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September 5th, 2007:

San Jose Mercury News: Marina gas seller on a hunger strike to stop high fuel prices

San Jose Mercury News photo

Mehdi Shahbazi with fenced-off gas pumps at a Shell station in Marina Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007. Shahbazi is operator of the station, but he is in a dispute with Shell, alleging they, and other oil companies, fix high gas prices. He stays with friends and runs the gas station every day but hasn’t pumped gas for over a year. He is now is in day 61 of a hunger strike to call attention to his situation. (Patrick Tehan / Mercury News)

SELLER HOPING TO SPARK SUIT AGAINST BIG OIL
By Jeff Thomas
Mercury News
Article Launched: 09/05/2007 01:38:22 AM PDT read more

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

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Gazprom to reduce investor profits in Sakhalin-1 project

From: RIA NOVOSTI: What the Russian papers say
20:00 | 05/ 09/ 2007

Vladimir Kozlov, head of the Sakhalin office of Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom, openly confirmed Gazprom’s claim to all gas produced in the Sakhalin-1 project.

Therefore, the expectations of those companies, which hoped to gain large profits under the product sharing agreement to develop the oil and gas resources on the island’s shelf, are likely to be frustrated.

The Gazprom manager said that until 2016 gas from the Sakhalin-1 project would be the only source of gas for Russia’s Far East. According to Gazprom’s estimates, the Far East and the Trans-Baikal area will require 13 billion cubic meters of gas until 2010, 16 billion by 2015, and 19.2 billion by 2020. Experts say that these figures are overstated, as the only large domestic gas consumer in the region is the Khabarovsk Territory which needs 3 to 4 billion cubic meters of gas a year. read more

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

UpstreamOnline: Top Shell man quits Kashagan’

By Upstream staff

An executive of Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell working on Kashagan, a project under pressure from the Kazakh government for being overbudget and behind schedule, has quit, company sources told a website that monitors the company.

John Donovan, a Shell critic who runs the website and acts as a conduit for whistleblowers at the company, said Shell insiders had told him that John Stubbs, a senior project manager on Kashagan, had left the company.

Stubbs previously worked for Shell in Nigeria, where he had a leading role in the $3.6 billion Bonga oil and gas project, and the North Sea, where he was project director on the $1.8 billion Shearwater gas development, which Shell said was up to 10% below budget. read more

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

Bloomberg: Kazakhstan Expects Eni-Led Group `to Compromise’ on Kashagan

By Greg Walters and Anthony DiPaola

Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) — Kazakhstan expects the Eni SpA-led group “to compromise” in talks with the government on developing the biggest oil find in more than three decades.

There’s not been “any progress yet” and the government is waiting for the group to propose a plan that will allow the field to begin pumping oil “as soon as possible,” Deputy Finance Minister Daulet Ergozhin said by telephone from Astana, the Kazakh capital today. read more

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

Bloomberg: Total CEO Offers to Go to Kazakhstan to Resolve Kashagan Row

By Tara Patel

Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) — Total Chief Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie is willing to travel to Kazakhstan to help resolve a dispute over the Kashagan oil field.

“The priority is to resume talks with the authorities,” he told analysts during a presentation in Paris today. The Kashagan development is worth “several billion dollars” for Total, Europe’s third-biggest oil company, de Margerie said.

Kazakhstan last week ordered the Eni SpA-led group that includes Total to halt work at the world’s biggest oil discovery in 30 years for at least three months while it investigates alleged violations of environmental rules. read more

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

AFX Europe (Focus): Sakhalin will give Gazprom ‘solid position’ on LNG markets

Published: Sep 05, 2007

MOSCOW (Thomson Financial) – Russian energy giant Gazprom is aiming for a “solid position” on world markets for liquefied natural gas (LNG) with the help of the Sakhalin-2 project in far eastern Russia, the company said on Wednesday.

“The completion of the Sakhalin-2 project will guarantee stability of energy supplies to countries of the Asia-Pacific region and North America,” Alexander Medvedev, deputy CEO of Gazprom, was quoted as saying in a company statement. read more

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

BBC Monitoring Service: Kazakhstan “discontent” with US oil giant over perceived snub of Kashagan talks

Published: Sep 05, 2007
Excerpt from report by Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency

Astana, 5 September: A representative of the ConocoPhillips [US oil company] has been removed from regular talks on the Kashagan project, which were held in Astana on Wednesday [5 September].

An informed Kazakh source has told Interfax-Kazakhstan that ConocoPhillips sent to the talks “a representative of lower rank than other contractors”.

The companies participating in Agip KCO [consortium developing Kashagan. which includes Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil Corp, Total, ConocoPhillips, Japan’s Inpex Holdings Inc and Kazakh state oil and gas company KazMunayGaz] were represented by vice-presidents. read more

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

AFX UK (Focus): Kazakh deputy finance minister says Eni’s operator role at Kashagan not in doubt

Published: Sep 05, 2007

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (Thomson Financial) – Kazakhstan’s deputy finance minister Daulet Yergozhin said Eni SpA’s role as operator of the Agip KCO consortium is not in doubt despite the delays in developing the Kashagan oil field, Interfax reported.

