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November 28th, 2007:

BBC News: Offshore safety on ‘knife-edge’: The HSE said prosecutions would be considered

Wednesday, 28 November 2007

Safety is on  a “knife-edge” in some parts of the North Sea oil industry, MPs have been warned.

The message from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) came after two platform fires north east of the Shetland.

HSE chief Geoffrey Podger said prosecutions would be considered as part of the investigations, which would be a matter for the procurator fiscal.

Aberdeen South MP Anne Begg described the claims as “quite a damning indictment of lack of investment”. 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.

kyivpost.com: Shell pulls out of deal with Regal

By John Marone, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Nov 29 2007, 00:21
 
Energy giant Royal Dutch Shell has pulled out of a $410 million preliminary agreement to buy a majority stake in the Ukrainian assets of a small, controversial energy company.

Shell was the first multinational to get a foothold on the Ukrainian hydrocarbons market two years ago and has been expanding aggressively ever since. Last week, it appeared as if Shell had taken a major step expanding further into Ukraine. But within days, Shell announced it had withdrawn from a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Regal Petroleum, a UK-based producer of oil and gas that is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London 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.

The Times: Brazil reaps billions from oil block sale

November 29, 2007
Carl Mortished, World Business Editor

Brazil reaped a billion-dollar harvest yesterday with a frantic sale of oil and gas exploration concessions, despite a boycott of the auction by the major multinationals.

The first sale of exploration acreage by Brazil since the discovery of the Tupi field excited keen interest, generating bids worth $1.14 billion (£550 million) for 117 blocks – but the removal of 41 blocks from the auction by the Government kept the heavy-hitters on the sideline. 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.

Shell confidential reserves fraud discovery documents published on 28 November 2007

Shell confidential reserves fraud discovery documents published on 28 November 2007 

Exhibit 132: SPDC Restatement 1998-2002: Confidential (9 pages)

http://www.shellnews.net/classactiondocs/ex132_419_7.pdf

Exhibit 133: Note for Discussion: Group Investor Relations: Strategy and Plan to 2004: Every page marked “Confidential” (20 pages)

http://www.shellnews.net/classactiondocs/ex133_419_8.pdf

Exhibit 134: 2002 Executive Summary: Most Confidential: Signed by Walter van de Vivjer (12 pages) 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.

Fortune Magazine: Chevron’s CEO: The price of oil

Fortune magazine: Chevron CEO David O'Reilly

November 28 2007: 11:06 AM EST

Love it or hate it, argues David O’Reilly in an interview with Fortune’s Geoff Colvin, the world is going to run on oil for several more decades.

By Geoff Colvin, Fortune senior editor-at-large

(Fortune Magazine) — Oil companies are blamed (unjustly) for high gas prices, loathed for profiting from them, and criticized for their environmental record. So it’s no wonder that most industry CEOs have made themselves scarce. Chevron’s David O’Reilly is the exception. He regularly talks to reporters and appears on television to answer questions about Chevron and 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.

The American Spectator: Back to the Future With Putin

EXTRACT: The recent experience of Royal Dutch Shell in being pressured out of a key oil and gas project it had pioneered in Sakhalin has had a dampening effect on foreign investment in other energy infrastructure projects and akin areas essential to broad scale development.

THE ARTICLE

By George H. Wittman
Published 11/28/2007 12:07:35 AM

It is clearly a retrogressive, though not entirely unexpected, path that Vladimir Putin appears to be carving out for the Russian political economy. The major infrastructure giants of the natural gas monopoly, the principal pipeline developer, and the oil cartel have been returned primarily to state control. And this is only part of the story. 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 Wall Street Journal: Cnooc to Target Caspian Sea Area But Avoid Russia

By DAVID WINNING and RENYA PENG
November 28, 2007

Chinese offshore-oil producer Cnooc Ltd. wants to buy assets in the prolific oil-producing region of the Caspian Sea but isn’t interested in Russia because the risks are too high, a senior company official said.

Yang Hua, chief financial officer, added the Caspian Sea to a list of target regions where Cnooc is looking to build its core business, putting it alongside Africa and the Asian-Pacific region for the first time.

The Caspian Sea contains the Kashagan oil field, which was the world’s largest oil discovery for 30 years when it was found, and the region is ringed by major oil producers, including Kazakhstan, Iran and Azerbaijan. 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: Oil Rises as OPEC Ministers Downplay Possible Production Boost

By Grant Smith and Alexander Kwiatkowski

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) — Crude oil rose in New York trading as OPEC ministers countered reports the group is planning to raise production at a meeting next week.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries currently has no plan to raise oil output when it meets next week in Abu Dhabi because the market is well supplied, Qatar’s oil minister said today. Libya’s top oil official said the group is unable to increase production any further.

