Shell made net tax payments of $8 million for its UK North Sea operations last year — less than it paid its outgoing chief executive.
The London-listed oil and gas major said it had incurred a $134 million tax bill under Britain’s “energy profits levy” windfall tax in respect of its 2022 profits.
NEMBE, Nigeria — When Lambert Ogbari learned that the oil giant Shell was selling its local operations to a Nigerian firm, he said he felt hopeful his living conditions would finally improve. But he quickly noticed that maintenance on the oil wells surrounding his village had declined.
Then, one night, Ogbari woke up to a loud bang, followed by the smell of gas. Crude oil was shooting out of a well near his home with such force that people hundreds of yards away could hear the roar.
As the world wrestles with climate change, major oil companies are selling off polluting assets around the globe. Shell, which announced in 2021 that it is looking to exit Nigeria’s onshore market completely, has repeatedly said in annual reports over the past eight years that divestments in Nigeria and elsewhere have played an important role in decreasing the company’s greenhouse gas emissions. Shell’s withdrawal is part of an exodus by some of the world’s top energy companies from the Niger Delta, which had long made Nigeria the largest oil producer in Africa.read more
Mar 27th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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NL TIMES
Shell: Gas field in Groningen must be completely closed this year, in light of earthquakes
SUNDAY, 26 MARCH 2023
The gas field in Groningen must be completely closed this year, said the CEO of Shell Netherlands, Marjan van Loon. Currently, the gas field is still supplying minimal amounts of gas to keep the wells usable, but she doesn’t think that’s necessary. “It can and must be done, so the field has to be closed,” Van Loon said on the TV program WNL Op Zondag.read more
Mar 16th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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“Shell has received three notices of violations, submitted at least 10 malfunction reports and violated the prohibition on the visible mission…”: “Those effects can include things like cancer and respiratory aggravation, potentially leading to asthma.”
CBS PITTSBURGH
Residents want answers about loud bang, orange glow at Beaver County Shell cracker plant
BY MEGHAN SCHILLER: / CBS PITTSBURGH
MONACA, Pa. (KDKA) – Community members in Monaca are demanding answers after a loud bang and an orange glow filled the night sky from across the river at the Shell cracker plant.
Shell posted to Facebook apologizing for the loud noise Tuesday night, but residents KDKA-TV’s Meghan Schiller talked to said the explainer just left them feeling more confused and frustrated, and they still don’t know why there’s a hose spraying water at the plant almost 24 hours later.
“Eyes on Shell got notification from watchdogs around 9:50 or 10 o’clock at night of both the loud booms that are mentioned in Shell’s Facebook post as well as the light,” said Anaïs Peterson, Petrochemicals Campaigner with EarthWorks.
People started sending pictures to the community watchdog group Eyes on Shell. They shared pictures with KDKA-TV showing the dark smoke and bright orange color filling the sky.
“When they’re operating correctly, usually you don’t see any flare, any flame shooting out of the top,” said Dr. Clifford Lau, project manager of the Upper Ohio River Valley Monitoring Group.read more
Mar 12th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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UK pension funds threaten to vote against BP and Shell directors over climate targets – FT
Reuters: Sun, March 12, 2023
March 12 (Reuters) – Two of the UK’s largest pension schemes will vote against the election of top directors at BP Plc and Shell Plc at their annual meetings unless both companies improve their commitments to tackling carbon emissions, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
The plan by the Britain’s Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and Borders to Coast, which together oversee 130 billion pounds ($156.36 billion) in assets, was part of efforts to push oil companies and banks to make faster progress on climate change pledges, the report added.read more
Two years ago, Shell’s executive leadership discussed relocating to the U.S. in order to boost the company’s valuation.
There is a stark difference in valuation between European and U.S. oil majors, a difference that analysts believes is related to ESG factors and energy transition plans.
BP recently backtracked on some of its energy transition promises, resulting in its stock price climbing 10%.
Shell’s executive leadership discussed leaving Europe and relocating to the United States, the Financial Times has reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the discussion.
According to the FT’s sources, the supermajor’s new chief executive, Wael Sawan, was part of a team of top executives that two years ago considered moving Shell’s headquarters to the U.S. and listing the company there, too.
