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This Billionaire Just Joined The Race For A Major Shell North Sea Oilfield

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By Irina Slav – Oct 17, 2016, 8:55 AM CDT

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Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire owner of chemicals conglomerate Ineos, will bid for Shell’s Buzzard oilfield in the North Sea valued at around US$2.2 billion (GBP 1.8 billion). The sale is part of Shell’s debt reduction plans, following its multibillion acquisition of gas major BG Group earlier this year. Total proceeds from asset sales are seen at up to US$30 billion (GBP 24.6 billion).

For Ratcliffe, if his bid wins, the deal would represent a much sought-after expansion into the energy industry of the country. His bid for Buzzard is the latest in the North Sea, after last year, Ineos acquired all the gas fields operated by German DEA Group in the U.K. North Sea shelf. The Buzzard field became property of Shell after the acquisition of BG Group. Ineos is also the owner of the only oil refinery in Scotland. read more

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Shell North Sea Sale Said to Draw Ineos, Siccar Point Bids

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cropped-Screen-Shot-2016-09-09-at-20.58.10.jpgBy Dinesh Nair: 12 October 2016

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has invited binding bids from parties including Ineos AG and Blackstone Group LP-backed Siccar Point Energy for the sale of some of its U.K. North Sea assets worth about $2 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

North Sea-focused energy explorer Chrysaor Holdings Ltd. has teamed up with U.S. private equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners to submit a second-round bid before the Wednesday deadline, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. No final agreements have been reached, they said. read more

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Exclusive: Maersk Oil eyes Shell’s North Sea assets ahead of spin-off

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screen-shot-2016-09-09-at-20-58-10By Ron Bousso and Jonathan Saul | LONDON

A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) is in talks to buy a portfolio of North Sea assets from Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) as the Danish group considers adding scale to its oil and gas business ahead of a planned spin off, banking sources said.

Maersk announced on Thursday a major overhaul that will see it focus on its core transport and logistics businesses, while looking at options for its energy division within 24 months that could include a joint venture, merger or listing. read more

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Noble Upstream snap-up Shell North Sea asset

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Written by Rita Brown – 08/09/2016 9:08 am

Noble Upstream has snapped-up one of Shell’s legacy North Sea assets.

The firm acquired a 7.59% non-operated interest in the Maclure oil and gas field from the oil giant.

Jeremy Huck, chief executive of Nobel Upstream, said: “We are very pleased that this important transaction in the North Sea has closed. Strong operational and economic performance this year has demonstrated that well-targeted investments in mature basins like the North Sea can deliver superior returns. read more

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Shell’s North Sea exit could generate $1bn, says UBS

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Jillian Ambrose7 SEPTEMBER 2016 • 1:27PM

Shell could be in line to make $1bn (£750m) in the next two years by selling off North Sea assets as part of a $30bn divestment drive, according to UBS.

The bank predicts that Shell’s North Sea retreat will begin with a “tidying up” of the oil major’s high-cost, legacy assets but that a sale of its attractive core projects could not be ruled out.

UBS oil analyst Jon Rigby said that sales of the oil giant’s older North Sea assets would only generate “a few hundred million dollars” unless the company opts for a more “radical” approach including ditching stakes in the core projects that make up its $7bn North Sea portfolio. read more

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Scottish Oil Experts Scold Shell for Platform Abandonment Plans

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Screen Shot 2016-08-29 at 22.18.50Two renowned oil industry experts from Scotland have vigorously criticized Shell’s plans to leave major parts of four platforms in the Brent field standing when it decommissions the aged field that gave the name to the most widely used international price benchmark.

Professors Alex Russell and Peter Strachan, respectively chairman of the Scottish Oil Association and researcher at the Robert Gordon University, noted in a paper that the concrete structures will take hundreds of years to disintegrate and represent a potential hazard that local people will have to pay for, rather than the field operator. read more

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Eiffel Towers in the North Sea – Shell’s decommissioning plans another Brent Spar PR disaster?