“We demand that they present us with a practical action plan to see how they are going to pursue this project,” he said.

He added that the Kazakh government expects to complete an official estimate of its losses as a result of the delays by Sept 7. read more

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

PR Newswire (US): Jiffy Lube International Adds Seasoned Operations and Customer Experience Executives to Senior Management Team

About Jiffy Lube

Jiffy Lube, with more than 2,200 service centers in North America, serves approximately 27.5 million customers each year. Jiffy Lube pioneered the fast oil change industry in 1979 by establishing the first drive-through service bay, providing customers with fast, professional service for their vehicles. Headquartered in Houston, Jiffy Lube International is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Shell Oil Company. Visit http://www.jiffylube.com to learn more about Jiffy Lube and vehicle care. read more

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

Financial Times: SEC and oil reserves

Published: September 5 2007 09:43 | Last updated: September 5 2007 13:57

Oil reserves are slippery. With different companies using various methodologies to assess reserves – sometimes regarding the same field – the numbers can be open to a fair degree of interpretation.

One system most oil investors are familiar with is that of the Securities and Exchange Commission, whereby oil companies attach an unaudited report on their proved reserves to their accounts. The US regulator has signalled, however, that it might update its methodology in response to calls from the industry. read more

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

Financial Times: EU behind the curve on Russia energy matters

By Tim Reilly
Published: September 5 2007 03:00 | Last updated: September 5 2007 03:00

From Mr Tim Reilly.

Sir, Katinka Barysch’s article “The best answer to Gazprom is faster reform” (September 3) reveals more about European Union energy policy than it does about Gazprom. At every turn the views are incomplete, outdated or plain wrong. It is not in any Russian political group’s interest to damage Gazprom; to be used somewhat around election time, yes, but to suffer collateral damage, no. read more

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

Financial Times: China returns to global gas market with Shell deal

By Richard McGregor in Beijing and Peter Smith in Sydney
Published: September 5 2007 03:00 | Last updated: September 5 2007 03:00

China’s soaring energy demand has forced it back into the global natural gas market in search of cleaner burning though potentially more expensive fuels to power industry and provide residential electricity.

Hu Jintao, China’s president, presided over the signing of a 20-year agreement between PetroChina and Royal Dutch Shell in Perth yesterday for liquefied natural gas from the Gorgon project off Western Australia. read more

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

International Relations and Security Network (ISN): Western consortium faces removal from Kashagan Field

The Kazakh government threatens to withdraw the license of a Western consortium developing the country’s largest oil field, citing environmental irregularities. From IWPR.

By IWPR (04/09/07)

The Kazakh government is using concerns about environmental damage at the country’s largest oil field as a pretext for removing the western consortium which is developing it, say NBCentralAsia analysts.

On 21 August, Kazakh environmental protection minister Nurlan Iskakov said that the Agip KCO consortium, which is developing the major Kashagan oil field, had broken environment laws. “According to the law, we have to withdraw its license, since further development of the deposit will cause irreparable environmental damage,” he said. read more

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

The Salt Lake Tribune: Shell boss stumps for off-shore drilling

In Salt Lake City, he says development is a must to meet needs
By Steven Oberbeck

Shell Oil president John Hofmeister says it is possible for this country to approach energy independence but to do so it must embrace new fuel technologies and rethink existing policies preventing additional oil and gas development.

    Hofmeister was in Salt Lake City last week as he neared the tail end of a 50-city “listening tour” to address the public’s growing frustration and concern with high energy and gasoline prices, and record oil company profits. read more

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

Bloomberg: Woodside California LNG Project Starts Public Review (Update2)

By Angela Macdonald-Smith

Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) — Woodside Petroleum Ltd., Australia’s second-largest oil and gas producer, said its California natural gas import project started a public review after regulators declared the company had provided all the required information.

The ruling by the U.S. Coast Guard and the City of Los Angeles that the port license application is “complete” signals the beginning of the environmental assessment for the OceanWay liquefied natural gas receiving plant, Perth-based Woodside said today in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange. read more

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

Bloomberg: Russian Regulator Says Its Oil Market Is Maturing (Update1): ‘Shell was hurt by its own arrogance,’ said Mitvol…

By Dan Lonkevich

Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) — Major oil companies interested in Russia’s production, the second largest in the world, should recognize the days of “the Banana Republic” are over, the country’s Natural Resources Ministry said.

Foreign oil companies can no longer cut regulatory deals to enter Russia, said Oleg Mitvol, deputy administrator of the country’s Natural Resources Management. “Those times are a thing of the past,” he said today in an interview in New York. read more

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