Royal Dutch Shell Plc  .com Rotating Header Image

October, 2012:

Shell ends 2012 Arctic Ocean drilling off Alaska

AP News By Dan Joling on October 31, 2012

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell PLC has concluded drilling for the season in the Arctic Ocean off Alaska’s northwest and north coast.

Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith says the company completed one top hole in both the Chukchi (chuck-CHEE’) and Beaufort (BO-fort) seas.

Top holes are the foundation of an exploratory well. They consist of 20-foot in diameter mud-line cellar dug 40 feet into the sea floor to provide protection from ice for a blowout preventer, plus a hole drilled to about 1,500 feet. 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.

All the worst Shell traits – secrecy, haughtiness, inertia

 From our Shell News Archive Sunday 31 October, 2004

The fallout from the Shell reserves fraud continues…

The Independent On Sunday (UK): Business View: Shell’s real location problem is finding more black stuff: “The misreporting of reserves scandal showed all the worst Shell traits – secrecy, haughtiness, inertia.”: “So what’s the hurry? Was it because Shell had to admit that it had uncovered another 900 million barrels of doubtful crude in its reserves and was likely to uncover 600 million more?”

Sunday Express (UK): Shell boardroom changes backfire on reserves news: “ONE OF the world’s most influential financial firms has given the thumbs down to an announcement from Shell it is to end its 97-year-old dual board structure.”: “…financial ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said it had adjusted Shell’s investment rating downwards to “creditwatch negative”, a status which implies there may be more bad news to come from the company.”

Mail on Sunday (UK):  Shell bosses in a charm offensive: “The Board, headed by Jeroen van der Veer, will see thousands of staff to explain the proposed changes and shore up the mood of the employees damaged by scandals over Shell’s inflated oil reserves.”: “Last week, Shell was forced to downgrade its estimates of proven oil reserves for the fifth time this year. Reserves are now a third lower than originally thought” 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.

Dole under pressure to withdraw support from Shell vs. Kiobel

Dole is the target of a campaign by grassroots activist organisation Sum Of Us, to pressure the company to withdraw its support from the amicus brief it filed on Shell’s behalf in the case of Shell vs. Kiobel, currently before the United States Supreme Court. Sumofus.org sent out an email campaign on Oct. 29 encouraging the public to visit Dole’s Facebook page and leave a message on the issue. As of 3 o’clock this morning, Dole’s Facebook page has been inundated with hundreds of messages encouraging the company to act responsibly in this matter and withdraw their support of Shell such as: 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.

Motiva Mess, Tom Purves and Cronyism

Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications.

Posting on our Shell Blog by a regular contributor: Golden Triangle Watchman”

Re the Motiva article, so true…..How prophetic that the picture of Voser and the senior execs are sitting there opening a valve at the ceremony…. and ultimately, a valve just like it allowed caustic to get into the unit. This project was terrible from the start…bad idea started by Tom Purves….. Bad project team, led by Tom’s buddy Forrest Lauher, who had no idea how to run a project of this size, bad leadership throughout the project….. Tom decides to come save the project when in fact he has never worked on a major project and has no skills to actually deliver what he promised…. his cronies were dropped onto the project in various jobs…..Hartsock, Funkhouser, all with promises of making a difference…. meanwhile no one would speak up for fear of losing their job. The project finally falls on its face, only after Tom gets shipped out to Siberia. Everyone thought he would get paid a nice severance and retire but after this embarrassment, the senior Shell execs couldn’t pay Tom a nice payday. Tom then had to move on to Canada where he is now head of mining….. laughable. And his buddy Funkhouser is working on the next mega project…laughable…. he will somehow work his way up to Canada to be with his daddy Tom…. I’m sure he will wait until it warms up…. and old Forrest is now off in El Paso working for a small refinery company after being run off from Shell….. This is Shell’s finest. Tom, you are a joke. I hope you enjoy your stroll to the bank. Everyone else will when you leave. 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 the Worst Company on Earth

30 October 2012

The case of Shell Petroleum Development Company in Ogoniland, Nigeria had been the most appalling experience and the most notable case of a company exploiting, billions of dollars in natural resources from a people and denying responsibility for turning the area into a waste land. Shell Petroleum started oil drilling in Ogoni in 1958.