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Alex Russell and Peter Strachan: from Robert Gordon University

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2016

Shell is preparing to start the decommissioning of its four gigantic oil platforms in the famous Brent field in the Scottish part of the North Sea – a huge undertaking. Unfortunately, write Professor Alex Russell of the Oil Industry Finance Association and Professor Peter Strachan of Robert Gordon University, the company plans to dismantle only the topsides of the platforms. It wants to leave the Eiffel-tower sized legs, including 64 giant storage cells at the base of these structures, in place. They will take hundreds of years to disintegrate. Russell and Strachan call on the UK government and other North Sea governments to call a halt to these plans. They also demand that the Scottish government will have a say in the project. read more

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Shell’s North Sea assets draw eye of private equity-backed groups

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A significant downsizing…

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Investment companies backed by some of the world’s biggest private equity groups have expressed interest in North Sea assets being sold by Royal Dutch ShellShell insists it will not abandon the North Sea, where it has 33 platforms and interests in 65 fields. Further multibillion-dollar investment is planned in two big developments — Clair and Schiehallion — west of the Shetland Islands. However, Shell is looking to sell a range of older assets, as well as stakes in newer fields, in what would amount to a significant downsizing, according to people involved in the process. read more

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Workers claim stocks running out on strike hit Shell platform

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Screen Shot 2016-08-04 at 09.47.49Screen Shot 2016-07-29 at 16.46.22Written by Niamh Burns – 08/08/2016 2:43 pm

Stocks including fresh water are said to be running out on a North Sea platform hit by strike action.

Oil major Shell said stocks are “running low” as a result of a supply vessel being unable to offload due to the bad weather over the weekend.

However, workers have attributed the low stocks on the Gannet platform to the current industrial action.

Some have claimed laundry services have been shut since the weekend and they have been told to re-use towels and take shorter showers and re-wear clothes due to depleted water levels. read more

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North Sea oil workers strike over jobs and pay

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Andrew Ward, Energy Editor: August 4, 2016

Screen Shot 2016-07-29 at 16.46.22Hundreds of workers on North Sea oil and gas rigs downed tools on Thursday in an escalation of a dispute which has highlighted mounting economic pressure on the UK offshore energy industry.

Seven platforms operated by Royal Dutch Shell are affected by the 48-hour stoppage involving employees of its maintenance contractor, Wood Group.

The strike has exposed rising anger among the North Sea workforce…

FULL FT ARTICLE

RELATED

Bryce Elder

Shell slips as concern shifts to debt pile read more

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Offshore workers strike talks end without agreement

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Unite and the RMT union are representing about 350 workers involved in a dispute over pay and conditions with oil services company Wood Group.

Some workers claim they are facing cuts of up to 30%. Wood Group denies this.

The Aberdeen-based firm provides maintenance and construction to Shell and signed a three-year extension to its contract earlier this year.

Unite said the unions offered to suspend industrial action if Wood Group removed the current proposal for changes to pay and conditions in full, to allow further talks. read more

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Unions to stage 48-hour strike on Shell’s North Sea assets

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Written by Niamh Burns – 29/07/2016 7:59 am

Unions will stage a 48-hour strike next week as industrial action continues on seven Shell assets in the North sea.

Both RMT and Unite members voted in support of action for the first time in more than a generation.

Around 400 workers are taking part in a continuous overtime ban, while tools were also downed on Tuesday this week, followed by two three hour stoppages yesterday.

Wood Group is currently making changes to is contracts with workers on Shell installations after renewing its contract with the oil major earlier this week. read more

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Oil Workers Strike Over Shell’s Proposed Cuts

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By SELINA WILLIAMSJuly 26, 2016 9:47 a.m. ET

LONDON—About 400 workers at seven Royal Dutch Shell PLC oil and gas platforms in the U.K. North Sea began a 24-hour strike early Tuesday in a dispute over proposed cuts of up to 30% on pay and allowances, the Unite union said in a news release.

The strike will be followed by a series of other stoppages over the following weeks, Unite said.

FULL ARTICLE

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Hundreds of North Sea workers down tools on Shell oil rigs

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Screen Shot 2016-07-26 at 16.45.26Jillian Ambrose26 JULY 2016 • 1:26PM

Around 400 North Sea oil workers have downed tools on Shell oil rigs in the sector’s first spate of industrial action in 28 years.

The 24-hour strike began at 6.30am on Tuesday alongside an ongoing refusal to work overtime and will be followed by further stoppages in the weeks to come, trade union Unite warned.

Offshore oil workers employed by Wood Group to work on Shell’s giant Brent oilfield platforms voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action earlier this month, after talks over plans to bring in longer hours and lower pay broke down. read more

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How do you hold a strike on a North Sea oil platform?

