Japan oil refiners Idemitsu and Showa Shell to merge

Kana Inagaki and Leo Lewis in Tokyo: 10 July 2018

Deal proceeding after end of bitter dispute with founding family members who objected

Merging Japan’s number two and number four oil refiners would create a group with $47bn in combined annual revenue © Bloomberg

The merger of two of Japan’s leading oil refiners is set to go ahead after a two-year delay, ending a bitter dispute with founding family members who had sought to derail the deal. Under the original agreement reached in 2015, Royal Dutch Shell had planned to sell its 33 per cent stake in Showa Shell for $1.6bn to Idemitsu as part of efforts to reduce debt and streamline operations after its £35bn takeover of BG Group. FULL FT ARTICLE read more

Aref Mohammed

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraq has approved the sale by Royal Dutch Shell of the company’s 20 percent stake in Iraq’s West Qurna 1 oilfield to Japan’s Itochu Corp, a senior Iraqi oil official said on Wednesday.

The deal comes as the Anglo-Dutch company agreed to exit the Majnoon oil venture, one of the largest fields in OPEC member Iraq, and hand over its operation to the state-run Basra Oil Co. (BOC) by the end of June 2018.

“Shell sold its stake in West Qurna 1 to Itochu and the oil ministry approved it. We met with Itochu and discussed the required financial investments and operations at the field,” Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, the head of state-run BOC, told Reuters in an interview.  read more

Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co (5019.T) will acquire one-third of Showa Shell (5002.T) by the end of the year, and the anti-monopoly watchdog is expected to approve their merger proposal as early as next week, the Nikkei business daily said on Saturday.

Idemitsu will go ahead with an agreement to acquire the 33.24 percent stake in Showa Shell for about 170 billion yen ($1.44 billion) from Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) after getting the approval, the report said, without citing sources.

The planned merger has been a drawn-out process, with fierce opposition coming from Idemitsu’s founding family. The management of Idemitsu, Japan’s second-biggest refiner by sales, in October put a full takeover on hold indefinitely. read more

By Taiga Uranaka | TOKYO

Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co has postponed its acquisition of Showa Shell Sekiyu shares as regulatory approval is taking longer than expected – a delay that comes amid uncertain prospects for the deal due to a spat with the Idemitsu founding family.

Idemitsu management now expects to purchase its stake from Royal Dutch Shell in October or November instead of this month.

Public broadcaster NHK reported the review by Japan’s Fair Trade Commission was taking time as it is also reviewing another merger in the sector – the planned takeover of TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK by JX Holdings Inc. read more

By Kentaro Hamada and Chris Gallagher | TOKYO

Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan (5019.T) will again delay its planned purchase of Showa Shell Sekiyu (5002.T) shares from Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) because a review by the Japan Fair Trade Commission is still under way.

Idemitsu said in a statement on Monday it will postpone the purchase to either December or January, from its originally planned closure by this month. The delay is another setback for Idemitsu in its attempt to take over Showa Shell, delayed after stiff opposition from Idemitsu’s founding family. read more

Oct 13 2016, 14:58 ET | By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) says it remains committed to selling the majority of its stake in Japanese venture Showa Shell to refiner Idemitsu after the Japanese entities announced an indefinite delay of a planned merger.

The founding family of Idemitsu, which controls a 33.9% stake in the refinery, opposes the merger, although the company says it has not changed its plan to buy a one-third stake in Showa Shell for ~¥170B ($1.7B) this month or next. read more

KYODO, STAFF REPORT: 13 October 2016:

Oil distributors Idemitsu Kosan Co. and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. have decided to postpone their planned April merger as Idemitsu has yet to gain consent for the deal from the founding family, sources close to the matter said Thursday.

Idemitsu, the nation’s second largest wholesaler, and Showa Shell, the fifth biggest, were expected to announce the decision later in the day, according to the sources.

Idemitsu and Showa Shell originally revealed a plan to merge in 2015. But the progress of the merger has become increasingly uncertain after Idemitsu founding members, who hold a 34 percent stake, enough to veto the merger, announced their opposition to the plan in June. read more

By Stephen Stapczynski and Tsuyoshi Inajima: Sept 8, 2016

In Japan’s carefully-choreographed, corporate world, public power struggles are generally frowned upon. Shosuke Idemitsu, 89, apparently doesn’t roll that way.