The relocation idea was ultimately dropped but the FT notes that Shell’s chief executive remains worried about the difference in valuation between Shell and its U.S. peers.read more
Feb 19th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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CBS News
Shell cracker plant once again issued pollution violation notice
BY PATRICK DAMP: / CBS PITTSBURGH
INDUSTRY, Pa. (KDKA) – The Shell cracker plant in Beaver County has once again been issued a pollution violation notice.
This is the third time the state’s department of environmental protection has said the plant has exceeded emission limits, once again violating rolling 12-month standards in November and December.
The plant has only been operational since November.
The DEP said in November it emitted 716 tons of volatile organic compounds, 200 tons above what is allowed. read more
Feb 18th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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GLOBAL WITNESS
Fossil fuel greenwash
15 February 2023
Despite growing pressure to curb greenwashing, oil and gas majors Shell and BP continue to promote environmentally friendly narratives their core business does not back up.
In the wake of a UK government warning in late 2021 to stop making misleading environmental claims, BP has more than doubled the amount spent on purchasing advertisements that greenwash its image on Facebook and Instagram compared to 2021.
Meanwhile Shell has continued to run greenwashing ads on Instagram without disclosing the ads relate to political issues as required by the platform. Meta has allowed Shell to re-publish essentially identical political ads without labelling them as such, and continued to profit from the greenwashing ads of polluting industries.read more
Feb 17th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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GROUPS URGE PA TO TEMPORARILY HALT OPERATIONS AT SHELL CHEMICAL PLANT FOR ONGOING AIR POLLUTION VIOLATIONS
Pittsburgh, PA — A pair of environmental organizations today sent a letter to Pennsylvania urging the state to temporarily halt operations at a Shell plastics chemical plant northwest of Pittsburgh that has repeatedly violated air pollution limits and recently released plumes of black smoke for several hours.
Clean Air Council and the Environmental Integrity Project asked the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to temporarily halt operations of the Shell Polymers Monaca plant in Beaver County until the company can demonstrate it can operate in compliance with pollution control laws.read more
A group of European institutional investors is backing a novel London lawsuit against energy giant Shell’s board over alleged climate mismanagement in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how companies tackle emissions.
Client Earth, an environmental law charity turned activist Shell investor, said it had filed a High Court claim on Wednesday, alleging Shell’s 11 directors have failed to manage the “material and foreseeable” risks posed to the company by climate change – and that they are breaking company law.read more
Is it risky to invest in oil and gas? Or is it risky not to?
Recent developments offer evidence of both. I want to unpack those developments today to better understand the future of petroleum in our lives.
On Thursday, the members of the board of directors of Shell, the oil giant, were sued in an English court. An activist group called ClientEarth, which is also a Shell shareholder, alleged that the board members are personally liable for failing to manage climate hazards. It’s the first such liability case against a company board and, depending on how it goes, it could make serving on an oil company board far riskier.read more
Feb 12th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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BBC NEWS
Why are BP, Shell, and other oil giants making so much money right now?
By Ben King
Business reporter, BBC News: 11 Feb 2023
The big oil companies – from the UK-based BP and Shell to international giants such as ExxonMobil and Norway’s Equinor – have been announcing astonishing profit figures.
They are all benefitting from the surging price of oil and gas following the invasion of Ukraine.
While they rake in the profits, people around the world are struggling to pay their energy bills and fill up their cars – leading to calls for higher taxes on these companies.
So how are they making so much money, and should the government step in to stop them?read more
Feb 9th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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The Guardian
Shell directors personally sued over ‘flawed’ climate strategy
Claimants ClientEarth say the oil company’s plan puts the company at financial risk as the world transitions to clean energy
Damian Carrington Environment editor: Thu 9 Feb 2023 06.01 GM
The directors of oil major Shell are being personally sued over their climate strategy, which the claimants say is inadequate to meet climate targets and puts the company at risk as the world switches to clean energy.
Environmental lawyers ClientEarth have filed the lawsuit against the 11 directors at the high court in England. It is the first case in the world seeking to hold corporate directors liable for failing to properly prepare their company for the net zero transition, ClientEarth said.read more
Action pics and video available here, with updates throughout the day.
Amsterdam, Netherlands –Shell has attempted to silence Greenpeace International’s peaceful occupation of its oil and gas platform at sea, by hitting the campaign group with an injunction late on Friday, February 3, threatening up to two years’ jail time and fines.[1]
But today, Shell’s heavy-handed legal tactics failed, as Greenpeace International successfully went ahead with plans to escalate its protest by adding two more climbers to occupy the company’s oil and gas platform – using other boats unaffected by the court order.