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Hundreds of RMT and Unite union members who work for Wood Group are set to stage the 24-hour industrial action on Tuesday in a dispute over pay.

It will be the first industrial action of its kind in the offshore oil and gas industry in almost 30 years.

But how do you actually conduct a strike on a North Sea oil platform?

Those union members involved on the seven Shell platforms will go to designated areas – but will respond should there be an emergency situation.

There will not be the traditional high-profile picket lines that people associate with strikes on land. read more

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North Sea workers’ strike to ‘severely disrupt’ Shell operations – union

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Commodities | Mon Jul 18, 2016 6:10pm BST

* 24-hour strike on seven Shell platforms set for July 26

* To be followed by three-hour strikes in coming weeks

* Maintenance workers strike may not impact production

* Shell making contingency plans to ensure safety – source 

By Karolin Schaps

LONDON, July 18 A 24-hour strike of Wood Group oil and gas maintenance workers will “severely disrupt” operations at several Royal Dutch Shell platforms in the North Sea where they are employed, labour union Unite said on Monday. read more

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Group braced for North Sea strike action

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Trade unions have accused the Anglo-Dutch oil major of recruiting ‘scab labour’ after advertisements appeared on job agency websites offering maintenance work on week-by-week contracts.

by Mary MorleyThursday, 14 Jul 2016, 09:09 BST

Royal Dutch Shell (LON:RDSA) is bracing for a strike on seven of its North Sea platforms after almost half of the workers voted in favour of industrial action. The dispute comes with energy companies struggling to keep the region competitive in the face of falling output and weak oil prices.

Shell’s share price has surged in London this morning, having jumped 1.27 percent to 2,114.50p as of 08:40 BST, outperforming the benchmark FTSE 100 index which currently stands 0.65 percent higher at 6,713.49 points. The group’s shares have gained just under 15 percent over the past year, and are up some 38 percent in the year-to-date. read more

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Wood maintenance workers back strike on Shell UK platforms

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Markets | Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:53am EDT

* Support for strike over pay and working conditions

* Shell platforms concerned include Brent, Shearwater

As many as seven of Royal Dutch Shell’s North Sea platforms could be hit by the first strike action in the basin in 10 years after Wood Group employees working on the facilities voted on Wednesday in favour of industrial action.

Wood Group workers are employed on Shell platforms to carry out maintenance work. A person familiar with the operations said this meant production from the platforms was unlikely to be affected by potential strikes in the short term. read more

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Offshore workers vote backs strike action

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13 July 2016

Members of two unions at oil and gas company Wood Group have voted in favour of going on strike.

Unite and the RMT have been in dispute with the firm over what the trade unions have described as a “swingeing” proposed pay cut.

Unite’s ballot had a turnout of 86.6% and 99.1% voted for strike action, while 98.5% of the RMT’s turnout of 67% also backed taking the same action.

Wood Group said it was “extremely disappointed” by the results.

It said it has addressed every significant concern and a resolution to the dispute would safeguard jobs. read more

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Shell braces for North Sea strike action

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Jillian Ambrose: 11 JULY 2016

Shell is bracing itself for major strike action on its North Sea platforms after talks between workers and oilfield services company Wood Group broke down ahead of a union ballot.

Wood Group’s oil workers will vote on whether to take action over tougher offshore working schedules and lower pay, in what could be the first wave of strikes for the North Sea in a generation.

Trade unions Unite and RMT are balloting 200 of around 450 oil workers working across Shell’s platforms in the Brent oilfield, and on Wednesday will decide whether almost half the workforce will down tools. read more

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Green groups urge Shell to remove Brent platform legs

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Written by Mark Lammey – 06/07/2016 7:11 am

Green lobbyists and politicians yesterday accused Shell (LON: RDSB) of shirking its environmental responsibilities with its plans to leave the gigantic legs of its Brent field platforms in the North Sea.

Mark Ruskell, Scottish Greens MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said the Brent field had generated millions for Shell and its shareholders and should be left in the same condition in which it was found.

