Jul 1st, 2022
by John Donovan.
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The Guardian
Shell may have to abandon £3bn stake in Russian gas plant
Kremlin sets up new firm to own Sakhalin-2 plant, with stakeholders given a month to sign up or they could lose money
Alex Lawson Energy correspondent: Fri 1 Jul 2022: 12.50 BST
Shell could be forced to abandon a £3bn investment in a huge Russian gas plant after Vladimir Putin threatened to seize the rights to the project.
The Kremlin has said it plans to transfer the rights to the Sakhalin-2 plant in the far east of Russia to a new Russian company, citing economic security and national interests.read more
May 31st, 2022
by John Donovan.
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The Guardian
Russia cuts gas supplies to Netherlands and firms in Denmark and Germany
Gazprom raises stakes in sanctions war after EU move to embargo most Russian oil imports and companies miss deadline to pay in roubles
Joanna Partridge: Tue 31 May 2022 19.25 BST
Russia has further cut off gas supplies to Europe, after state energy giant Gazprom turned off the taps to a top Dutch trader and halted flows to some companies in Denmark and Germany.
It later said it would also cut off gas flows to the Danish energy firm Ørsted and to Shell Energy for its contract to supply gas to Germany, after both companies failed to make payments in roubles.read more
Mar 10th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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sky news
Shell boss bags 26% leap in annual pay package after COVID oil price recovery
Ben van Beurden took home 57 times more than the median Shell worker in 2021 but will be facing pressure to temper awards for the current year as surging oil and gas prices bring misery to households and business alike.
The chief executive of Shell’s pay package rose by 26% to €7.4bn (£6.2m) last year amid a recovery in oil prices from COVID crisis lows, according to the company’s annual report.read more
Mar 8th, 2022
by John Donovan.
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AP
Shell says it will stop buying Russian oil, natural gas
By DANICA KIRKA: 8 MARCH 2022
LONDON (AP) — Energy giant Shell said Tuesday that it will stop buying Russian oil and natural gas and shut down its service stations, aviation fuels and other operations in the country amid international pressure for companies to sever ties over the invasion of Ukraine.
The company said in a statement that it would withdraw from all Russian hydrocarbons, including crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas and liquefied natural gas, “in a phased manner.”read more
Shell oil company released a statement Saturday saying it is “appalled” by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and will do what it can to avoid purchasing oil from Russia while acknowledging that it recently did purchase crude oil from the country.
“We are appalled by the war in Ukraine and have already made clear our intention to exit joint ventures with Gazprom – which is majority-owned by the Russian government – and related entities, as well as intending to end our involvement with a significant project to pipe gas from Russia to Europe.”read more
Shell said it’s selling a 27.5% stake in Sakhalin-II, an integrated oil and gas project located on the Sakhalin island in Russia, as well as a 50% interest in Salym Petroleum Development N.V.
“We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security,” Shell CEO Ben van Beurden said in a statement.
The company said that it had about $3 billion in “noncurrent assets” through its Gazprom ventures at the end of 2021.
Shell said Monday it is ending an “equity partnership” with Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy company, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues.
Shell said it’s selling a 27.5% stake in Sakhalin-II, an integrated oil and gas project located on the Sakhalin island in Russia, as well as a 50% interest in Salym Petroleum Development N.V., “a joint venture with Gazprom Neft that is developing the Salym fields in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District of western Siberia.” The company also said it’s ending its involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.read more
Dec 24th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Tass
Shell considers Russia important region of presence in energy transition period
MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. Shell considers it important to keep its oil and gas assets in Russia in the period of energy transition as the consumption of traditional energy resources globally will be rising in coming decades, Country Chair Shell Russia Ekaterina Grushetskaya said in an interview with TASS.