Protestors are demanding that the company stops expanding oil and gas production around the world, takes responsibility for fuelling the climate crisis, and pays up for the climate destruction it is causing everywhere.
At around 9am (CET) in the Channel, the Greenpeace France-chartered Merida trimaran and two small boats approached the White Marlin heavy-lift vessel, which is carrying Shell’s 34,000 tonne oil and gas platform to the North Sea.read more
Vast profits for BP and Shell have put them in the frontline of a battle over the winners and losers from the energy crisis.
Extension of the windfall tax is seen by the industry as a way of discouraging further investment.
Some would prefer to see that discouraged and are dismayed as BP increases spend, while others want taxes to target benefits to shareholders.
BP and Shell get the attention because they’re big, public brands based in Britain. They’re not the only ones making vast amounts of money.
US firm ExxonMobil reported a profit of $56bn (£47bn) for last year. Chevron, also in the US, reported $36bn (£30bn).
Shell had profits of $40bn (£32bn) and BP has weighed in at $28bn (£23bn). All of them have more than doubled profits as the invasion of Ukraine and sanctions on Russia roiled the world’s energy markets.
Equinor (formerly Statoil), based in Norway and the largest supplier of gas to the UK and European Union after Russian gas flow was cut sharply, announced on Wednesday its net profit for the year was $28.7bn (£24bn), up from $8.6bn (£7bn) in 2021. Adjusted operating profits – before tax and removing one-off items – came to $75bn (£62bn).read more
Feb 7th, 2023
by John Donovan.
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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Nigeria: Shell must clean up devastating oil spills in the Niger Delta
February 2, 2023
Reacting to the news that two Nigerian communities, which have been devastated by oil spills, have filed claims against Shell at the High Court in London, Amnesty International’s Head of Business and Human Rights Mark Dummett, said:
“More than 13,500 residents from the Ogale and Bille communities in the Niger Delta have now filed claims against Shell asking that the company clean up oil spills which they say have wrecked their livelihoods, poisoned their wells, and polluted their land and water, which means they can no longer farm or fish.”
“Amnesty stands by these two communities in the Niger Delta, which have been engaged in litigation against Shell for seven years, asking that the company clean up the damage caused and compensate them for their lost livelihoods.
“Shell announced in 2021 that it plans to sell its onshore oilfields and assets in the Niger Delta after 60 years of highly profitable operations in the area. It is concerning that Shell has not explained how it plans to address the widespread and systemic pollution of Nigerian communities linked to its operations over many years before it sells up and leaves.read more
Debbie: They really are useless little or no customer service. If you do get to talk to someone they haven't got a clue how to solve things. Never been happy since first signing. I never thought I would admit this but they make TalkTalk seem good. I am now fighting against the cost of 39 po7nd because I haven't returned it. Once again they are lying saying they sent out a self addressed envelope for the return of the modem. Must have got lost in the post.Also my contract ended 8th January it is now 24th and they only just let know. As a company they are devious untrustworthy and morally corrupt. They DO NOT deserve even 1 customer
Tailspin: 29th July 2020 Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd (Co. Reg. No.12776446) was incorporated with one ordinary share of £1 issued to Tailwind Energy Holdings LLP (Co. Reg. No. OC430905) for a consideration of £1
23rd December 2020 Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd issued 290 shares of £1 each to Tailwind Energy Holdings LLP in return for 290 shares of NSV Energy Ltd (Co. Reg. No. 06220464) representing a 100% interest in that entity. Following the transaction, Tailwind Energy Holdings LLP became the parent company of Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd. On the date of issue, the shares of NSV Energy Ltd were valued at $479.9 million resulting in the recognition of an investment of $479.9 million.
On 1st November 2021, Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd declared a dividend of $36.4 million. Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd entered into an agreement with its now subsidiary NSV Energy Ltd to pay the dividends directly to its parent's ultimate shareholders.
For the period ended 31st December 2021 Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd recorded a profit of $36.4 million arising from a dividend declared by its subsidiary in November 2021.
Dividends of $36.4 million ($125,245.7 per share) were declared by Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd for the period ended 31st December 2021.