On Monday, Shell said it would recommend leaving the 300,000 tonne legs from three of the field’s four platforms in place, along with storage cells, the lower section of the Alpha platform’s jacket, drill cuttings and heavier pipelines entrenched in the seabed. read more

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Shell plans to leave Brent platform legs in North Sea

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Written by

Oil major Shell (LON:RDSB) confirmed its intention to leave the giant legs of its Brent field platforms in the North Sea at the end of its multibillion-pound decommissioning campaign.

Duncan Manning, Shell’s business opportunity manager on Brent Decommissioning, said removing the 300,000 tonne legs would be “riddled with safety risks” and had little merit for the environment.

Mr Manning also said only the upper part of the Alpha platform’s jacket would be taken away as it is too heavy to be removed in one piece. read more

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Shell seeks exemption to North Sea clear-up rules

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Andrew Ward, Energy Editor: July 4, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell wants to leave behind steel and concrete structures as large as the Empire State Building when it abandons one of the biggest oil and gas fields in the North Sea.

FULL FT ARTICLE

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North Sea worker strikes loom as contracts tighten

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Jillian Ambrose: 1 MAY 2016

The North Sea sector could face the first wave of workers strikes in a generation as union tensions rise in response to longer hours and lower pay for the embattled workforce.

This weekend members of Unite are weighing up whether to accept tougher contract terms from Wood Group, one of the North Sea’s largest oilfield services firms, after the group met with unions on Friday.

A strike across Wood Group’s workforce could impact projects across the North Sea including decommissioning work on the giant Brent oilfield operated by oil giant Shell, where workers have already threatened to down tools over Wood Group’s plans for tougher contracts. read more

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Shell’s UK boss says it will strike ‘innovative deals’ for its North Sea assets

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Written by Erikka Askeland – 15/04/2016 7:54 am

Oil giant Shell is running the rule over the potential sale of north Sea assets – but it is too early since its mega-merger with rival BG Group to have decided on a sale process.

But Paul Goodfellow, Shell’s upstream vice-president for the UK and Ireland, said the company may be looking at “innovative deals” like the sale of its Anasuria field.

Last year, Shell and its joint venture partner ExxonMobil struck a deal to sell its Anasuria cluster in the Central North Sea to a duo of Malaysia-based oil companies, Hibiscus Petroleum and Ping Petroleum, for close to £70million. read more

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Shell’s UK boss says North Sea oil is prize worth fighting for

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Written by Phil Allan – 14/04/2016

The head of Shell’s UK upstream operation said the North Sea oil industry is a “prize worth fighting for” in the years to come, but said more still needs to be done to ensure the long-term future of the sector.

Paul Goodfellow said many positive steps have been taken but industry, the Oil and Gas Authority and Westminster and Holyrood governments needs to continue to work together to transform the basin into highly competitive province.

Goodfellow said: “There’s too much at stake not to make this work.” read more

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Shell CEO says may sell some North Sea assets to improve portfolio

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PERTH | BY SONALI PAUL: Tue Apr 12, 2016

Royal Dutch Shell could sell some of its older, lower grade North Sea assets to improve the quality of its portfolio, CEO Ben van Beurden said on Tuesday, part of a two-year program to help finance its purchase of gas major BG Group.

After completing the $52 billion acquisition of BG in February, Shell said it would sell $30 billion in assets between 2016 and 2018 to help finance the deal and to maintain its dividend following a sharp drop in oil prices since mid-2014. read more

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Former Centrica boss in talks to buy Shell oil assets

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By Jillian Ambrose, business reporter: 27 MARCH 2016

A $5bn investment fund, led by former Centrica boss Sam Laidlaw, is in talks to snap up assets from Shell’s $30bn oil and gas divestment drive.

Neptune Oil and Gas was launched last summer to hunt for oil and gas bargains, and has confirmed that it is in talks with Bank of America Merrill Lynch to take advantage of Shell’s ambitious sales plans.

A spokesman for the fund said that Shell’s assets are being considered as part of its wider strategy to target large-scale investment in distressed assets in the North Sea, North Africa and South East Asia. read more

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REPORT CRITICAL OF SHELL OVER SWITCH IN NORTH SEA HELICOPTER FIRMS

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Screen Shot 2015-11-20 at 08.55.47See Air Transport Feedback No116 at www.chirp.co.uk

The Confidential Human Factors Reporting Programme is critical of Shell giving helicopter operator Dancopter short notice of contract termination as they move the flying to CHC Helicopters threatening high pilot stress and a disincentive to report ill that they liken to Germanwings. 

