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Shale Gas

Peter Voser: cheap shale gas is a myth

Screen Shot 2013-03-23 at 09.15.15Shale gas will not change energy pricing structures across the world, according to the chief executive of Shell

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Emily Gosden

By , in Geoje, South Korea: 8:30PM BST 16 Oct 2013

It is a “myth” that exports of cheap shale gas from America will cut gas prices in Europe and Asia, Peter Voser, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell has warned.

America is sitting on a glut of shale gas that has seen prices plummet to as little as a third of UK prices. It is now in the process of developing export terminals where the gas will be cooled for shipping abroad as liquefied natural gas (LNG).

UK politicians have hailed the prospect of Britain importing cheap gas from the US as one solution to help consumers struggling with rising energy bills as domestic gas production dwindles. read more

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Shell CEO says shale gas to take longer to develop than expected

Screen Shot 2013-05-03 at 08.17.32Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser said it will take a longer time than expected for the company to reap benefits from its shale gas projects due to poor short-term results. Weak U.S. shale liquids production contributed to a $2.2 billion charge Shell revealed in August and was a key factor in its decision to abandon its goal to deliver 4 million barrels a day of production by 2017. Voser was also sceptical about the success of shale development elsewhere.

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DAEGU, South Korea | Tue Oct 15, 2013 1:42am EDT

Oct 15 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser said it will take a longer time than expected for the company to reap benefits from its shale gas projects due to poor short-term results.

Weak U.S. shale liquids production contributed to a $2.2 billion charge Shell revealed in August and was a key factor in its decision to abandon its goal to deliver 4 million barrels a day of production by 2017.

“We didn’t get the results which we were expecting to get in the shorter term and we will therefore have to develop this a little bit more before we can take benefits from it,” Voser told reporters on the sidelines of the World Energy Congress. read more

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Shell Plans to Spend $1 Billion on China Shale Gas Development

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By Bloomberg News – Mar 26, 2013 8:09 AM GMT

Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) will spend $1 billion developing China’s shale gas reserves, according to Peter Voser, the company’s chief executive.

Shell has won government approval for its production sharing contract with China National Petroleum Corp., the nation’s biggest oil and gas company, Voser said in an interview in Beijing today. He didn’t specify a timeline or other details for the $1 billion investment.

China is working with overseas partners to introduce hydraulic fracturing, the technology known as fracking that breaks open underground shale rocks to release natural gas, as it seeks to boost domestic consumption of the cleaner-burning fuel. Shell and CNPC had drilled 24 wells by November and planned a further 14 this year, Maarten Wetselaar, executive vice president of Shell Upstream International, said Nov. 15. read more

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Shell eyes Russian opportunities as profits hit by energy prices

Royal Dutch Shell said it was eyeing opportunities to expand in a new “more open” Russia, as it unveiled a 25pc slump in profits, hit by lower energy prices.

Emily Gosden By , Energy reporter 7:00PM BST 26 Jul 2012

Royal Dutch Shell is eyeing opportunities to expand in a new “more open” Russia, its chief executive said today, as he unveiled a 25pc slump in the oil major’s profits, hit by lower energy prices.

Peter Voser confirmed that discussions were ongoing about future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Russia.

The company is said to be in talks about joining the huge Shtokman LNG project in the Russian Arctic, with state-controlled Gazprom.

“We have a very successful venture with Gazprom in eastern Siberia. I think our credentials are clear,” Mr Voser said. “From a strategic point of view we are open to further investments in Russia and therefore are looking at opportunities either [in] oil or LNG. We have talked with the various players. Those talks include Gazprom.” read more

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Shell poised to bid for China shale gas exploration rights

By Xie Yu in Shanghai (China Daily): Updated: 2012-07-18 08:03

25.1 trillion cu m of exploitable shale gas resources could meet country’s gas demands for 200 years

Global energy giant Royal Dutch Shell Plc is eager to participate in China’s unconventional gas exploitation projects, especially shale gas, Lim Haw-kuang, executive chairman of Shell China Group, said on Tuesday in Shanghai.

