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Is Royal Dutch Shell Plc Making A Big Mistake By Acquiring BG Group plc?

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By Rupert Hargreaves | Fool.co.uk: 9 November 2015

Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSB) £47bn cash-and-stock offer for BG (LSE: BG) is one of the largest takeover deals ever to take place in the UK. However, the deal is also rapidly becoming one of the most controversial takeover deals ever to take place here. One fund management is now openly calling for Shell to scrap its offer for BG. 

Call to reject the offer

It emerged this weekend that Ian McVeigh, head of governance at Jupiter Fund Management and one of the City’s biggest fund managers, has compared the proposed takeover of BG by Shell to the disastrous purchase of ABN Amro by Royal Bank of Scotland in 2007. RBS’s ill-fated takeover of ABN Amro ultimately resulted in the government bailout of RBS and years of pain for the bank.  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 Shares In Royal Dutch Shell Plc Are In Danger Of Shedding Another 17%!

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Shell has shed a staggering 37% of its value since Brent’s alarming slump kicked in last summer… I do not believe Shell has yet seen the worst of it… Bad news keeps on coming…

By Royston Wild – Monday, 7 September 2015

Eroding market appetite for Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) picked up speed in recent weeks thanks to the unravelling Chinese economy, and the business has seen its stock price sink 12% since the start of August, striking out at fresh five-year lows around £15.85 per share in the process.

Shell has shed a staggering 37% of its value since Brent’s alarming slump kicked in last summer, and although a recovery in the black gold price helped the firm recover some ground at the start of the year, a stream of worrying industry news items since then has sent prices in both commodity and company scurrying lower yet again. 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.

BP plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc Will Have To Survive Without $100 Oil

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By Harvey Jones – Tuesday, 11 August, 2015

Low oil prices have sunk share prices at BP (LSE: BP) and Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) and there is no sign of immediate respite.

There was a flicker of hope as Brent crude climbed to nearly $68 a barrel in May, but it has now slid below $50 again, and worse could follow.

The notion that lower prices would put the skids on supply, especially from US shale rigs, has been discredited. Shale technology is coming on in leaps and bounds, driving constant cost savings for drillers.

US frackers continue to add an extra million barrels of oil a day to global supply, even before Iran floods the market with its stockpiles. 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.

Can You Really – Really – Be Sure Of Shell?

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By Owain Bennallack – Thursday, 18 June, 2015

Making glib comments about the flaws of tracker funds – or even more so the foolishness of those who invest in them – is a mug’s game. 

The evidence shows that over the long term, tracker funds beat most actively managed ones, not least because of the far higher costs of keeping a fund manager in Ferraris, versus plugging an old PC into the mains and dusting it now and then. 

Okay, I exaggerate… but only a little. 

However strange it may seem, warts-and-all tracker funds holding a seemingly sub-optimal mix of shares tend to beat the majority of carefully chosen portfolios – even though a fund manager is free to avoid the basket cases and double-down on the good companies that seem cheap.  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 I’d Buy British American Tobacco plc Before Royal Dutch Shell Plc

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By Peter Stephens – Tuesday, 16 June, 2015

EXTRACTS

For investors in Shell the last year has been particularly tough. The declining oil price has hit its profitability and investor sentiment very hard, with Shell’s share price falling by 24% during the period, while the outlook for ‘black gold’ remains highly uncertain.

While Shell’s financial performance is significantly dependent upon the price of oil, which it cannot control, British American Tobacco’s bottom line is exceptionally stable. 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.

Could Shares In BP plc And Royal Dutch Shell Plc Collapse By More Than A Third?!

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By Royston Wild – Friday, 29 May, 2015

“In my opinion both stocks are in danger of a severe share price collapse as the oil market outlook becomes ever gloomier.”

Shares across much of the oil sector have received a massive fillip in recent months in line with a recovery in the crude oil price. After the Brent barometer shuttled from $115 per barrel last summer to multi-year lows around $45 in January, a subsequent reduction in the US rig count has underpinned a solid price recovery — indeed, the benchmark was recently trading around the $64 mark.

With investors hoping these measures will represent a sea-change in the oil market’s supply/demand dynamics from next year, shares in oil major BP (LSE: BP) (NYSE: BP.US) have flipped 10% higher since the turn of the year. Investor sentiment in Shell (LSE: RDSB) (NYSE: RDS-B.US) has wavered more recently, however, and the stock is now trading 11% lower from the close of 2014. 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’s Fatal Mistake In Buying BG Group?

