April 18th, 2007:

4/18/2007
By Steven Macleod

MONTREAL, Que. — Shell recently launched an instant oil analysis program through its ROTELLA Express network in an effort to help drivers prolong the life of their trucks.

Shell made the announcement during Expocam in Montreal on April 12; and 18 sites across Canada are prepared to offer drivers on-site oil analysis, including the addition of a new site in Quebec.

A ROTELLA Express technician will sample a few drops of oil and in about 10 minutes will provide the driver with a printed analysis of the truck’s engine, transmission and power steering systems. read more

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – Shell Oil (RDSa.L: Quote) spent about $39 million for rights to explore for oil in relatively distant waters of the Beaufort Sea off northern Alaska, dominating a federal oil and gas lease sale that brought in more than $42.1 million in high bids Wednesday, according to preliminary results.

“The lease sale was more lucrative than anticipated,” said John Goll, Alaska regional director for the U.S. Minerals Management Service. “It exceeded my own personal expectations.” read more

Thursday, April 19, 2007. Issue 3640. Page 1.
By Miriam Elder
Staff Writer

Gazprom and Shell late Wednesday signed a protocol on the state-run gas giant’s entry into Sakhalin-2, closing the final chapter on months of uncertainty surrounding the world’s largest integrated oil and gas project.

“The path to today’s milestone was not easy,” Gazprom deputy CEO Alexander Medvedev said at a news conference at Shell’s Moscow offices.

Medvedev was flanked by the country managers of Sakhalin-2 shareholders Shell, Mitsui and Mitsubishi, as well as Ian Craig, head of project operator Sakhalin Energy. read more

By ANDREW LANGLEY
April 19, 2007

MOSCOW — Russian gas monopoly OAO Gazprom yesterday formally took control of the huge Sakhalin-2 oil and gas development, as a $19.4 billion budget for the second stage of the project was approved.

As part of an agreement hammered out in December, Gazprom and Royal Dutch Shell PLC signed a deal that gives the Russian company a 50%-plus-one-share stake in the project’s operator Sakhalin Energy in exchange for $7.45 billion in cash. As a result, Shell’s stake is halved — to 27.5% — as are the holdings of Japanese companies Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corp., which now own 12.5% and 10%, respectively. read more

19:52 | 18/ 04/ 2007 

MOSCOW, April 18 (RIA Novosti) – The Industry and Energy Ministry and participants in the Sakhalin II project have coordinated all documents to implement the project with a Russian investor and approved the costs of its second stage at $19.4 billion until 2014, the ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

“The observer council has approved the changes in estimated cost account for the second stage of the Sakhalin II project, and set capital expenditures at $19.4 billion until 2014,” the ministry said. read more

18/04/2007
 
The shareholders of Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. (Sakhalin Energy), operator of the Sakhalin II project, today signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement with OAO Gazprom (Gazprom) to trigger the transfer of shares in Sakhalin Energy. 
 
This transaction implements a protocol signed on December 21, 2006 in Moscow. Under its terms Gazprom acquires a 50% plus one share stake in Sakhalin Energy for $7.45 billion in cash.  The other three shareholders, Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell), Mitsui & Co. Ltd (Mitsui) and Mitsubishi Corporation (Mitsubishi), each dilute their stakes by 50%, to receive a proportionate share of the purchase price. read more

LONDON (Thomson Financial) – Imperial Energy Corp PLC shares plummeted after the Russian environmental watchdog, Rosprirodnadzor, accused the oil group of inflating its reserves estimates and threatened to cancel its licenses.

Oleg Mitvol, the deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor, made the accusations, which were vehemently denied by Imperial.

Imperial’s shares sank by nearly 30 pct to 1,039 pence following Mitvol’s comment, carried by Russian news agency interfax.

They have recovered slightly, though are still off by a hefty 12 pct at 1,270 pence at 3.45 pm, after Imperial insisted its reserves report is accurate and was prepared in accordance with internationally accepted standards by independent consultant DeGolyer and MacNaughton (D&M). read more

Dutch brewers including Heineken and Grolsch have been fined a total of 273.7m euros (£185m) by European regulators for price fixing.