“I am anxiously waiting for the second shale gas tender,” he said, adding that Shell is willing to cooperate with the Chinese companies that win the tender. read more

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Shell Oil Co. gave Gov. Tom Corbett $50,000

Gas industry contributions to Pa. politicians down

July 13, 2012 11:50 AM PITTSBURGH — The gas drilling industry gave less money to Pennsylvania politicians in 2011, but it spent more on lobbyists.

Politicians received $560,800 from the industry in 2011, down from $1.6 million in 2010, Pennsylvania Common Cause said in a news release Thursday. But gas industry lobbying expendtitures rose from $4 million to $5 million during the same period.

Shell Oil Co. gave Gov. Tom Corbett $50,000 in February 2011 — just a few months before the company announced that it was considering building a huge new petrochemical plant in the region. Exxon Mobil Corp. also gave Corbett $10,000 in December.

The data also showed that at the beginning of 2011, Shell began spending about $92,000 each quarter on lobbyists. read more

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World’s Largest Shale Gas Discovery

FROM A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR

John,

This is news about the newest shale gas discovery in Canada. Apache just announced this shale gas discovery. It is perhaps the largest shale gas discovery ever. Canadian gas reserves are expanding at a tremendous rate. Canada provides the US with 90% of its imported natural gas. This discovery will almost double Canada’s proven natural gas reserves.
 
Apache finds massive Canadian shale-gas field‎
(Reuters)

Apache Corp Make the World’s Largest Shale Gas Discovery in British Columbia (OilPrice.com) read more

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Proposed tax break for Shell gas ‘cracker’ plant draws debate

By Robert Swift (Harrisburg Bureau Chief) Published: June 11, 2012

HARRISBURG – A new proposal by Gov. Tom Corbett to give a long-term $1.7 billion state tax break for a planned Marcellus Shale gas petrochemical refinery in southwestern Pennsylvania is a late-emerging issue in the state budget debate.

The tax credit proposal for a $4 billion Shell Oil Co. plant came to light just as Corbett started negotiations last week with Republican legislative leaders over the final shape of the $27 billion state budget for fiscal 2012-13.

Lawmakers are pressing for more details about the proposal while at least two policy groups have criticized it as a corporate giveaway during a time when state aid to schools and human services is being cut. read more

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Shell is changing the energy game — and in a big way

  Jun 8, 2012 – 3:07 PM ET

This week, Royal Dutch Shell PLC began rolling out a strategy that will dramatically change the energy world.

With revenues larger than the economies of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia combined, Shell is betting big on natural gas to replace oil as the world’s foremost transportation fuel.

This is the game-changer.

It was only a handful of years ago when small independent oil companies proved that a technology called fracking worked and was able to blow up deep shale rocks to release natural gas. They sold out to majors who, in turn, sold reserves to super-majors like Shell that have fuel refining and retailing expertise and operations. read more

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Exxon, Shell See U.S.-Led Gas Boom Boosting Worldwide Growth

By Dinakar Sethuraman, Rakteem Katakey and Yee Kai Pin on June 05, 2012

Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) (XOM), the world’s biggest energy company, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) said a U.S.- led transformation of the natural-gas market will boost the global economy even as oil becomes more expensive.

“Natural gas is quickly becoming a key enabler of economic growth and environmental progress around the world,” Rex W. Tillerson, chief executive officer of Exxon, said at a conference today in Kuala Lumpur. “We are living at a historic moment in the evolution of energy markets. How we respond will shape the quality of life for generations to come.” read more

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Shell CEO Sees No Urgency to Sell $6 Billion Woodside Stake

By James Paton on June 05, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) Plc, Europe’s largest oil company, sees no urgency over what to do with its $6 billion stake in Australia’s Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL), Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser said today.

“We are under no urgency or pressure to do anything,” Voser told reporters today in Kuala Lumpur, where he’s attending an industry conference. “Woodside has an interesting growth model in terms of projects and has strategic value.”