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When Shell announced that it was planning to buy BG Group last month, opposition to the deal started to build immediately. 

By Rupert Hargreaves – Tuesday, 26 May, 2015

Extracts

I’m always on the lookout for companies that are not acting in the best interests of shareholders.

Indeed, as shareholders are ultimately owners of the businesses they invest in, management teams should, at all times, act in the best interests of shareholders.

But in many cases, management ignores this fundamental goal. 

And there are signs that Gulf Keystone Petroleum and Shell’s executives have made this fatal mistake.   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 BG £55bn merger could still fall apart.

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By Rupert Hargreaves – Wednesday, 13 May, 2015

BG (LSE: BG) and Royal Dutch Shell’s (LSE: RDSB) mega-merger is the largest deal the oil & gas sector has seen for some time. However, the combination isn’t a done deal just yet. 

There are still many kinks to iron out, and the deal has to get the green light from regulators. What’s more, Shell could decide to walk away if the numbers don’t stack up

Poor results 

BG has been struggling for some time, and the group’s recent set of results highlighted the company’s troubles. Specifically, BG’s first-quarter net profit fell 51% to £366m and revenue slumped by 21% to £2.6bn as weak oil prices weighed on group profits. 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 The Oil Price Could Fall Even Further

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 08.45.23From an article by Prabhat Sakya published 24 March 2015 by The Motley Fool under the headline:

BP plc And Royal Dutch Shell plc: Why The Oil Price Could Fall Even Further

The oil price has fallen dramatically since last summer. This has meant difficult times for the oil producers, including companies such as BP and Royal Dutch Shell.

…people have been buying more fuel-efficient cars, and there has been huge investment in technologies such as hybrid, electric and fuel cell vehicles.

So supply has been steadily increasing, and demand has been falling, and the world now has too much oil. Oil prices have begun a downtrend; and I don’t think that this fall will just last a few months, before bouncing back. 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 Doomed Project Scalebacks

Screen Shot 2015-01-12 at 08.45.23From an article by Royston Wild published 15 Jan 2015 by The Motley Fool under the headline:

“Why Royal Dutch Shell Plc And BP plc’s Project Scalebacks Are Doomed To Fail”

With the oil price collapse showing no signs of bottoming any time soon, the world’s fossil fuel giants are in a desperate struggle to ratchet up their cost-saving initiatives and cut their exposure to what is becoming an increasingly perilous market.

Just yesterday, Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) announced that it was stopping work on a £4.3bn petrochemicals plant with Qatar Petroleum. Construction of the huge Al-Karaana complex started in 2012, but Shell has been forced to bin the operation due to “high capital costs rendering it commercially unfeasible, particularly in the current economic climate prevailing in the energy industry.” 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 Plc a Basket Case Long After 2015?

Screen Shot 2015-01-06 at 11.59.38From an article by Royston Wild published Friday 9 Jan 2015 by The Motley Fool under the headline:

“Why Royal Dutch Shell Plc, BHP Billiton plc And Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc Will Remain Basket Cases Long After 2015” 

Royal Dutch Shell has seen its earnings forecasts painted with red ink; Shell is expected to see earnings drop a meaty 15% in 2015; …the effect of a depressed oil price is likely to put many producers out of business…; Shell could be forced to hive off even more of its assets…

Like the rest of the oil sector, Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) has seen its earnings forecasts painted with red ink by City analysts in recent weeks.

Shell is expected to see earnings drop a meaty 15% in 2015, to 295.3 US cents per share. But while a 10% improvement is anticipated for next year, to 325.5 cents, a slumping oil price suggests otherwise. The Brent benchmark’s nosedive took in a fresh multi-year trough below $50 per barrel this week, the lowest since mid-2009, and a figure of $20 before the year is out is being touted with increasing confidence. 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 Plc Plunge

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Screen Shot 2014-12-17 at 16.52.18The FTSE 100 has been dipping perilously in the past few weeks, giving up 722 points (10.5%) from its recent high of 6,905 on 4 September to Monday’s close of 6,183 — and if it can lose that much in three months it could certainly drop to 6,000 or lower by the end of December. Often such runs can be put down to individual sectors, and the big safe companies are there to offer some support and prevent a meltdown. But the crucial driver right now is oil. Brent crude crashed through the $60 per barrel level this week to reach its lowest since 2009, and as I write today it’s trading at a fraction under $59! Shell shares slumped by 17% between 21 November and close on 15 December.  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.

