In the corridors of global energy, Shell presents itself as a monolithic symbol of industrial prowess, dividend reliability and transition ambition. Investors like BlackRock, Inc. and The Vanguard Group, Inc. hold sizeable stakes. Yet behind the investor-slides and glossy sustainability pledges lies a series of historical shadows: offshore disasters, legacy pollution, human-rights litigation and repeated admissions of safety underperformance. This article takes a tour through select episodes—chronologically arranged—of how Shell has, in many instances, placed lives and safety on the back burner. While satire underpins the tone, the facts are stubbornly real.
LNG
Shell’s scandalous approach to safety
Shell vs Donovan: Oil Giant vs Watchdog
How one man’s persistence exposed decades of corporate deceit — and forced an oil giant to live with its reflection.
Part 1: The Origins of a Corporate Nemesis
“There are two types of corporations: those that fear whistleblowers and those that wish they’d hired one.” — Industry proverb
In the late 1980s, John Donovan was not yet a thorn in Shell’s side. He was one of its trusted collaborators — a marketing innovator whose company, Don Marketing, created hugely successful sales promotions for Shell in the UK and around the globe.
But what began as a partnership ended in betrayal. A bitter dispute over intellectual property, allegedly stolen concepts, and corporate bullying gave birth to a feud that would last decades.
Shell to Trump: Don’t Smash the Turbines — We’re Busy Burning Gas
Shell’s top U.S. executive has done the unthinkable: publicly critiqued a White House that is (mostly) friendly to oil and gas. In an interview flagged by Reuters, Colette Hirstius, President of Shell USA, warned that the Trump administration’s decision to halt fully permitted offshore wind projects is “very damaging” to investment. She added: “I think uncertainty in the regulatory environment is very damaging. However far the pendulum swings one way, its likely that its going to swing just as far the other way.” And, crucially: “I certainly would like to see those projects that have been permitted in the past continue to be developed.”
Shell Bets the Planet on LNG: Ten More Years of “Lower-Carbon” Storytelling
Shell CEO Wael Sawan has finally shown his hand: the company’s main contribution to the energy industry for the next decade will be liquefied natural gas (LNG). Not wind. Not solar. Not storage. LNG. The same fossil fuel dressed up as a climate saviour.
What Sawan Said
At the Economic Club of New York, Sawan declared:
“We are absolutely committed to this sector.”
He argued LNG is “one of the most effective fuels” for lowering emissions because it can displace coal in Asia, citing India and China. (Reuters)
Shell Built a Floating Cathedral to Gas – Then Spent Years Praying the Lights Stay On
Let’s talk about Shell’s Prelude FLNG, a.k.a. the biggest corporate midlife-crisis purchase ever parked on the ocean. Shell didn’t just build a platform; they launched a 488-meter-long, 74-meter-wide, 600,000-tonne floating factory that maritime media straight-faced called “the largest offshore structure ever built”—and, yes, “it displaces six times as much water as the largest aircraft carrier.”
Anchored some 475 km (295 miles) off Australia, Prelude was moored with 16 giant chains to a 93-meter turret—“secured to the seabed by mooring lines”—so the behemoth could spin with cyclones and still keep pumping. Very metal. Very expensive. And very on-brand for a company that thinks the solution to climate and cost risk is… more steel.
Shell Loses LNG Case to Venture Global
The planet-wrecking colossus known as Shell — proudly backed by Wall Street heavyweight BlackRock — just lost its $1.7 billion arbitration battle against Venture Global. The scrappy U.S. LNG upstart sold cargoes on the spot market for huge profits instead of delivering them to Shell under long-term contracts. Shell whined: “Trust in long-term contracts is the bedrock of the LNG industry.” Translation: “We’re fine making billions, but only if it’s on our terms.”
Venture Global, which banked nearly $7 billion in 2022–23, crowed: “We have consistently honored these agreements without exception.” The ruling leaves Shell sulking and the rest of us wondering if corporate karma actually exists — because for once, Big Oil didn’t win.
Shell’s Prelude to Disaster: Floating Time Bomb Gets Regulatory Shrug While Transparency Sinks
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a multibillion-dollar floating gas bomb loses power and the regulators simply nod along—look no further than Shell’s Prelude FLNG, the world’s largest offshore floating liquefied natural gas facility, and possibly the most expensive game of Russian roulette ever parked in Australian waters.
