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February 12th, 2008:

REUTERS: Shell says oil sands are not behind refinery woes

Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:04pm EST 

CALGARY, Alberta, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research) oil sands and upgrading operations are not the cause of refinery problems in Alberta that have led to fuel shortages in Western Canada, a Shell spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

“From an oil sands perspective, it’s business as usual at the mine and the upgrader,” Janet Annesley said.

Undisclosed problems at Shell’s 98,000 barrel a day Scotford refinery near Edmonton, Alberta, have led to a cut in production and forced the company to ration supplies of gasoline and diesel fuel in Saskatchewan, Alberta and northern British Columbia. 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.

London Evening Standard: Fat-cat lobbyists ‘forced pension climbdown’

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Brown handed powerful lobbyists a better deal on pensons.

Paul Waugh, Evening Standard
12 February 2008, 2:23pm

Rich businessmen managed to persuade Gordon Brown to water down plans to curb their ‘fat cat’ pensions, it emerged today. 

A secretive lobbying group, made up of the head of Britain’s most powerful corporations, used breakfast meetings at Downing Street to steer government policy.

Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show the heads of BP, Unilever, HSBC Shell and British American Tobacco, have used their private access to protect the pensions of the ultra-rich and influence other policies. The exclusive club, known as the multi-national chairmen’s group, consisted of fewer than 10 executives. 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.

CNNMoney.com: Shell Argentina To Up Refinery Output After Government OKs Exports

February 12, 2008: 10:02 AM EST

BUENOS AIRES -(Dow Jones)- The Argentina unit of Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) has decided to resume full-capacity operations at its Dock Sud refinery after the government authorized renewed exports for surplus fuel and petrochemicals.

The decision, announced in a letter sent by the company to its service station operators Monday night, came after a meeting with the government’s top price controller, Interior Commerce Secretary Guillermo Moreno.

Shell had warned service station operators Friday that refinery output was going to fall because the company had run out of room to store surplus products that would otherwise be exported. 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.

unpo.org: Ogoni: Nonviolent Protest March Against Shell

2008-02-12

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) staged a non-violent protest march against Shell’s activities and the environmental destruction of Ogoniland after yet another oil spill in the region.

Below is an article published by UNPO:

As the world continues to hunger for oil, so the oil giants conveniently maintain a strangle hold on the Niger Delta in indifference to the cries of the people. The grassroots have become the victims, reduced to brutalized and impoverished communities, ghosts of what they ought to be. Oil spills and blowouts have become a matter of routine and toxic gases continue to be released through gas flares due to Shell’s continuing reckless environmental practices, including burning of forests and community farmlands as a measure to contain oil spills and colluding with government officials to defraud the country and its peoples. 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.

Former Shell Exec Paddy Briggs comments on the article: Jeroen van der Veer cuts a deal with U.S. Attorneys

Former Shell Exec Paddy Briggs comments on the article: Jeroen van der Veer cuts a deal with U.S. Attorneys

Jeroen van der Veer cuts a deal with U.S. Attorneys

The substantive point about all of these processes is to understand the decision-making culture of Shell at the time of the reserves scandal and in the years before. Although Phil Watts was arguably the most hands on CEO that the Shell Group ever had he could not possibly have acted alone on most of the actions and decisions at issue. The CMD minutes show how every significant decision was discussed at CMD level and this confirms that there was unquestionably a collective responsibility. True Watts was a primus-inter-pares but all of the Managing Directors would have been present when major issues were debated. In 2002/2003 the CMD comprised at various times Watts, Walter van de Wijver, Jeroen van der Veer, Paul Skinner, Rob Routs, Malcolm Brinded and Judie Boynton.  The CMD had no official status in law (although all of its members were also Directors of Shell Transport and Trading or Royal Dutch) but it was unquestionably the only top decision making body that counted. 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.

Jeroen van der Veer cuts a deal with U.S. Attorneys

As you are probably aware, Sir Philip has already threatened to take legal action in respect of allegations accusing him of being a fraudster - an entirely accurate description based on the extensive evidence I have seen.

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.

AFP: Nigeria orders Shell to stop restructuring amid job loss fears

12 February 2008

LAGOS (AFP) — The Nigerian state-run oil company NNPC has ordered the Anglo-Dutch oil group Shell to suspend its restructuring amid fears it could lead to job losses, officials said Tuesday.

Senior Nigerian industry officials quoted Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation boss Abubakar Yar’Adua as telling a parliamentary hearing on Monday that the NNPC, with which Shell had a joint venture partnership, was not consulted before Shell went ahead with the exercise.

“There are issues involved and must be resolved before anything,” Yar’Adua said, but added that the NNPC appreciated the challenges facing Shell with production cut because of unrest in the Niger Delta. 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 Guardian: Ultra-rich lobby group with influence at No 10

· Elite club’s access helped protect top pensions
· Downing St papers reveal secretive meetings

By Richard Cookson, Rob Evans and Tony Levene The Guardian, Tuesday February 12 2008

They are among Britain’s wealthiest businessmen, with access to the heart of Downing Street. Yet little has been known about the elite group of multinational chairmen, or exactly what they talk about during their breakfast meetings with the prime minister. Until now, that is.