Woodside, Australia’s second-largest oil and gas producer, has slumped in Sydney trading since The Hague-based Shell sold 10 percent of the company at A$42.23 a share in November 2010. Shell still owns 23 percent of the Perth-based company, valued at A$6.1 billion ($6 billion) today. Woodside rose 4 percent today to A$32.10 at 2:24 p.m. in Sydney. read more

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China Shale Drilling Results Are Encouraging

June 4, 2012

By GURDEEP SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR—European oil major Royal Dutch Shell RDSA +0.29% PLC said Tuesday that its early drilling results for shale gas in China are encouraging and it now expects to make its development in the country a profitable proposition.

Shell signed the first production-sharing contract to explore, develop and produce shale gas in China in March, a move that fits in with China’s overall strategy to bring technical and operational know-how to the development of its untapped reserves of the unconventional fuel. read more

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US natural gas prices to soar, says Shell

FINANCIAL TIMES

May 19, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell said it expects US natural gas prices, which have been pushed to 10-year lows by the shale gas boom, to double by 2015 on the back of growing US domestic demand for the fuel.

In an interview, Shell chief executive Peter Voser said…

FULL ARTICLE (FT SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED)

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Shell: Liquid Shales Could Have Big Impact On Energy Mix

May 17,2012

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Shale rock formations that contain liquid hydrocarbons as well as natural gas could have a ” significant” impact on world energy supplies but it is too early to say for sure, a senior Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB) executive said Thursday.

“It is too early to predict the impact if liquid rich shales. It could be significant,” said Ruth Cairnie, Shell executive vice president for strategy and planning. read more

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China posed for more investment in shale?

BEIJING, May 1 (UPI) — China invested $222 million in its shale gas sector last year, a government official said.

Yet China’s investment in shale gas exploration and development is “very small” in proportion to the country’s overall oil and natural gas exploration and development, which totaled more than $9.5 billion last year, Wang Min, vice minister of China’s Ministry of Land and Resources said in a ministry report.

“Further measures and investment are needed [for shale gas],” he said. read more

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Chinese Whispers about the death of a Hakluyt agent

The fact that Mr Heywood worked for Hakluyt (the corporate intelligence firm closely linked with Shell), is said to be seen by some as a clue to his untimely death. Titled Shell directors were the ultimate spymasters and major shareholders in Hakluyt.

EMAIL SENT BY JOHN DONOVAN TO MR MICHIEL BRANDJES, COMPANY SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC. POSTED AS AN ARTICLE

Dear Mr Brandjes

I am sure you will be aware of the recent articles concerning sinister events in China.

Today, BBC News published an article: China arrests over coup rumours

Almost all of the articles contain a reference to Mr Neil Heywood, the 41 year old Englishmen found dead in mysterious circumstances at a hotel in the Chinese city, Chongqing.

The Telegraph published a related article earlier today under the headline: ‘I think Neil Heywood was killed… everyone’s scared’. read more

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Royal Dutch Shell in Deal for China Shale Gas

March 21, 2012

By WAYNE MA

BEIJING—Royal Dutch Shell RDSB -1.33% PLC has signed the first-ever production-sharing contract to explore, develop and produce shale gas in China, a move that fits in with China’s overall strategy to bring technical and operational know-how to the development of its untapped reserves of the unconventional fuel.

Although Shell didn’t specify contract details in a statement Tuesday, the pact marks a milestone in China’s development of shale gas, which has been hindered by the lack of a template showing how production-sharing contracts between foreign and local companies would work. read more

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Shell steps up gas production, despite North American hurdles

Shawn Mccarthy — GLOBAL ENERGY REPORTER,

OTTAWA— From Monday’s Globe and Mail 19 March 2012

Royal Dutch Shell PLC is doubling-down on its natural gas bet, despite a depressed North American market that has seen many producers shut in production.

The international oil company is the world’s premier gas company, producing and shipping more of the cleaner-burning fuel, in more markets, than any of its global competitors.