Liquefied Natural Gas Could Come to the Rescue for Royal Dutch Shell

Screen Shot 2014-04-19 at 10.07.44Extract from a Motley Fool article by Bob Ciura published 19 May 2014 under the headline: How Liquefied Natural Gas Could Come to the Rescue for Royal Dutch Shell and BP

Royal Dutch Shell’s core net profits fell by 23% last year, prompting the company to undergo what management delicately termed “hard choices” in its portfolio. Basically, the company is resorting to cutting capital expenditures in light of disappointing upstream projects and sharply narrower refining margins. To that end, Shell plans to reduce capital expenditures by $9 billion in 2014 from $46 billion in 2013 to an estimated $37 billion this year. That represents a severe 20% drop. This is a concern since Shell’s production is already going in the wrong direction. Oil majors across the board are suspending new projects or cancelling them altogether, which could put them in dire straits later on. Fortunately, LNG represents one major area that both Shell and BP continue to invest in, and the potential is clearly compelling. 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 Plc 44% fall in profits

Screen Shot 2014-02-10 at 16.29.29Extract from A Motley Fool article by Mark Stones published 30 April 2014 under the headline:

Royal Dutch Shell Plc Hikes Dividend On Cash Flow Boost

Shell this morning reported a 44% fall in profits on a $2.9bn impairment charge relating to refineries in Asia and Europe. Shell’s profit in the first quarter — stripping out losses relating to the changing value of inventories — fell to $4.5bn from $8bn a year earlier. Revenue fell to $110bn against $113bn.

FULL 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.

Royal Dutch Shell plc Wasn’t Kidding About Cutting Costs.

Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 19.09.52Article by Arjun Sreekumar published 16 April 2014 by The Motley Fool under the headline: “Royal Dutch Shell plc Wasn’t Kidding About Cutting Costs. But Will It Pay Off?”

The company recently sold off key downstream assets in Australia, including a major oil refinery and network of some 870 retail gasoline stations, due to weak margins. It also put up for sale numerous North American shale assets last year, including acreage in Texas’ Eagle Ford shale and Kansas’ Mississippi Lime play, because of disappointing drilling results and poor expected returns. Shell has also scrapped plans to construct a massive facility in Louisiana that would have converted natural gas into higher-value liquids because of the project’s high expected costs and uncertainty over long-term price differentials. Lastly, it is also currently marketing oil-producing properties and oil infrastructure in Nigeria, where persistent theft and sabotage continue to plague its operations. 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.

Yet More Problems Hit the World’s Largest Oil Project

Screen Shot 2014-04-06 at 21.01.34Extract from an article by Rupert Hargreaves published 16 April 2014 by The Motley Fool

Simply put, H2S is eating away at the undersea pipelines, causing cracks and fractures. Gas needs to travel through these lines for the project to start production, and engineers can’t just patch the system up; the whole pipeline network may need to be replaced. Not only are ExxonMobil, Shell, Total, and Eni going to have to fork out more cash to get the project into production, but the Kazakhstan government is now starting to lose patience and has threatened to impose financial penalties on the companies if production does not commence soon. 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.

Oil Theft in Nigeria Continues to Plague Shell

Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 19.09.52Extract from an article by Arjun Sreekumar published on 28 March 2014 by The Motlet Fool under the headline: “Oil Theft in Nigeria Continues to Plague This Company”

Though one could argue that Shell, which has been operating in Nigeria for decades, should have sold its sabotage-prone Niger Delta assets long ago, at least the company is finally taking the necessary steps to address the situation. Its decision is shaped by Shell’s new “fix or divest” strategy, which seeks to either improve or unload underperforming businesses. The move should pan out to be a good one. Not only will it reduce the company’s exposure to continuing security concerns in Nigeria, it will generate much-needed cash to meet its $15 billion divestment target. 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 Plc’s Profits Slump In 2013

Extracts from an article by Mark Stones publish 13 March 2014 by The Motley Fool

Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 19.09.52Shell’s struggles have been well documented and a profit warning was announced in January. The shares have lagged the wider market over the last 12 months, falling 1.5%. In response Shell is cutting upstream spending in America by 20%, with the firm re-evaluating its shale operations… To bolster its capital strength the oil producer has embarked on a programme of asset sales…

FULL 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.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Greatest Weaknesses

