January, 2007:

“I call this piece of sculpture Shell or Hell because [oil giant] Shell has done nothing but bring hell to the people of the Niger Delta,” says sculptor Pius Waritimi.

Last Updated: Tuesday, 30 January 2007, 12:25 GMT 

For the complete article go to…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6313035.stm

Why Californians Pay More at the Pump
And How True Reforms Will Help
California Service Station and Automotive Repair Association
1202 Grant Avenue, Suite B-1
Novato, California 94945
(415) 892-1243
www.CSSARA.org
________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
I. HOW THE CALIFORNIA MARKET OPERATES TODAY
II. COST TO CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES
III. OIL COMPANY PROFITS
IV. OTHER STATES ARE ACTING
V. SOLUTIONS FOR CALIFORNIA
VI. OIL COMPANIES OPPOSE REFORM
Appendix A: You Can’t Believe Any Claim Made by the Oil Companies
Appendix B: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Executive Summary
 
A Gallon of Gas in California
Costs 30-40 Cents More than US Average
 
Source: American Automobile Association, 4-4-03. read more

Monday, January 29, 2007 

Shell Brasil Ltda. formally announces the opening of a Data Room for block BMS-31, Santos Basin, Brazil. The block is in shallow water (500m), contains a near term drilling opportunity, and greater than 1,000MMbbls potential.

BMS-31 contains a drill-ready prospect with primary objective volumes estimated at 560MMbbls (STOIIP) of light oil. In addition, a number of follow-up prospects have been identified. Total unrisked recoverable volumes on the block are greater than 1,000MMbbls STOIIP. read more

Crude-oil futures fell to $54 Monday after Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. implied prices aren’t too low for the oil-producing kingdom, fueling speculation OPEC won’t attempt extra production cuts to buoy prices.

Here is Monday’s roundup of oil and energy news:

* * *
SAUDIS TO PARE OUTPUT AGAIN: Saudi Arabia is cutting oil output by an additional 158,000 barrels a day, part of a broader campaign by OPEC to shrink inventories and shore up prices. After the cuts take effect Feb .1, Saudi production will have declined by about a million barrels a day since last summer, a senior Saudi oil official said. read more

By ANDREA R. MIHAILESCU

Neft said it is considering constructing a $1.7 billion oil refinery with a capacity of 7 million tons of oil annually in Armenia near the border with Iran.

The cost of the transportation infrastructure could cost an additional $1 billion.Industry analysts say that the project has little economic incentive; instead, there could possibly be political considerations behind the project. The project would provide significant political dividends.

Local reports said Armenia’s interest in the refinery is obvious. After relations between Moscow and Tbilisi deteriorated and Georgia adopted a pro-NATO and pro-U.S. position, Russia, which is its main strategic partner and sponsor, threatened to cut Armenia off. read more

Created: 30.01.2007 09:01 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 09:01 MSK

Russia’s Economy and Industry and Energy Ministries see no economic justification for Iranian Supreme Leader’s suggestion to create an international natural gas cartel.

As MosNews has reported yesterday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei spoke in favor of setting up “a cooperation organization in the gas sphere, similar to OPEC”. Khamenei pointed out that together Iran and Russia hold about half of the world’s gas reserves. read more

Reuters News Agency

LONDON — Royal Dutch Shell PLC says it is selling its Los Angeles refinery and related assets to Tesoro Corp. for $1.63-billion (U.S.) as the Anglo American oil giant further reduces its exposure to the refining industry.

Tesoro chief executive officer Bruce Smith said the purchase will give the company profit growth even as it faces flatter gasoline margins.

The deal also includes 250 California service stations in and around Los Angeles and San Diego as well as supply agreements. Tesoro, which is based in San Antonio, Tex., expects to complete the deal in the second quarter of 2007. read more

By Davidson Iriekpen, 01.30.2007
 
The Supreme Court has ordered Shell Trustees Limited (STL), a subsidiary of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to pay a construction firm, Bill Construction Company Limited (BCCL), the sum of N6.6 billion in damages for a breach of contractual agreement between them.

Besides, three banks (First Bank of Nigeria, Platinum Habib Bank Plc and Intercontinental Bank) which had in custody N6,618,178,640.80 belonging to Shell were ordered to release same to the construction company. read more

By Ed Crooks in London
Published: January 29 2007 23:39 | Last updated: January 29 2007 23:39

The US authorities will “take a look at” a controversial agreement signed over the weekend by Royal Dutch Shell that could ultimately lead to a multi-billion dollar investment in Iran, a US State Department official said.

