By Ben Ikari, Director, African Cultural and Fundamental Rights Council (AFCRC-USA): 26 February 2013 Last updated at 08:02 CET

Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) may be set for a serious crisis and bloodletting in Ogoni, Nigeria. Information reaching the African Cultural and Fundamental Rights Council (AFCRC-USA) has it that the oil company, which happens to be the foremost in Nigeria for over 50 years, have been using heavily armed soldiers to clear the Ebubu Eleme oilfield in Ogoni. The corporation is also said to be engaging in other activities villagers believe could be oil extraction against the people’s wishes. read more

Air permit emission limits were grossly violated yet drill operations continued.; Multiple critical engine failures also demonstrate their support vessels’ failed under stress. The eventual grounding of Shell’s giant mobile oil-drilling rig, the Kulluk, off Kodiak Island conveys a serious lack of planning to save a few dollars (before you go boating, check the weather).Could these mishaps be chalked up to bad luck? No. These operational bungles were all preventable.

Waves crash over the mobile offshore drilling unit Kulluk where it sits aground on the southeast side of Sitkalidak Island, Alaska, Jan. 1, 2013. US Coast Guard photo

Daniel Lum: February 22, 2013

Looking back at an eventful season in offshore drilling, one must consider the challenges of the Arctic Ocean in tandem with the limitations of industry trying to operate so far north. Shell Oil has skated through one operational failure after another, a credit to their spokesman, without real consequence or permit restriction.

Air permit emission limits were grossly violated yet drill operations continued. Rigging and towline failures show that moving (and even securing) Shell’s mobile drill units is a challenge. A failed capping system limited the depth to which they could drill this season, requiring repairs thousands of miles away. Multiple critical engine failures also demonstrate their support vessels’ failed under stress. The eventual grounding of Shell’s giant mobile oil-drilling rig, the Kulluk, off Kodiak Island conveys a serious lack of planning to save a few dollars (before you go boating, check the weather). read more

Failings identified on a Shell ship drilling in the Arctic have raised questions about the energy giant’s plans to extract oil in the region.

The findings emerged after Shell’s other Arctic barge, the Kulluk, broke away from a tug and crashed into the uninhabited Sitkalidak Island on New Year’s Eve. Photo: Reuters

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 24 FEBRUARY 2013

The US Coast Guard has passed its investigation of 16 violations on board the Noble Discoverer to the Department of Justice, after the ship spent last summer drilling off Alaska’s northern coast.

The violations included fire hazards and problems with the propulsion system, which meant the ship could not move as quickly as required in all expected weather conditions. Any potential fines would depend on how seriously officials view them.

The findings emerged after Shell’s other Arctic barge, the Kulluk, broke away from a tug and crashed into the uninhabited Sitkalidak Island on New Year’s Eve. read more

A BP cleanup crew removing oil from a beach in May 2010 in Port Fourchon, La., after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Photo Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

By BARRY MEIER and CLIFFORD KRAUSS: A version of this article appeared in print on February 24, 2013, on page A17 of the New York edition

With a major civil trial scheduled to start Monday in New Orleans against BP over damages related to the explosion of an offshore drilling rig in 2010, federal officials and those from the five affected Gulf Coast states are trying to pull together to strike an 11th-hour settlement in the case.

A lawyer briefed on those talks said that the Justice Department and the five states — Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas — had reportedly prepared an offer to resolve the two biggest issues central to a series of trials against BP, the first of which starts Monday. read more

The Coast Guard found a lack of preventive maintenance and “systematic failure” led the Discoverer to experience a loss of its propulsion system and an explosion in its exhaust system…

The U.S. Coast Guard has found evidence of multiple safety and environmental violations in Shell Alaska’s Noble Discoverer Arctic drilling rig and forwarded it to the U.S. Justice Department for a decision about possible civil or criminal penalties, authorities confirmed Friday.

The news is the latest setback for Shell’s troubled Arctic drilling program, launched last summer off the coast of Alaska to tap one of the world’s biggest remaining oil and gas deposits. It has been plagued with logistical and mechanical troubles that raise questions about the company’s ability to continue this year. read more

The U.S. Coast Guard has turned over its investigation of violations on a Royal Dutch Shell PLC Arctic drill ship to the Department of Justice, officials said Friday.

The U.S. Coast Guard has turned over its investigation of violations on a Royal Dutch Shell PLC Arctic drill ship to the Department of Justice, officials said Friday.

The violations were found after the drilling season when the Noble Discoverer was in dock in Seward, Alaska. Shell’s other Arctic drill barge, the Kulluk, remains in a sheltered bay off Alaska’s Kodiak Island, where it was towed after grounding on New Year’s Eve.