An article by Kevin Godbold published on Wednesday 12 March 2014 by The Motley Fool

Screen Shot 2014-01-30 at 00.47.49Drilling for oil is a dangerous business. We only need to look across at the firm’s rival BP and its 2010 Gulf-of-Mexico disaster to see how a drilling accident can financially cripple even a major oil company for years. Shell takes similar risks to BP on a daily basis and because accidents don’t happen every day, it’s easy to become complacent about that. However, man’s ingenuity won’t always defeat the forces of nature and the next big oil disaster could be just around the corner. 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’s fire sale

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Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 19.09.52Royal Dutch Shell’s decision to unload a massive amount of assets is a troubling sign. Shell’s fire sale casts into doubt how effective it can be in producing growth this year, even with its promising projects. Shell recently suspended drilling in the Arctic. It’s also selling a stake in a liquefied natural gas project in Australia for $1.1 billion and may also consider unloading an interest in a U.S. pipeline project. These actions are part of a broader initiative in which Shell intends to sell $15 billion worth of assets over the next two years. 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 completely whiffed in the U.S. and North America

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Screen Shot 2013-10-01 at 07.56.54Oil prices in the United States hover near $100 per barrel and overall domestic production of oil and natural gas is soaring. With all this in mind, you’d assume the environment would be ripe for Big Oil to produce gushing profits.

Royal Dutch Shell completely whiffed in the U.S. and North America. Its Americas segment posted a $1.4 billion net loss in the fourth quarter and a $3.7 billion net loss for all of 2013.

FULL 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.

3 Reasons Why Royal Dutch Shell plc Could Be Set To Tank

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Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 19.09.52Royston Wild has “picked out a handful of reasons why Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) (NYSE: RDS-B.US) could be ready to dive lower.” He says the acceleration in asset disposals across the group and the attempt to curtail spiralling capital expenditure threaten to derail the firm’s long-term earnings prospects. He also points out that the oil price outlook looks murky and explains why there is a question-mark over long-term dividends.  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 Royal Dutch Shell’s Fire Sale May be Cause for Concern

Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 19.09.52…both BP’s and ConocoPhillips’ asset sales look downright modest in comparison to the outright fire sale Royal Dutch Shell will soon embark on. Royal Dutch Shell unloaded billions last year, with even greater amounts to be sold off over the next two years. That’s why investors may have legitimate cause for concern about the fate of Shell’s future growth trajectory.

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by Bob Ciura

Royal Dutch Shell plans to sell off several billion dollars worth of assets over the next two years. Should investors be worried?

The last year was a tough one for integrated oil majors. Thinning refining margins put a serious dent in downstream earnings, and upstream profitability failed to impress despite cooperative energy prices. As a result, it’s not entirely surprising to see members of Big Oil such as (NYSE: BP) sell off non-critical assets.

Even independent exploration and production major ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), which isn’t nearly as integrated as its peers after spinning off its downstream and midstream business, got in on the asset sale game last year. 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 I’ve Sold Royal Dutch Shell plc

Okay, I know this will be controversial, but I really have just sold my shares in Shell.

A company’s recent share price is based on its past profitability.

But its current profits are falling. Full-year profits are expected to be 23% down on last year, and the trend in profitability is clearly downward.

The sudden, sharp fall in profitability has taken me, and many other investors, by surprise.

Shell has invested substantially in gas, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG). Yet, as more and more shale gas has been produced, the gas market has been over-supplied far more quickly than anyone expected, and gas prices have tumbled. 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.

Natural Gas and Nagging Earthquake Fears

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By Sara Murphy

More evidence emerges from The Netherlands that natural gas extraction is contributing to increases in tremors around an Exxon Mobil/Shell joint venture.

The Dutch government is cutting production from Western Europe’s biggest gas field, operated by an ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) / Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A) joint venture, by a quarter over the next three years.

This is one of those areas where a single big event could turn the public completely against fracking, and maybe even natural gas in general. 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.

Santa Claus Could Be Sitting on Billions of Barrels of Oil

For several years now, Shell had hoped that the Alaskan Arctic would their ticket to growth that shareholders would appreciate. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been able to get its act together, and over $4 billion has been spent on wasted efforts. 

For peers like ExxonMobil  and Statoil , the Arctic Circle is the future, but they are both reaching outside of the United States. Hopefully, for their sake, the Kara and Barents Sea will be more friendly that the Chukchi has been to Shell. 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.

