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
Dec 9th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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Information of interest to Shell Corporate Security managers in particular and Shell staff generally.
Supplied by an insider.
Shater’s case against Shell is far from over.
In fact, once his case was assigned to a fierce conservative Republican appointed Texas judge, Shater’s attorneys started working on other judicial avenues. That judge, Andrew Hanen, is a fierce Republican appointed conservative with bizarre anti-immigrant policies. He is also known as the DACA judge – ruling against DACA immigrants throwing the lives of more than 600,000 people in the US into tumult. The Texas Appeals Court that ruled against Shater is even more conservative with a number of Trump appointees. Discrimination cases were at their lowest level under the Trump administration.read more
(November 28, 2022 MEMORANDUM TO COUNSEL OR PARTIES LISTED BELOW Regarding: Fifth Circuit Statement on Petitions for Rehearing or Rehearing En Banc No. 22-20289 Shater v. Shell Oil Co USDC No. 4:20-CV-1465)read more
Shell said Tuesday it is entering the residential power market in Texas, offering renewable power to Texans under a new branch of the company.
The launch of Shell Energy Solutions, a Texas power retailer, marks Shell’s entry into the U.S. power market. Its power plans will offer perks for electric vehicle drivers and homeowners with solar panels.
The move is the latest in a series of steps by the oil giant to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and reposition itself more broadly as an energy provider as the energy transition accelerates. It follows an announcement last week that it had bought a Houston-based gas station and convenience store chain Landmark as the global oil giant positions itself to provide charging stations and motor fuels of the future.read more
HOUSTON, Dec. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Mayflower Wind Energy LLC (Mayflower), the 50-50 joint venture between Shell New Energies US LLC (Shell) and OW North America LLC, has been awarded the right to provide 400 MW of offshore wind energy by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its three biggest utilities as part of Massachusetts’ 83C III offshore wind energy procurement. Combined with its power purchase agreement of 804 MW awarded in 2019 from the 83C II procurement round, Mayflower could deliver more than 1200 MW of clean energy to electricity customers throughout Massachusetts and New England. That is enough energy each day to power over half a million homes and businesses.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
HOUSTON, Nov. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products U.S. (Shell), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc, has completed the sale of its Puget Sound Refinery near Anacortes, Washington to a subsidiary of HollyFrontier Corporation, an independent refiner headquartered in Texas (HollyFrontier), for $350 million in cash plus the value of the hydrocarbon inventory, subject to customary closing adjustments. The agreement covers the sale of Shell’s Puget Sound Refinery, the on-site cogeneration facility and the associated logistics infrastructure. Shell will retain product offtake agreements to support its existing retail marketing business in the Pacific Northwest. Shell’s off-site logistics assets are excluded from the sale.read more
Oct 24th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Reuters
Big Oil to attend U.S. House climate disinformation hearing
October 22, 20214:21 PM BST
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – Top executives from Exxon Mobil Corp, BP America, Chevron Corp and Shell Oil will testify on Oct. 28 at a congressional hearing examining whether the fossil fuel industry led an effort to mislead the public and prevent action to curb climate change warming, a House panel said on Friday.
Reporting Valerie Volcovici, Timothy Gardner and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Berkrotread more
MP2 Energy is rebranding as Shell Energy to provide integrated energy products to businesses from one supplier.
As Shell Energy the company says it can then tailor energy needs to each business it serves and those companies will benefit from direct access to Shell’s overall energy portfolio. Other Shell affiliates such as Shell Energy North America and Shell Energy Solutions are also part of the rebrand.
Shell Energy has a range of power, natural gas and renewable energy offerings to help businesses make energy use transitions, it says.read more
Sep 28th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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CISION
Shell starts production at Shell New Energies Junction City, its first US renewable natural gas facility
Tue, September 28, 2021
JUNCTION CITY, Ore., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shell Oil Products US, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc, has successfully achieved startup and production of renewable natural gas (RNG) at its first US biomethane facility, Shell New Energies Junction City in Oregon. The facility utilizes locally sourced cow manure and excess agricultural residues to produce an expected 736,000 MMBtu a year of RNG. This milestone is part of a growing portfolio of developing RNG production and distribution assets supporting low-carbon intensity renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG) as fuel for heavy-duty, on-road transport.
