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Royal Dutch Shell Unification

Edelman, Burson land global deals with unified Shell

PRWeek: Edelman, Burson land global deals with unified Shell

“ Burson, meanwhile, is to promote the new corporate entity – created earlier this year from the merger of Shell Transport & Trading and Royal Dutch Petroleum – to shareholders, media, NGOs, and government agencies worldwide.”

Monday 3 October 2005

Ian Hall 3 Oct 2005

LONDON: Edelman and Burson-Marsteller have emerged triumphant in two hotly contested agency competitions. Each firm has secured a major piece of global business for the newly unified oil and gas group, Royal Dutch Shell.

Edelman will promote Shell’s retail business across up to 17 markets, pushing everything from branded products to its sponsorships in areas such as motor racing.

The agency’s London office will spearhead work on the account, bringing in annual fees understood to be worth more than $3 million. 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.

Fidelity shows Shell how giants can care for small investors

Daily Telegraph: Fidelity shows Shell how giants can care for small investors

“Any complacency about rising standards in the City would, however, be misplaced. Shell’s half-hearted climbdown this week demonstrates that many boardroom fat cats continue to regard individual shareholders with disdain.”

(Filed: 24/09/2005)

By Ian Cowie, Personal Finance Editor

Small investors are often treated shabbily by big institutions but, as our award-winning consumer champion Jessica Gorst-Williams observes, “sometimes the power of the press can help.” Her painstaking work reminds us that there is more to journalism than persecuting drug-addled pop stars and their model girlfriends.

Any complacency about rising standards in the City would, however, be misplaced. Shell’s half-hearted climbdown this week demonstrates that many boardroom fat cats continue to regard individual shareholders with disdain. 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 finally does the decent thing

Daily Telegraph: Shell finally does the decent thing

“Shell performed an embarrassing U-turn this week and offered new tax-free merger terms to British investors in Royal Dutch Petroleum who were refusing to agree to the unification with Shell Transport & Trading. However, Shell is risking the wrath of British shareholders in Royal Dutch who accepted the terms of the deal”: (Filed: 24/09/2005)

The petroleum giant finally does the decent thing over punitive merger terms, reports Christopher Hope

Shell performed an embarrassing U-turn this week and offered new tax-free merger terms to British investors in Royal Dutch Petroleum who were refusing to agree to the unification with Shell Transport & Trading.

However, Shell is risking the wrath of British shareholders in Royal Dutch who accepted the terms of the deal and have been left with a multi-million pound tax bill. Shell said it believed it was not “appropriate” to compensate 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.

Efforts to boost crude output hit by soaring costs

The Guardian (UK): Efforts to boost crude output hit by soaring costs

“The situation is particularly acute for Shell, whose 2004 annus horribilis of reserve downgrades has left it under extra pressure to rebuild its asset base quickly.”

Thursday September 22, 2005

Shortages of equipment and skilled staff have added to years of underinvestment

Terry Macalister

A severe shortage of rigs, vessels and people threatens to drive up further the price of oil and is making it harder for producers to secure the future supplies needed to meet soaring energy demand.

Costs across the industry have risen sharply as oil companies compete with each other to grab every available piece of equipment to keep future drilling programmes on track. Rig hire rates have more than trebled. 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 look to complete unification of UK and Dutch arms

ABC Money.co.uk: Royal Dutch Shell look to complete unification of UK and Dutch arms

“Following the reserves overbooking scandal last year, Royal Dutch Shell had opted to unify its UK and Dutch arms in a bid to restore confidence in the company.”

Thursday 22 Sept 2005

LONDON – Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has announced that it plans to by out the remaining shares that it does not already own in its Royal Dutch arm thereby taking the final steps towards the unification of its UK and Dutch arms in July.

Currently, Royal Dutch Shell holds 98.5 percent of the erstwhile Royal Dutch. After its merger with Britain’s Shell Transport and Trading in July, the firm said yesterday that the remaining shareholders have the option of either taking cash or equivalent new shares of the merged entity. 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.

Shelling out at last

The Times: Shelling out at last

“SHELL’S chief executive, Jeroen van der Veer, should be after the head of whoever was responsible for making him look mean and insensitive when, it now transpires, this could have been avoided.”