Big Oil Is Unloading Billions of Assets in Spring Cleanup

Royal Dutch Shell PLC decided it’s time to clean out its global energy portfolio. The oil giant could unload as much as $30 billion in assets as part of the purge.

by Matt DiLallo, The Motley Fool Jan 22nd 2014

Royal Dutch Shell PLC decided it’s time to clean out its global energy portfolio. The oil giant could unload as much as $30 billion in assets as part of the purge.

Shell game
Shell needs to make some changes after it warned that its profits would be significantly lower than analysts were expecting. But the company has been hinting for a while that it would be paring back its portfolio. Earlier this year Shell announced it was exiting several U.S. shale basins after returns failed to meet its expectations. 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’s Recent Profit Warning Won’t Be the Last

Thanks to upstream cost overruns and downstream overcapacity, 2013 probably will not be the last year Shell faces low earnings. Not only is Gorgon facing big challenges, the Shell-ExxonMobil-Total-KazMunaiGas-Eni Kashagan project was recently shut down due to pipeline leaks. The field’s current $50 billion cost is more than five times its original price

By Joshua BondyJanuary 22, 2014

Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A  ) just issued a big profit warning for the fourth quarter of 2013, bringing its expected full-year 2013 earnings to $16.8 billion. This is a significant fall from its 2012 full-year earnings of $27.2 billion. Thanks to upstream cost overruns and downstream overcapacity, 2013 probably will not be the last year Shell faces low earnings.

Downstream challenges
Shell’s refineries put a hole in its Q4 2013 earnings. Its Asia-Pacific and European refineries are facing margin pressures and for good reason. They don’t have access to cheap U.S. crude. They are forced to buy expensive Brent crude and pay a premium relative to U.S. refiners. Also, U.S. refiners have access to cheap natural gas and natural gas liquids. 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.

Rev Your Engines: Royal Dutch Shell Plc Looks Ready To Motor

2013 was another non-starter for Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) (NYSE: RDS-B.US), and days into 2014 it stalled again. On Friday, Shell issued a profits warning, predicting adjusted earnings of $2.9 billion for the three months to the end of December, well below City expectations. It blamed oil and gas prices and difficult industry refining conditions. I was as disappointed by any investor, because I was hoping it would start the year with a clean slate, following the appointment of new chief executive Ben van Beurden. But now I’m over the shock, I am hopeful that Shell is finally going to start motoring again. 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.

Huge Changes Taking Place At Royal Dutch Shell Plc

Screen Shot 2013-12-22 at 19.09.52The FTSE 100 has risen 53% during the last five years, however, Royal Dutch Shell  one of the index’s largest constituents, has underperformed by a staggering 27%. And it’s not just Shell’s shares that have been underperforming. Indeed, according to the Financial Times, around one third of Shell’s assets, are not producing a positive return-on-investment. The assets dragging on Shell’s balance sheet include the company’s $8 billion share in the huge Kashagan oilfield, half of the company’s shale oil business within the United States (worth a total of $24 billion) and numerous downstream assets. Time to do some pruning…

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The FTSE 100 has risen 53% during the last five years, however, Royal Dutch Shell  one of the index’s largest constituents, has underperformed by a staggering 27%.

What’s more, compared to its larger peers, Exxon Mobil and Chevron, Shell’s shareholder returns have been less than impressive. In particular, aside from the company’s dividend yield, which is around the same as the industry average, since introducing a script dividend back during 2010 Shell has issued around $4 billion more stock than it has brought back. 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 plc’s $20bn U-turn Is Great News For Shareholders

You can be sure Shell was unsure. The company was set to spend an estimated $20bn on a gas-to-liquid plant, a figure already much higher than previous $12.5bn cost estimate made just a few months ago. But Shell has changed its mind. Now it’s spending $0 on the project. It’s pulled away from it entirely.

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Giant resource companies like miners and integrated oil behemoths don’t have a great track record of prudently stewarding capital for the benefit of their shareholders.

Quite the opposite — they have a reputation for blowing money in booms and going near-bust in downturns.

I’ve even heard mining bosses accused of ‘being addicted to big holes in the ground’. For oil and gas companies, the equivalent is perhaps platforms and refineries as far as the eye can see, like an environmentalist’s worse nightmare. 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.

Is the Last Oil Frontier About to Open Up?