CHIRP don’t name the companies but they are discussed at www.pprune.org in a thread entitled Shell Southern North Sea Contract 2012 which stated when Shell dropped Bristow (who had the contract for 14 years) for Dancopter.   read more

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Shell fined by Scottish court for 2011 North Sea oil spill

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“Despite being responsible for the worst North Sea spill in a decade, the level of the fine is literally a drop in the ocean when compared to the billions earned by Shell annually…” Screen Shot 2015-11-21 at 00.19.03

LONDON: Business News | Tue Nov 24, 2015 2:42pm GMT

Oil major Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) was handed a 22,500 pound fine by a local Scottish court on Tuesday for a 2011 oil spill in the North Sea that was the largest in more than a decade.

A subsea pipeline leak from Shell’s Gannet Alpha field spilled more than 200 tonnes of oil into the central North Sea in August 2011. Aberdeen Sheriff Court imposed the fine after Shell pleaded guilty in the case.

The oil major has accepted the charge and said it had since carried out a review of its North Sea pipeline system and had applied lessons learned across its British operations. read more

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Shell handed £22,500 fine over August 2011 North Sea oil spill

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Screen Shot 2015-11-20 at 08.55.47November 24, 2015 12:30 pm

The company carried out a review of its North Sea pipeline system following the leak, which came from a subsea pipeline in the Gannet field in August 2011.

More than 200 tonnes of oil – about 1,300 barrels – entered the North Sea from the pipe about 112 miles east of Aberdeen after the problem was first detected on August 10.

The fine was handed down at Aberdeen Sheriff Court after Shell admitted two charges.

Paul Goodfellow, Shell’s upstream director, UK & Ireland, said: “We deeply regret the Gannet spill and accept the fine which has been handed down to us. read more

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Shell charged over Gannet Alpha leak in 2011

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Screen Shot 2015-09-17 at 07.55.40Friday 20 November 2015

Oil giant Shell has been charged after an investigation into a leak at a North Sea platform in 2011, the BBC Scotland news website has learned.

It involved the Gannet Alpha platform, 113 miles (180km) from Aberdeen.

It was reported that the pipeline leaked more than 200 tonnes of oil.

The case against Shell UK is due to call at Aberdeen Sheriff Court next week. The charges cover oil pollution, pipeline safety and health and safety regulations.

The pipeline involved was about 300ft (91m) below the surface. read more

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Offshore decommissioning ‘a new beginning for North Sea industry’

Offshore decommissioning ‘a new beginning for North Sea industry’

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Brent Delta is among the most iconic platforms

By Ken Banks: BBC Scotland North East reporter

As a growing number of North Sea oil and gas fields head towards the end of their production lives, industry leaders are waking up to the challenges – and opportunities – that lie ahead. Hundreds of business figures attended a conference in Aberdeen this week to learn more about where the decommissioning process is heading.

There’s a growing realisation that offshore decommissioning is now really happening.

Over the next 25 years or so, the process of retiring North Sea oil and gas facilities could cost tens of billions of pounds, according to projections. read more

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Shell criticised after Brent Delta worker hurt by flying cylinder

Screen Shot 2015-02-12 at 07.34.47From a BBC News article published 11 February 2015

Oil firm Shell has been criticised after an offshore worker was seriously injured when a compressed gas cylinder flew through the air and hit him.

The incident happened on the Brent Delta platform in the North Sea on 10 November.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said Shell did not have a safe system of work, and issued the company with a prohibition notice.

Shell said action had been taken to address the issues raised by the HSE.

RELATED BBC NEWS ARTICLE PUBLISHED 14 June 2006

Shell ‘ignored accident warning’

Oil giant Shell has been accused of operating platforms in the North Sea at dangerously high risk levels.

