Bogus Group: I was lured by the Michael Coates (Associate General Counsel at Shell) interview by Lawyer Monthly, and the question……. what is the most challenging aspect of your job and how do you overcome this? His response “There are a number of interesting challenges but I will share one internal challenge, the management of our in-house legal team” The acquisition of BG Group and the infiltration of “the chosen few” from that company’s in-house legal team, may have bestowed a challenge he could never have imagined.

LondonLad: Well “Theo” when you say that “I know for sure the following” followed by a former director said “Black Gold we are digging up” then I think perhaps you are making this up. Most directors of an oil company (even including Shell) would not use the word “digging”! “Drilling” or “producing” yes but certainly not “digging” - exception being the muppets in the HR departments perhaps. In addition your last two sentences are irrelevant to the usual attacks on Shell and are somewhat waffle and insulting to most readers here. You clearly have a problem. I await the onslaught!!

Bogus Group: There are normally two sides to every story, but Mike Curless’ version of his termination employment under the pretext of the takeover of BG reorganisation could hold some credence. However, if there was a fair and transparent succession strategy, Sarah Franklin’s self-promotion, see previous post and article, https://www.accdocket.com/articles/tips-and-insights-a-world-class-combination.cfm must have made her a good candidate for one of the “vacant” roles within the Shell legal team. Time will tell if the relevant due diligence was done on Ms Franklin, considering her escapades with a previous company.

Theo Benschop: I know for sure the following. A former director of Royal Dutch Shell had said: it is a simple problem with the Black Gold that we are digging up and selling. All what the government has to do is fix the price of the Black Gold at a level nobody will notice. Maybe add something. But there you have the money to pay for the transition to a more sustainable energy. So actually what everybody wants in the agreements in Paris. Also I know for sure that beloved sister Rep. Ilham Omar was perfectly right in her conclusion that a few guilty criminals did something to create the chaos of nine eleven, so not the rest of the world. So that about 7 Billion simple descendants of the first human beings not being a monkey are supporting her for keep on being the one and only first president of all sovereign or not sovereign United Nations.

jaun carlos: Good day

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Bill Campbell: Caution needed over false almost hysterical claims about current Brent Structures

It was a long time ago but as London Lad highlights in his blog post the onshore disposal of Brent Spar Greenpeace apologised formally to Shell for its claims during that period of intense scrutiny and public interest that the Spar could not be disposed of at sea because it held over 5000 tons of crude oil when in fact it was found to have contained 100 tons of oily sludge much of which was inert silt.

We currently see the emergence again of false and highly emotive claims about what remains in the Brent structures despite Shell and independent published reports being available with assessments of what remains in the cells. These assessments indicate that the environmental impact of leaving these structures in situ is negligible compared to the safety risks to personnel involved in the attempted removal and disposal on land.

Bill

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/greenpeaces-brent-spar-apology-1599647.html

Money in the pockets: The next round of Nigerian "engagements" are well and truly happening now. Bonga SW/A has been a great tool for regulators and others to return to the potential contractors for additional assistance to progress the project. It might just fly in 2020, and get on stream 20 years after the initial project. This will be a real money maker to everyone that can participate (staff, EPC contractors, fabricators, installers, regulators, etc.) just not the nation that continues to suffer.

John Donovan: Hello LondonLad.

Good to see that you still visit. Hope you are well. Glad you have felt sufficiently motivated to post a comment again, the first one since 2013 if I recall correctly.

Under your former alias as MUsaint and your current alias LondonLad we have argued extensively about Shell's track record in Nigeria.

I know you speak with authority given your own years in a senior position with Shell in Nigeria.

Suffice it to say that Shell has already paid out over £15 million in compensation to some relatives of the Ogoni 9 and millions more in fines relating to Shell corruption in Nigeria.

The posting of articles and other evidence dating back to those days have emerged from the current Dutch litigation against Shell brought by Esther Kiobel and two other Ogoni 9 widows who have yet to be compensated for the loss of their beloved husbands. Most of the archived articles supplied to me via Amnesty International have never been posted online. There are more to follow.

I note your mention of Greenpeace, the unfortunate subject of undercover activity by Shell's cherished MI6 hires via Hakluyt & Company. No doubt that situation continues.

RELATED INFORMATION

Shell to pay $48m Nigerian bribe fine: Daily Telegraph 4 November 2010

Extract

These companies, including Shell, admitted they “approved of or condoned the payment of bribes on their behalf in Nigeria and falsely recorded the bribe payments made on their behalf as legitimate business expenses in their corporate books, records and accounts”.

SHELL IN BRIBERY FINE: Daily Express 6 November 2010

Extract

Shell must pay a $30million “criminal penalty” over charges it paid $2million to a sub-contractor “with the knowledge that some or all of the money” would be used to bribe Nigerian officials to allow equipment into the country without paying duty. Shell, which has not admitted guilt, must pay a further $18million to repay profits and interests.

U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission Cease and Desist Order: Shell Corruption in Nigeria

Shell pays out $15.5m over Saro-Wiwa killing: The Guardian: 9 June 2009

Bonus Group: Hi London Lad great to have you back! How was Mykonos? A bit chilly at this time of year? How much residual oil is left in the legs of Brent Bravo? See: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-50040803 https://phys.org/news/2019-10-germany-crisis-shell-north-sea.html

LondonLad: Oh, and while I'm on my soapbox why don't those idiots at Greenpeace learn from their mistakes? Now claiming that various Shell North Sea production platforms contain this and that amount of crude should trigger someone in the German Government to question their numbers. Greenpeace were completely wrong with their figures quoted for Brent Spar.

LondonLad: Jeeeez Mr.D you really are scraping the barrel. Articles from the "Tempo" dating from 1996 with still unproven (so one might assume false) claims about corruption in Ogoniland. Have to say that it's still clear that Nigerians remain convinced that the best way to extort money is by attacking Shell (SPDC/SNEPCO) rather than the real culprits which still remain as the State Government, DPR, NAPIMS etc. etc.

Bogus Group: https://www.accdocket.com/articles/tips-and-insights-a-world-class-combination.cfm Sarah Franklin, Shell’s Associate General Counsel for Safety & Environment and her new team still don’t appear to have a focus on “complex safety matters”. As noted in the article, she would still appear to be “getting her Shell sea legs” despite being in the role for nearly 3 years. Yesterday’s announcement that the HSE had issued Shell with an Improvement Notice for failing to ensure that the Temporary Refuge on the Gannet Alpha Installation was capable of remaining effective in an emergency, must question the validity of Shell’s focus on safety. TR compliance is not complex, it’s a fundamental prerequisite for the safety of the installation’s personnel in the event of an emergency, anything less is tantamount to dereliction. If they can’t get basic safety requirement’s right, what chance have they with something more complex. Word of advice to Shell, employ more technically competent people who disclose and address safety concerns and fewer lawyers who suppress them.

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