At an Idemitsu Kosan Co. shareholder meeting in June, investors were expected to vote in favor of reappointing directors who are supporting the government-backed, $1.7 billion merger with rival Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. that’s scheduled to close by April of 2017. read more

Markets | Wed Aug 3, 2016 11:53pm EDT

* Idemitsu family buys small stake in Showa Shell

* Purchase raises prospect of possibly expensive tender offer

* Fears grow that move may derail deal

* Shares in Showa Shell down 8 pct, Idemitsu down 7 pct 

By Makiko Yamazaki and Chang-Ran Kim

TOKYO, Aug 4 A move by Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd’s founding family to block management’s plan to acquire smaller rival Showa Shell Sekiyu KK sent shares in the Japanese refiners tumbling on Thursday as concerns grew that the family might well succeed. read more

By Tsuyoshi Inajima, Stephen Stapczynski and Shigeru Sato: August 3, 2016 — 7:09 AM BST Updated on August 3, 2016 — 8:37 AM BST

Idemitsu Kosan Co. founding family descendant Shosuke Idemitsu has begun buying up shares in rival Japanese oil refiner Showa Shell Sekiyu KK in a bid to block a proposed merger between the two companies.

The Idemitsu founder’s son purchased 400,000 Showa Shell shares and may buy more until his namesake company gives up on the deal, according to a statement distributed to reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday. Showa Shell rose as much as 12 percent to 1,014 yen, the biggest intraday gain in more than a year, and closed 3.8 percent higher. Idemitsu fell 3.9 percent to 1,984 yen. read more

By Reuters | 12 Nov, 2015

TOKYO: Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan Co agreed on Wednesday to take over smaller refiner Showa Shell Sekiyu in a deal worth about $4 billion that will create Japan’s second-biggest refiner by capacity.

The refiners are finalising the terms of the deal and expect the combined company to start operating between October next year and April 2017, they said in a statement.

A person familiar with the deal said Idemitsu would buy shares in Showa Shell in a tender offer that could be worth as much as 500 billion yen ($4.1 billion). read more

According to a report in the Nikkei business daily Royal Dutch Shell will likely exit the oil-refining and sales business in Japan.

Japan’s second-largest oil distributor Idemitsu Kosan is planning to acquire its smaller rival Shell Sekiyu in a deal worth an estimated $4.18 billion.

Idemitsu and Shell are expected to sign a basic agreement as early as February, with the tender offer to be launched pending regulatory approval.

Idemitsu and Showa Shell have a total of six refineries under their wings. read more

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

By John Donovan

Chris Finlayson, the newly appointed Chief Executive of BG Group, held a leadership position in Shell’s Sakhalin II project in Russia from September 2005 to September 2009. The venture was described as “the Mother of all Projects” by the Financial Times.

We have already published an article about his involvement in the Royal Dutch Shell reserves scandal, providing evidence – in the form of authentic Shell internal documents – supporting my conclusion that he was either part of the cover-up, or negligent in his fiduciary duties as a senior Shell executive to protect the interests of investors. read more

By Joseph O’Leary

NEW YORK, July 9 | Mon Jul 9, 2012 12:52pm EDT

(Reuters) – Energy company Royal Dutch Shell, with a 28.1 percent increase in revenue in 2011, ended Wal-Mart Stores’ two-year reign atop Fortune Magazine’s Global 500 list, the magazine’s yearly ranking of the world’s 500 largest corporations, which was released on Monday.

The Netherlands-based company took first place with more than $484 billion in revenues and $30.9 billion in profits, a 53.6 percent increase from 2010. It continued to perform well into early 2012, boosting its earnings for the first quarter of 2012 by 11 percent, the magazine said. read more

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA), Europe’s largest oil company, said Japan’s nuclear accident will support world natural gas demand in the longer term.

LONDON (Dow Jones)–U.K. energy giant Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) said Friday it is working to bring increased supplies of liquefied natural gas to help meet the expected rise in Japanese demand, as the world’s third-largest economy scrambles to cover its power requirements following the shutdown of nuclear plants across the country.

Shell said two shipments of LNG from Brunei have unloaded in Tokyo in the last 24 hours, with further cargoes from other locations to follow in the coming days. read more

TOKYO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Showa Shell Sekiyu, Japan's fifth-biggest oil refiner, has been making efforts to boost its oil export capacity to make up for a shrinking domestic market, a company source said.

"Cosmo and Showa Shell's main shareholders are different, so a merger is unlikely now," said UBS' Ito. Saudi Aramco increased its stake in Showa Shell to 15 percent stake in 2005, while IPIC, the investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government of the United Arab Emirates bought 20 percent in Cosmo last year to become the top shareholder.

