November, 2007:

Martin Ayankola, Lagos – 01.12.2007

As Nigeria joins the global community in celebrating AIDS Day today, Shell Companies in Nigeria have restated their commitment to helping to contain the effect of the disease by raising awareness on its causes and management.

Celebrations marking the World HIV/AIDS Day is being held amid reports that the disease had so far claimed more than 25 million lives around the world in the last three decades.

The Executive Vice-President, Shell Africa, Ann Pickard, said, “Shell needs no prompting as it takes the issue of HIV/AIDS seriously. read more

The Shell Manufacturing Centre opened at NAIT on Thursday. Watching an automated manufacturing line are, from left, NAIT president Sam Shaw, Western Economic Diversification Minister Rona Ambrose, and Shell oilsands vice-president Brian Straub.
Chris Schwarz, The Journal

Search is on for better, more efficient ways to extract harder-to-get crude

David Finlayson, The Edmonton Journal
Published: 8:37 am

EDMONTON – It’s got an automated manufacturing line with robots and some of the most sophisticated software anywhere, and it could be a key to extracting oilsands and shale more efficiently. read more

Friday, November 30, 2007

Faroe Petroleum plc, the independent oil and gas company focusing principally on exploration in the Atlantic Margin, the North Sea and Norway, has agreed a cross-border package transaction with Shell. The transaction, which is in line with the Company’s stated strategic objectives of Atlantic Margin and Norway exploration drilling and asset portfolio diversification involves the following:

• the farm-in to the Faroe Islands high risk/high reward William exploration well;
• the acquisition of a 10% interest in the Norwegian Trym undeveloped gas field; and
• the acquisition of a 10% interest in the Norwegian Granat exploration licence. read more

Reuters
November 30, 2007

ASTANA (Reuters) – Kazakhstan demanded $7 billion in compensation from an Eni-led consortium on Friday for delays in developing the huge Kashagan oilfield, a source close to the talks said as a deadline for a settlement was hours away.

Kazakhstan has set the November 30 deadline for its negotiations with the group to resolve a long-running dispute over cost overruns and production delays at the Caspian Sea oilfield, but some officials have said talks may last longer. read more

Shell confidential reserves fraud discovery document published on Friday 30 November 2007

ROYAL DUTCH/SHELL GROUP OF COMPANIES: 2001 Confidential “Management/Market Analysis and Perception Study”

Some extracts:

“I like Phil Watts. He is an ‘upstreamer’ and has a good understanding of the business and is looking to grow it profitably.”

“RD/Shell’s management comes across as honest and credible.”

“Management’s weakness is that they got ahead of themselves in their promises.” read more

DAVID EBNER
Globe and Mail Update
November 30, 2007 at 7:35 PM EST

TransCanada Corp. is among the companies vying to build a $30-billion natural gas pipeline to connect northern Alaska with the continental United States.

Calgary-based TransCanada, the country’s largest gas pipeline company, said Friday evening that it has submitted a “strong application” to the state of Alaska to build a line from the north slope of Alaska, home to major stranded gas reserves, to link to the firm’s existing Alberta infrastructure. read more

Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:50 AM GMT

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Russia’s Gazprom OAO (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile , Research) said on Thursday it is not looking for foreign investment into two major Arctic projects on the Yamal Peninsula, but said it might welcome foreign oil companies at other fields there.

Gazprom, the world’s largest natural gas producer has said it plans to spend more than $1 billion (484 million pounds) at the Bovanenkov and Kharasavei fields in the Arctic peninsula as it speeds up exploration to replace declining Siberian production. read more

By Gonzalo Vina

Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) — The U.K. Treasury must simplify oil taxation to spur output from the North Sea after high operating costs discouraged companies from working there, a panel of lawmakers in Parliament said.

The industry needs a more “consistent and predictable” tax system to ensure companies invest enough to keep undersea oilfields up to their potential, the Scottish Affairs Committee in the House of Commons said in a report in London today.

