21 Oct 2024
Meet Irina Woodhead, the brave whistleblower who dared to speak out against the greedy, ruthless, and incompetent oil giant we know as Shell. For those not keeping track of Shell’s ever-expanding portfolio of environmental disasters and corporate scandals, Irina was employed by the company as a technical and process safety advisor from July 2019 to May 2023. And boy, did she have a front-row seat to Shell’s handling of one of its most embarrassing failures: the Prelude FLNG project.
You remember Prelude, right? The crown jewel of Shell’s incompetence—a floating gas plant that was delayed, cost billions, and is about as reliable as a boat made of Swiss cheese. Prelude has been so dangerous and faulty that even the *Australian safety regulator had to shut it down. It appears when Shell promises to deliver cutting-edge technology, what they really mean is “overpriced, hazardous, and constantly broken” – a floating disaster waiting to happen.
Irina, with her accredited expertise, raised serious concerns about the duplicating and confusing safety standards and technical integrity of Prelude. And how did Shell respond to someone trying to prevent a catastrophe? By doing what Shell does best: burying the truth and retaliating against anyone who dares question them. Instead of fixing the glaring safety risks she pointed out, Shell chose to silence her by terminating her employment and continuing on with ‘the head in the sand’.
Her claims, which are now being actively pursued in the courts involve allegations of blatant discrimination amongst others. But why should this come as a surprise? Shell has been screwing over anyone with a conscience for years, whether it’s their employees, the environment, or entire communities. And it doesn’t hurt that Shell’s biggest investors, such as BlackRock, are more than happy to keep cashing in as long as the profits keep flowing, no matter how toxic the company’s behaviour gets.
For those interested in hearing more about Irina’s story—you can meet her in person at the upcoming event “Meet the Whistleblowers: Exploring the Issues and Agreeing the Solutions” at the House of Lords on October 23. This event, organized by Whistleblowers UK, encourages everyone who has faced retaliation for doing the right thing to come forward and share their experiences.
Shell CEO Wael Sawan is invited to attend. Tickets are apparently sold out but the organisers might be prepared to squeeze him in.
Soon after the event we will publish Irina’s pre-meeting notes.
*Australian National Offshore Petroleum and Environmental Management Authority
This free event is an opportunity to meet people who have blown the whistle and hear first-hand how their experience changed their lives forever.
EBOOK TITLE: “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
EBOOK TITLE: “JOHN DONOVAN, SHELL’S NIGHTMARE: MY EPIC FEUD WITH THE UNSCRUPULOUS OIL GIANT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
EBOOK TITLE: “TOXIC FACTS ABOUT SHELL REMOVED FROM WIKIPEDIA: HOW SHELL BECAME THE MOST HATED BRAND IN THE WORLD” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