By 1990, the company has generated over 30 Billion U.S Dollars in revenue from the area. Its operations covered at least 6 major oilfields including the K-Dere(Bomu) Oil field, Bodo-West, Korokoro, Yorla, Ebubu and Afam(Lekuma) oilfields. 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 fined $80k for work safety lapses at Pulau Bukom refinery

October 30, 2012

Oil giant Shell was fined $80,000 on Monday for lapses in workplace safety that led to a 32-hour fire at the company’s Pulau Bukom oil refinery in September last year.

Court papers stated that while draining a pipeline, its contractors had used a method that allowed flammable gases to accumulate in the air.

The pipeline was connected to a tank of naphtha, a volatile liquid, and passed through a pump house where petroleum products were mixed. The contractors had used metal trays to collect the naphtha flowing out of the tank. 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.

Blog: The Shell Game

29 October 2012

Leaks in oil pipes in Nigeria were allowed to flow for 10 weeks before Shell came to the site to stop them. © Amnesty International

Audrey Gaughran, Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme

For decades the oil industry in Nigeria’s Niger Delta has caused widespread pollution of land and water, damaging people’s ability to fish and farm, and putting their health at risk.

I have worked on Amnesty International’s campaign to urge Shell and the government of Nigeria to address the human rights impact of oil pollution in the Niger Delta for several years.

Earlier this month I had the chance to debate with Shell on the issue. 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 fined $80,000 for Bukom fire

The company had earlier pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure workers’ safety…

AsiaOne: Monday, Oct 29, 2012

SINGAPORE – Shell was fined $80,000 for its role in a fire that broke out at its Pulau Bukom Refinery on Sep 28, 2011.

The company had earlier pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure workers’ safety on Oct 9, 2012.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the fire was the largest refinery fire since 1988.

MOM’s investigations showed that the fire started in the course of the open de-oiling of naphtha – a highly flammable petroleum product – from a pipeline that ran through a pump house at the refinery. 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.

A big mess at Motiva and why Gulf Coast refiners are making a killing

While Chevron’s Richmond refinery has been making the news lately with a very visible incident, our attention has been drawn to less noticed recent events in America’s biggest refining center on the Gulf Coast, where what was to become the country’s largest refinery also ran into a spot of trouble.

You’d think that if you had spent 5 years and over $10 billion building a new refinery you might get to run it a few months before you had to shut it down for repairs. Not so the Motiva Port Arthur refinery expansion, which is essentially a new refinery bolted onto an old one. 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.

A DREADFUL DAY FOR SHELL SHAREHOLDERS, ESPECIALLY UK SHELL SHAREHOLDERS

FROM OUR OCTOBER 2004 SHELL NEWS ARCHIVE

Friday 29 October, 2004 – A DREADFUL DAY FOR SHAREHOLDERS IN SHELL TRANSPORT AND TRADING COMPANY PLC

The Times (UK): The Hague for head office: “ALTHOUGH it maintains otherwise, Shell is effectively going Dutch…”: “From May, the big decisions will be taken by a new board in The Hague, which has seven Dutch members and only four Britons.”: “…from 2006 it will hold AGMs only in The Hague.”

The Times (UK): Fear of new Shell reserves downgrade: “ROYAL Dutch/Shell yesterday raised fears that it may have to write down its reserves by more than 1.5 billion barrels…”: “With less than 60 per cent of its reservoir audit completed, Shell was unable yesterday to put a ceiling on the potential downgrade of its reserves…”

Daily Telegraph (UK): Dutch chiefs take helm of merged Shell: “The radical move, which needs to be approved by shareholders, is likely to be seen as a Dutch takeover of the energy giant…”: “The news was overshadowed by yet more revelations about the company’s “proven” reserves…” 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 Struggles to Repay Iran Oil Debt

Dow Jones Newswires: Published October 28, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) is struggling to settle the over $1 billion it owes Iran for oil purchases after options such as financing a gas pipeline or paying for food shipments were rejected, people familiar with the matter said over the weekend.

“There have been several options examined. None has been successful,” one person said.

Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell’s $1 billion plus debt to Iran is due to a European Union embargo that started July 1, which prevents the transfer of payments to the Islamic Republic. 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 attacks ‘ridiculous’ effects of European energy policy

Royal Dutch Shell has attacked the “ridiculous” impact of European energy policy, warning that governments are erasing the environmental benefits from expensive renewables by allowing coal use to increase.