Former senior manager Bill Campbell, who led a safety review, claimed the company ignored his warning in 1999 that an accident was bound to happen. read more

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Pieter Schelte ship name change to Pioneering Spirit fraught with superstitious pitfalls

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 15.20.49By John Donovan

Following the decision announced on 9 February 2015 that Allseas is changing the name of The Pieter Schelte to the Pioneering Spirit, Ton Biesemaat, the Dutch investigative journalist, posted the following comment on our Shell Blog, which I assume is partly tongue in cheek:

Every seaman knows that changing a ship’s name brings bad luck. Especially if you do not purge all the references to the former name. Not even Pieter Schelte can stay on any documents. However Allseas with their admiration for the Nazi Pieter Schelte Heerema has chosen to rename their Nazi ship into Pioneering Spirit. Which is still a reference to the evil SS-man and even retains the P and S of Pieter Schelte. No sane minded seaman will take the risk to sail on this ship. Evil reigns there. Beware of the bad spirits! read more

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Shell’s titanic task of breaking up massive North Sea oil structures

Screen Shot 2015-02-02 at 23.14.09Article by Peter Campbell On The Brent Delta Rig In The North Sea published by The Daily Mail/This is Money 2 Feb 2015 under the headline:

CITY FOCUS: Shell’s titanic task of breaking up massive North Sea oil structures as life of rigs comes to an end

Even though we are in British waters, the closest train station is Bergen, in Norway. In fact, the rig that we are standing on is so remote that London is three times further away than the Arctic Circle and the nearest landfall, on the Shetland Islands, is more than one hundred miles to the South West.

But Britain has this remote patch of icy water to thank for much of its prosperity over the last three decades. The Delta oil field, only a few miles from the border that divides British waters from Norwegian, has been one of the most productive ever discovered. read more

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Royal Dutch Shell slashing North Sea jobs

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 16.29.29By John Donovan

250 full time Shell employees and contractor staff in Aberdeen will be culled over the next year. 

According to a Shell spokesperson:

Shell is reorganising its operations to better serve the needs of its offshore facilities and to build a stronger long-term business in the North Sea. Following staff consultation, Shell expects to reduce employee and contractor headcount by a total of around 250 positions over the next year. Revisions to the onshore organisation will be implemented by the end of 2014. Shell is determined to ensure that it continues to deliver safe, competitive operations in its North Sea portfolio and maximises value from its operated assets. read more

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Shell issued with improvement notice after Nelson platform incident

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 16.29.29BBC News report published 29 May 2014

Oil firm Shell has been issued with an improvement notice after an incident on a North Sea platform led to a partial downmanning of workers.

It happened on the Nelson installation in March.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said Shell failed to ensure that a flexible hose assembly, related to a gas turbine, was maintained in good repair.

The company was given until the end of June to make changes.

A Shell spokesman said: “We are working towards the action requirements of the improvement notice.” read more

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Shell says some North Sea assets may be added to the firesale

Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer. Royal Dutch Shell Plc

Ben van Beurden, CEO, Royal Dutch Shell Plc

Extracts from an article by Martin Flanagan published on 13 March 2014 by The Scotsman under the headline: “Shell says some North Sea assets may be for sale”

OIL giant Shell suggested today that some of its “mature” North Sea energy assets may be for sale after a string of production breakdowns last year and as it seeks to rein in its growth plans under its new chief executive. Ben van Beurden, who took the helm 10 weeks ago, said in a presentation to financial markets: “We have to be honest with ourselves. The North Sea has disappointed for Shell in 2013. We are looking carefully at cases of unplanned downtime (of rigs).” read more

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Shell under fire over ‘toxic waste risk’

Screen Shot 2013-12-10 at 08.58.34 Published at 12:01AM, December 10 2013

Dozens of huge concrete tanks containing unknown amounts of toxic petrochemical waste will be left on the seabed under the latest proposals for decommissioning some of the oldest and largest oil rigs around Scotland’s coast.

The energy giant Shell plans to apply early next year for permission to leave 64 underwater storage tanks in the Brent oilfield, 116 miles off Shetland. Each is about 60 metres in height, roughly the same as Edinburgh’s Scott Monument and taller than Nelson’s column in London. read more

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SHELL HAS HAD ADVANCE SIGHT OF THIS STATEMENT

Screen Shot 2013-03-05 at 15.42.20THIS STATEMENT BY MR BILL CAMPBELL, RETIRED HSE GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL, WAS SUPPLIED TO ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC COMPANY SECRETARY AND GENERAL COUNSEL CORPORATE, MR MICHIEL BRANDJES IN ADVANCE OF ITS PUBLICATION TODAY. THUS SHELL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK AN INJUNCTION TO PREVENT PUBLICATION