Royal Dutch Shell , for example, has spent more than $5 billion on its Alaskan Arctic program with nothing to show for it. This time around Shell has signed a contract with Transocean on a rig that starts in July. Previously, Shell had used its own rig, Kulluk, and one owned by Noble Corp. . It was the Kulluk that ran aground in 2012…

by Matthew DiLallo, The Motley Fool Nov 26th 2013 2:00PM

Melting Arctic ice caps are springing forth a new frontier for global commerce. New sea lanes are starting to open and more activity is coming to the region. This changing landscape has some suggesting that the last frontier for oil and gas companies might soon be more accessible.

With these changes come new challenges. It’s not just global oil companies that are interested in exploring this final frontier. Countries like China and Russia are looking to stake claim to the region, which could one day prove to be an issue for national security. That is why this transformation will need to be handled with care to protect the already fragile environment and relationships with those nations seeking to extract the region’s natural resources. 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 plc: Maybe I’m clutching at straws

Screen Shot 2013-01-11 at 20.09.51Yes, there is plenty to hate about Shell right now. It is currently under investigation for rigging petrol prices, and European Commission plans to prevent future commodity market abuse could force up prices. Maybe I’m clutching at straws, but that’s love for you.

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Why I Love Royal Dutch Shell plc

Published in Investing on 25 November 2013

Extracts

There is something to love and hate in almost every stock. I still harbour warm thoughts towards Royal Dutch Shell, although sometimes I wonder why.

Shell has taught me the value of patience.

Patience is a virtue, they say. If that’s so, long-term investors in Shell must be very virtuous indeed. The stock is down 2% over the last two years, against a 28% rise in the FTSE 100. It is up just 3% in the past year, against 16% for the index. Shell is the straggler of my portfolio. Yet I simply refuse to believe this will continue. 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 I May Sell Royal Dutch Shell Plc Today

This Is Why I May Sell Royal Dutch Shell Plc Today

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Royal Dutch Shell Plc (LON:RDSB) has become a chronic underperformer. Roland Head highlights some worrying figures and explains why he may head for the exit.

Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) (NYSE: RDS-B.US) is one of the longest-serving shares in my ISA portfolio. Over the last five years, it’s boasted an average dividend yield of 5.2%, and although annual dividend growth has only averaged 3.6%, it has been a good source of income.

Despite this, I’m starting to tire of Shell’s underperforming ways, and am wondering whether the firm is an oversized dog that has had its day. Should I cut it loose, and find a smaller, more focused business to invest in? 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 to Pay $280 Million for Share of Brazilian Off-Shore Drilling Rights

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In what CEO Peter Voser refers to as “one of the largest deep water oil accumulations in the world,” Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A & RDS-B), along with four other oil producers, will pay $280 Million for a 35-year contract to begin drilling in the Libra discovery in the Santos Basin, located about 105 miles off the Brazilian coast of Rio de Janeiro, Shell announced today.

According to Shell’s statement, Brazil’s governmental oil regulator estimates the Libra find has between 8 billion and 12 billion barrels of “recoverable resources.” 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.

Is Shell’s Shocking Revelation Good News for Tesla?

Cats and dogs. Oil and water. Name any cliche about polar opposites and they have probably been used to compare the oil industry and electric vehicles. So, it seems almost impossible that an oil company would make the claim that electric vehicles will be the predominant transportation fuel, but Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A  ) is making that very claim.

Is Shell contemplating going into a new business? Are they playing some kind of Jedi mind trick on us? 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.

Does Shell Have a Spending Problem?

Screen Shot 2013-01-11 at 20.09.51Yet despite all this spending, some of Shell’s most capital-intensive projects have failed to pay off. Consider its operations in Nigeria, for instance, which have been beset by oil theft and vandalism that resulted in the loss of some 100,000 barrels of production per day in the second quarter, and its $5 billion oil campaign in Alaska, which has failed to produce any oil so far and was shelved  recently due to regulatory and environmental uncertainties.

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For the world’s largest integrated oil companies, times have been better. Lackluster share-price performance aside, the majors’ second-quarter earnings were quite disappointing across the board. Most found it difficult to grow production, despite shelling out record amounts of money.

The problem has been especially severe for Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A  ) , one of the group’s biggest spenders. Let’s take a closer look at the company’s capital spending program and whether or not it will pay off in the long run. 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.

Will Chevron’s Third Quarter Disappoint The Market?