Wednesday 21 September 2005

SHELL’S chief executive, Jeroen van der Veer, should be after the head of whoever was responsible for making him look mean and insensitive when, it now transpires, this could have been avoided.

For months Shell contended that it could do nothing to help UK investors in Royal Dutch who were to be saddled with extra tax bills because of the group’s restructuring.

Now, after the majority had accepted their unhappy fate, a remedy has been found. This-is good news for the few who held out, but not good enough for a business that should have its share of clever accountants. 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.

Daily Telegraph: Shell bows to UK investor pressure

Daily Telegraph: Shell bows to UK investor pressure

“Shell yesterday performed an embarrassing U-turn and offered new tax-free merger terms to British investors in Royal Dutch Petroleum:”: “However, Shell is risking the wrath of British shareholders in Royal Dutch who accepted the terms of the deal and have been left with a multi-million pound tax bill. Shell said that it believed it was not “appropriate” to compensate them.”: “I think they realised that they had made a big mistake. I don’t think they thought people would protest.”

Wednesday 21 Sept 2005

By Christopher Hope, Business Correspondent (Filed: 21/09/2005)

Shell yesterday performed an embarrassing U-turn and offered new tax-free merger terms to British investors in Royal Dutch Petroleum who were refusing to agree to the unification with Shell Transport & Trading.

However, Shell is risking the wrath of British shareholders in Royal Dutch who accepted the terms of the deal and have been left with a multi-million pound tax bill. Shell said that it believed it was not “appropriate” to compensate 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.

At last Shell oil – but only for the squeaky wheels

Daily Telegraph: At last Shell oil – but only for the squeaky wheels

“…the treatment of the British Royal Dutch holders is one of Shell’s more disappointing episodes and an unwelcome throwback to its old reputation for corporate arrogance.”

Wednesday 21 Sept 2005

Finally some common sense is seeping out from the Shell lubyanka over the fate of British holders in Royal Dutch Petroleum. These were the unfortunate shareholders who were landed with a big tax bill after the oil and gas giant restructured.

Unfortunately, Shell’s tax-free solution comes too late for those unlucky souls who accepted the deal during the summer. Its loan note alternative only helps the noisy minority of Royal Dutch refuseniks who were rich and/or stubborn enough to hold out against the corporate might of Shell. The rest – mostly smaller investors who accepted under threat of a “Dutch squeeze-out” – get nothing. 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.

Daily Mail: Shell’s pain is Cairn Energy’s gain

Daily Mail: Shell’s pain is Cairn Energy’s gain

“Canny Scottish operator Cairn bought the Indian fields three years ago for just £4m – from Shell.”

Wednesday 21 Sept 2005

By Ruth Sunderland

SHELL has been forced into a climb down following a row with 400 rebel private investors over the unification of its British and Dutch arms.

The dissident small shareholders had refused an offer from Shell to sell their shares in its former Dutch parent company because it would have landed them with 40pc capital gains tax bills.

The company will now offer a loan note to the rebels which can be exchanged for new shares -therefore avoiding a tax charge.

The UK side of Shell was united with its Netherlands counterpart this summer in a bid to improve transparency in the wake of last year’s oil reserves scandal. 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 offers way out of £77m tax bill

The Times: Royal Dutch Shell offers way out of £77m tax bill

“ROYAL DUTCH SHELL, the newly unified oil and gas group, has moved to appease a small group of disgruntled British shareholders by proposing a way to avoid a £77 million tax bill.”

Wednesday 21 Sept 2005

By Peter Klinger

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL, the newly unified oil and gas group, has moved to appease a small group of disgruntled British shareholders by proposing a way to avoid a £77 million tax bill.

The Anglo-Dutch group said yesterday that it would buy out remaining shareholders in its Royal Dutch arm either with cash or by issuing a loan note. The loan note, particularly applicable to British-based owners of Royal Dutch shares, could be exchanged for new “A” shares in the company without incurring capital gains tax. 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 offers way out of tax glitch

Financial Times: Shell offers way out of tax glitch

“Royal Dutch Shell has belatedly found a solution to a problem that had created an immediate capital gains tax liability for some of its UK private shareholders.”: “There would be no compensation for shareholders who had already tendered their shares, Shell said.”

Wednesday 21 Sept 2005

By Clay Harris

Published: September 21 2005

Royal Dutch Shell has belatedly found a solution to a problem that had created an immediate capital gains tax liability for some of its UK private shareholders.

