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Syria

Informative links

VARIETY OF LINKS SUPPLIED BY A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR

John,

Some more links to a variety of information that may be of interest to your readers:

Shell Fails To Get Its Arctic Oil Spill Barge Certified By The Coast Guard

Shell Oil | ThinkProgress

Who is getting bought off by big oil?

[PDF] DEEP DRILLING, DEEP POCKETS IN CONGRESS

This article is somewhat different.

Renewable advocates battle oil industry over energy … – USA Today

Some links relating to Syria and mid-east oil politics. I was involved in the early development of many of the Syrian oil fields in the mid-1980’s and 1990’s. Some of these articles will give your readers an idea of what Shell has meant to Syria over the last 30 years. Shell’s activities have been critical for the Assad regime. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

E.U. sanctions force Shell to leave Syria

Protesters opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad face violent responses from security forces. The Arab League passed a series of measures censuring Syria for its actions.

By Javier Blas, Published: December 2

LONDON — Royal Dutch Shell said Friday it will “cease” activities in Syria after the European Union blacklisted three state-owned Syrian oil companies in an effort to raise the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The European Union said Friday it has widened its sanctions on the oil companies, General Petroleum Co., Al Furat Petroleum Co. and Syria Trading Oil Co. The move is seen as a significant blow to Syria, with diplomats expecting it to curtail oil production in the country. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell tells employees in Syria to obey EU sanctions, not clear production will stop

By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, December 2, 4:04 PM

AMSTERDAM — Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Friday it will halt its operations in Syria to comply with sanctions imposed by the European Union over the country’s violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

While Shell employees were told to stop working, it was not clear whether that will actually mean any reduction in Syria’s oil output. Shell is a minority partner in Syria’s state-owned Al Furat Petroleum Company, which the EU blacklisted Friday due to the country’s deadly crackdown on protesters. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell says to cease activities in Syria

Sanctions bite in Syria as oil giant Shell pulls out

By Douglas Hamilton

BEIRUT | Fri Dec 2, 2011 9:42am EST

(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell said on Friday it would cease operations in Syria to heed new European Union sanctions against Damascus, deepening the international isolation of President Bashar al-Assad imposed over his violent crackdown on popular unrest.

In the latest bloodshed, Syrian army defectors killed eight Air Force intelligence personnel in an attack on their base in the north of the country, according to an opposition group. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Is ‘Welcome Barbarian’ in China’s Shale Gas

The big question is: Can Shell keep riding this tiger? What prevents PetroChina’s parent, CNPC, from exploiting the Western producer for what it wants and then tossing it aside or perhaps even taking it over?

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell lukewarm about Syria oil boycott

British-Dutch oil giant Shell is under pressure to cease its activities in Syria. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on countries and companies to suspend their supplies to Syria because of the bloody oppression of the popular protests by the Assad regime.

Shell has said it is prepared to discuss possible oil sanctions against Syria, but has not committed itself to joining a boycott. The company is a 30 percent partner in a consortium which is producing oil in Syria. Half the consortium is owned by state-owned Syrian companies, and the remaining 20 percent is held by Asian investors. Shell is pumping up oil and sells the crude on Syria’s General Petroleum Company. There are no Shell refineries in the country. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Syria stops payments to Shell and Total

FINANCIAL TIMES

November 10, 2011

By Javier Blas and Sylvia Pfeifer in London and Abigail Fielding-Smith in Beirut

Syria has stopped paying for oil produced within the country by Royal Dutch Shell and Total, highlighting the economic tensions affecting Bashar al-Assad’s regime after months of pro-democracy protests.

“Their continued domestic oil production in Syria is fuelling government tanks shelling peaceful protesters,” said Wissam Tarif, of Avaaz, a campaign group.

FULL FT ARTICLE

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell, Total cut Syrian oil output amid sanctions

LONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Oil majors Royal Dutch Shell and Total have slashed Syrian oil production as international sanctions make exports impossible, industry sources told Reuters.

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

EU Bans Syria Oil As Marchers Shot

Royal Dutch Shell: 32% stake in Al-Furat Petroleum.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

By FARNAZ FASSIHI

BEIRUT—The European Union banned all import of Syrian crude oil on Friday to protest Damascus’s violent suppression of demonstrators, but the standoff between protesters and President Bashar al-Assad’s government showed no signs of subsiding.