“In the era of energy transition Russia remains a very important country for Shell, both in the upstream and downstream segments,” she said. Shell is implementing the program for reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, Grushetskaya said, adding that the company believes “the necessity to produce traditional resources exists, and it will persist for decades.”read more
May 20th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Why the World Worries About Russia’s Nord Stream Pipeline
May 20, 2021 at 3:26 p.m. GMT+1
A natural gas pipeline being built under the Baltic Sea from Russia to the German coast is shaking up geopolitics. Nord Stream 2, as it’s called, fuels worries in the U.S. and other countries that the Kremlin’s leverage over Europe and its energy market may increase once the pipeline is operational. The U.S. administration has admitted that stopping the gas link, which the project operator says is 95% complete, would be a long shot yet remains committed to opposing it.read more
Mar 11th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Shell (RDS.A) Receives Europe’s First Carbon-Neutral LNG Delivery
Zacks Equity Research
Wed, March 10, 2021, 4:44 PM
Royal Dutch Shell Plc RDS.A, through its subsidiary Shell Global LNG, accepted the delivery of the first carbon-neutral liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) in Europe from Gazprom.
Notably, Gazprom is a global energy company and is recognized as one of the largest producers and exporters of LNG in Russia.
The carbon-neutral gas had been delivered at the Dragon terminal in Wales, which is a LNG regasification terminal in the U.K., owned by Shell. Importantly, this will allow Shell to further supply it to the domestic energy markets in the U.K.read more
Mar 8th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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Gazprom makes first delivery of carbon-neutral LNG to Europe
By Reuters Staff: 1 MIN READ
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Monday it had delivered its first carbon-neutral shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe.
Gazprom said its shipment of Russian LNG, which it said was made carbon neutral by offsetting emissions resulting from its production and transport, had been delivered to Royal Dutch Shell at the Dragon terminal in Wales.
Carbon-neutral LNG typically involves companies supporting nature-based projects that reduce emissions to offset those generated from the exploration and production of natural gas.read more
Dec 12th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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TIMELINE-Nord Stream 2: Russia to Germany gas pipeline’s difficult birth
Maarten Wetselaar, Klaus Schaefer, Mario Mehren, Alexey Miller, Gerhard Schroeder, Isabelle Kocher, Gerard Mestrallet, Rainer Seele, and Matthias Warnig after signing of financing agreements for Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project on April 24, 2017
Reuters Staff: DECEMBER 11, 2020
Dec 11 (Reuters) – Russia has resumed construction of the politically-charged Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, laying pipes after a one-year hiatus prompted by U.S. sanctions, the pipeline operator said on Friday.read more
Oct 8th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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TIMELINE-Twists and turns in Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany
By Reuters Staff: OCTOBER 7, 2020
Oct 7 (Reuters) – Poland has fined Russia’s Gazprom more than $7.6 billion for building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline without Warsaw’s approval, its watchdog said on Wednesday.
Russia’s bid to double its gas export capacity across the Baltic Sea has prompted opposition, including U.S. sanctions, stalling completion of the $11 billion pipeline.
In addition to Europe’s increased reliance on Russian gas, opponents are wary of Moscow’s motives as the pipeline will allow it to curb gas transit via Ukraine, cutting off a source of revenue for Kiev.read more
Jul 4th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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1 JUL, 17:49
US sanctions trying to stop Nord Stream 2 are unacceptable – German Foreign Office
Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen pointed out that, in addition to German, French, Dutch, and Austrian companies, as well as services, in particular, certification and supervision, may be at risk of restrictive measures
BERLIN, July 1. /TASS/. Possible new US sanctions against Nord Stream 2 are aimed at halting the project’s implementation, which complies with EU legislation, and therefore unacceptable, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen said on Wednesday.
“It would block a commercial project, which is being implemented on the basis of EU law,” he said. “The position of the German government on this issue is unequivocal: extraterritorial sanctions are a blatant interference with EU sovereignty. It is obvious that the US side is trying to unilaterally stop the project,” Annen said. He pointed out that, in addition to German, French, Dutch, and Austrian companies, as well as services, in particular, certification and supervision, may be at risk of restrictive measures.read more
May 15th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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The regulator said the Nord Stream 2 consortium – which also includes Uniper, Wintershall-Dea, Royal Dutch Shell, OMV and Engie – did not qualify for an exemption…
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s energy regulator on Friday declined to grant a waiver of European Union gas directives to the operators of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, dealing a fresh blow to the project to carry gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
Nord Stream 2, designed by Russia’s Gazprom to increase direct shipments to Europe, is far behind schedule and has faced political opposition from Washington, as well as from Ukraine and Poland through whose territory Russian gas is shipped to consumers in western Europe.read more
Jan 21st, 2020
by John Donovan.