Dec. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., the Japanese oil refining unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, will open its first battery-charging station as more electric cars take to the road.

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Idemitsu Kosan Co., Japan’s second- largest oil refiner, and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. will cut crude oil processing in the quarter ending Dec. 31 as the nation’s demand for gasoline and other petroleum products declines.

TOKYO, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Showa Shell Sekiyu KK (5002.T: Quote,Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) plans to cut its crude refining volume...

International investors, including Royal Dutch Shell, Dow Chemical Co, Japanese Marubeni and India’s Reliance, were showing heightened interest in the country’s main petrochemical plant near Basra.

Showa Shell Sekiyu has grand designs for its fledgling clean energy business.

Showa Shell Sekiyu KK leapt 6.1 percent to 1,251 yen after the Nikkei business daily reported the oil refiner plans to build one of the world's biggest solar panel plants at a cost of more than 100 billion yen ($940 million).

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., the Japanese unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, gained the most in four months in Tokyo trading after a report said it will build a solar-panel plant at a cost of more than 100 billion-yen ($944 million).

Showa Shell Sekiyu KK plans to build one of the world's biggest solar panel plants at a cost of more than 100 billion yen ($940 million), Wednesday's online edition of Nihon Keizai Shimbun newspaper reported.

Production at Kashagan, one of the world's biggest oilfields, has been postponed by two years to 2013, Kazakhstan said at the weekend.

MOSCOW, June 16 (Reuters) - Russia's Sakhalin-2 oil and gas group has obtained $5.3 billion in financing from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and a consortium of international commercial banks, the group said on Monday.

Gazprom Deputy CEO Alexander Ananenkov noted that Sakhalin-3’s gas could be not enough to satisfy the region’s needs, in which case gas from Sakhalin-2 could go to the Sakhalin-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok pipeline instead of being exported. This proposal was a complete surprise for Maxim Shub, who represents Shell in Russia.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and four private-sector banks are finalizing plans to provide a $5.3 billion loan for the Sakhalin-2 oil and natural gas development project.

The development, which has no scheduled start date, has been dogged by regulatory obstacles, spiraling costs, and delays by partners Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp.

CAMERON PARISH, La. — The cost of a gallon of gas gets all the headlines, but the natural gas that will heat many American homes next winter is going up in price as fast or faster.

The escalation of oil prices, which this week reached a previously unthinkable $130 a barrel (with predictions of $150 and $200 soon to come), threatens to do far more damage to the world economy than the credit crunch.

THALHEIM, Germany — This sad stretch of eastern Germany, with its deserted coal mines and corroded factories, epitomizes post-industrial gloom. It is a place where even the clouds rarely seem to part. Yet the sun was shining here the other day — and nowhere more brightly than at Q-Cells, a German company that surpassed Sharp last year to become the world’s largest maker of photovoltaic solar cells. Q-Cells is the main tenant among a flowering cluster of solar start-ups here in an area known as Solar Valley.

THE TIMES: China begs fuel as Japan patrols ‘oil-rich’ islands

“Last year Shell and Unocal withdrew for commercial reasons from a joint venture with CNOOC and Sinopec to explore the East China Sea. It was not the first time that the Anglo-Dutch company had backed out of a Chinese project. Shell, BP and ExxonMobil all withdrew from participation in China’s West-East gas pipeline, amid whispers that the 4,000km tube was a white elephant.”

Saturday 9 July 2005

By Carl Mortishead

Russia appears to be favouring Tokyo in a Sino-Japanese battle for oil supplies

A JAPANESE school in the Chinese city of Dalian will be short of geography textbooks next year and it is all because of oil and a group of tiny islands in the East China Sea.

Chinese customs officials last month impounded the books because they contained maps that were offensive, showing China and Taiwan in different colours, a graphic refutation of China’s claim to sovereignty over Taiwan. More importantly, the maps identified as part of Japanese territory eight uninhabited islands known as Senkaku to the Japanese but which the Chinese call Diaoyutai. The disputed islands and surrounding ocean in the East China Sea are said to conceal vast deposits of oil and gas, and both countries are desperate to secure new supplies of fuel. read more

The Times: Need to Know

“Royal Dutch/Shell plans to sell a 9.9 per cent stake in Showa Shell”

Posted 7 July 2004

Royal Dutch/Shell plans to sell a 9.9 per cent stake in Showa Shell, the Japanese fuel refiner, to Saudi Aramco, in a deal thought to be worth $340 million (£185 million).