It is leading the charge on the twin challenges of natural gas – the difficulty in transporting it and the glut in North America – by pursuing liquefied natural gas exports to premium markets, and by investing in technology that processes raw gas into far more valuable liquid or chemical products or pioneers it use as a transportation fuel. read more

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Shell-Commissioned Report on South Africa Gas Flawed, Group Says

By Andres R. Martinez – Mar 3, 2012 12:57 PM GMT

A study commissioned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) about the potential of shale gas in South Africa doesn’t consider the risks related to developing the deposits, according to an environmental group.

“The findings are lacking in balance to the extent that one must call the objectivity and credibility of the analysis into question,” Jonathan Deal, chairman of Treasure the Karoo Action Group, said in an e-mailed statement today. The study doesn’t include costs related to “damaged road infrastructure, health remediation costs, pollution remediation and environmental monitoring and enforcement of standards.” read more

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Shell CEO Says the Potential for Shale Gas in Europe Is Limited

By John Buckley

Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc chief Peter Voser said the potential for shale gas development in Europe is limited by the region’s regulations and its dense population.

Shell expects expansion in shale and tight gas — which is locked in rock that’s difficult and expensive to break — in North America, China and Australia, and has signed a deal in Ukraine, the chief executive officer said in an interview in Shell Venster, the company’s Dutch-language personnel magazine. read more

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Hunt for Gas Hits Fragile Soil, and South Africans Fear Risks

In July, the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa, an independent agency that sets guidelines for media companies, ruled that several of Shell’s advertised claims — including one that said fracking had never led to groundwater contamination — were misleading or unsubstantiated and should be withdrawn.

Chris Hayward, a South African farmer, says, “If our government lets these companies touch even a drop of our water, we’re ruined.”: Photo Credit: Liaan Pretorius for The New York Times

A version of this article appeared in print on December 31, 2011, on page A1 of the New York edition

By

KAROO, South Africa — When a drought dried up their wells last year, hundreds of farmers and their families flocked to local fairgrounds here to pray for rain, and a call went out on the regional radio station imploring South Africans to donate bottled water.

Covering much of the roughly 800 miles between Johannesburg and Cape Town, this arid expanse — its name means “thirsty land” — sees less rain in some parts than the Mojave Desert. read more

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Shale Spurs U.S. States to Vie for Chemical Projects, WSJ Says

By Joe Carroll

Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) — A surge in U.S. natural-gas production from shale rock is spurring states to compete for companies to produce chemicals from the fuel, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia are vying to attract a plant that will turn gas into ethylene proposed by Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the Journal reported today. Shell intends to announce a site early next year, the newspaper said. Ethylene is a building block of plastics and other materials used to make pipes, paint and antifreeze. read more

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Could Chinese Shale Mean the End of U.S. Shale Gas Boom?

By Pierre Bertrand | December 12, 2011 5:47 PM EST

China‘s natural gas industry is still developing, but already it is showing signs that worry some players in the U.S.

Last week, Royal Dutch Shell and Chinese officials announced the company found shale gas in two wells in the Shichuan province, and that production was overall positive. That was coupled with reports that China‘s state-run PetroChina was producing more than 10,000 cubic meters of gas from 20 wells in the province, according to the Business Monitor International. read more

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CNPC Relies on Shell, Exxon Mobil to Develop Chinese Shale Gas

December 08, 2011, 10:58 AM EST

By Wael Mahdi

Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) — China National Petroleum Corp. will rely on help from Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp. amongst others to develop its shale gas resources.

CNPC is working with Shell on a project in central China to develop shale gas, its president Zhou Jiping told reporters today in Doha, Qatar. The company has already made shale gas discoveries and it needs more time to develop them, he said.

“The tectonic movement in China is even stronger than in the U.S., and it’s making the structure more complex,” he said. China has more potential gas resources than the U.S., according to his estimates. read more

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Shell voices long-term concerns over Europe as profits double

By Emma Rowley

EUROPE’S failure to cultivate growth is a bigger worry for oil and gas major Royal Dutch Shell than the region’s current sovereign debt crisis.

The Anglo-Dutch company has cut its support of European projects to just 15pc of its total investment spend, which it puts at $100bn (£62bn) over four years. Shell expects to keep reducing that share amid longer-term concerns about the region, according to Simon Henry, its chief financial officer.