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Nord Stream 2 Pins Hope on Germany to Clear EU Gas Rule Hurdle
Brian Parkin: Jan 21 2020, 9:30 AM
(Bloomberg) — Nord Stream 2 expects regulators to decide by May whether its contested natural gas pipeline linking Germany to Russia will be able to operate as planned.
Already suffering U.S. sanctions, the project led by Gazprom PJSC is pinning its hopes on Germany’s Bnetza regulator to help it clear hurdles erected by European Union competition authorities.
The consortium is being financed by Royal Dutch Shell Plc; Uniper SE and Wintershall AG in Germany; France’s Engie SA; and Austria’s OMV AG.read more
Jan 17th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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JANUARY 17, 2020
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Gazprom Neft, Russia’s third largest oil producer, believes Moscow’s cooperation with OPEC on output will continue into the long term, Deputy Chief Executive Vadim Yakovlev told reporters on Friday.
He praised the decision by OPEC and non-OPEC nations, a group known as OPEC+, to exclude Russian gas condensate from Moscow’s quotas under their latest agreement to curb output, a move that allows Gazprom Neft to expand its condensate production.read more
Jan 17th, 2020
by John Donovan.
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JANUARY 17, 2020
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Shell and Russia’s Gazprom Neft have expanded their Russian joint venture by acquiring a license for exploration and production of conventional hydrocarbon reserves in West Siberia, the two companies said on Friday.
The JV, Salym Petroleum Development (SPD), will get the Salymsky 2 block in the Khanty Mansiisk Autonomous Region.
There are no field-specific infrastructure facilities at the site, the companies said.
“However, close proximity to the areas which are being developed by SPD will have a synergistic effect, allowing efficient use of the existing SPD production facilities,” they said.read more
Dec 29th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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Russia is not forcing Shell to buy its gas. Shell is also a big investor in solar power and is a 50% owner in offshore wind farms Atlantic Shores in New Jersey and the Mayflower Consortium in Massachusetts.
Last week’s announcement from the White House of a cease and desist order for the foreign firms building the Russia-to-Germany natural gas line may come about a year too late.
Nord Stream 2 was always seen as a slap in the face to Ukraine, once a main route into Europe for Gazprom’s natural gas from Russia. But Russia and Ukraine have since gone their separate ways, pulled closer into Europe and the U.S.’s orbit by both Washington and Brussels, and now Russia has opted to look for alternatives.read more
Sep 10th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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While it is unclear whether sanctions would stop the project, they would certainly alienate major European energy companies, including Royal Dutch Shell…
By Ike Brannon and Eric Miller
A central plank of President Trump’s foreign policy toward Europe has been a demand for greater “burden-sharing” in the costs of defending the continent. Since the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949, the United States has paid the lion’s share of the bill for the Alliance. In 2006, NATO Defense Ministers formally agreed that each of its 29 members would spend a minimum of 2% of their GDP on defense. Yet, according to a March 2019 NATO report, only 7 of the 29 members have reached the 2% goal.read more
Jun 6th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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JUNE 6, 2019 / 2:17 PM
ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) – Russia’s Gazprom Neft said on Thursday it would set up a joint venture with Shell to develop an oil field in Yamal estimated to hold reserves of around 1.1 billion tonnes of oil.
Gazprom Neft, the oil arm of state gas company Gazprom, said it planned to close the deal late this year or early next and that both it and Shell would hold 50% stakes in the joint venture.
Reporting by Olesya Astakhova; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Jane Merriman
Russia’s Gazprom Neft, on JV with Shell, says field not under sanctions
ST PETERSBURG, June 6 (Reuters) – Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft’s CEO Alexander Dyukov said reserves held in a field which it is looking at as part of a joint venture with Shell were not under Western sanctions.
Speaking on the sidelines of Russia’s flagship economic forum in the city of St Petersburg, Dyukov said that financing for the joint venture with Shell would be split evenly.
(Reporting by Olesya Astakhova; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Maria Kiselyova)read more
Apr 10th, 2019
by John Donovan.