Biomethane has a significant role to play in the energy transition, and this achievement advances our strategy as we work to reduce emissions from the fuels and other energy products we sell,” said Carlos Maurer, Executive Vice President Sectors and Decarbonization at Shell. “We are excited to offer renewable compressed natural gas as a low-carbon fuel choice for our customers.”
Shell is developing additional RNG production facilities to be located directly within operating dairies. Shell Downstream Galloway at the High Plains Ponderosa Dairy in Plains, Kansas and Shell Downstream Bovarius at the Bettencourt Dairies in Wendell, Idaho are part of this expanding biofuels portfolio utilizing cow manure as feedstock. Together, these two dairy RNG facilities can produce approximately 900,000 MMBtu a year of negative carbon intensity RNG.
Production from Shell New Energies Junction City, Shell Downstream Galloway and Shell Downstream Bovarius is expected to help supply Shell R-CNG fueling sites planned at the company’s product distribution complexes in Carson, Van Nuys, Signal Hill, and San Jose, California, and at a terminal in Portland, Oregon, owned by Shell Midstream Partners L.P. R-CNG offers an attractive alternative for fleets to lower their carbon footprint compared to conventional diesel fuel. Providing 100 percent R-CNG for customers would allow these fueling sites to substantially decarbonize product movements out of the terminals.read more
Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday it would sell its Permian Basin assets to ConocoPhillips for $9.5 billion in cash, an exit from the largest U.S. oilfield for the energy major shifting its focus to the clean energy transition.
For ConocoPhillips, it is the second sizable acquisition in a year in the heart of the U.S. shale industry, as American and European producers diverge in whether to focus on hydrocarbons going forward.read more
Sep 21st, 2021
by John Donovan.
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The Times
Shell offloads Permian Basin assets to ConocoPhillips for $9.5bn
Callum Jones, US Business Correspondent: Tuesday September 21 2021
Royal Dutch Shell pledged to return more than £5 billion to shareholders after selling out of America’s largest oilfield.
The Anglo-Dutch oil company has agreed to offload its operations in the Permian Basin to ConocoPhillips for $9.5 billion in cash.
The energy group had spent the summer considering its future in what has been deemed the world’s most important oil and gas site, having pledged to take bold action to reduce carbon emissions amid mounting pressure from campaigners.read more
Sep 15th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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The Washington Post:
Vermont sues 4 oil companies, alleges false info on climate
By Wilson Ring | AP: 14 Sept 2021 at 2:22 p.m. EDT
BURLINGTON, Vt. — Vermont on Tuesday became the latest state to sue some of the country’s top fossil fuel companies by alleging they misled the public about the impact their products have on climate change.
The suit names ExxonMobil Corporation, Shell Oil Company, Sunoco LP, CITGO Petroleum Corporation and other corporations.
“They have known for decades that the Earth’s climate has been changing because of emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, and that the fossil fuels they sell are the primary source of those emissions,” the lawsuit said.read more
Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday said its Norco refinery and chemical plant in St. Charles Parish, La., was burning off more natural gas than usual after Hurricane Ida slammed the region Sunday.
Shell’s Norco manufacturing complex is without power, and photos on social media show flooding at the site. The Hague-based oil major said it is assessing the condition of its Louisiana facilities that were shut down in advance of the Category 4 hurricane, and doesn’t know when they will resume full operations. The Norco facility can refine 230,600 barrels per day.read more
Aug 27th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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CATALYST
Kroger and Shell enter partnership agreement in Tampa
August 26, 2021 – Kroger.com and Shell have announced a new partnership in Tampa that will allow customers to order groceries online at Kroger.com, have them delivered to their home and earn Fuel Points at Shell.
By shopping at Kroger.com and earning Fuel Points, customers can save up to $1 per gallon by redeeming Fuel Points at Shell, according to Kroger’s announcement. There are 280 participating Shell stations throughout Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa. read more
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Oil and gas producers in U.S. Gulf of Mexico have consolidated at a faster rate during the pandemic, new government data shows, as crashing prices squeezed out smaller drillers who had been seen as the industry’s future.
The top 10 producers – led by Royal Dutch Shell, BP Plc and Chevron – this year pumped 86% of the region’s 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), up about 11 percentage points since 2017, data from regulator Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) shows.read more
Jul 27th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Reuters
Shell greenlights Gulf of Mexico ‘Whale’ oilfield project
July 26, 20212:36 PM BST
LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) announced plans on Monday to develop a new oilfield in the Gulf of Mexico, its first major project to get the go-ahead since a Dutch court ordered the energy company to accelerate its carbon emissions reduction targets.
Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by Edmund Blair and Barbara LewisFULL ARTICLE
Shell (-2.37%) is reportedly planning to quit its California-based joint venture with fellow oil supermajor ExxonMobil (-3.56%) as it looks to accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels.
Four sources told Reuters that the FTSE blue chip had informed Exxon that it intended to exit subsidiary Aera Energy, in which it holds a 52 percent stake. The firm did not respond to a request for comment.read more
Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE:RDS.A)(NYSE:RDS.B) is said to be considering selling its holdings in the largest U.S. oil field, holdings that may be worth as much as $10B.
The oil major is said to be evaluating selling all of part of its about 260,000 acres (105,200 hectares) in the Permian Basin, located mostly in Texas, according to media reports earlier.
CNBC reported that a sale is not imminent, though talks with a buyer or multiple acquirers are ongoing.
Jun 7th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Seeking Alpha
Nord Stream 2’s completion a ‘fait accompli,’ Blinken tells House panel
Jun. 07, 2021 2:25 PM ETBASFY, ENGIY…By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor
Secretary of State Antony Blinken called completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline a “fait accompli” in testimony today before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and said the U.S. is working with Germany to mitigate the damage it will cause to Europe’s energy system.
Sanctioning the top executive of the project’s parent company would have led to worse U.S.-German relations, Blinken said, and now Germany has expressed a desire to prevent Russian President Putin from using Nord Stream 2 as leverage to weaken European nations by increasing dependency on Russia.
“We have an opportunity to make something positive out of a bad hand that we inherited when we came into office,” Blinken said.
May 25th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell To Sell Interest In Deer Park Refinery To Partner Pemex
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, May 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Shell Oil Company, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc, has reached an agreement for the sale of its interest in Deer Park Refining Limited Partnership, a 50-50 joint venture between Shell Oil Company and P.M.I. Norteamerica, S.A. De C.V. (a subsidiary of Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex). The transaction will transfer Shell’s interest in the partnership, and therefore full ownership of the refinery, to Pemex, subject to regulatory approvals.read more
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of BP PLC, Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp, Royal Dutch Shell PLC and other energy companies contesting a lawsuit filed by the city of Baltimore seeking monetary damages from them due to costs caused by global climate change.
The 7-1 ruling, authored by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, came on a technical legal issue that could help the companies in their effort to have the case heard in federal court, as they would prefer, instead of state court, which the city favors as it is seen as a more amenable venue.read more
HOUSTON, May 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Equilon Enterprises LLC d/b/a Shell Oil Products U.S. (Shell), a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc, has reached an agreement for the sale of its Puget Sound Refinery near Anacortes, Washington to a subsidiary of HollyFrontier Corporation, an independent refiner headquartered in Texas (HollyFrontier), for $350 million in cash plus the value of the hydrocarbon inventory. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021, subject to regulatory clearance and other customary closing conditions.read more
Apr 22nd, 2021
by John Donovan.
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New York City sues Exxon, BP, Shell in state court over climate change
By Reuters Staff: April 22, 2021
(Reuters) – New York City is suing three major oil companies and the top industry trade group in state court after a federal appeals court this month rejected its effort to hold the companies liable to help pay the costs of harm caused by global warming.
The lawsuit filed on Thursday said Exxon Mobil Corp, BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell and industry group the American Petroleum Institute “have systematically and intentionally misled consumers” about “the central role their products play in causing the climate crisis.”read more
Apr 21st, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Officials give notice to Shell refinery on emissions release
ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — The Northwest Clean Air Agency issued Tuesday a violation notice against the Shell Puget Sound Refinery for the release of emissions in August and September.
The refinery, on March Point near Anacortes, may face a financial penalty because of the incidents, which impacted the surrounding community including the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, the Skagit Valley Herald reported.
The notice said two flaring events exceeded allowable, visible emissions for more than 5 minutes. The first occurred on Aug. 19, and the second on Sept. 29. The air agency received 12 complaints and verified the presence of odors following the Sept. 29 incident, according to a news release.read more
Despite headwinds from corporate mandates to reduce carbon emissions, a temporarily halt for new federal leases in the Gulf of Mexico while the Biden administration reviews its impact on climate change and low oil prices, Royal Dutch Shell sees itself drilling for more oil off the coast of Louisiana and Texas.
