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August, 2019:

Jury awards Atwater $63 million in groundwater pollution suit against oil giant Shell

By JOHN WALKER: AUGUST 30, 2019

A jury has ordered Shell Oil Company to pay the City of Atwater a total of $63 million in damages in a groundwater pollution suit.

The decision, reached Friday after a four-month trial in Merced County Superior Court, awarded Atwater $53 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages, according to a news release from the city.

The lawsuit stemmed from the highly toxic chemical 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP), which can pose a risk to public health and can contaminate drinking water. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Prelude claims are ridiculous make-believe nonsensical drivel?

Expert Opinion on the content of the recent Upstream Online article: “Shell learns from Prelude challenges” 

Rob Jager cannot be as naive as this, he has a  distinguished career in Shell and also been appointed by the New Zealand Government to lead investigations into the tragic Mining accident some years ago.  Clearly not a numpty so why is he making such statements claiming the Prelude is such a magnificent project it will operate perfectly and become boring.

Hydrocarbon Production Operations that I have experienced over many years have never been boring ever.  Every day brings something different to be addressed and Prelude is and will be no different.  Prelude is not receiving a semi-processed feed stack to refine or reform or blend but raw reservoir hydrocarbons.  Even in the case of a rich gas hydrocarbon reservoir, the well effluent will contain a full range of hydrocarbon gas mixtures, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide water vapour and a whole host of trace gasses and other undesirable soluble and insoluble salts.  Notwithstanding during initial production or subsequent well work-over, residual drilling fluids and completion debris some of which will have found its way into the umbilicals and hydraulic well control and safety shut down systems and cause untold havoc. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

The Shell CEO who preferred to stay in the shade

But when the United Nations called for an oil boycott of the South African Apartheid regime, Van Wachem unintentionally ended up in a high-rise political debate. The shareholders’ meetings were suddenly visited by angry activists who had purchased a share from the Royal Dutch. Radicals cut the fuel hoses from Shell’s gas stations. But Van Wachem knew nothing about it. In a letter to the World Council of Churches, he pointed out that there were six other major oil companies operating in South Africa. He also hired an American agency to investigate what he could do against those activists.

Printed below is an English translation of an article published today by the Dutch FT, Financieele Dagblad

Shell CEO preferred to stay in the shade

Louis Hoeks: 29 August 2019

Lo van Wachem during the presentation of Shell’s annual figures for 1985. Photo: Rob Bogaerts on behalf of the FD

Amsterdam, spring 2004. At the shareholders’ meeting of Philips, Peter Paul de Vries of the Vereniging van Effectenbezitters (VEB) asks why the bonus of chairman Gerard Kleisterlee has tripled. “Not on the agenda,” grumbles to Commissioner Lo van Wachem. “It is an issue, because I am asking you,” De Vries insists. But Van Wachem is simply silent. It is not the first collision between the two. A few years earlier, Van Wachem had threatened to have the shareholder foreman removed by security. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Reuters: Dutch to end Groningen gas production quicker than predicted -minister

AMSTERDAM, Aug 27 (Reuters) – The Dutch government will end production at the vast Groningen natural gas field sooner than previously announced, Dutch Economy Minister Eric Wiebes said on Tuesday.

“I expect the Groningen field to no longer be necessary very soon”, Wiebes said in an interview on Dutch public radio.

“Things are moving very fast, a lot faster than anyone would have predicted some time ago.”

Output at Europe’s largest onshore gas field, operated by Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp, has been slashed in recent years as tremors blamed on drilling have damaged buildings and sparked unrest in the region. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Dutch FT: Shell in conflict with Australian tax authorities

The British-Australian newspaper The Guardian discovered that Shell Energy Holdings Australia is trying to “get under” *(evade/dodge/escape/deflect?) the bill through the courts.

Printed below is an English translation of an article published today by the Dutch FT, Financieele Dagblad

Shell in conflict with Australian tax authorities

Maarten van Dun: 27 August 2019

Pedestrians walk past a Shell station in Melbourne. Photo: Carla Gottgens / Bloomberg

Shell has appealed against a decision by the Australian tax authorities. The ATO believes that Shell should pay back a tax benefit of A $ 755 million, converted to € 460 million. The Anglo-Dutch oil company wants to get rid of this tax assessment through the courts.