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April 10, 2019: 12:58PM
ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has decided to exit the Baltic liquefied natural gas (LNG) project led by Russian state gas giant Gazprom in the Leningrad region, the chairman of Shell’s Russian unit said on Wednesday.
Shell, which has a long history of energy cooperation with Russia, said earlier on Wednesday it was studying the possible implications of a recent decision by Gazprom to move toward the full integration of its Baltic LNG and gas processing plants.read more
Moscow — Russian LNG is well positioned to compete with North American projects to reach new markets in Asia and the Atlantic Basin despite the challenges, a Shell executive said Wednesday at the LNG Congress in Moscow.
He pointed to the Far East, with the planned capacity expansion at the Sakhalin plant, the Arctic with Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 projects led by Russian Novatek, and the Baltic coast, with the Baltic LNG project.
But Russia is facing a challenge from North America as capital expenditure is generally lower over there. “Projects are built in a mature market,” he said. North American projects also benefit from special partnerships, supported by a low-tax regime.read more
Russia could become the largest natural gas producer in the world, Ben van Beurden, the CEO of Shell, wrote in an article for RIA Novosti.
“The world needs more natural gas to meet rising energy demand, to complement renewables and to replace coal in power generation. And the opportunity for Russia is huge. It is already the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and it enjoys the world’s largest commercial gas reserves. It is the second largest producer of natural gas. It could be the largest,” van Beurden said.read more
Dec 12th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Dec 12, 2018
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Talks about a possible asset swap deal between Royal Dutch Shell and Gazprom have been suspended, Kommersant business daily reported on Wednesday, citing Cederic Cremers, head of Shell’s business in Russia.
The memorandum on the possible asset swap was signed in 2015 and was seen as a coup for Gazprom at a time when many Western companies were reducing their exposure to Russia because of Western sanctions over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine.
Cremers also told the newspaper that the plans for the expansion of Sakhalin-2 plant, which produces 11 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year, hinge on the outcome of the talks with the Sakhalin-1 consortium led by Exxon Mobil Corp and Rosneft about gas supplies.read more
Oct 18th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Oct. 18, 2018 3:46 AM ET| By: Yoel Minkoff, SA News Editor
Growing oil and gas production from shale fields will act as a “good balance” for deepwater projects, the new head of Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDS.A, RDS.B) U.S. business, Gretchen Watkins, said in her first interview since joining the Anglo-Dutch major in May.
“It’s a natural hedge in the portfolio,” she added.
Investments into shale, or short-cycle projects, have risen as energy companies have been under pressure to rein in costs, pay down debt and boost returns amid a global shift towards forms of cleaner energy.
MOSCOW/LONDON (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.AS) is in talks to buy a stake in an oil and gas project from Gazprom Neft (SIBN.MM), three sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters, a rare foray into Russia’s energy sector by a Western oil major since sanctions were imposed.
The sources said Shell is negotiating with state-controlled Gazprom Neft, Russia’s third-largest oil producer, about acquiring a stake in the onshore Tazovskiy project in the country’s northern Yamal region.read more
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Production of oil and natural gas at the Russian Pacific island of Sakhalin is expected to decline next year, the local government said in an emailed response to a Reuters query.
Sakhalin, which is also famous for producing seafood, derives most of its oil and natural gas from two offshore projects – Sakhalin-1, led by ExxonMobil, and Sakhalin-2, led by Russia’s Gazprom.
Sakhalin-1 shareholders also include Russia’s Rosneft, Japan’s Sodeco and India’s ONGC. Apart from Gazprom, Sakhalin-2 shareholders include Royal Dutch Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi.read more
Aug 28th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Russia’s Gazprom PJSC owns the project, with Royal Dutch Shell Plc and four other investors including Germany’s Uniper SE and Wintershall AG providing half of the 9.5 billion-euro ($11 billion) in cost.
By Elena Mazneva and Anna Shiryaevskaya | Bloomberg
August 27 at 12:00 AM
A planned new natural-gas pipeline into Europe from Russia is shaking up geopolitics. Nord Stream 2, as it’s called, worries leaders in Eastern Europe, has stirred the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump and has put German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the hot seat.