Companies House records show for Tailwind Energy Holdings LLP under 'People' the following:
Cavendish Energy Holdings Ltd (Co. Reg No.12154073)
Mecuria Asset Holdings (Hong-Kong) Ltd A Private Ltd Company
Mercuria Holdings (UK) Ltd (Co. Reg. No. 123718128)
Companies House Records show that Tailwind Energy Holdings LLP is the 'Designated Member' and only 'Designated Member' for each of the above three companies. There is a 'circularity' here that does not seem correct. Where did the dividend go?
Tailwind Investments Ltd Annual Report and Financial Statements period ended 31st December 2021 indicates Page 16 7.
Tailwind Energy Investments Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tailwind Energy Holdings LLP itself a 51% subsidiary of Cavendish Energy Holdings Ltd (Co. Reg. No. 12154073) . Cavendish Energy Holdings Ltd is also the ultimate parent company and ultimate controlling party which prepares consolidated financial statements.
Companies House Records show under 'Appointments' for Cavendish Energy Holdings Ltd that Tailwind Energy Holdings LLP is the 'Active LLP Designated Member'.
Where did the $36.4 million dividend go?
Bogus Group: Thanks to Wrath for the clarification.
I recall a lot of competent and committed people at BG Group, I also recall a toxic culture among those aspiring to climb the leadership “greasy pole” at all costs. If Mr Gould’s disparaging comments were not aimed at the latter group, it’s no surprise the meeting ended on a low note. These are the people that set targets, but if they can’t perceive how to deliver, someone (not them) has to be held to account.
Seems like the pressure was being felt regarding Queensland Curtis LNG and the toxic ‘blame culture’ was in full-swing. I understood the cost overrun on this project was in the region of £3.3bn, which is surprising as their General Counsel at the time had written the highly regarded book ‘Project Finance’. It must have been left behind in TVP in preference for “back-end loading”.
Wrath: In response to Bogus Group's enquiry.
The reference to Contractors being given 'equal' status to Employees refers to a speech given by Andrew Gould, then Executive Chairman of BG Group, at a Townhall meeting in the BG cafeteria in the Hutton Building, Thames Valley Business Park, in Q4 2014.
At that Townhall meeting Mr Gould, during his speech to the assembled staff, made many references to 'you' (meaning BG Group Staff) failing to meet targets. (A Freudian slip, perhaps, given his ambition for a knighthood?). Eventually, a senior staff member in the audience corrected Mr Gould and said that he (the senior staff member) would feel happier if Mr Gould used the pronoun 'we' instead of 'you', at which point Mr Gould accepted the criticism and corrected himself. During that speech, Mr Gould also said that it was vital that BG Group meet their targets, especially first export of QC LNG coalbed methane to LNG, by year end. In order to achieve this he said that BG Group Contractors would have 'equal' status to BG Group Employees i.e. 'all hands to the pumps'. That meeting was recorded.
Shell makes $70bn BG offer (oedigital.com)
It was at the end of that meeting, that Sami Iskander, then Chief Operating Officer, stood up and to whoever would listen as they 'fled' the cafeteria with their ears burning made the statement that BG Group, the previous year (?) had spent £200MM assuring work which later cost the company £2Bn because it was wrong.
Bogus Group: Would like to hear more on the thread of these interesting comments.
Contractors were not always on ‘equal status’, particularly when it came to safety. In the BG Group 2010 annual report, Chapman’s statement that contractor safety would be a particular focus in 2011, seemed to infer that contractor performance was the issue, however, BG Group were ultimately responsible for those at the worksites, including contractors. In 2012, his “deep regret” of the unacceptable safety performance deterioration in 2011, would appear to indicate the “particular focus” was misconceived.
Wrath: Andrew Gould, former Executive Chairman of the failed BG Group, whose motives were questionable, would be well reminded that putting contractors on equal status as company employees in order to meet 'stretch' targets is in direct conflict with the 'Constitutions' of the various 'Bodies Corporate', despite alignment through 'bridging' documents.
in response to Wrath...: Technical safety across the board has suffered a similar mindset... "as long as it doesn't blow-up on my watch, it's <>." the new SEAM organization has made it abundantly clear, that safety has to be in "balance with business drivers of production and affordability." When it eventually goes boom, it will be blamed on TSE not the folks who are sweeping the concerns under the rug. the new emperors have no clothes!