In December 2021, Shell’s bloated $17 billion Prelude vessel suffered a catastrophic blackout, knocking out critical safety systems, including emergency power, communications, and fire suppression. You know, just the stuff that keeps explosions from happening. Workers were left stranded, helicopters grounded, and any notion of “safe operations” went out the nearest gas vent.
Shell’s Floating Time Bomb: Prelude to a Cover-Up
When Shell isn’t busy triggering earthquakes in Groningen or handing its CEO fat cheques for torching the planet, it’s apparently running floating LNG death traps in Australian waters—with the full blessing of a regulator that seems more asleep than alert.
Welcome to the latest entry in Shell’s ever-expanding anthology of negligence: the Prelude FLNG disaster and the whistleblower who dared to pull back the curtain.
In December 2021, Shell’s flagship floating liquefied natural gas facility, Prelude—yes, the one Shell bragged about as a “marvel of engineering”—suffered a major power failure that knocked out essential safety systems. That’s not an inconvenience. That’s a “get-the-lifeboats” kind of event. Smoke in the UPS 214 room, power instability, a loss of control systems—it’s the stuff offshore nightmares are made of.
Frozen Gas, Burning Planet: Shell’s LNG Canada Hype Hits Boil Point
ICE-COLD GAS, RED-HOT PROFITS-BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHELL
Exporting methane and melting credibility—Canada joins Shell’s planetary gaslighting tour
Hold your applause and grab your gas masks: Shell, the world’s favourite pollution profiteer, is about to transform Canada from the land of moose and maple syrup into a shiny new LNG export hub—just what the overheating planet didn’t ask for.
The LNG Canada project, a $40 billion love letter to fossil fuels led by Shell Plc, is getting ready to ship its first cargoes of super-cooled methane as early as June. According to “people with knowledge of the situation” (a.k.a. Shell insiders who know the drill), equipment testing is already underway at the plant, located in Kitimat, British Columbia.
WTF Is Shell Whining About Now? Australia Dares Suggest Gas Should Help Australians—Cue Oil Giant Meltdown
Enter Irina Woodhead, a former Shell technical safety engineer who had the audacity to suggest that maybe—just maybe—ignoring safety protocols on a floating gas bomb was a bad idea. She raised concerns about Prelude’s emergency protocols, only to be shown the door faster than you can say “whistleblower retaliation.
Ah, Shell. The oil-stained poster child of unhinged corporate greed, environmental catastrophe, and staggering audacity. Alongside its equally charming BFFs ExxonMobil and Chevron, Shell is now losing its ever-loving mind over a radical, totally outlandish proposal: that some of the gas they’re hoarding and shipping offshore might actually be used to keep Australians warm and the lights on.
You know, in Australia. Where the gas comes from.
But don’t worry, Shell’s top brass is here to explain why that’s a very bad idea—for them, obviously.
Shell-Shocked: FERC Tells Oil Giant to Sit Down and Shut Up in LNG Tantrum
Shell — the cuddly face of fossil fuel finesse. The benevolent, planet-loving oil titan that brought you a century of greenhouse gases and quarterly profits fatter than a deep-fried oil rig. But this time? The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) wasn’t buying their entitlement routine.
In what can only be described as an institutional eye-roll, FERC sided with Venture Global LNG Inc., ruling that the company is not obligated to serve Shell all non-public documents going forward. Translation: just because Shell’s used to throwing its corporate weight around doesn’t mean it gets VIP access to everything behind the curtain.
This all stems from Shell’s never-ending hissy fit over Calcasieu Pass — Venture Global’s LNG plant in Louisiana — where Shell is a paying customer. They demanded access to internal, non-public documentation because nothing says reasonable corporate conduct like shouting “transparency!” while investing billions in planet-charing energy.
Prelude FLNG: Shell’s $17.5 Billion Disaster Gets Another ‘Turnaround’—Because the First One Worked So Well
Stop the presses—Shell is once again “fixing” Prelude FLNG, the world’s most expensive floating LNG catastrophe. Yes, the very same Prelude that has lurched from one disaster to another since production began in 2018. The plan? A leadership shake-up, mass restructuring, and yet another grand vision: Turnaround 2026. Because when all else fails, slap a new label on the mess and hope investors don’t notice. If history is any guide, don’t hold your breath—unless you’re on Prelude, in which case, you might want to really avoid breathing in those unvented hazardous gases.
