuters
London: Shell's former chief executive, Ben van Beurden, received a pay package of 9.7 …
Big Oil Goes Green: Shell Acquires VoltaFebruary 9, 2023 06:03Law Street MediaIn Big Oil’s latest foray into green energy, Shell has announced its acquisition of Volta, Inc. for $169 million.
Expected to close during the first half of 2023, the all-cash deal “builds on the momentum in electric mobility by combining one of the …
SHELL’S ROLE IN NIGERIAN OPL 245 BRIBERY SCANDAL
Whatever fig leaves they might be trying to use to hide the truth, Shell and Eni paid over $1bn to a company called Malabu for the OPL 245 licence. Even though the payment was channelled through the Nigerian government, it was clear that Shell knew that the ultimate beneficiary was Dan Etete, the former minister of petroleum. Etete is the owner of Malabu, to whom he awarded the licence when he was Nigerian Minister of Petroleum.
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.
MORE INFORMATION
Shell appeased and collaborated with the Nazis. The oil giant instructed its employees in the Netherlands to complete a form giving particulars about their descent, which for some, amounted to a self-declared death warrant. Shell used slave labor and was a close business partner in Germany of I.G. Farben, the notorious Nazi run chemical giant that also used slave labor and supplied the Zyklon-B gas used during the Holocaust to exterminate millions of people, including children. Shell continued the partnership with the Nazis in the years after the retirement of Sir Henri and even after his death. It was money generated on Shell forecourts around the world, profiteering from cartel oil prices, that funded the Nazi party and saved it from financial collapse. Evidence about Shell's Nazi connections can be found in extracts from "A History of Royal Dutch Shell" Volumes 1 and 2 authored by historians paid by Shell, who had unrestricted access to Shell archives. There are 67 pages in total, so takes some time to download.
Photograph (full size here) shows a Swastika flag flying at the head office of Royal Dutch Petroleum, 30 Carel van Bylandtlaan, The Hague, during the Nazi occupation of the in World War II (From Image Database Hague Municipal)
Sir Henri Deterding, the founder of the Royal Dutch Shell Group - known as "The Most Powerful Man in the World" - who became an ardent Nazi and financial supporter of Hitler and the Nazi party.
Reading between the lines in various legal documents, it seems that the allegations are that after the technology in question had been disclosed to a Shell company in the USA, the information was passed to Shell in the Netherlands in breach of confidentiality. And Royal Dutch Shell subsequently exploited the technology without payment or credit to the company holding the rights; Newton Research Partners. The inference seems to be that Twister B.V. was founded by Shell partly on trade secrets stolen from Bloom/Newton.
DISCLAIMER: This is not a Shell website nor is it officially endorsed by or affiliated with Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Originally co-founded by the late Alfred Donovan and his son John, it is now operated by John, Shell's "No.1 Enemy", aided by an expert team, with invaluable support from retired Shell senior executives and officials as guest contributors and leaked information from Shell insiders. (JOHN DONOVAN, WEBSITE OWNER) For nearly a decade, we have operated globally under the Royal Dutch Shell Plc top level domain name, dealing on Shell’s reluctant behalf with job applications, business proposals, Shell pension enquiries, shareholder enquiries, complaints, invitations to speak at conferences, an approach from the Dutch Defence Ministry and even terrorist threats. All meant for Shell. Prospect magazine has aptly described this website as being:"An open wound for Shell": WIPO proceedings by Shell to seize the domain name failed. NO SUBSCRIPTION CHARGES: All of our watchdog activities monitoring Royal Dutch Shell, including operating this website, are carried out on a non-profit basis. Any advertising revenues generated are used to recover and/or defray operational costs. We are a news aggregator and original content website. All information is available free for educational and research purposes. SHELL TACIT ENDORSEMENT: WHAT A WELL INFORMED SHELL OFFICIAL SAID ABOUT US:
"John and Alfred Donovan well known in UK/Hague. They perceive Shell played them and so have made it their mission to embarrass,belittle and criticize Shell, which they do quite well. Their website, royaldutchshellplc.com is an excellent source of group news and comment and I recommend it far above what our own group internal comms puts out."