The European Commission has penalised Heineken, Grolsch and Bavaria for stifling competition by sharing pricing policy and levels.

The move follows a lengthy inquiry by Brussels into sales of beer to Dutch bars and restaurants in the late 1990s.

Heineken is to appeal against its 219m euros fine, calling it “excessive”.

The fine is the seventh-largest competition penalty ever handed out by the EU and its scale reflects the fact that Heineken accounts for more than half of beer sales in the country. read more

By Alex Last
Niger Delta  

In a poor village of sandy streets in southern Nigeria, Nedan Abanwika stands in front of his house looking at the oil installation just yards away.

“Look at this – this flow station is on my land, by my door. Yet look at me, look at me, look at my compound and family. We have not fed, we are not even half fed.”

He hopes elections will make things better: “If democracy is given a place to prevail, if Nigeria wants to make changes, if our leaders allow the prevalence of democracy – if that is on board then things will change.” read more

Wed Apr 18, 2007 5:12 PM BST
By Tanya Mosolova

MOSCOW, April 18 (Reuters) – Russian gas monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile , Research) has completed a deal to take 50 percent plus one share in the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project formerly led by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile , Research), the firms said on Wednesday.

Gazprom agreed last December to buy control in the project for $7.45 billion, seen by analysts as a knock-down price, and the firms said they hoped to complete the details in the first quarter of this year. read more

Wednesday, 18 April 2007 17:34

The High Court has allowed Shell E&P Ireland to end its long running legal action against four people opposed to the Corrib gas pipeline.

But the company now faces a legal bill of more than €1m after the court ruled that it must pay most of the legal costs of the defendants.

Counterclaims by some local residents against the company and the State are to continue.

The High Court will also consider whether the residents are entitled to seek damages over what they allege was an improperly obtained April 2005 injunction stopping interference with the pipeline route. read more

Policy change allows sale of ‘adult sophisticates’ by retailers

Posted: April 18, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com 

Shell Oil Co. has determined “Playboy” and “Penthouse” no longer are pornography, but instead are “adult sophisticates,” according to a company statement.

The issue arose when the Florida Family Association contacted Shell about the sale of such explicit magazines at convenience stores owned by Circle K in southeastern parts of the United States. read more

Wed Apr 18, 2007 2:31 PM BST

MOSCOW, April 18 (Reuters) – Russian gas monopoly Gazprom and Royal Dutch Shell called a news conference on Wednesday at the end of a third day of talks to close their $7.45 billion Sakhalin-2 deal.

Industry sources had said only procedural steps remained before the deal could be completed and there would be no material changes to the agreement reached in December.

Officials at both firms said they would call a news conference once it was finally sealed.

The two firms and Shell’s two Japanese partners struck a preliminary deal in December for Gazprom to take a 50 percent stake in the huge energy project and hoped to complete the details in the first quarter of this year. read more

By Mike Martinez , STAFF WRITER
Article Last Updated: 04/18/2007 02:53:39 AM PDT

TRACY — A ruptured oil pipeline leaked hundreds of gallons of oil onto the westbound lanes of Interstate 580 late Tuesday afternoon, forcing the highway’s closure and backing up traffic for miles.

An oil slick oozed down an embankment, across both westbound lanes and about 150 feet along the highway at the Bird Road overcrossing.

Another significant amount reached a field on the opposite side of the roadway through a gully under the freeway. read more

Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:27 AM BST

AMSTERDAM, April 18 (Reuters) – The Netherlands’ first offshore wind farm, built by Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell and Dutch power utility Nuon, opened officially on Wednesday.

The companies invested over 200 million euros ($270 million) in the 108 megawatt wind park on the North Sea, which also serves as a demonstration project to gain technical knowledge and monitor the affects on marine life, they said.

“I am convinced that without the further deployment of offshore wind energy, it will be impossible to meet the present government’s ambitious goals for sustainable energy,” Economy Minister Maria van der Hoeven said in the statement. read more