Europe is burning more coal, while demand for gas – which emits much less CO2 than coal – is declining Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Emily Gosden By : 6:03PM GMT 28 Oct 2012

Andrew Brown, one of Shell’s most senior executives, also warned that shale gas would not have the same impact in the UK as it has in the US, where is has been heralded as a new era of cheap energy.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Brown, Shell’s upstream international director, said the UK and Europe were “missing a trick” in their policies.

“There are a lot of subsidies going towards renewables. Gas and coal are having to compete to be taken into power generation,” 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.

OIL GIANTS BACK IN BLACK AS CRUDE RISES

By Geoff Ho: Sunday October 28,2012

OIL giant BP is expected to return to profit this week when it reports its third-quarter results thanks to the rising oil price, while arch-rival Royal Dutch Shell is also set to announce improved profits.

BP is expected to make a net profit of $4 billion (£2.5 billion) for the three months to September 30, which would return it to profitability after registering a $1.3 billion loss in the preceding quarter. The oil giant will unveil its third-quarter results on Tuesday.

City analysts expect Royal Dutch Shell to report a net profit of $7.3bn, an increase of 79.7 per cent on the second quarter, when it announces its third-quarter results on Thursday. 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 stuns City with revamp

From our October 2004 Shell News Archive

London Evening Standard: Shell stuns City with revamp

“The troubled group wants to draw a line under its devastating oil and gas reserves crisis earlier this year by creating a new £100bn holding company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc.”: “Buried deep in the results statement, Shell said it was considering yet another downgrade after a review of 8bn barrels of reserves for the year to December.”

Steve Hawkes,

28 October 2004

ANGLO-DUTCH giant Shell stunned the City today by unveiling plans to scrap its century old corporate structure and create ‘one company, one board and one chief executive.

The troubled group wants to draw a line under its devastating oil and gas reserves crisis earlier this year by creating a new £100bn holding company, Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

It will effectively take over the British and Dutch arms, which came together in a joint venture in 1907 with Royal Dutch owning 60%. The new group will be based in the Netherlands but listed in London. 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.

Royal Dutch/Shell to merge

From our October 2004 Shell News Archive

Royal Dutch/Shell to merge

Netherlands HQ ‘not a victory for the Dutch’: “Yet Shell’s governance scheme wasn’t without a few surprises, chiefly that the headquarters will be based in The Hague, Netherlands along with two of the group’s three main businesses.”

By Emily Church,

Oct. 28, 2004

LONDON (CBS.MW) — Oil major Royal Dutch Shell on Wednesday said it plans to merge its Dutch and U.K. companies, breaking close to a hundred year tradition as a dual Anglo-Dutch group.

The move was expected and follows shareholder outrage after a shock downgrade of proven oil reserves in January. Yet Shell’s governance scheme wasn’t without a few surprises, chiefly that the headquarters will be based in The Hague, Netherlands along with two of the group’s three main businesses. 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 chairman deeply ashamed about reserves fraud

From our October 2004 Shell News Archive

London Evening Standard: Market Report: SPEAKING OUT

“All of us are deeply ashamed about what happened about the reserves, but we are determined to regain our position. — Shell chairman Jeroen van der Veer on the oil giant’s attempts to put its misdemeanours behind it”

Market Report

By Mickey Clark

27 Oct 2004

“I’m convinced we have a lot of strengths. All of us are deeply ashamed about what happened about the reserves, but we are determined to regain our position.”

— Shell chairman Jeroen van der Veer on the oil giant’s attempts to put its misdemeanours behind it.

RELATED ARTICLE

Financial Times: Not clammed shut

“Jeroen van der Veer remains refreshingly candid even after all Royal Dutch/Shell has been through this year.”: “We are like the schoolboy standing in the corridor outside the classroom.

By Clay Harris

Published: October 27 2004

Jeroen van der Veer remains refreshingly candid even after all Royal Dutch/Shell has been through this year.

Asked at a conference about the International Energy Agency’s call for governments, regulators and corporations to unify energy reserves accounting, he said: “We are like the schoolboy standing in the corridor outside the classroom. I don’t think it is for us to lead the charge of new rules on reserve accounting, we shall leave that to others. But whatever the rules are, we will comply with them.” 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.
Comment Rules

  • Please show respect to the opinions of others no matter how seemingly far-fetched.
  • Abusive, foul language, and/or divisive comments may be deleted without notice.
  • Each blog member is allowed limited comments, as displayed above the comment box.
  • Comments must be limited to the number of words displayed above the comment box.
  • Please limit one comment after any comment posted per post.