Sunday 24 January 2016 08.59 GMT
It’s nine months since Shell announced it was buying BG Group in an agreed £47bn deal and almost everything has changed. Back in April, the oil price appeared to be recovering from its fall below $50 a barrel but the price has since plunged below $30. The International Energy Agency warned last week it could fall further in a world “awash” with oil.
Shell and BG shareholders vote on the takeover this week but, despite the industry’s dire state, they will approve the deal, now worth £35bn to reflect Shell’s depressed share price. This is partly due to faith in the ability of Shell’s chief executive, Ben van Beurden, to make it work. It’s also because most big shareholders don’t want to rock the boat in public with a company as powerful as Shell. Only Standard Life has broken ranks by declaring it would vote against.
*This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment, the Shell DPA Files, "Shell and the Spies", the Shell Leaks files, the Independent Shell Archive, as well as books written and published by John Donovan - Kindle eBooks. Timeline of the Donovan Shell Feud. Toxic History of Royal Dutch Shell Group. Shell and the Donovans: The Full Media Record — 550+ Articles, 110 Books, 40 Years. *All conjured up by internet wizz, Nick Gill.