Shell received the tax assessment from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for its share in Australia’s largest gas field, the Browse project. That field is off the coast of Western Australia and has an estimated value of A $ 30 bln. Shell has a 27% share in the gas field, which has been developing for fifteen years. However, production has never started due to the low global gas prices. Since 2016, the work has stopped completely. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A SHELL WEBSITE

By John Donovan

All visitors to royaldutchshellplc.com and royaldutchshellgroup.com, please be aware that although focussed on Shell, neither is a Shell owned website and they are not endorsed, funded, or controlled by Shell.

Royal Dutch Shell unsuccessfully attempted to seize both domain names in legal proceedings in 2005, but against all expectations, lost the case. 

Although we have standing written permission from Shell to sift through and use our judgement to pass on to Shell any incoming emails meant for the company, we ask that the following matters are raised directly with Shell via shell.com without any involvement on our part. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell in talks with Australian government after receiving £415m tax bill

Royal Dutch Shell is in talks with the Australian government after it was hit with a £415m tax bill.

The Australian Taxation Office claims the Anglo-Dutch oil major avoided paying tax on its 27 per cent stake in the £16.5 billion Browse gas project in seas off the coast of Western Australia.

Court documents show Shell’s primary company in the country, Shell Energy Holdings Australia, has been in a dispute with the tax body for six years over the issue, the Guardian reported. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Enjoying A Cruise Holiday With An Excellent Casino Experience

Guest Article

Enjoying A Cruise Holiday With An Excellent Casino Experience

Whenever you’re in the mood for a cruise, there are always plenty of options in the world and lots of new destinations to explore. However, the options seem to be fewer for those looking to enjoy gambling while on their luxury holiday. Whether you prefer blackjack, poker, video slots or roulette, here are the greatest cruise ship experiences that will deliver some fantastic gameplay opportunities.

Superyacht Casino Cruise

Though this is a casino cruise ship, it’s permanently docked in the Ocean Village Marina in Gibraltar. It offers an outstanding view of the Rock across the Gibraltar Straits to the Moroccan coastline. You can also see the planes braving through the international airport runway for those who enjoy aviation thrills. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Shell Sued by Australian Tax Office Over Browse Stake

Matthew Burgess and Franz Wild: Bloomberg: August 25, 2019

(Bloomberg) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc has been sued by Australia’s tax authority as the agency pursues multinational companies over tax avoidance, the Guardian reported.

The Australian Taxation Office has been battling with Shell’s local subsidiary for six years regarding the tax treatment of its stake in the Browse gas project off the country’s northwest coast, the newspaper reported, citing court documents. The bill, estimated at A$755 million ($510 million), relates to a dispute over A$2.2 billion in tax deductions for the project, the newspaper said. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

ATO slugs Shell with $755m bill in fight against multinational tax avoidance

The Australian Taxation Office has hit the British-Dutch oil giant Shell with a bill estimated at $755m as it continues to pursue multinational resources giants over claims they have avoided paying tax on offshore gas projects.

Court documents reveal Shell’s main Australian company, Shell Energy Holdings Australia, has been fighting the ATO for six years over tax on the company’s stake in the $30bn Browse gas project off the coast of north-west Western Australia.

The ATO’s pursuit of Shell is part of a broader effort to shake money out of big oil and gas projects that one of the authority’s most senior officials says has brought forward tax revenue by a decade. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Upstream Online: Shell learns from Prelude challenges?

Upstream Online: Shell learns from Prelude challenges

Shell is currently in the process of ramping up its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas development off Western Australia, but the ambitious project …

Extract ends

Printed below are extracts from recent postings on our Shell Blog relating to the above Upstream Online article and its interview with Shell VP Prelude, Bob Jager.

Posting on 19 August 2019

I would be interested to know the content of the article just published by Upstream Online about the Prelude FLNG problems?

What I do know is that Prelude is still having difficulties in with the processed volumes of any of the three streams of product, LNG, LPG and condensate.