Security forces shot at least 14 marchers dead Friday as Syrians took to the streets following noon prayers. The largest protest appeared to take place in the city of Homs, where tens of thousands of people turned out against the Assad regime to support a day activists had labeled “death before humiliation.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Twitter storm pounds Shell’s Syria operations

Twitter users have joined forces to protest against Dutch oil giant Shell’s business operations in Syria. Friday saw the announcement of an EU-wide-ban on Syrian oil imports. Activists used the hash tag #shellfuelsmurder to stop all of the company’s operations in the country. Shell is the second-biggest foreign oil firm in Syria after French Total SA, which claims to have stopped all exports prior to the official sanctions. Shell has said it will comply with the EU embargo but will not unilaterally stop its activities in the country. The campaign comes on another Friday of widespread Syrian protests. Thousands of protesters have been killed by security forces since the start of the demonstrations in March. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

‘Shell fuels murder’ campaign by Syrian activists moves ahead despite EU sanctions

A Google Doc shared Friday by the campaign accused Shell’s oil sales of “financing the military operations against civilians throughout Syria” by President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Posted at 10:57 AM ET, 09/02/2011

By

The European Union on Friday imposed an embargo on oil exports from Syria as the country’s security forces surrounded mosques to prevent anti-government protesters from demonstrating after prayers.

Despite the ban, a campaign started by Syrian activists to halt Shell’s operations in Syria showed no signs of stopping, as many pointed out that the company could still export outside the EU.

The EU ban covers purchase, import, and transport of oil and other petroleum products from Syria, and would affect major oil corporations like Shell, which released a statement Friday that read: “Shell complies with all applicable laws, including international sanctions.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Royal Dutch Shell to continue operation in Syria


English.news.cn 2011-08-31 19:03:33

THE HAGUE, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday said it would not withdraw from unrest-torn Syria, despite mounting pressure from Dutch political parties, local media reported.

Halting the Shell’s operation in Syria would hurt the Syrian people more than its government, Dutch national broadcaster NOS quoted Dick Benschop ,head of Shell’s Dutch arm as saying.

The remarks came just one day after several political parties in the Netherlands called on the Anglo-Dutch group to withdraw from Syria in order to put more pressure on the country’s current authorities.

Dutch opposition party Democrats 66 leader Alexander Pechtold on Tuesday told Dutch newspaper Volkskrant that 95 percent of the Syrian oil exported went to European refineries, particularly in the Netherlands, Britain, France and Italy. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell won’t stop oil production in Syria unless EU mandates a boycott

By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, August 30, 5:00 PM

AMSTERDAM — Royal Dutch Shell PLC will not stop producing oil in Syria unless it is directed to do so by the European Union, media in the Netherlands report.

National broadcaster NOS news cites Dick Benschop, head of the company’s Dutch arm, as saying Shell thinks halting its operations there would hurt the Syrian people more than its government.

Benschop’s remarks came after a behind-closed-doors meeting Tuesday with members of Dutch parliament who have called for a boycott to protest the Syrian government crackdown on an uprising the U.N. says has left 2,200 dead since it began in March. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell FuelSave wakens memories of Formula Shell debacle

By John Donovan

Here we are again in the midst of a major Shell advertising campaign with huge colour adverts in the UK national press for a new Shell wonder fuel, this time invented by “Shell Fuel Scientists”: Its called Shell FuelSave

Shell’s Fuel Scientists are being rather cagey about the secret formula – Shell Efficiency improvers – inviting drivers to “guess what they do.” Doesn’t Shell know?

The adverts claim: “Our Fuel Scientists are more than satisfied with the results” described as “a remarkable benefit.” read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell fuels Syrian Tanks?

By John Donovan

SHELL IS A MAJOR SHAREHOLDER, PARTNER, OWNER AND MANAGEMENT PARTICIPANT IN A COMPANY SUPPLYING THE FUEL FOR SYRIAN TANKS USED TO CRUSH THE UPRISING

On Wednesday 24 August 2011, I sent an email to Mr Michiel Brandjes, Company Secretary & General Counsel Corporate, Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

I asked him whether an email sent earlier that same day to a third party, purportedly by Graham Henley, General Manager of Syria Shell Petroleum Development B.V. was authentic. I supplied a copy.
read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

EU Embargo on Syrian Crude Likely to Hurt Italy Most

Although the document only covers one month of Syrian petroleum exports, it provides a recent snapshot of ordinarily confidential trading activity in which European oil companies Repsol SA and Royal Dutch Shell PLC loaded Syrian crude, and Trafigura and Total SA loaded Syrian oil products in July.