The Coast Guard found 16 violations on the 571-foot Noble Discoverer after it completed drilling this summer in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska’s northern coast. read more

By John Donovan: SHELL’S ARCTIC DEBACLE IS TURNING INTO A REPUTATIONAL DISASTER BEARING IN MIND THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS REPORTED BY THE ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS. I AM NOT GOING TO PRETEND THAT WE ARE SHOCKED, BECAUSE WHAT IS HAPPENING IS IN LINE WITH OUR EMAILED WARNINGS TO UK MP’S BEFORE SHELL’S CLAPPED OUT DRILLING FLEET EVEN SET SAIL. ITS “TOUCH F*** ALL” APPROACH TO OFFSHORE SAFETY HAS DROPPED THE COMPANY IN DEEP S*** AND THE U.S. COAST GUARD HAS CALLED IN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. PETER VOSER AND HIS HAPLESS INCOMPETENT CREW, INCLUDING ODIOUS ODUM, SHOULD BE FIRED. IN THE RECENT PAST, CORNER-CUTTING SHELL EXECUTIVES DID NOT EVEN BOTHER TO ENSURE THAT LIFEBOATS ON SHELL NORTH SEA RIGS WERE SEAWORTHY. WIDOWS OF SHELL NORTH SEA OFFSHORE WORKERS (THE UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF SHELL’S TFA POLICY) WERE ENTICED INTO CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS DESIGNED TO BUY THEIR SILENCE. SHELL PREFERS TO BURY ITS MISTAKES. THIS TRACK RECORD TELLS YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL.

WASHINGTON — The Coast Guard has found serious safety and environmental violations on a Shell drilling rig used in the Arctic waters off Alaska, another blow to the company’s controversial bid to harvest oil in the petroleum-rich but sensitive region. The Coast Guard said Friday that it has turned over the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice…

Coast Guard finds violations on Shell Arctic drilling rig

By Sean Cockerham — Anchorage Daily News

WASHINGTON — The Coast Guard has found serious safety and environmental violations on a Shell drilling rig used in the Arctic waters off Alaska, another blow to the company’s controversial bid to harvest oil in the petroleum-rich but sensitive region.

The Coast Guard said Friday that it has turned over the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice, which had no comment.

The Coast Guard found 16 violations on the Noble Discoverer, one of Shell’s two drilling rigs for Alaska’s Arctic waters. The company’s other rig, the Kulluk, has its own troubles. The Kulluk broke free from towlines during a New Year’s Eve storm and was grounded for several days off Kodiak Island. read more

Selection of links to Shell related articles kindly supplied by a regular contributor

Shell: Reassessing Development Plan For North Sea Fram Oil, Gas …:NASDAQ: LONDON–Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA.LN) is reassessing its development plan for the Fram oil and gas field in the North Sea following …

Shell to reassess development of Fram field in North Sea: Your Oil and Gas News (press release)

Well issues cause Shell to re-think UK Fram offshore project: Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

Former Shell Oil chief to speak at institute: The Union Leader-MANCHESTER – John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil Co., will discuss private energy investment during a talk at 7 p.m. Monday at the … read more

By John Donovan

The long-running saga involving Shell EP Ireland and a small Irish company continues. OSSL supplied goods and services to the Shell Corrib project in Ireland.  It has accused Shell management of instructing them to make corrupt payments/gifts to third parties on behalf of Shell, including Police involved in handling environmental protests against the controversial project. OSSL claim that invoices were falsified on the express instruction of Shell EP Ireland. We have seen related email correspondence with Shell senior management. Perhaps there is a problem with the Irish police investigating alleged corruption when they are said to be recipients of corrupt gifts from Shell? In their case allegedly free booze. Many Irish activists have long believed that the Garda is in the pocket of Shell. OSSL placards are shown on display at Shell premises in Ireland. According to emails sent to Shell CEO Peter Voser, OSSL is threatening to move its protest to the Shell Centre in London next week. I have no idea why Shell has not had the OSSL protestors imprisoned as it did with the Rossport Five and members of the Shell to Sea Campaign? On Wednesday the 13th February in Belmullet district court, Shell to Sea campaigner Izzy Ní Ghraidm was convicted on Sections 8 and 9 of the public order act for obstruction. Izzy refused to do community service as she felt her protest was a service to a community under siege from Shell. The Judge then sentenced Ms Ní Ghraidm to 3 months in jail. Perhaps the Judge is on Shell’s payroll as well?
read more

Selection of links to Shell related articles kindly supplied by a regular contributor

ExxonMobil Witness in Trial Says MTBE Raised Cancer Risk: Bloomberg: Shell Oil Co., Sunoco Inc., ConocoPhillips (COP), Irving Oil Ltd., Vitol SA and Hess Corp. settled before the trial began. The New Hampshire …

Five reasons the Keystone XL pipeline is bad for jobs, as well as the …: rabble.ca: Burning the recoverable tar sands oil will increase the earth’s … ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP reduced their U.S. workforce by 11,200 …

Ottawa reviewing polluter-pay principle: Globe and Mail: “Oil companies should face unlimited absolute liability for spills, … drilling in Nova Scotia, however, BP and Shell have acquired licences to drill read more

“The decision not to have an audio/visual link to London for this years RDS AGM means that for the first time in history British based shareholders will not be able to attend a Shell AGM in the UK. At the time of the demise of Shell Transport and Trading and the formation of the new Royal Dutch Shell plc. it was stated that this did not mean that Shell was becoming a more Dutch, and less British, company. This was not true…

By John Donovan

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has published shareholder information about its 2013 AGM that includes the following shocking announcement confirming utter contempt for its UK investors:

“There will not be an audio-visual link to a satellite meeting place in London this year.”