“We still think that we’ll be here for decades to come,” said Rick Tallant, vice president Gulf of Mexico at Shell. “There’s still a lot of running room in the Gulf of Mexico, the margins are very good for our investors and the greenhouse gas intensity is arguably the best in the industry.”read more
HOUSTON, March 26 (Reuters) – Chevron Corp has emerged as a leading contender to buy a Royal Dutch Shell Plc refinery in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
Shell has been trying to sell its 145,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Puget Sound refinery in Anacortes, Washington, for at least a year. Reuters reported in January 2020 that the refinery was for sale.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
Mar 9th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell pushes back Deer Park, Texas, refinery restart to March 13 – sources
Mon, 8 March 2021
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc pushed back the restart of its 318,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) joint-venture Deer Park, Texas, refinery to March 13, said sources familiar with plant operations on Monday.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith declined comment.
Shell had planned to restart the 270,000-bpd DU-2 crude distillation unit (CDU), the largest at the refinery, by early this week, the sources said.read more
London — The EU should include a “methane performance” standard in its upcoming legislative proposals to tackle the issue of methane emissions to ensure it only imports gas from countries with similar policies, a senior official from Shell said Feb. 24.
Speaking during IP Week, Shell’s head of integrated gas, Maarten Wetselaar, said Europe has a major role to play in helping reduce methane emissions from upstream activity.read more
Feb 23rd, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell delays US offshore production start ups
Published date: 22 February 2021Shell has delayed the startup of the PowerNap and Vito deepwater projects in the US Gulf of Mexico because of Covid-19-related issues.
The first oil date for PowerNap has been delayed to early 2022, and the first oil date for Vito has been delayed to 2022, the company said. Both were expected to start up late this year to coincide with an expansion of the Mars offshore crude pipeline system.
“Covid-19-related delays, including reductions in personnel and the impacts of Covid-19 barriers on day-to-day working, have impacted project timelines,” Shell said.
Vito is expected to reach peak production of about 100,000 b/d of oil equivalent (boe/d) and PowerNap is expected to have a peak capacity of 35,000 boe/d.read more
Feb 17th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell Deer Park, Texas, refinery and chemical plant shut – company
Reuters Staff: FEBRUARY 16, 2021
HOUSTON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc shut its 318,000 barrel-per-day joint-venture Deer Park, Texas, refinery because of severe cold weather, the company said on Tuesday
The company’s adjoining chemical plant was also shut.
“Shell’s Deer Park facility has shut down due to unprecedented weather in the region,” the company said in an email. “As a result, flaring is expected to increase in the near term. There is no threat to the surrounding community and we continue to contribute power to the regional grid by way of our cogeneration facilities.”read more
Shell has shut down the crude distillation units of its Deer Park refinery due to a malfunction, Reuters has reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The two crude distillation units have a combined capacity of 310,000 barrels of oil daily. According to the Reuters sources, they were shut down after a seal failed on a pump that feeds crude to other units at the refinery.read more
Feb 12th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell pays $191K fine for 2015 refinery incident
11 Feb 2021
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — Shell Oil Products U.S. has paid a $191,000 fine for the release of pollutants from its Shell Puget Sound Refinery north of Seattle in Skagit County.
The fine comes via a legal settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to resolve federal Clean Air Act violations, The Skagit Valley Herald reported.
During refinery maintenance on Feb. 20, 2015, several operating procedures were violated, resulting in the release of about 700 pounds of pollutants. Hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, mercaptans, pyrophoric iron and benzene were released over a period of more than three hours.read more
Feb 10th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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EPA fines Shell Oil $191,000 over release of toxic vapors from Anacortes refinery
by KOMO News Staff:
SEATTLE – The company that operates the Anacortes oil refinery will pay a $191,000 fine for violations of the Clean Air Act stemming from a 2015 release of toxic vapors that sickened dozens of local residents of the area.
The fine, part of a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency, is in addition to previous fines of over $420,000 levied by the Northwest Clean Air Agency and the Washington Safety and Health Agency against Shell Oil Products U.S. over the incident.read more
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
Jan 21st, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Barrett hears climate case against her father’s ex-employer Shell
BY RACHEL FRAZIN AND JOHN KRUZEL – 01/19/21 03:50 PM ESTAmy Coney Barrett was among the justices who presided over a dispute Tuesday that pitted the city of Baltimore against some of the fossil fuel industry’s biggest players, despite her father’s longstanding ties to Shell Oil Company, one of the defendants in the case.