Downing Street documents disclosed to the Guardian reveal how the secretive lobbying group, which consists of the heads of Britain’s most powerful corporations, including BP, Unilever, HSBC, Shell and British American Tobacco (BAT), have used their private access to protect the pensions of the ultra-rich. 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.

CTCentral.com: Connecticut hopes to persuade New York to deny Broadwater permits

Feb 12, 1:02 AM EST
By SUSAN HAIGH
Associated Press Writer
 
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut leaders said Monday that they are working to persuade New York officials to deny state permits for a liquefied natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound.

They’re sending personal messages to New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and submitting testimony to agencies pushing for what they say are more environmentally sensitive and safer alternatives to the Broadwater Energy project.

“It’s to convince the New York officials that it’s a bad idea and to deny it,” said Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, co-chairman of the governor’s task force studying the gas terminal project. 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: Asset Freeze Points to Woes At Venezuela’s PdVSA

State Oil Company
Faces Host of Issues
And Lower Output
By RAUL GALLEGOS
February 12, 2008; Page A13B

CARACAS, Venezuela — A court-ordered freeze on $12 billion in assets of Venezuela’s state oil company likely signals larger problems ahead for Petroleos de Venezuela.

The freeze, sought by Exxon Mobil Corp., represents another challenge to the 33-year-old company, known as PdVSA, since President Hugo Chávez took power nine years ago. Under Mr. Chávez, PdVSA has lost thousands of qualified personnel, sacrificed investment for social spending and seen its meritocracy replaced by politicization of workers. Industry estimates put Venezuela’s oil production about 25% below the government’s figures. 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: Woodside Buys Shell’s Oil Assets In Australia Field

By REBECCA THURLOW
February 12, 2008

SYDNEY, Australia — Woodside Petroleum Ltd. said it has agreed to buy Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s oil assets in Australia’s North West Shelf project for US$398.5 million.

The deal will double Woodside’s share of the oil-output arm of the North West Shelf, namely the Cossack Pioneer field, which produces 80,000 barrels of oil a day.

Woodside Chief Executive Don Voelte said the acquisition will boost the company’s cash flow and earnings.

“The North West Shelf has laid a sound business platform for Woodside over two decades and we are very pleased that this transaction will further consolidate our position in the North West Shelf ventures,” Mr. Voelte 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.

Financial Times: PDVSA and First Reserve agree deal for Borco

By Sarah Spikes in London and Benedict Mander in Caracas
Published: February 12 2008 02:00 | Last updated: February 12 2008 02:00

PDVSA, Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, has agreed to sell Borco, its Bahamian oil storage business, to First Reserve in a deal understood to be worth about $900m.

The deal for Borco comes at a critical time in an ongoing battle between PDVSA and ExxonMobil over the seizure of Exxon’s stake in a multibillion-dollar Venezuelan oil project as part of President Hugo Chávez’s nationalisation drive last 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.

Vanguard: Shell suspends restructuring, counts losses

Written by Leon Usigbe and Tordue Salem    
Tuesday, 12 February 2008 

ABUJA — Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) yesterday revealed that it has suspended its planned restructuring of the company which attracted controversy but insisted that the exercise would save the company about $200 million annually when eventually effected.

But the Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engineer Abubakar Lawal Yar’Adua believes that the restructuring was being carried out without due consultations with the stakeholders. 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.

africasia.com: Huge Nigerian offshore platform an oasis of calm, far from separatist sabotage

12/02/2008 02:56 OFF THE COAST OF NIGERIA, Feb 12 (AFP)

Safe from separatist sabotage, a mammoth offshore platform hums along with productive activity night and day, an oasis of calm for Nigeria’s embattled oil and gas sector.

Indeed, the country’s offshore facilities have been described by Nigerian officials as the “salvation” of the national oil company.

While it remains the world’s eighth largest oil producer, Nigeria has suffered a sharp decline in land-based output for more than a year in the face of pipeline attacks by militant separatists in the Niger Delta. 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.

businessdayonline.com: Shell’s staff policy stalls oil sector’s growth

11 February, 2008 12:00:00
SOLA SHITTU

After 40 years of oil exploration in Nigeria, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is still largely run by Dutch expatriates holding key positions in the company while Nigerians are relegated to the background.

This state of affairs is of concern to the House of Representatives and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) which yesterday insisted that Nigerians must be at the helm of affairs in the multi-national oil corporation.

At a public hearing by the House of Representatives committee on petroleum (upstream), both the NNPC and its group managing director, Abubakar Yar’Adua as well as the committee chairman, Tam Brisibe, regretted that after 40 years of oil exploration in Nigeria, expatriates have continued to dominate all managerial and technical positions. 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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