UK holders of Royal Dutch, one of the predecessor companies to the unified oil and gas group that was created in July, will now be offered a loan note alternative to the share exchange that was the basis of the original transaction.

That will allow any CGT liability to be deferred, although it comes too late for any investors who have already accepted the original offer. 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 says to restructure subsidiaries

Reuters: Royal Dutch says to restructure subsidiaries

“The firm said the restructuring would require an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders and should be completed by the end of the year.”

Tuesday 20 Sept 2005

LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Oil major Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it was restructuring some subsidiary companies following the unification of its UK and Dutch arms.

As part of the restructuring, Royal Dutch will be merged into a subsidiary, Shell Petroleum NV, and the remaining shareholders in Royal Dutch will receive cash or, for UK resident shareholders if they prefer, loan notes exchangeable into Royal Dutch A shares.

The firm said the restructuring would require an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders and should be completed by the end of the 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.

Royal Dutch Shell to clear up Dutch holding company minorities

AFX News Limited: Royal Dutch Shell to clear up Dutch holding company minorities

Tuesday 20 Sept 2005

09.20.2005, 04:05 AM

LONDON (AFX) – Royal Dutch Shell Group announced details of its plan to clear up minority shareholdings in its former Dutch holding company, following the restructuring of the Anglo-Dutch oil giant.

It said that Royal Dutch Petroleum will be merged into a new subsidiary, Shell Petroleum NV. Remaining minority shareholders in Royal Dutch Petroleum, accounting for about 1.5 pct of its equity, will receive cash or loan notes exchangeable into Royal Dutch Shell A shares. 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.

Going Dutch? For some shareholders it is a far from equitable split

Daily Telegraph: Personal view: Going Dutch? For some shareholders it is a far from equitable split

“There have been a number of less-than-ideal constructions and reconstructions recently where the smaller shareholder feels hard-done by. Take the case of Shell, or Royal Dutch Shell as it is now known, as a particularly harsh example. Following on from its failure to state its oil and gas reserves correctly, it has instigated many changes, of which one is the “reunification” of the company.”

Monday 19 Sept 2005

By Angela Knight (Filed: 19/09/2005)

The British buy shares in companies and always have, but the privatisation of companies such as British Telecom in the 1980s, and demutualisation of the Halifax Building Society and others in the 1990s widened share-holding dramatically.

Now, although our major plcs may be “owned” by institutional fund managers and the like, 12m individuals hold shares and in more than one company. These days the UK is both a property and a share-owning democracy. 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 buck stops on the boss’s desk

The Guardian (UK): The buck stops on the boss’s desk

“Let us ignore the damage done to his reputation a) by the very fact that Shell had about a quarter less oil in the ground than it had been claiming and b) by that email in which Shell’s exploration chief told Sir Phil he was “sick and tired” of the lying over the reserves.”: “Frankly, the extraordinarily arrogant Sir Phil should consider himself lucky still to have his knighthood.”

Wednesday September 14, 2005

Sir Phil was to blame for scandal

Sir Phil Watts, the former chairman of Shell, will probably go to his grave mumbling that the reserves scandal of 2004 which wiped billions off the value of the company had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Yesterday he lost an FSA tribunal case where he argued that he had been denied his right to reply when the financial regulator censured Shell for engaging in “unprecedented misconduct” and fined it a record £17m.

The censure did not name Watts, but the former Shell boss, who was forced to resign after the scandal, argued that it was an attack on his leadership, that the FSA allowed him to be identified in the media and damaged his reputation. 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: ex-Shell boss loses appeal against UK regulator

Reuters: x-Shell boss loses appeal against UK regulator

“Philip Watts had argued that his reputation was unfairly impinged by the Financial Service Authority (FSA) ruling that the company, now called Royal Dutch Shell Plc, had engaged in “unprecedented misconduct” that resulted in market abuse, for which it was fined 17 million pounds ($31.06 million).”: Tuesday Sept 13, 2005

LONDON, Sept 13 (Reuters) – A UK tribunal has dismissed an appeal from the former chairman of the Shell oil group (RDSa.L: Quote, Profile, Research)

(RDSb.L: Quote, Profile, Research) against the UK financial regulator’s censure of the Anglo-Dutch company over the overstating of its oil 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.
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