“Europe’s macroeconomic position can only recover, and the sovereign debt crisis can only be addressed, through underlying economic growth, and we do not see the European Union creating the conditions for that – in fact, quite the opposite,” he said. “Most moves made by the Commission, one way or the other, tend to almost, either directly or indirectly, reduce the competitiveness of European industry.” read more

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Is fracking set to transform the oil market?

COLUMN-Is fracking set to transform the oil market? John Kemp

(John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)

By John Kemp

Oct 12 (Reuters) – Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling revolutionised the natural gas market, unlocking huge quantities of previous unrecoverable reserves trapped in tight rock formations.

The question is whether they are about to do the same for oil — unlocking billions of barrels of crude trapped in similar rock forms, and thereby upending forecasts about increasing oil scarcity and steeply rising prices.

WHY MALTHUS WAS WRONG

In the short term, prices for commodities are determined by the usual forces of supply and demand. In the medium and long term, however, technology is the main determinant of price and availability. read more

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A shocking documentary about shale gas fracking

Dear John,

Today a shocking documentary about the truth on negative impact on human health and environment was broadcasted in Holland.

The first few minutes are in Dutch, but the rest is English spoken:

http://beta.uitzendinggemist.nl/afleveringen/1110325

September 14 a public hearing will take place in Dutch Parliament about the risks of Shale Gas Fracking. One permit has already been given for drilling a Shale Gas well in the province of Noord-Brabant (in the South of Holland).

I thought you might be interested to watch the documentary and the information within. read more

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South Africa: Shell fracking in semi-desert Karoo

How do farmers prove that Shell has polluted their lands, what lengths people have to go through to get their rights?


From pages 35, 36 & 37 of “Royal Dutch Shell and its sustainability troubles” – Background report to the Erratum of Shell’s Annual Report 2010

The report is made on behalf of Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands)
Author: Albert ten Kate: May 2011.

Farmers, scientists, NGOs, a Dutch princess, a business tycoon, a long-distance swimmer, a Facebook account with already 6,500 members as of 19 April 2011. Royal Dutch Shell is facing strong opposition to its plans to get an exploration license to seek shale gas in South Africa’s semi-desert Karoo region.

The consulting firm Golder Associates, working on behalf of Shell, drafted an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for three exploration areas, each comprising 30,000 kilometres. Until 5 April 2011, the public was allowed to comment to these plans. The drilling of a maximum of 24 wells was not expected to commence before 2012. Golder stated in its conclusions to the EMPs that there was no material evidence that a small number of exploration wells could result in an unacceptable level of environmental impact, and that therefore the determination of the resource potential of the Karoo shale gas formations not should be prevented or delayed. As long as the siting and management of the wells would be controlled through a rigorous, scientific Environmental Impact Assessment process, it would be unlikely that the construction would result in unacceptable environmental damage, the company continued. read more

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Regulators Seek Records on Claims for Gas Wells

By

A version of this article appeared in print on July 30, 2011, on page A13 of the New York edition.

WASHINGTON — The Securities and Exchange Commission sent subpoenas this week to energy companies asking them for documents about how they calculate and publicly disclose the performance of their shale gas wells, according to oil and gas industry lawyers.

The subpoenas reflect the regulators’ interest in determining whether companies are overstating how their gas wells perform and how much gas these companies can profitably extract over the long term.

It is not clear how many subpoenas were sent. John Nester, a spokesman for the commission, declined to comment. read more

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Shell CEO: China Shale Gas a Big Opportunity

Anglo-Dutch energy giant, Royal Dutch Shell has been pushing into China’s energy market. The company has been deepening ties with state-owned China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) and subsidiary PetroChina to explore and develop natural gas in the nation. In an exclusive broadcast interview with CNBC’s Christine Tan on Managing Asia, CEO Peter Voser says China looks set to surpass the U.S. and Canada in the supply of shale gas.

Q. How useful have your partnerships been with leading energy companies like Petrochina in giving you access into China, one of the world’s biggest energy markets?