Barrett participated in the case even though as a lower court judge she recused herself from hearing cases involving Shell, her father’s former employer, in an apparent effort to avoid a possible conflict of interest.
Although the case heard Tuesday turned on the narrow question of whether the dispute properly belongs in state or federal court, how that issue is resolved could have an enormous bearing on potential corporate liability for environmental degradation.read more
Shell plans to begin layoffs for nearly 700 workers in March at its Convent oil refinery, which it expects to fully shut down in August.
The Louisiana subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, Equilon Enterprises LLC, previously had announced layoffs but has now filed an official notice with the Louisiana Workforce Commission outlining its plans.
Shell looks to lay off all 698 workers at the refinery, 340 of whom are represented by a union, according to the letter.read more
HOUSTON, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — As the number of COVID-19 cases surges across the country, Shell Oil Company (Shell) has announced it will contribute more than one million pieces of PPE to communities and medical care facilities from coast to coast. Extra face shields, non-medical masks and nitrile gloves are now arriving in some of the hardest hit areas of the country.read more
Dec 19th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Layoffs at shuttered Shell Convent, Louisiana, refinery to begin in late Feb -sources
By Reuters Staff: DECEMBER 18, 2020
HOUSTON (Reuters) -Layoffs of hourly workers at Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s shuttered Convent, Louisiana, refinery are scheduled to begin on the last day of February, said sources familiar with plant operations.
The next round of layoffs is scheduled for March 31, the sources said.
A Shell spokesman did not reply to a request for comment.
About 350 hourly workers will leave jobs they have performed for years at the 211,146 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery located 46 miles (74 km) west of New Orleans.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
Aug 18th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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INSIGHT- In the run-up to U.S. election, drilling lobby promotes natural gas as “clean”
By Valerie Volcovici, Andrew R.C. Marshall and Matthew Green: AUGUST 18, 2020
WASHINGTON/LONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) – America’s biggest oil and gas lobby group is ramping up its advertising spending ahead of the November election to persuade voters that natural gas is a climate-friendly fuel, according to ad buying data.
The campaign by the American Petroleum Institute (API), targeted at younger voters and some tight congressional races, is part of a global battle by the drilling industry to assuage growing fears over the role of natural gas in driving climate change.read more
Shell has invested $300,000 in the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s new Cary Saurage Community Arts Center at 233 St. Ferdinand St.
These funds will support the Shell Gallery, an art exhibition and meeting space open to individuals, schools and organizations throughout the Capital Region and beyond.
“Shell understands the vital role that arts and culture play in creating an appealing place to live and work,” said Renee Chatelain, president and CEO of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. “They are industry leaders in investing in the quality of life for the Louisiana community, and we are excited about the many positive ways that this arts/business partnership will impact the community.”read more
Jul 15th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Shell promotes Edward Hymes to President of Jiffy Lube
TIRE BUSINESS STAFF: 15 JULY 2020
Mr. Hymes, who’s been with Shell since 2001, will be responsible for the management and growth of the Jiffy Lube franchise, including oversight of more than 2,000 independently owned Jiffy Lube service centers in the U.S. and Canada.
His appointment was effective in January. He succeeds Patrick Southwick, who stays with Shell Oil as vice president, Downstream Acquisitions and Divestments.
“Edward’s extensive retail experience coupled with his real estate and business investment expertise position him well to lead the Jiffy Lube business,” said Machteld de Haan, president, Shell Lubricants Americas.read more
Wells Fargo will buy 150 megawatts of solar power from Shell Energy, a move that demonstrates widening corporate interest in renewable energy even among some of the strongest supporters of fossil fuels.
The deal is modest: Wells Fargo says the 150 megawatts, purchased from three locations in Virginia and one in California, would meet about 8 percent of its global energy needs.
But it carries symbolic value. Wells Fargo, the second-biggest lender to fossil fuel companies over the past four years, is buying carbon-free electricity from Shell, a company that’s been in the oil business since the 1880s. The deal also shows the appeal of solar projects even in the midst of the punishing economic downturn brought on by the novel coronavirus pandemic.read more
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
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.
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Shell Breaking News
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Image Credit: Reuters
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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.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Information on copyright issues here.
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?