1. What is Nord Stream 2?
It’s a planned new 1,230-kilometer (764-mile) undersea pipeline that will carry natural gas from fields in Russia to the EU network at Germany’s Baltic coast. It will double the capacity of an existing undersea route — the original Nord Stream — that opened in 2011. Russia’s Gazprom PJSC owns the project, with Royal Dutch Shell Plc and four other investors including Germany’s Uniper SE and Wintershall AG providing half of the 9.5 billion-euro ($11 billion) in cost.read more
“Together with German partners we are working on the new natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, which will complete the European gas transport system,” Vladimir Putin declared as he met with Chancellor Angela Merkel near Berlin on Saturday.
While the U.S. wasn’t present at the meeting, it could have a big say in the outcome amid concerns that it would increase Europe’s already-high dependence on Russian natural gas and give the Kremlin political leverage and substantial revenues.
The project is being developed by Gazprom (OTCPK:OGZPY), along with Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B), Wintershall, Uniper (OTC:UNPPY), OMV (OTCPK:OMVZY) and Engie (EMGIY).
The U.S. warns Western companies invested in Russia’s Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline to Germany that they are at risk of sanctions.
The $11B project, led by Gazprom (OTCPK:OGZPY), would double capacity of the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany, bypassing traditional routes through Ukraine.
A German business group says it is not up to the U.S. to dictate how German companies do business, that the country’s energy partnership with Russia had spanned decades with mutual benefits, and that gas imports from Russia are a competitively priced and reliable energy source.
A planned natural-gas pipeline, Nord Stream 2, is the latest point of friction between U.S. President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At a summit meeting of North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, Trump said the pipeline risks making Germany “a captive of Russia.” He’s not the first American leader to criticize the pipeline project, and the U.S. isn’t alone in its disapproval.
1. What is Nord Stream 2?
It’s a planned new 1,230 kilometer (764-mile) undersea pipeline that will carry natural gas from fields in Russia to the EU network at Germany’s Baltic coast. It will double the capacity of an existing undersea route and cut Russia’s reliance on gas transit through Ukraine. (Russia has been locked in conflict with Ukraine since 2014, when a pro-Russian president there was forced from power and Russia seized the country’s Crimean Peninsula.) Russia’s Gazprom PJSC is overseeing the project with funding from five investors including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Engie SA, which are providing half of the 9.5 billion-euro ($10.3 billion) in cost.read more
Germany has been assured by the U.S. that any sanctions imposed on Russia will not affect construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to bring Russian gas to Europe, says a spokesperson for Germany’s economy ministry.
The U.S. embassy in Berlin says there has been no change in policy, Reuters reports.
The Nord Stream 2 consortium, consisting of Russia’s Gazprom (OTCPK:OGZPY) and five European companies – Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B), BASF’s (OTCQX:BASFY) Wintershall, Engie (OTCPK:ENGIY), OMV (OTCPK:OMVJF) and Uniper (OTC:UNPPY) – last month started preparatory work in the Greifswald bay off Germany’s Baltic coast on a new twin pipeline that will double Russia’s export capacity of 55B cm to Germany.
Separately, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller says the company can set a new gas export record of nearly 200B cm this year, up nearly 3% Y/Y, breaking last year’s record volume of 194.4B cm of gas to Europe and Turkey.
Royal Dutch Shell took the top spot among oil and gas companies on the Forbes Global 2000’s list of the biggest and most powerful public companies, surpassing last year’s leader Exxon Mobil Corp.
The Anglo-Dutch oil and gas giant ranked 11th among all companies on the list, up from 20th the previous year, mostly because of higher sales due to lofty commodity prices. Irving, Texas-based Exxon came in at 13th, the same as last year.read more
Mar 20th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Sputniik International (Russian Publisher) 19 March 2018
WARSAW (Sputnik) – Poland will try to convince Germany to reconsider the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the wake of the nerve agent attack on former Russian intelligence officer Skripal in London, Polish Secretary of State for European Affairs Konrad Szymanski said Monday.