I think it has developed extremely well. We are working with CNPC and PetroChina within China, but also globally. I think the success here is based on a win-win partnership, inside and outside China. If you only focus on what you can do inside China, and not let these companies participate on the global stage, I think this will not be successful. So we are combining with CNPC’s technologies to (extend) the global range. We are in Australia, Syria and Qatar. We have shale gas acre-age in China, and we do R&D together. We have similar partnership with Qatar Petroleum. read more

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Shell shock: Energy giant censured for ‘fracking’ ads

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Jul 06 2011 20:00
Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell was ordered on Wednesday to withdraw claims about controversial shale gas drilling in an advertisement carried in several South African newspapers.

Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell was ordered on Wednesday to withdraw claims about controversial shale gas drilling in an advertisement carried in several South African newspapers.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the company had made claims that were unsubstantiated and likely to mislead, in a complaint brought by a lobby group that is fighting a bid by Shell to explore for gas deposits.

Shell wants to drill using hydraulic fracturing known as “fracking” in the country’s vast central Karoo region and published a full-page print advertisement in several daily and weeklies in April. read more

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Colorado: Shell gets OK for fracking in Spanish Peaks

July 4, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

State approves 14,000-foot-deep fracking operation without public hearing

SUMMIT COUNTY — Shell Oil & Gas has been cleared to drill deep into a unique geological formation near the Spanish Peaks, in southern Colorado, to explore new natural gas resources.

Huerfano County planning and elected officials gave the exploratory fracking project a conditional green light last week, to the dismay of many local residents who are clamoring for more upfront research and better safeguards against environmental impacts.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission last month denied a citizen request for a public hearing because the request didn’t come from a local government entry. read more

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Public asked to place its trust in Shell operating principles

By John Donovan

In the article below, part of a major PR campaign, Shell Oil President Marvin Odum (right) asks a public concerned about Shell onshore operations, including hydraulic fracturing (fracking), to place its trust in the integrity of Shell and its global operating principles.

It is therefore timely to reflect on the repeated assurances of Shell business principles and code of ethics contained in the Form 20-F returns Shell filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission in the run up to the reserves scandal, which turned out to contain fraudulent declarations of oil and gas reserves. read more

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Shell sees future in unconventional gas

Published: June 30, 2011 at 9:44 AM

LONDON, June 30 (UPI) — A so-called revolution in gas supplies driven in part by shale-gas reserves will allay global energy security concerns, a Shell official said in London.

Malcolm Brinded, executive director of global upstream activity at Royal Dutch Shell, told delegates at an energy summit in London natural gas is one of the best ways to cut greenhouse gases and develop a secure and sustainable energy supply.

He points to analysis from the International Energy Agency that predicts a rise in global gas demand of around 60 percent, fueled by booming economies in China and India, by 2035. read more

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Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush

By : A version of this article appeared in print on June 26, 2011, on page A1 of the New York edition

Natural gas companies have been placing enormous bets on the wells they are drilling, saying they will deliver big profits and provide a vast new source of energy for the United States.

But the gas may not be as easy and cheap to extract from shale formations deep underground as the companies are saying, according to hundreds of industry e-mails and internal documents and an analysis of data from thousands of wells. read more

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Shell adverts being investigated

June 1 2011 at 04:15pm

The Advertising Standards Authority is investigating whether Royal-Dutch Shell advertisements about hydraulic fracturing are misleading and untruthful, the Treasure Karoo Action Group (TKAG) said on Wednesday.

Shell had run the full-page advertisements in national weekly newspapers and had distributed flyers at its service stations, TKAG national co-ordinator Jonathan Deal said in a statement.

This, after the Cabinet declared a moratorium on all applications for licences to conduct hydraulic fracturing in the exploration of shale gas reserves in the Karoo. read more

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Blackpool Rocked

Blackpool Shale Gas drilling suspended after quake

31 May 2011

Shale gas test drilling in Lancashire has been suspended following an earthquake on the Fylde coast.

Cuadrilla, the firm behind the tests, said drilling had been suspended as a precaution after the 1.5 magnitude tremor – the second in two months.