AUGUST 26, 2011

By BENOIT FAUCON And KONSTANTIN ROZHNOV

LONDON—A shipping document suggests a European Union embargo on Syrian crude oil—expected to be finalized next week—would hit Italy hardest, even as the southern European country continues to make do without Libyan crude.

Nearly half of the crude oil exported by Syria ended up in Italian ports last month—the equivalent of about 55,132 barrels a day out of 110,521 barrels a day of total Syrian oil shipments, according to a Syrian ports document. Italian oil giant Eni SpA and refiners IES Italiana and Saras SpA said they do refine some Syrian crude as part of a broader slate of oil grades. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

EU prepares to embargo Syrian oil in line with US

The new measures if approved are unlikely, however, to prevent European oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell or Total from continuing to produce crude in Syria through joint ventures.


By Justyna Pawlak: 25 August 2011

European Union governments are likely to embargo imports of Syrian oil next week to ratchet up pressure on president Bashar al-Assad, although new sanctions may be less stringent than those imposed by Washington, EU diplomats said.

A round of discussions was held in Brussels on Tuesday and EU capitals raised no objections to banning Syrian crude imports, in a move similar to a decision by the US earlier this month

The new measures if approved are unlikely, however, to prevent European oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell or Total from continuing to produce crude in Syria through joint ventures. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

US oil sanctions send strong signal to Syria

Extracts from the Financial Times

By Anna Fifield in Washington, Alex Barker in Brussels, James Blitz in London and Daniel Dombey in Istanbul: 18 August 2011

With the sweeping sanctions it has imposed on Syria’s energy sector, the Obama administration has stepped up its efforts to isolate Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which earns as much as one-third of its income from oil exports.

The measures certainly look punitive – Washington has prohibited any Syrian petrol products from being imported into the US, and has forbidden any US citizens and companies from involvement in Syria’s oil sector or exporting any products to Syria. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

EU Urges Syria’s Assad To Quit, Mulls Energy Sanctions

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) has interests in three production licences in Syria covering some 40 oil fields, with its share of production in 2010 approximately 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day. It also has exploration interests in the south of the country.

By Laurence Norman

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

BRUSSELS (Dow Jones)–The European Union for the first time Thursday called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down as EU leaders threatened strong new sanctions, which could include an embargo on imports of Syrian crude oil and a ban on refined product sales to the country, a person familiar with the situation said.

In a statement promising further sanctions, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton condemned the continued crackdown on protesters. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Why is Shell still present and operating in Syria?

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

By John Donovan

EXTRACT FROM EMAIL WE RECEIVED ON 14 August 2011

In light of US demands on the international community that the EU and others break their ties with Syria, you may wish to investigate why Shell is still present and operating as usual in Syria. Unlike most foreign investors and operators that pulled out of Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and other countries at the first signs of government repression, Shell and its expatriate staff have remained in Syria to this day. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell accused of supporting Syrian regime

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 10:05 AM on 31st May 2011

Royal Dutch Shell has been accused of working ‘hand in glove’ with the government in Syria where hundreds of unarmed demonstrators have been killed during protests against the regime.

The firm chartered a tanker to export almost 600,000 barrels of the country’s oil worth $55m, according to campaign group Platform. Shell declined to comment.

Platform researcher Lorenzo Paluello said: ‘While the British and Syrian public believe that suppressing a mass democratic uprising with tanks is problematic, Shell continues to work hand in glove with the regime. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell in Syria

A research paper prepared for IKV Pax Christi
Final version: 13 May 2011
Jan Willem van Gelder Anna van Ojik

Profundo Radarweg 60 1043 NT Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31-20-820 83 20 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.profundo.nl (English)

RELATED ARTICLES:

Shell must suspend operations in Syria

Shell accused of supporting Syrian regime

Shell accused over Syrian oil exports

Shell Faces NGO Pressure To Withdraw From Syria

Shell in Syria

1.1    Introduction

Shell has a long history in Syria. It has had a presence in the country since the 1940s and has been a shareholder in Al Furat Petroleum Company (AFPC) for some 25 years.1 In Syria, Shell is only active in the upstream segment of the oil sector.2 The two subsidiaries of Shell active in Syria’s upstream oil sector, Syria Shell Petroleum Development and Shell South Syria Exploration, are discussed in the following paragraphs. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell accused of supporting Syrian regime

Daily Mail

31 May 2011, 10:05am

Royal Dutch Shell has been accused of working ‘hand in glove’ with the government in Syria where hundreds of unarmed demonstrators have been killed during protests against the regime.