I have been monitoring the Marine Traffic web site with Prelude as the target. The offtake tankers, LNG or condensate, can be seen hanging around but at a greater distance from Prelude making it not as easy to keep track of as in previous occasions. The latest LNG tanker, Symphonic Breeze, has been nearby for nearly a week waiting for its nominated cargo. The demurrage costs must be quite high by now as the “notice of readiness” will have been tabled on arrival. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

OILPRICE.COM: Shell Takes Step Toward Becoming World’s Largest Power Utility

By Irina Slav – Aug 22, 2019, 11:00 AM CDT

Shell has staked a claim in the Australian power sector by making a US$419-million (A$617 million) takeover offer for the country’s second-largest energy retailer to businesses, ERM Power.

“This acquisition aligns with Shell’s global ambition to expand our integrated power business and builds on Shell Energy Australia’s existing gas marketing and trading capability,” the head of Shell Australia, Zoe Yujnovich said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.

If the deal goes through, it would give Shell ownership of four gas-fired power plants and a market share of almost 25 percent on the Australian commercial and industrial electricity retail market. As the company is already among the top gas producers in Australia, the deal would certainly complement its current operations. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

REUTERS: Shell enters Australia power industry with $419 mln bid for ERM Power

Sonali Paul: 22 Aug 2019

* ​Shell offers A$2.465 a share for ERM, 43% premium

* ​ERM board agrees deal, founder with 27% stake backs bid

* ​Shell targets Australia in global clean energy push

* ERM shares jump 42% (Adds Shell spending on power, sonnen background)

By Sonali Paul

MELBOURNE, Aug 22 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell has made its first foray into Australia’s highly competitive power sector with a A$617 million ($419 million) takeover offer for ERM Power Ltd, the country’s no.2 energy retailer to businesses and industry. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

FT: Shell enters Australia power market with $418m deal

, Senior Energy Correspondent: 22 Aug 2019

Royal Dutch Shell has entered the Australian electricity market with a $418m deal for ERM Power, an energy supplier for businesses.

The Anglo-Dutch company has ambitions to tilt its business towards gas and become a major power player in the decades to come amid a global push towards cleaner fuels.

ERM is Australia’s second-largest energy retailer by load and provides electricity to commercial entities and industry. It also generates electricity from two gas-fired power plants in Oakey, Queensland, and Neerabup, Western Australia. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Stopped Direct Debits Trigger Debt Collection Woes at Shell Energy

The first that those affected knew of this was when Shell Energy’s debt collection firm of choice – Corporate Debt Solutions Global – sent them a letter that threatened disconnection of the service due to non-payment, which as you can imagine will have come as quite a shock.

Stopped Direct Debits Trigger Debt Collection Woes at Shell Energy

By Mark Jackson: Wednesday, August 21st, 2019

A few of Shell Energy’s UK broadband ISP customers, seemingly including some of those who were previously with First Utility before the recent rebrand, complain that they have been hit with letters from Debt Collectors after the provider appeared to stop taking automatic payments via established Direct Debits.

Just to recap. First Utility, which supplied over 700,000 UK households before the change, agreed to sell its business  (valued c.£200m-£300m) to Anglo-Dutch oil company Shell Petroleum Company Ltd. in 2017 (here). The sale was recently followed by a move to re-brand First Utility to Shell Energy in March 2019 and the latest problem began shortly after that. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

Oil Resumption Campaigners Behind Gangsters in Ogoni Says MOSOP

While insisting that the attackers are known, Nsuke charged the government to end the attacks on Ogoni by asking Shell and the Nigerian industry as well as those who organized the Saakpenwa meeting of June 22, 2019, to halt the crazy push for oil resumption in Ogoni…

Printed below in italics is a press statement issued by one of the two competing organisations, both calling themselves MOSOP. The statement is from the MOSOP led by Fegalo Nsuke which is indisputably active, while the MOSOP led by Legborsi Saro Pyagbara (Wikipedia article) has an online presence, but otherwise appears to be dormant?

MOSOP kingdom coordinators and affiliate heads held at the organization’s headquarters in Bori, Ogoniland

PRESS STATEMENT

Oil Resumption Campaigners Behind Gangsters in Ogoni Says MOSOP

The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has accused the campaigners for forceful oil resumption in Ogoni of patronizing criminal gangs that are currently terrorizing the Ogoni area. President of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, made the declaration on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at a meeting with MOSOP kingdom coordinators and affiliate heads held at the organization’s headquarters in Bori, Ogoniland. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
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