September 29th, 2006:

Shell Exec Outlines Hope, Barriers In Enhanced Oil Methods

HOUSTON (Dow Jones)–Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) is experimenting with techniques to boost recovery from older reserves by 10%, but the campaign poses new technological challenges for producers, Shell Vice President John Barry said Thursday. 

Barry, speaking on a conference call with reporters, described three methods that Shell hopes will enable it to boost recoveries. At present, Shell recovers about 35% of the oil in a given field, but hopes to raise that amount by 10% with these techniques.  read more

THE NUACHT RTE/TNS mrbi poll indicates strong support for the Rossport Five and for locating the Corrib Gas terminal at sea.

Six in ten people felt the gas terminal should be located offshore with just one quarter supporting the existing Bellanaboy option, RTE Nuacht reveals this morning (Tue).

The offshore alternative has strongest support among those aged under 49 years, and those residing in the Castlebar/ Ballinrobe/ Claremorris and West-port/Belmullet areas.

A breakdown by percentages show, 61 per cent for offshore; 23 per cent for Bellanaboy; 7 per cent don’t mind either way; 4 per cent, shouldn’t go ahead at all, and 5 per cent with no opinion. read more

By Andrew Osborn in Moscow
Published: 29 September 2006

Shell is facing growing uncertainty over the future of its Russian Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project after a senior official yesterday called for construction work to be halted over “barbaric” damage to the environment which he claimed it would cost $50bn (£27bn) to put right.

The Kremlin has also set its sights on BP’s Russian venture, TNK-BP, with a director of the state-controlled Gazprom saying the energy giant was interested in buying BP’s local partners out. read more

September 29, 2006 

EARLIER this year, West Virginia’s Investment Management Board rebuffed questions about its holdings in regions linked to terror and genocide. The state’s pension investment fund is legally bound to make money and nothing else, board members said. But if California can stop investing in companies that deal with nations that sponsor terrorism and “ethnic cleansing,” why not West Virginia?

This week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that bars California pension managers from investing in companies in Sudan. Another protects the University of California from liability as it divests of its holdings there. read more