The findings are a criticism of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who lifted taxes on North Sea producers in 2002 and 2006 when he served as chancellor of the exchequer. Oil companies including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp. have sold assets in the region to tap more profitable regions like Africa and Russia. read more

Fri Nov 30, 2007 5:49am GMT
By Raushan Nurshayeva

ASTANA, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Kazakhstan is pressing ahead with closed-door talks with a group of Western oil companies to resolve a row over the huge Kashagan oilfield before the Nov. 30 deadline expires, a senior government official said on Friday.

Kazakhstan has set the deadline for its negotiations with the ENI-led (ENI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) group to settle a long-running dispute over cost overruns and production delays at the Caspian Sea oilfield, but some officials have said talks may last longer. read more

30 Nov 2007 | 01:46 AM ET

NEW YORK – OAO Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled gas monopoly, plans to operate a natural-gas entity in the US by 2014 as part of its strategy to expand its business outside of Russia, its deputy chairman said at a press briefing Thursday.

Alexander Medvedev acknowledged that the company faces regulatory hurdles in the U.S. and Europe, but said that Russia will use its economic strength to acquire assets there. Gazprom has faced resistance in Europe from critics who fear the company will have too much control over the energy markets there. read more

Leader
Friday November 30, 2007

This is Vincent Cable’s moment. The Liberal Democrats’ acting leader has shown himself to be one of the classiest politicians in the Commons since he had to step into Sir Menzies Campbell’s shoes without warning last month. While the two contenders for the party leadership have been squabbling, their temporary stand-in has performed with authority and intellectual independence.

His dry wit won at prime minister’s questions this week, but all his recent Commons performances have been first rate, starting with his response to the pre-budget report, which he dismantled with the confidence of an informed economist. More than any other MP he has grasped the causes of the Northern Rock crisis and has set out a considered response, calling for it to be nationalised to protect the taxpayer from “City spivs”. He has been warning of the risks of housing debt for years. read more

Press Association
Friday November 30, 2007 4:23 AM

The leaders of 150 major global companies have called for a legally binding and comprehensive international deal on climate change.

In a communique, the businesses said they needed a mandatory agreement on emissions reductions to give them the confidence to invest in low-carbon technology.

The statement, led by the Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, is being sent to environment ministers and heads of state ahead of UN talks in Bali aimed at beginning negotiations on a post-2012 climate deal. read more

30 Nov, 2007, 1053 hrs IST, PTI
 
NEW DELHI: Global oil major Royal Dutch Shell will buy Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd’s (BPCL) 49 per cent stake in lubricant marketing firm Bharat Shell Ltd (BSL) for Rs 152.40 crore.

BPCL is exiting the joint venture company, floated in 1993 to market Shell branded lubricants in India, as it has developed a competing product.

“The Cabinet (at its meeting yesterday evening) gave its approval for the sale of 49 per cent equity stake of BPCL in BSL to Shell or its affiliate for a consideration of Rs 152.40 crore in cash,” Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters here today. read more

Published: Nov. 29, 2007 at 12:36 PM
By ANDREA R. MIHAILESCU
UPI Energy Correspondent

Sakhalin Energy, the operator of the Sakhalin-2 project, produced 1.68 million tons of oil in 2007 in its ninth production season, according to preliminary figures, the Sakhalin Natural Resources Committee told Interfax.

Oil production in the 2006 season totaled 11.58 million barrels (almost 1.6 million tons). Sakhalin Energy was forced to close the production season early at the end of November 2007 because of weather problems at the Vityaz complex. read more

Shell confidential reserves fraud discovery document published on 29 November 2007

Exhibit 64: January 2002 Royal Dutch Shell Committee of Managing Directors Confidential Investor Relations Plan signed by Philip Watts (15 pages)

http://www.shellnews.net/classactiondocs/ex64_420.pdf