By Bill Campbell, statement embargoed for publication on 11 September 2013

Death by Sandblasting – how production concerns, versus safety of employees, caused offshore deaths

 

The Shell Chairman and his Legal Counsel accepts that the evidence held by police that offshore staff were afraid to raise permits and had been conditioned by onshore managers to ignore safety procedures over a prolonged period is authentic

 

This story is about behaviour, bad behaviour.  It is about how offshore workers were bullied, coerced, harassed by onshore management to keep oil and gas production going at all costs and over a prolonged period of time.  It’s about how operators will do what is expected of them if they are put under unreasonable pressure.  It’s about how under these conditions deviation, or bending of rules, leads to breaking rules, and eventually to ignoring rules altogether.  Ignoring rules, despite the consequences, becomes just the normal way of doing things in the Brent oilfield. read more

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Brent Bravo Deaths: Information supplied today to Shell and the Police

Screen Shot 2013-09-09 at 17.59.46The first article is attached which I would ask John Donovan if he could kindly print this on his website on 11th September.  In separate correspondence I will pass you the Shell evidence from 1999/2003 which is then cross compared with the prosecution findings and the public inquiry.  In all, 4 or 5 articles will be published which will support the case that Director’s of Shell were culpable in relation to the deaths, and that HSE officials were, by the examination of their own evidence, involved with Misconduct in Public Office. Perhaps the most damaging will be… Shell accepts retention of mentally unstable Manager contributed to offshore deaths…

RECEIVED TODAY FROM MR BILL CAMPBELL, RETIRED HSE GROUP AUDITOR, SHELL INTERNATIONAL. MR CAMPBELL HAS ALSO SENT THE SAME INFORMATION TO ROYAL DUTCH SHELL AND GRAMPIAN POLICE. MR CAMPBELL IS A NORTH SEA EP PLATFORM SAFETY EXPERT, OFTEN CITED IN THE PRESS AND ON TV

By Bill Campbell

We approach the 10 year anniversary of the deaths of Sean McCue and Keith Moncrieff on Brent Bravo on 11 September 2003.  Evidence led at the public Inquiry insinuated they were in part responsible for their own deaths since they carried out work without a permit. During the recent anniversary of Piper Alpha I was approached by a number of journalists to make comment in general re the effectiveness of the safety case regime and I plan to publish a number of articles and provide them with the evidence that they were misled in 2006, a number of journalists lost their jobs, or left their current employer, for daring to go up against the mighty Shell, so I can assure you there is no love lost.  After the investigation by the Procurator Fiscal – read more

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Shell probe into North Sea oil platform crane damage

Screen Shot 2012-12-07 at 16.17.08

An investigation has been launched after a crane was damaged on a North Sea Shell platform, BBC Scotland has learned.

The Brent Charlie platform crane, and some of its support structures, were damaged on Sunday.

Shell said no-one was injured, and production from the platform had not been affected.

A spokesperson said: “The crane and the surrounding area has been made safe.”

The spokesperson added: “An investigation team has been mobilised.”

SOURCE

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BG Group CEO Chris Finlayson, past indiscretions at Shell

In summary, Finlayson (right) sees himself as a victim to the goings-on in 1999, just one of many victims in the then Shell Expro, described in our Audit notes as a hostile environment of extreme denial.  I can concur that Chris was a victim, when for example he made light of the Touch F-All scandal in various press statements of which there is an audio record he did so because his Brent Field Manager Jorn Berget misled him.  He soon realised this but despite many attempts by me and his Internal Audit Manager he would not retract the statement.  In fear, no doubt for his job, his future promotion prospects etc, and led by the ear by his mentor and boss Malcolm Brinded he toed the line. read more

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Royal Dutch Shell a pioneer in blacklisting

CURRENT NEWS – BLACKLISTING: As could be expected, Shell was a pioneer in this evil, sinister and totally unethical conduct, detailed in an article we published 2 years ago: “Shell’s North Sea history of safety violations, blackmail and blacklisting.” 

By John Donovan

“At last the scandal of the illegal blacklisting of so-called troublesome workers in the building industry is getting the attention it deserves.”