Shell and its partner Repsol of Spain have signed a service agreement, as reported in the Financial Times last week, with the Iranian government to continue work on developing blocks 13 and 14 of the giant South Pars gas field, in spite of mounting international pressure over the country’s nuclear programme. read more

Terry Macalister
Tuesday January 30, 2007

Shell has signed an important deal to help Iran develop a major gas field, ignorming growing pressure from George Bush to isolate the country for being part of what he alleges is an “axis of evil”.

The Anglo-Dutch group, which is struggling to bring more momentum to its business after being forced to hand over vital Russian reserves at Sakhalin island to the Kremlin, confirmed it had finally reached agreement on various aspects of its “Persian LNG” – liquefied natural gas – project centred on the South Pars gas field. read more

By Russell Hotten
Last Updated: 12:44am GMT 30/01/2007

Russia’s official environment agency is to review the operation of licences that allow TNK-BP to develop the giant Kovykta gas field, where Gazprom, the state-run energy company, is negotiating to become a partner.

Although the agency has not made recommendations about withdrawing the licences, the issue has echoes of the environmental crackdown on Shell over its Sakhalin-2 development.

Gazprom and Russian authorities have withheld approval of plans to build a gas pipeline from Kovykta to China, a move felt necessary to make development of the field economically viable. read more

By Russell Hotten
Last Updated: 12:44am GMT 30/01/2007

A proposed agreement between Royal Dutch Shell and Spain’s Repsol to help commercialise Iranian gas fields could trigger US sanctions, a senior Washington official warned last night.

On Sunday Iran signed a preliminary agreement with the two companies to produce liquefied natural gas from its South Pars field in a deal worth some $10bn (£5bn).

The United Nations, backed strongly by America, has imposed limited sanctions on Iran to stop it developing a nuclear programme. read more

Officials say they will likely review Shell’s deal with Spain’s Repsol to develop Iran’s biggest natural gas field.

January 29 2007: 5:41 PM EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — A preliminary multibillion-dollar deal to develop a giant Iranian natural gas field signed by Royal Dutch Shell would likely trigger a review by U.S. officials to see if it requires sanctions, a State Department official said on Monday.

Shell on Monday said it signed a deal with Iran in conjunction with Spain’s Repsol to develop South Pars, the OPEC member’s biggest natural gas field, despite growing U.S. pressure not to invest in Iran.
 
U.S. officials at some point would likely review the deal to see if sanctions should be triggered by the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters at a press briefing. read more

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
January 29, 2007 9:29 a.m.

HOUSTON — Tesoro Petroleum Corp. acquired Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s Los Angeles-area refinery for $1.63 billion, in a move to enhance its position as the leading West Coast refiner.

Tesoro Chief Executive Bruce Smith announced plans to acquire the 98,000 barrel a day refinery on Monday. The company acquired the refinery, located in Wilmington, Calif., as well as 250 gasoline stations from Shell. Additionally, Tesoro purchased 140 California gasoline stations from USA Petroleum. read more

Terry Macalister
Monday January 29, 2007

Shell has signed an important deal to help Iran develop a major gas field, ignoring growing pressure from George Bush to isolate the country for being part of what he alleges is an “axis of evil”.

The Anglo-Dutch group, which is struggling to bring more momentum to its business after being forced to hand over vital Russian reserves at Sakhalin island to the Kremlin, confirmed it had finally reached agreement on various aspects of its “Persian LNG” – liquefied natural gas – project centred on the South Pars gas field. read more

 Gas, Gaeilge and the Media: A Systematic ‘Trend’

The private media are major corporations selling a product (readers and audiences) to other businesses (advertisers).” [‘Manufacturing Consent’ by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky] ^[5]

Ireland‘s most influential news organisations are all to a large degree dependent on advertising as their principle form of revenue. And those revenues accrued are for the most part supplied by large corporations. In fact many of these news organisations are open about this dependency, RTE [Radio Telefis Eireann] state one of their guiding principles as; “[to] constantly re-evaluate our services in order to ensure that they reflect the needs of our audiences and customers in terms of content and platforms.” ^[4] It can reasonably be assumed that certain problems are bound to arise when the needs of RTE’s audience conflict with the needs of its customers.       read more