“I have not been informed of any plan,” Qatar’s Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah said in a telephone interview today. “It seems to be that the market has reacted to physical supply as it has already dropped at the beginning of winter time.” 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: African Petroleum May Buy Shell Assets, People Say (Update1)

By Julie Ziegler

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) — African Petroleum Plc, Nigeria’s largest fuel retailer, is competing with China’s Cnooc Ltd. to buy Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s stake in two offshore oil exploration licenses, two people with knowledge of the situation said.

A sale may be worth as much as $1 billion, said Sebastian Spio- Garbrah, an analyst at New York-based Eurasia Group. Bids for Shell’s 49.8 percent share in the blocks, known as Oil Mining Licenses 125 and 134, must be made by Dec. 7, the people said. Other companies bidding include a Middle Eastern firm, they said. Eni SpA, the operator of the exploration areas, owns the other 50.2 percent. 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.

Reuters: Shell to become Ormen Lange operator on Dec 1

Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:04 AM GMT

OSLO, Nov 28 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile , Research) will take over as operator of the Ormen Lange gas field in the Norwegian Sea on Dec. 1, development phase operator StatoilHydro (STL.OL: Quote, Profile , Research) said on Wednesday.

Ormen Lange, on stream from October, can produce enough gas to cover 20 percent of Britain’s needs. It is linked to the UK through the world’s longest subsea pipeline across the North Sea.

“As operator for the development since 1999, it is a delight to state that it has gone according to plan,” said Morten Ruud, StatoilHydro’s executive vice president for projects. 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 News: New offshore safety fears raised: ‘It’s unacceptable and is putting lives at risk’

BBC News

Wednesday, 28 November 2007, 09:57 GMT

A union leader has called for urgent action to address offshore safety amid fears that somebody could be killed.

An investigation has been launched into a fire which broke out on Shell’s North Cormorant on Tuesday.

It followed a serious fire on the Thistle Alpha on Sunday. Both platforms are north east of Shetland.

Graham Tran, of the Unite Amicus union, said there had been a series of worrying incidents. Shell said safety was the company’s highest priority. 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.

Bakersfield Californian: Shell Oil restarts cleanup of site

Bakersfield Californian: Chart

Bakersfield Californian: Shell Oil restarts cleanup of site

BY STACEY SHEPARD, Californian staff writer
e-mail: [email protected] | Tuesday, Nov 27 2007 9:55 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Nov 27 2007 10:00 PM

Shell Oil has restarted a system to clean up pollution beneath the Rosedale Highway refinery that environmental regulators say was shut down more than two years ago without their approval.

The cleanup system was installed in the 1990s to remove toxic chemicals in the soil and groundwater from spills and leaks at the refinery that caused millions of gallons of petroleum products and the fuel additive MTBE to seep into the ground. 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 Scotsman: Shell’s North Cormorant rig hit by ‘small fire’

FRANK URQUHART
 
A “VERY small” fire broke out on Shell’s North Cormorant rig north-east of the Shetland islands early yesterday.

The blaze came just three days after a major fire on Lundin Petroleum’s Thistle Alpha installation.

The Shell fire was contained within a turbine hood on a water injection pump on the oil giant’s North Cormorant platform, 109 miles from Shetland.

A spokeswoman for Shell said that the fire, which began in the early morning, had been extinguished immediately by the platform’s own fire protection system. 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.

ABERDEEN PRESS & JOURNAL: HSE CHIEFS FACE QUIZ OVER PLATFORMS’ FIRE SAFETY SYSTEMS

08:50 – 28 November 2007

Health and safety bosses will be challenged in the Commons today over the state of offshore fire safety systems following two fires within three days.

The second fire, which broke out early yesterday on Shell’s North Cormorant platform, 109 miles north-east of Shetland, was contained quickly by the fire protection system. The blaze was extinguished within 15 minutes of it breaking out at 12.42am, and the platform returned to normal status, a company spokesman said last night. 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.

Kremlin, Inc: Shell backs out from investing in Ukraine via Regal

Location of Regal's gas field in Ukraine: from RegalPetroleum.co.uk 

By Hans Stege

About 24 hours after announcing a preliminary deal worth $410 million with UK-based oil firm Regal Petroleum, Shell pulled out of the agreement citing Regal’s surprise management shift. David Greer, the former head of Shell’s Sakhalin-II project, was tapped to replace Regal’s chief executive and chairman, both of whom resigned after news of the deal with Shell was announced — despite a general consensus that the agreement was a sound move for the firm. After Greer took over at Regal, he gave an interview to the Financial Times that seemed to call into question Shell’s involvement: 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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