“[Nord Stream 2] will surely be the most important issue of the talks, because after Salisbury we have a new situation. It is, beyond doubt, one of the aspects of Russian policy regarding Europe, not regarding the UK. And we should consider once again whether Russia is a trustworthy partner… Nord Stream 2 carries only negative consequences, but Germany is an independent state as much as Poland,” Szymanski told RMF FM radio.read more
Mar 19th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Published by Will Owen, Editorial Assistant Monday 19 March 2018
Shell and Gazprom representatives have held a working meeting in St Petersburg to discuss the state and prospects of their strategic cooperation in the gas sector.
Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, led the Gazprom delegation; and Maarten Wetselaar, Member of the Executive Committee of Royal Dutch Shell, and his associates represented Shell.
During the meeting, particular attention was paid to joint efforts in the LNG industry, especially the construction of the third train of the LNG plant within the Sakhalin II project.read more
Mar 4th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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President Putin: Photo Credit: Kremlin.ru
When cold weather strikes, Europe seems to come to an understanding that Russian energy deliveries to the continent carry a purely economic significance, not a political one.
Deliveries of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Yamal in Siberia are set to arrive in the UK this week as the island nation struggles to dig out from Storm Emma, the Financial Times reported.
The LNG will be delivered to the UK by Royal Dutch Shell, two sources familiar with the shipment have said. The gas will be picked up this weekend, and delivered to an LNG terminal in Milford Haven, Wales, where it will be regasified and pumped into the UK network by March 6.read more
Feb 24th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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London (Platts)–23 Feb 2018 510 am EST/1010 GMT
Kazakhstan’s giant Kashagan oil field is achieving new production highs every month and has done better than 300,000 b/d, but development beyond the current phase is likely to be about “discretionary step-ups” rather than giant steps, Shell country chair and vice president Olivier Lazare said Thursday.
Speaking at the IP Week conference in London, Lazare declined to specify the current production level, saying there were still reliability issues with the first phase, which started producing in 2016 after more than $50 billion of investment and multiple delays, and has a target of 370,000 b/d.read more
Nov 23rd, 2017
by John Donovan.
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A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Maarten Wetselaar, Member of the Executive Committee of Royal Dutch Shell, took place in St. Petersburg today.
The meeting addressed relevant aspects of strategic cooperation.
Particular attention was paid to joint efforts in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector. The parties discussed the construction project for the third train of the LNG plant on Sakhalin Island and the progress of the Joint Study Framework Agreement for the Baltic LNG project.
The meeting also focused on the Nord Stream 2 project.
Background
Royal Dutch Shell is a British-Dutch oil and gas holding company focused on hydrocarbon production, processing and marketing in over 90 countries worldwide.read more
Oct 5th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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2017 October 5 15:37
Gazprom and Shell have confirmed their interest in implementation of the Baltic LNG project, IAA PortNews correspondent cites Aleksandr Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Board, Gazprom, and Maarten Wetselaar, Integrated Gas and New Energies Director, Shell, as saying at the 7th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum (SPIGF-2017).
“Baltic LNG project will develop and we are participating in it financially”, said Maarten Wetselaar.
According to Shell, global LNG demand is 265 mln t per year and its growth prospects are good, particularly due to the markets of China, India and other Asian countries.read more
Aug 21st, 2017
by John Donovan.
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Ukraine works to chart new energy strategy
Royal Dutch Shell at one point had a contract to explore what the Ukrainian government said was an area said to contain about 4 trillion cubic feet of shale natural gas.
Aug. 21 (UPI) — A Ukrainian government working to break out from under a Russian shadow said it’s developed a road map for a sustainable energy future.
Ukrainian energy security issues pre-date the outbreak of conflict that reached its zenith when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison a few years before the conflict on charges she abused authority when she helped broker a 2009 natural gas deal with Russia’s Gazprom. She later faced a $2.4 million suit for mismanaging her country’s United Energy Systems in the 1990s.read more
Aug 4th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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Aug. 3, 2017 11:49 AM ET|By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor
New U.S. sanctions will make it harder and more expensive for Russia to build the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas export pipelines to Europe, but analysts say the two Gazprom-led (OTCPK:OGZPY) projects are unlikely to be stopped.