It will now examine the data collected by the British Geological Survey (BGS) before deciding whether to resume.

A tremor centred on Poulton-le-Fylde on 1 April shared a “similar location and mechanism”, the BSG said. read more

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MPs urge backing for UK shale gas

By Roger Harrabin Environment analyst, BBC News

Gas is a natural by-product of shale rock

A Commons committee has urged ministers to support plans for controversial shale gas drilling in the UK.

The energy select committee said environmental problems associated with it in the US could be overcome by tight regulation and good industry practice.

But the MPs said the UK government would need to be vigilant to ensure the technology did not pollute water or produce excessive greenhouse emissions.

Environmentalists said MPs should have called for a moratorium on shale gas. read more

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Shale gas drilling ‘contaminates drinking water’

Rising prices has led to a sharp increase in shale gas extraction schemes

By Mark Kinver Science and environment reporter, BBC News

Shale gas drilling operations increase the risk of nearby drinking water becoming contaminated with methane, a study has suggested.

Researchers found, on average, methane concentrations 17 times above normal in samples taken near drilling sites.

Growing demand for energy has led to a sharp increase in shale gas extraction around the globe, prompting concerns about the impact of the technology.

The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. read more

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Shell cites history to allay Karoo fears

May 3 2011 at 07:01pm

Shell Oil Company, which has decades of experience in natural gas development in Alberta, Canada and in Texas, US, believes the procedure of drilling wells and using millions of gallons of water to extract shale gas in the karoo can be done without significant environmental damage.

It is also looking at, and piloting, other technology applications, including tight and shale gas fracturing which do not use water. One option is the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). This effectively uses gas to extract gas. read more

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US not ready for debate on exporting shale gas: Shell official


Washington (Platts)–26Apr2011/533 pm EDT/2133 GMT

Shell’s president for US operations on Tuesday called talk of exporting shale gas premature, at least politically.

“We’re still waking up to the fact that we have this enormous energy resource in our backyard,” Marvin Odum said at the US Energy Information Administration’s conference in Washington. “It completely changed the way we look at energy as a country.”

“I think we finish that realization process and then have the political debate about whether exporting some of that energy is something we allow to happen or not.” read more

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Fossil fuel firms use ‘biased’ study in massive gas lobbying push

guardian.co.uk home

Industry urging governments and business to reject renewables in favour of ‘green’ shale gas

Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent, Wednesday 20 April 2011 17.24 BST

Pipes at a natural gas drilling site near Montrose, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Daniel Acker/Getty Images

Senior executives in the fossil fuel industry have launched an all-out assault on renewable energy, lobbying governments and business groups to reject wind and solar power in favour of gas, in a move that could choke the fledgling green energy industry.

Multinational companies including Shell, GDF Suez and Statoil are promoting gas as an alternative “green” fuel. These companies are among dozens around the world investing in new technologies to exploit shale gas, a controversial form of the fuel that has rejuvenated the gas industry because it is plentiful in supply and newly accessible due to technical advances in gas extraction known as “fracking”. read more

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Shale gas: is it as green as the oil companies say?

guardian.co.uk home

At the heart of the shale gas ‘sell’ is the industry’s analysis of a European Climate Foundation report – an analysis ECF rejects

Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent: Wednesday 20 April 2011 20.49 BST

A natural gas wellhead near Montrose, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Daniel Acker/Getty

“You just wouldn’t believe you could get gas out of that, would you?” said Mark Miller, chief executive of UK gas company Cuadrilla Resources, turning over a lump of hard black rock. It is dark, extremely dense and very heavy, with a smooth and almost chalky feel, and is found buried thousands of feet beneath the surface of the earth in deposits made 300m years ago.

There are no holes, nothing to betray the fact that this shale rock can be made to yield natural gas in such quantities that it could power the globe for centuries. read more

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Natural Gas from Shale Contributes to Global Warming, Researchers Find

Natural Gas from Shale Contributes to Global Warming, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily (Apr. 13, 2011) — Natural gas extracted from shale formations has a greater greenhouse gas footprint — in the form of methane emissions — than conventional gas, oil and coal over a 20 year period. This calls into question the logic of its use as a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, according to Robert Howarth and colleagues, from Cornell University in New York.