EXTRACTS

The past few months have been rough for the oil super-majors, including industry titans Chevron , ExxonMobil , and Royal Dutch Shell. A combination of factors, including weak refining results and restrained production growth, lead many analysts to believe the current quarter will be just as rough as the second quarter.

Despite their reputations as best-in-breed oil stocks, should investors now view the industry negatively and avoid the sector as a result?

Royal Dutch Shell’s second quarter results were adversely affected by a massive charge related to its shale oil fields in North America. These losses more than likely stem from the fact that Royal Dutch Shell arrived late to the U.S. shale party which is evident in its recent decision to shed its Eagle Ford assets. Furthermore, Shell also scrapped its long-term production targets, and all told, its second-quarter net profit fell 57%. 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.

The 1 Threat That Could Kill a Major Oil Company

The first company which will have a leak of oil [in the Arctic]… a drop, is a dead company.

— Christophe de Margerie, Total CEO 

At a recent event at the Council on Foreign Relations, Total‘s CEO did not mince words about the risks of drilling for oil in the Arctic: It’s risky, and the chances of an oil spill in the region is simply too great for Total to justify investing in oil exploration there. While there are differing opinions across the oil space regarding if and how we should explore drilling in the Arctic, de Margerie’s statements raise a very poignant question for oil and gas investors: How much are our energy investments at risk of a “giant killer”-type accident? Let’s take a look at the risks involved in Arctic drilling and who is involved in the Arctic. 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 I Hate Royal Dutch Shell plc

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Harvey Jones hates the fact that Royal Dutch Shell plc is failing to fulfil its massive potential.

There is something to love and hate in almost every stock. But today, I’m in a fratchy mood, so here are five things I hate about Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB) (NYSE: RDS-B.US).

Wasn’t it a certain Warren Buffett who said you should never invest in things you don’t understand? I clearly don’t understand Royal Dutch Shell, because it hasn’t performed as I expected since I bought it in 2011. In fact, its probably the most disappointing FTSE 100 stock in my portfolio. Its share price is up less than 5% over the past two years, against a whopping 30% for the FTSE 100. That kind of mismatch makes me question my judgement. 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.

Bad Omen for the Future of Mega-Oil Projects

Seven years and $24 billion. No, that isn’t the price tag for a major project coming online. That’s how late and how much over budget the giant Kashagan oil project in the Caspian Sea ended up being before it started flowing this week.

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Seven years and $24 billion.

No, that isn’t the price tag for a major project coming online. That’s how late and how much over budget the giant Kashagan oil project in the Caspian Sea ended up being before it started flowing this week. Bringing in multiple stakeholders on these complex, challenging megaprojects in the energy industry has become a pretty nasty cocktail for those involved. Are the blunders with Kashagan an exception or the rule when it comes to these major projects? Let’s look at some other major projects going on right now to see what Big Oil has in store for its next big move. 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.

Is Russia Becoming an Investment Gulag?

Late in 2006, another of Europe's Big Oil contingent,Royal Dutch Shell was pushed into selling its assets on remote Sakhalin Island to Gazprom at a below-market price.

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.

The Motley Fool: Playing the Russian Shell Game

The Motley Fool: Playing the Russian Shell Game

“It’s better for a foreign investor to stay on the good side of the Russian government. Even if you’re within your rights in turning down a “deal,” being greedy about hanging on to too good of a thing can get you YUKOSed if you’re not careful.”

Posted Saturday 9 July 2005

By Rich Smith

Investors weren’t quite sure what to make of yesterday’s news involving Russia’s Gazprom and partner Royal Dutch (NYSE: RD)/Shell (NYSE: SC). As reported on CNNMoney, Royal Dutch/Shell has cashed in nearly half of its interest in the Sakhalin-2 liquefied natural gas project (located near the island of the same name) in exchange for a 50% stake in the lower stretch of a Siberian gas field known as Zapolyarnoye.

On hearing the news, investors sold off the shares of both Royal Dutch and Shell by about 1% apiece. In contrast, Gazprom’s shares, which trade over the counter, were bid up more than 4%. The negative, though muted, reaction to the news on the part of investors in the foreign oil companies is understandable. After all, Sakhalin-2 has progressed nicely since beginning production in 1999. It’s a proven find, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, and likely to turn into an all-around winner for its participants (which in addition to the companies named include nearby Japan’s Mitsubishi and Mitsui (Nasdaq: MITSY)). In contrast, it’s not yet known how well the “Lower Zapo” field project will pan out. 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.