But the sanctions bill, which had the overwhelming support of the U.S. Congress before it was signed by Pres. Trump, throws into doubt the €4.75B pledged by European companies including Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B), Engie (OTCPK:ENGIY) and OMV (OTCPK:OMVJF) to help fund Nord Stream 2 and could threaten other projects.read more
More than half of global industrial emissions can be traced back to just 25 corporate and state producing entities, the report says.
China, India and Russia’s coal industries and major oil and gas players like Saudi Aramco, Gazprom, ExxonMobil, BP and Shell are among those named in the paper from CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project.
The research found that 100 active fossil fuel producers were linked to 71% of global industrial greenhouse gases since 1988.read more
Jun 3rd, 2017
by John Donovan.
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1 june 2017
Gazprom Neft and Shell have used the occasion of this year’s St Petersburg International Economic Forum to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Vadim Yakovlev, First Deputy CEO, Gazprom Neft, and Olivier Lazar, Country Chair, Shell Russia, have both put their signatures to a document confirming both companies’ intention of promoting further cooperation.
Both sides have confirmed their intention of continuing negotiations on the Khanty-Mansiysky Oil and Gas Union’s provisional assessment of a range of non-shale oil deposits in Eastern Siberia, including the Achimovsky deposits in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. In addition to this, Gazprom Neft and Shell have committed to undertake geological prospecting of license blocks in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, adjoining licence blocks owned by Salym Petroleum Development N.V.,* through that enterprise.read more
May 29th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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Royal Dutch Shell is a British-Dutch oil and gas company focused on hydrocarbon production, processing and marketing in over 90 countries worldwide.
Gazprom and Shell are jointly engaged in the Sakhalin II project, which includes Russia’s only active LNG plant. The Sakhalin II operator is Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. (Gazprom – 50 per cent plus one share, Shell – 27.5 per cent minus one share, Mitsui – 12.5 per cent, and Mitsubishi – 10 per cent). In 2015, Gazprom and Shell signed the Memorandum to construct the third production train of the LNG plant, as well as the Agreement of Strategic Cooperation providing for the expansion of the companies’ joint project portfolio, including a potential asset swap.read more
Apr 24th, 2017
by John Donovan.
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April 24, 2017, 11:49:10 AM EDT By MT Newswires
American depository shares of Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) were up nearly 2% Monday after the oil major said it and four European energy firms signed financing agreements for Gazprom’s proposed Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. Shell said each of the five energy companies has committed to provide financing and guarantees for up to 10% of the total cost of the Nord Stream 2 project, which is currently estimated at EUR9.5 billion ($10.3 billion).read more
Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer of Shell, discussed developments in their strategic cooperation, signed in 2015, this week at the sixth St. Petersburg International Gas Forum.
The parties discussed a wide range of issues related to the development of strategic partnership in the energy sector, paying particular attention to the construction project for the third production train of the LNG plant on Sakhalin Island (Sakhalin II project). It was noted that the preparation of design and FEED documentation is nearing completion.read more
Gazprom said on Thursday it plans to launch a third liquefied natural gas (LNG) production train at the Sakhalin-2 LNG plant in 2021, possibly fed by a newly drilled field, as Russian companies seek to boost their share of the global LNG market.
Russia accounts for less than 5 percent of the global LNG market but new plants are being built or considered by Novatek, Gazprom and Rosneft.
Located at Prigorodnoye on Sakhalin island, Sakhalin-2, Russia’s sole LNG plant, operates two production lines with a combined capacity of 10 million tonnes of LNG per year. The third train should add another 5 million tonnes.read more
The parties discussed the progress of and prospects for strategic cooperation in the LNG sector, paying particular attention to the construction project for the third production train of the LNG plant on Sakhalin Island (Sakhalin II project). Design and FEED documentation are currently being prepared for the new production train.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 Breaking News
Shell Renewables Head to Leave Amid Fossil Fuel ShiftJune 30, 2023 14:49Financial PostBreadcrumb Trail Links PMN Business Shell Plc’s European renewable power boss Thomas Brostrom has decided to leave the company as the oil supermajor revises its strategy to focus more investment into fossil fuels. Author of the article: Bloomberg News …
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 …
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?