Their work is published online in Springer’s journal, Climatic Change Letters.

Shale gas has become an increasingly important source of natural gas in the United States over the past decade. Shale gas is extracted by a high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) process. Large volumes of water are forced under pressure into the shale to fracture and re-fracture the rock to boost gas flow. A significant amount of water returns to the surface as flow-back within the first few days to weeks after injection and is accompanied by large quantities of methane. read more

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Shale gas ‘worse than coal’ for climate


Gas is a natural by-product of shale rock

12 April 2011 Last updated at 18:10

By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News

The new kid on the energy block, shale gas, may be worse in climate change terms than coal, a study concludes.

Drawn from rock through a controversial “fracking” process, some hail the gas as a “stepping stone” to a low-carbon future and a route to energy security.

But US researchers found that shale gas wells leak substantial amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. read more

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Shell’s outgoing UK boss has seen oil firm’s role shift in a changing climate

guardian.co.uk home

Chairman James Smith says Shell has had to respond to the global warming challenge

Fiona Harvey The Guardian, Friday 8 April 2011

James Smith leaves Royal Dutch Shell at the end of the month

Now is a good time to be running an oil company. Prices are sky-high, energy demand is increasing at an unprecedented rate as the global economy recovers, and there are new markets to be explored. Royal Dutch Shell largely dodged the criticism heaped on the industry after BP‘s catastrophic oil spill last year in the Gulf of Mexico, and is delivering golden results to shareholders. Profits for 2010 were reported as $18.6bn (about £11.4bn), nearly double the $9.8bn for the year before. read more

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Shell drills 17 wells in China, eyes big spend -CEO

Reuters Africa

BEIJING, March 20 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote) is drilling 17 wells in China, including for tight gas and shale gas, Chief Executive Peter Voser told Reuters on Sunday.

If the drilling is successful, Shell aims to spend $1 billion a year over the next five years on shale gas in China, he said on the sidelines of a forum, adding that it was already spending $400 million on unconventional gas in China this year.

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu)

� Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved read more

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Royal Dutch Shell fracking controversy

COMMENT BY AN OUTSPOKEN FORMER EMPLOYEE OF SHELL OIL USA

Reference the articles on the South African Karoo region shale gas production controversy, I have to side with Royal Dutch Shell, et al, on this issue.

I could write you a commentary on the hydraulic fracturing (‘frac’ing’) process and what it does, but it would be somewhat technical so I think I will let it slide.

Very briefly, ‘frac’ing’ is a very common technique used for stimulating production rates from both oil and gas reservoirs. There are two types of hydraulic ‘frac’ing’: acid frac’ing which is very common and done mostly in carbonate reservoirs, and sand or propant frac’ing which is also common and done in sandstone or shale reservoirs. read more

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Oil giant Shell’s shale gas plans stir controversy

By Justine Gerardy (AFP) 8 February 2011

CAPE TOWN — Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell is targeting potential untapped shale gas reserves in coal-hungry South Africa where landowners – including a Dutch princess – are readying for a showdown.

Shell applied in December to explore 90,000 square kilometres — twice the size of Denmark — for gas deposits in the clay-like shale rock of the arid central Karoo.

“The shale gas potential is quite high, because there is a high volume of shale and therefore the potential for gas development is very big,” said Jenny Marot of the state’s Petroleum Agency SA (PASA). read more

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South Africa farmers oppose Shell’s shale gas plans

Reuters Africa Thu Feb 3, 2011 12:53pm GMT

By Wendell Roelf

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell is facing opposition to its plans to seek shale gas in South Africa’s semi-desert Karoo region, as farmers fear methods used to extract it will contaminate water and harm the environment.

The outcome of whether Shell is allowed to proceed could affect prospects for other oil and gas companies in the Karoo, which may hold substantial deposits of gas in shale.

This gas can now be exploited due to new techniques and could bring a much needed fresh source of energy to Africa’s largest economy, which is heavily reliant on coal. read more

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