(extract from Daily Mirror article published 24 Jan 2013)

“There should be a full inquiry into allegations of “shameful and insidious” blacklisting of workers on projects such as Crossrail and the Olympics. Labour’s Michael Meacher said blacklisting was the “worst human rights breach in the UK since the war”. During the Labour-led debate, Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said what had happened was “nothing short than a national scandal” and workers deserved honesty.” read more

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BG Group CEO Chris Finlayson and the Shell ‘Touch Fuck All’ Scandal

“Hyman et al should be reminded that Shell pled guilty on behalf of its Directors to all charges placed before them. So whatever gloss you paint over the turd, Finlayson and Brinded failed as Directors in their principal duty to comply with the Law so that risks to those persons exposed to these risks offshore were minimised, as was their legal responsibility.”

STATEMENT ISSUED ON 19 DECEMBER 2012 BY MR BILL CAMPBELL, RETIRED HSE GROUP AUDITOR, SHELL INTERNATIONAL: APPOINTMENT OF CHRIS FINLAYSON AS CEO OF BG GROUP

It appears that not just individuals but organisations have selective memory.  LK Hyman, BG Group, and others should bear in mind the facts that criminal neglect of maintenance over a prolonged period 1999 to 2003 caused the deaths of two men in Sept 2003 after the release of over 6000 m3 of gas into an enclosed space – that is what the Inquiry found and he needs to be reminded that Chris Finlayson and Malcolm Brinded were responsible in Law for the well being of 1000’s of employees over that prolonged period. As stated in writing by the then Lord Advocate in a parliamentary reply the haphazard management of safety over a prolonged period contributed directly to the deaths and the Director of these offshore activities during this period was Finlayson. He had been forewarned in 1999 that a serious accident event was inevitable if actions were not taken and he failed, failed totally, to heed these warnings. We got lucky in a sense that the gas did not ignite which as a consequence could have led to a Piper or Deepwater type of catastrophe.  Hyman et al should be reminded that Shell pled guilty on behalf of its Directors to all charges placed before them. So whatever gloss you paint over the turd, Finlayson and Brinded failed as Directors in their principal duty to comply with the Law so that risks to those persons exposed to these risks offshore were minimised, as was their legal responsibility. read more

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Finlayson is no Chapman!

Shares in BG Group dropped today on the news that Chris Finlayson, a former Shell senior executive, will be taking over from Frank Chapman, another former Shell senior executive, as CEO of the gas giant. As one Shell related source has commented to me today:

“Finlayson is no Chapman!!!!

Staff at BG Group may also be dismayed to learn of an allegation by whistleblower Bill Campbell, the retired HSE Group Auditor of Shell International, that Mr Finlayson gave false information to the UK Health & Safety Executive in regard to Shell’s infamous “Touch F*** All” safety culture on North Sea rigs, which cost the lives of Shell offshore workers. read more

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Shell poised to hand out Brent disposal contracts

By Rob Watts London

 22 November 2012 23:59 GMT

Shell intends to award the major heavy-lift removal and onshore disposal contracts for its landmark Brent Decommissioning project — together valued at hundreds of millions of dollars — by the end of the first quarter next year.

Initially the work covers the ­removal of the topsides of three of the four Brent platforms — ­Alpha, Bravo and Delta — and the steel jacket of Brent Alpha. As much as 97% of the steel is expected to be recycled. read more

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Shell instructed Corrib Gas Project supplier to falsify invoices?

By John Donovan

On 10 September we published an article under the headline “Irish Supplier Accuses Shell of Bribery, Cover-up and Sinister Threats

The supplier in question, OSSL, is located in Bangor-Erris, County Mayo.

Following further information supplied to me earlier today, I sent a self-explanatory email to Julia Busby, a senior Shell lawyer. It is printed below.

Shell is accused of instructing the supplier to falsify the content of 21 invoices relating to the controversial Corrib Gas Project in Ireland.  read more

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From our achives: Shell on back foot as ‘gripe site’ alleges safety concerns

DAILY MAIL ARTICLE 1 SEPTEMBER 2007


By Sam Fleming

‘As it stands we’re on the back foot and our aim should be to develop a strategy (or options) that puts us in a more positive and secure position.’

‘Do we fully understand our own position. Are there on-going issues that we need to know about/fix. Ensure we are on solid ground. Are we making the most of what we’ve got’

The Shell emails admitting the firm’s concern at the claims

ROYAL Dutch Shell is getting rattled by a ‘gripe site’ that alleges there are safety problems with its North Sea oil platforms. read more

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