Prelude, Shell’s $17.5 billion floating headache, was supposed to be a marvel of engineering. Instead, it’s been a slow-motion trainwreck of operational failures, safety nightmares, and regulatory smackdowns. The company has already confirmed the departure of long-serving Asset Manager Peter Norman, but, surprise—no successor has been named. Meanwhile, a quiet exodus of senior figures, including Operations Manager Andrew Harvey and Offshore Installation Manager Kerry Lambert, is underway.
Shell’s LNG Delusion: Betting Big on a Market That Doesn’t Want It
Nothing Screams “Strategy” Like Ignoring Reality
Ah, Shell—the ultimate sin stock, the champion of environmental destruction, and a firm favorite of investment giants like BlackRock and Vanguard—has once again graced the world with a vision of its glorious fossil-fueled future. This time, it’s an LNG pipe dream so detached from reality, you’d think they pulled it straight from an oil-stained magic eight ball.
According to Shell’s latest LNG outlook, the world is set to guzzle down up to 718 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas by 2040, a staggering 60% increase from today. Why? Because of Asia’s economic growth, the energy demands of AI, and the vague promise of “cutting emissions”—yes, you read that right, Shell is now selling fossil fuels as a climate solution. Comedy gold.
NOPSEMA Slaps Shell with a Damning Safety Notice for Prelude FLNG
Because Who Needs Worker Safety When There’s Money to Be Made?
Shell Australia has been officially called out (again) for its staggering incompetence and complete disregard for worker safety after an inspection of its disaster-prone Prelude FLNG facility revealed that workers were being exposed to hazardous, cancer-causing gases.
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) has issued Improvement Notice No. 1967, making it painfully clear that Shell has been ignoring serious health risks for years and will likely continue to do so unless forced to take action.
What Did NOPSEMA Find?
Let’s break down the most alarming findings from the regulator’s scathing report:
• Shell Has Known About This for Years
Workers have been reporting strong odours and health symptoms for an extended period, yet Shell has done nothing to fix the issue. Employees have experienced lung and eye irritation, which are classic symptoms of hydrogen sulphide and benzene exposure—but rather than act, Shell management has ignored complaints and let the risks persist.
Shell’s Prelude to Disaster: Workers Exposed to Toxic Gas, Regulator Issues Warning
Shell’s Prelude to Disaster: Workers Exposed to Toxic Gas, Regulator Issues Warning. Because What’s a Little Cancer When There’s Profit to Be Made? In Shell’s world, workers are expendable.
In a development that will shock absolutely no one familiar with Shell’s abysmal safety record, the Australian offshore regulator NOPSEMA has issued an improvement notice after workers aboard Shell’s troubled Prelude FLNG facility reported lung and eye problems from exposure to hazardous gas. Yes, the same Prelude facility that has been an over-budget, unreliable, and unsafe floating disaster since day one.
NOPSEMA’s notice calls on Shell to fix the problem (translation: stop poisoning your workers), after yet another hazardous gas leak was reported. But given Shell’s legendary track record of prioritizing profits over human lives, don’t hold your breath—unless, of course, you’re a Prelude worker, in which case holding your breath might be your only defense against cancer-causing fumes.
Shell and Exxon’s Gas Profits Shake Groningen—Literally
Nothing Says “Sustainable Business” Like an Earthquake Every Few Months
It’s another day, another earthquake in Groningen, where decades of reckless gas extraction by Shell and ExxonMobil’s joint venture, NAM, have left the ground as unstable as their ethical standards. This time, a 2.2 magnitude quake hit the town of Usquert just after midnight, shaking homes, rattling windows, and waking residents with a hard, dull thud. Coincidentally, that’s also the sound of Shell executives ignoring accountability.
“Induced Earthquakes”: Just a Fancy Term for Corporate Destruction
The KNMI meteorological institute wasted no time in confirming what everyone already knew: this was an “induced earthquake,” meaning it wasn’t some random act of nature—it was a direct consequence of Shell and ExxonMobil sucking every last drop of gas from the earth, leaving behind a crumbling foundation.
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