WARNING TO SHELL EMPLOYEES: Shell Global Affairs Security "CAS") is spying on Shell employees globally trying to trace who is visiting, posting, or leaking information to this website from Shell premises. Threats, including death threats, have allegedly been made against conscience driven Shell whistleblowers supplying us with information. The worlds biggest leak of employee details as part of a claimed corporate revolution by 116 Shell employees, suggest the espionage operation, threats and draconian litigation have not been entirely successful in cutting off the supply of information to this website. The insider leaks had already cost Shell billions on the Sakhalin Energy project and the loss of SEIC Deputy Chairman, David Greer. We publish our own carefully researched articles about Shell e.g. "How Royal Dutch Shell saved Hitler and the Nazi Party". MEDIA COVERAGE: Prospect Magazine, The Sunday Times, and The Guardian, have all published major articles about us: "Rise of the Gripe Site";"Two men and a website mount vendetta against Shell' and "92-year-old's website leaves oil giant Shell-shocked”. SHELL PETROL STATION images displayed in the website header panel are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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John Donovan can be contacted at [email protected]
SHELL’S $500,000 WEDDING GIFT TO CORRUPT BRUNEI ROYAL FAMILY
EXTRACT FROM ASIAN JOURNAL ARTICLE IN LIST OF LINKS BELOW: "Fireworks will light up the sky for three nights. The local unit of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has donated 500,000 Brunei dollars (US$292,400; euro 243,700) for the display, and for cultural events to be hosted by popular performers from Malaysia."
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:
THIS IS WHAT IT SAID:
Subject: This could be the most important whistleblower email you have ever received.
Some unfortunate Royal Dutch Shell workers have already lost their lives. More lives are at stake.
My name is Bill Campbell. I am a former Group Auditor of Shell International. I am writing to you on a matter of conscience in an effort to avert the inevitability of another major accident in the North Sea. The consequences could potentially impact on families in many constituencies, including your own.
As Royal Dutch Shell and the Health & Safety Executive would acknowledge, I am an expert on safety matters relating to offshore oil and gas platforms. In 1999, I was appointed by Shell to lead a safety audit on the Brent Bravo platform. The audit revealed a platform management culture that basically gave a higher priority to production than the safety of Shell employees. To our astonishment we discovered that a "Touch F*** All" policy was in place. Worse still, safety records were routinely falsified and repairs bodged.
I personally brought the shocking situation to the attention of senior management including Malcolm Brinded, the then Managing Director of Shell Exploration & Production. I revealed that ESDV leak-off tests were purposely falsified, not once but many times and that Brent Bravo platform management had admitted responsibility for the dangerous practices being followed. In response to my team ringing alarm bells, management pledged to rectify the serious problems which had been uncovered.
When I later complained that the pledges were not being kept, I was removed from my oversight function.
Four years later, a massive gas leak occurred on the platform. Two workers lost their lives. I have no doubt at all that the inaction of the relevant Asset Manager, the General Manager, the Oil Director and Malcolm Brinded, contributed in some part to the unlawful killing of two persons on Brent Bravo in September 2003.
Shell subsequently pleaded guilty to breaches of the HSE regulations and a record-breaking £900,000 fine was imposed. I thought this would bring about a real change in policy to put the emphasis on safety.
Unfortunately I was wrong. Although I supplied the evidence related to 1999, and the fact that there had been a collapse in controls of integrity from 1999 to 2003 on all 16 of Shell's North Sea offshore installations covered in a post fatality integrity review to the HSE for review by the Procurator Fiscal, none of this evidence was presented before the Sheriff at the subsequent Inquiry. The situation is explained in a letter to the Procurator Fiscal and the Sheriff (on 24th February 2007).
Shell management has engaged in spin to try to pretend that it is getting to grips with its safety problem. However, its atrocious safety record - the worst in the North Sea in terms of accidental deaths and absolute number of enforcement actions – tells a different story. This fact has resulted in a number of newspaper articles.
I have had meetings with senior Shell people including its CEO Mr. Jeroen van der Veer. I regret to say that I have found him to be economical with the truth. He prefers to support cover-up and deceit rather than confronting the underlying problems. Brinded is now Executive Director of Shell Exploration & Production. He believes in burying evidence.
My family and friends would probably prefer me to give up on this matter and enjoy my retirement after so many years working for Shell.
However, by writing to every MP in the UK, no one can ever say that I did not do my best to avert an inevitable further major accident event in the North Sea. When it happens (I pray that I am wrong) I will make this warning communication available to the media together with the vast amount of evidence in my possession.
At least my conscience is clear. I have done everything possible to ring the alarm bells about Shell management and its unscrupulous attitude to the safety of its employees.