Wrath: Subsurface Technical Staff at Shell who previously worked for BG Group would be well advised to remember that reserves should not be booked on subjective technical workflows and furthermore that both the technical workflows used in calculating reserves and their results should be reproducible by the Auditors. The BG philosophy of 'it's alright as long as the oil and/or gas is flowing out of the ground and we don't know where it is coming from' is irresponsible, short sighted and to the detriment of Shell's shareholders. This attitude should be dropped pronto!
Astudley: Internet down 3 times for a day at a time. Reported it never had any contact back or reason given. Useless company out at end of contract.
ANON: RE: Nigerian oil export terminal had theft line into sea for 9 years
Sometimes I think I have seen it all and then this comes along
Nigeria is simply doomed with all the corruption.
Take it from me, this is a major operation to fix. So the top brass must have been involved. Half or more of the population is scratching a living in miserable circumstances, there is no more rule of law and these gangsters lay a pipeline from a terminal and steal oil.
Simply beyond what I can imagine.
TERRIBLE: They cut off my 87 year old moms phone. This isn't just a phone for people of that age its and essential lifeline.
After spending an hour on hold I eventually got through to the customer service department. They said a bill hadn't been sent because of billing issues. That's why it wasn't paid.
So, I settled the bill over the phone.
The following day the service was resumed and a demand for the money paid over the phone was sent to her house.
How incompetent are these people.
I spent another hour on hold. No reply to the call at all this time.
No response to my emailed complaint.
Obviously I now have to find another provider.
But a lot of stress for my mother.
DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE PEOPLE.
They are the worst of the worst.
Date of experience: 10 September 2022
Listen and read proof in audio and transcript form of Shell CEO Ben van Beurden’s cover-up tactics in the OPL 245 Nigerian corruption scandal. The instruction given by him in the covertly recorded call to CFO Simon Henry was at odds with Shell’s claimed core business principles. Cover-up and obstruction, instead of transparency and integrity, says Shell critic John Donovan
JOHN DONOVAN TV DOCUMENTARY INTERVIEW
SHELL EXECUTIVES AT THE CENTER OF A SCHEME TO STEAL $1.3 BILLION FROM NIGERIA’S PEOPLE
SHELL ADMITS DEALING WITH NIGERIAN MONEY LAUNDERER – BBC NEWS
SHELL, ENI AND NIGERIAN OFFICIALS IN OPL 245 CORRUPTION SCANDAL
INVESTIGATION OF OPL 245 NIGERIAN OIL CORRUPTION SCANDAL
DUTCH EARTHQUAKES CAUSED BY SHELL/EXXON
SHELL KILLS FOR OIL IN NIGERIA
ESTHER KIOBEL SUES SHELL FOR COMPLICITY IN HUSBANDS MURDER
ESTHER KIOBEL: EVIL OIL GIANT SHELL COLLUDED IN THE EXECUTION OF MY INNOCENT HUSBAND
SHELL LIED ABOUT CLEANING UP OIL IN NIGER DELTA
SHELL SPIES INFILTRATED NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT
LEGO DROPS SHELL OVER GREENPEACE OIL SPILL VIDEO
SHELL ARCTIC DRILLING ACCIDENTS
SHELL KNEW ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE DECADES AGO
ABANDONED BY SHELL: KEITH MACDONALD & FAMILY, VICTIMS OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION AT WORK
ROYAL DUTCH SHELL FOUNDER SIR HENRI DETERDING, NAZI FINANCIER
JOHN DONOVAN PROMOTIONAL GAMES FOR SHELL AND OTHER CLIENTS
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.
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See our link list of over 500 articles by the FT, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Bloomberg, Forbes, Dow Jones Newswires, New York Times, CNBC etc, plus UK House of Commons Select Committee Hansard records, information on U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission websiteetc. all containing references to our Shell focussed websites, or our website founders Alfred and John Donovan. Includes TV documentary features in English and German, newspaper and magazine articles, radio interviews, newsletters etc. Plus academic papers, Stratfor intelligence reports and UK, U.S. and Australian state/parliamentary publications, also citing our Shell websites. Click on this link to see the entire list, all in date order with a link to an index of over 100 books also containing references to our non-profit websites and/or our activities.
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