The firm chartered a tanker to export almost 600,000 barrels of the country’s oil worth $55m, according to campaign group Platform. Shell declined to comment.

Platform researcher Lorenzo Paluello said: ‘While the British and Syrian public believe that suppressing a mass democratic uprising with tanks is problematic, Shell continues to work hand in glove with the regime. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell must suspend operations in Syria

IKV Pax Christi believes that all cooperation with the regime in Syria is illegitimate and that Shell must suspend its operations immediately. In Syria it is impossible for Shell to ensure that it is not involved in human rights violations. Shell has no other option than to suspend all operations until violence against demonstrators has completely ended, says a statement issued by IKV Pax Christi.

Shell is a major player in the Syrian oil industry. Shell owns 20% of Syria’s largest oil producer Furat Petroleum Company, that sells all its oil to state-owned General Petroleum Company, that exports 39% of Syrian production and that largely supplies to the domestic market. The Syrian tanks shelling civilians are likely to run partly on fuel provided by Shell. The same goes for police cars and the vans of the security police that strike terror in the streets of Homs and Tall Kalakh. Shell has a license to operate from government and no more from Syrian society. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell accused over Syrian oil exports

FT.Com

By David Blair, Energy Correspondent

Published: May 29 2011 20:02

Royal Dutch Shell has been accused of working “hand in glove” with Syria’s regime after the energy company chartered a tanker to export almost 600,000 barrels of the country’s oil. A spokesperson for Shell declined to confirm or deny the vessel’s arrival in Syria, saying only that the company does not comment on “commercial information”.

Hundreds of people have been killed since popular protests against the regime began in March. The army has responded to the unrest by opening fire on unarmed demonstrators in the country’s largest cities.

By continuing its commercial relationship with Syria despite the bloodshed, critics say that Shell is complicit in Mr Assad’s repression. “Shell continues to work hand in glove with the regime. The people of Syria rise up for freedom, but this company has placed itself firmly on the side of corrupt dictators,” said Lorenzo Paluello, a researcher for Platform. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Faces NGO Pressure To Withdraw From Syria

MAY 27, 2011 2:12 P.M. ET

By Iman Dawoud Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LONDON (Dow Jones)–Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) is coming under pressure in the Netherlands to withdraw from Syria because of the Syrian government’s violent reprisals against pro-democracy demonstrators.

Dutch non-governmental organization IKV Pax Christi is lobbying for Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) to cease all activities in Syria. The group’s director, Jan Gruiters, will meet with Shell Netherlands President Dick Benschop next month, after the group protested outside Shell headquarters in The Hague, the group’s spokesperson said Thursday. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Gulfsands Petroleum unveils Syrian oil operation

Sources in Damascus, a distinctly unglobalised economy, could point only to the longstanding natural gas and oil involvement of Shell and a branch of Costa Coffee when asked for other examples of British investment in the nation.

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

ArabicNews.com (Syria): Shell Syria general manager Campbell Keir

ArabicNews.com (Syria): Shell Syria general manager Campbell Keir

Syria, Business, 5/21/2005

Shell has a policy worldwide to promote diversity. This policy is to encourage interaction in the workplace of Shell world, said Shell Syria general manger Campbell Keir in a statement to Arabicnews on Shell’s Syria sponsoring of the currently a big event in Syria — the International Forum on Women in Business held on May 21- 22.

Highlighting Shell’s history, Keir said that in the past 100 years Shell has been owned by Anglo-Saxon men especially at the service management level. As a global industry, he said “we want our workplace to reflect the nature of our business and benefiting of our clients.” On the special attention given to women, Keir explained that Shell has a policy to actively encourage the employment and development of women in Shell’s employees from different ethnic, cultural, ethical and cultural background. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.