Yours sincerely
Bill Campbell
ENDS
(Malcolm Brinded and Jeroen van der Veer are no longer with Shell. The Oil Director referred to in the email is Chris Finlayson, who left Shell to become Chief Executive of British Gas before being fired - his photo immediately below)
SIR PHILIP WATTS, THE GROUP CHAIRMAN OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL GROUP, FORCED TO RESIGN IN 2004
Shell’s reputation was destroyed in 2004 after FIVE consecutive cuts to its hydrocarbon reserves covering 55% of its total reserves. US and UK financial regulators imposed $150 million in fines on Shell for securities fraud. Shell was also rocked by class action lawsuits. Sir Philip Watts
and Walter van de Vijver (whose headcut images appear courtesy of The Wall Street Journal) were among the Shell executives forced to resign. More details at the foot of this column.
MORE DETAILS: The Shell reserves scandal brought about
the end of the Royal Dutch Shell Group in its original form as an Anglo-Dutch partnership.
Shell Transport & Trading Co and Royal Dutch Petroleum were unified into a single Dutch owned company - Royal Dutch Shell Plc.
Sir Philip turned to religion and is now a very wealthy priest after receiving a payoff/pension package from Shell reportedly worth $18.5 million. Walter van de Vijver in contrast was the victim of a sadistic sacking by his Shell senior management backstabbing colleagues.
Displayed below are some of the spectacular promotional campaigns my company Don Marketing created for Shell in the 1980s and 1990s. This was before the series of SIX high court actions we brought against Shell for stealing ideas (4) and for defamation (2) - all settled by Shell. This website is a permanent response by me to the malicious underhand tactics, including treachery, espionage and intimidation, used by Shell during and after the bouts of litigation. More information is printed at the foot of this column.
MORE DETAILS: After a solicitor acting for Shell threatened to make the litigation "drawn out and difficult" with the intention of draining the resources of a financially weaker opponent, my late father (Alfred Donovan) and I decided to mount a wide-ranging campaign as a counter-measure. We jointly founded the Shell Corporate Conscience Pressure Group, which nearly 15% of Shell UK retailers joined. We regularly conducted ethical surveys involving up to 1500 Shell petrol stations. All responses were opened and authenticated by an independent solicitor who supplied Affidavits confirming the results. In whole page announcements in trade magazines (examples above) we challenged Shell to commission and publish the resuits of independent research asking the same questions and offering respondents GUARANTEED anonymity. Shell never took up the invitation. Instead it asked the UK Advertising Standards Authority to investigate our Shell surveys. No problems were found. The head-cut image of Alfred Donovan appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
SHELL CONTROVERSIES
selection of memorable warnings/articles/images associated with the controversial track record of Royal Dutch Shell.
WARNING: DO NOT DISCLOSE YOUR IDEAS TO SHELL GameChanger OR SHELL Ideas360 WITHOUT TAKING EVERY POSSIBLE PRECAUTION. Shell management has ample funds to pay for intellectual property but prefers to steal it from small businesses and in our experience, gives its full backing to dishonest managers willing to do its bidding. We have sued Shell repeatedly in the High Court for the theft of our Intellectual Property. It is doubtful if anyone can match our dire experience in dealing with this ruthless unscrupulous serial poacher of other parties ideas. Expect threats, legal machinations and sinister action from Shell and its spooks if you object to having your ideas stolen.
Some years ago extensive documentary evidence was brought to the attention of Malcolm Brinded above, when he was Chairman of Shell UK, proving beyond any doubt that Shell executives had conspired to rig a tender for a major contract. A number of innocent firms were deliberately lured into signing confidentiality agreements and disclosing Intellectual Property to Shell under false pretences, in a carefully contrived plot. The firm which was awarded the contract never took part in the tender. One objective of the Machiavellian plan was to stop/delay IP trade secrets owned by the participants in the tender from being disclosed to Shell's rivals. This was achieved by outright deception, without paying a cent to the firms involved, who wrongly believed they were participating in an honest tender. Instead of sacking the ring leader, AJL - who had a personal relationship with the firm which miraculously won the race in which it never ran - Shell senior directors, including Brinded, gave AJL their full backing. Some of the Shell executives involved, including for example, Tim Hannagan, still hold high positions inside Shell - in his case, Global Brand and Visual Identity Manager. If Shell does not accept that this is a true, provable account of what happened, then it should sue for libel. How on earth is such predatory conduct compatible with Shell's claimed business principles?