COMMENT FROM A WELL INFORMED INSIDER SOURCE

“The decision not to have an audio/visual link to London for this years RDS AGM means that for the first time in history British based shareholders will not be able to attend a Shell AGM in the UK. At the time of the demise of Shell Transport and Trading and the formation of the new Royal Dutch Shell plc. it was stated that this did not mean that Shell was becoming a more Dutch, and less British, company. This was not true and the latest decision just confirms that the inevitable move to total Dutch control is almost complete. It is likely also that Shell will move to a single Head Office in The Hague before too long. Shell Centre in London is virtually deserted and most of the site is being redeveloped. Insiders say that Shell will not return to Shell Centre when this is completed (from their “temporary” offices in Canary Wharf). Shell Centre will be sold and Shell will gradually move all but a few functions to The Netherlands. This is a complex process and will take time but it is likely to be completed well before the expiry of the 10 year rental arrangements in Canary Wharf.” read more

By John Donovan

Within the next few days we will publish authentic Shell internal confidential emails and documents that provide irrefutable proof that like his fellow Royal Dutch Shell Plc executive director, Simon Henry, Matthias Bichsel (right) was aware years before the Shell reserves fraud became public knowledge, that Shell was cooking the books. Many Shell executives, including Matthias Bichsel, knew group guidelines for booking proven reserves were no longer in accordance with the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, but withheld that vital information from investors. In other words, participated in the long-running cover-up, which after a hundred years of trading, destroyed the Royal Dutch Shell Group in its original Anglo-Dutch partnership form. It is breath-taking arrogance on the part of Shell senior management that Shell did not rid itself in 2004 of all executives tainted by the scandal. The smell lingers on and damages the reputation of the current executive committee, which has to put up with our articles on the subject because what we say is true and they know we have the evidence to prove it in court.
read more

By LISA DEMER — [email protected]: Published: February 19, 2013

“The Coast Guard is reviewing Shell’s tow plan and evaluating whether the vessel is seaworthy for a tow…”

Two tugboats maneuvering around Royal Dutch Shell’s oil drilling rig, the Kulluk, collided Friday afternoon, but the damage was minimal, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.

The Corbin Foss, one of Seattle-based Foss Maritimes’ tugboats, hit the port side of the Ocean Wave, a Crowley Marine Services tug, around 5:30 p.m. Friday in Killiuida Bay on the eastern side of Kodiak Island, where the Kulluk is anchored while awaiting Coast Guard approval to leave, said Petty Officer David Mosley.

No one was injured, no pollution occurred, and the damage to the Ocean Wave was minor, Mosely said. The tugs sailed to the harbor in Kodiak where they were met by inspectors from Kodiak’s Coast Guard marine safety detachment, Mosley said. read more

Nick Sas, The West Australian February 21, 2013

Royal Dutch Shell Australia chief Ann Pickard has moved to dispel fears over the lack of local jobs on its new floating LNG hubs, saying the “more important” maintenance and service jobs will stay local and last for up to 30 years.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Australian Oil and Gas conference in Perth yesterday, Ms Pickard dismissed the concentrated union campaign against FLNG, saying claims such as the use of Filipino workers for FLNG were incorrect.

Unions have attacked the Government and Shell over recent weeks, saying WA workers will miss out on construction jobs, with work moved to overseas shipbuilding yards. read more

FROM A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR

John,

Thought you would like this article. It seems Shell USA was engaged, with other participants, in a conspiracy to bilk California electricity consumers.

Are we surprised ???  Shell is such an ethical company.

Interestingly, the Bonneville Power Administration, a unit of the US Government, the Dept. of Energy, was also involved. Makes you wonder.

Electricity providers gamed California a decade ago, judge rules: Los Angeles Times-by Marc Lifsher-… included Powerex, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Columbia-based BC Hydro; Shell Energy North America, a subsidiary of Shell Oil; … read more

Decades ago, the world was told it was running on empty. Today, we have more oil than we need. What’s fuelling the boom in black gold?

By Brian Viner: 19 Feb 2013

On the evening of April 18 1977, President Jimmy Carter invited television cameras into the Oval Office and portentously announced to the American people that “tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem unprecedented in our history. With the exception of preventing war, this is the greatest challenge our country will face during our lifetimes.”

The unprecedented problem was energy. Or rather, the lack of it. “We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources,” said the 39th President of the United States. “The oil and natural gas we rely on for 75 per cent of our energy are running out.” read more