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After a massive outcry from Jewish organizations, maritime unions,  the public and the UK government, and extensive negative coverage by the news media, all following a campaign led by John Donovan (above), the shipping company Allseas renamed its vessel. All of the businesses associated with the Pieter Schelte project, including its first client, Royal Dutch Shell, had previously turned a blind eye to the Nazi name. Shell reversed course in the face of the firestorm. read more

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By John Donovan

Shell commissioned a group of eminent “independent” historians (above) mostly Dutch, to author a history of Royal Dutch Shell to mark the Group’s centenary in 2007.  The introduction in Volume 1 pledged independent research and “a proper and even-handed assessment of Deterding.” Something went amiss because the “history,” as published in regard to his dealings with Hitler, is simply untrue.

Shell internal communications obtained under the UK Data Protection Act revealed pre-publication jitters at Shell prior to the publication of the four-volume history of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. read more

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The photograph shows Swastika flag flying at the head office of Royal Dutch Petroleum, 30 Carel van Bylandtlaan, The Hague, during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in World War II (From Image Database Hague Municipal)

Summary

*While Chevron, Exxon, Occidental and other oil majors are eagerly ramping up shale acquisitions and production, Shell has been more reserved in this regard.

*Shale resources may help companies improve on upstream production volumes and reserves, but profitability is questionable, leading to potentially net negative trade-off for investors.

*The ethane plant in Pennsylvania is an example of Shell wisely making use of lower natural gas prices, rather than being on the upstream side, losing money.

Much has been made lately of the deep dive into shale that the likes of oil majors such as Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and Exxon (NYSE:XOM) decided to take in the past few years. A fight over Anadarko (NYSE:APC) between Chevron and Occidental (NYSE:OXY) was perhaps the most emblematic symbol of this industry-changing trend. Analysts and investors quickly jumped to the conclusion that it is imperative for all oil majors to jump in and compete with each other on acquiring and developing shale assets. Exxon and Chevron are currently planning to increase shale production to 1 mb/d each. Shell (NYSE:RDS.A) (NYSE:RDS.B) has been more timid in this regard, and given the profitability profile of the overall shale industry, I am fully satisfied with its position in this regard. Shell’s downstream investments, such as the Pennsylvania ethane plant, meant to take advantage of low shale prices, seems to make far more sense than rushing to produce the low-priced natural gas. Nor does it seem all that wise to rush to produce shale oil, which requires extremely high capital expenses to produce. Some investors may believe that it is more important to maintain reserves and production by diving into the shale patch. I personally think that it is not worth diluting Shell’s overall profitability profile by producing shale oil and gas for the sake of maintaining the company’s overall production numbers. read more

Posted 20 Sept 2019

Federal courts require asbestos manufacturers to compensate cancer victims

Plant workers employed before 1981 diagnosed with various cancers are entitled to special benefits. Lung cancer, esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, and mesothelioma are frequently caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos-laced products were used for decades at Shell Chemical.

Neither employees nor management were aware of the asbestos risk. read more

MANILA, Philippines — Environmental activists formed Friday a blockade at an oil refinery in Batangas, pressing the company to show accountability for their role in the climate crisis.

Representatives from climate-impacted communities and activists from the environmental organization Greenpeace blockaded the entrance to Shell’s refinery in Batangas.

On top of one of the facilities’s silos, the activists unfurled a banner that read: “Shell, stop burning our future.”

“This peaceful protest is a bold challenge to fossil fuel companies to show accountability for their role in the climate crisis heed the call of climate-impacted communities for justice,” Greenpeace said in a statement. read more

By John Donovan

Esther Kiobel is one of three “Ogoni 9” widows whose collective case against Shell is currently moving forward in the Dutch courts. Esther is the lead plaintiff.

Esther accuses Shell of conspiring with a corrupt Nigerian military dictatorship in the murder of her husband Dr. Barinem Kiobel who, along with other members of the Ogoni 9, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, where all hanged on false charges. 

Esther has asked me to republish a related extensive report by the UNPO – the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization – published in February 1995. read more

Associated Press: NEWS Sept 17, 2019
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS —

The Dutch government said Tuesday it plans to reform a business tax rule that allows wealthy multinationals to reduce the amount of tax they pay on their profits.

The government said the plan, which has to be passed by parliament, will generate 265 million euros ($292 million) per year in new income.

The announcement follows public outrage at revelations this year that some multinationals paid little or no tax on their profits.

Royal Dutch Shell confirmed in May that it paid no tax in the Netherlands last year on its profits, apart from at a natural gas joint venture, because it was able to offset profits with losses and costs made elsewhere in the world. read more

• BY DAVID J. MITCHELL | STAFF WRITER
• SEP 17, 2019 – 5:31 AM

PLAQUEMINE — A retired appellate judge appointed to hear a longstanding oil field legacy lawsuit involving the Spanish Lake swamp breathed new life into the landowners’ damage claims this week when he granted them new hearings that keep Shell Oil firmly in the dispute.

Filed in 2010 in Iberville Parish, the lawsuit brought by Spanish Lake Restoration, a wetland mitigation bank holding 4,000 acres of the swamp southwest of Baton Rouge, has never gone to on trial on the merits.

The plaintiffs allege wastes from decades of drilling have contaminated the surface and subsurface under old drilling areas in the St. Gabriel oil field and migrated under Spanish Lake Restoration land, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to hundreds of acres. read more

By John Donovan

For more than a decade, Shell’s reputation has been damaged by this website not by the publication of lies, but by us telling the unvarnished truth.

How can you judge if this claim is true or false?

Logic provides the answer. If we published fake news or falsehoods, Shell would have sued for libel long ago. It dare not do so because fact, not fiction, is a complete defence against libel. Furthermore, Shell does not want its toxic past or current corporate sins ventilated in open court. read more

The anger among Groningers was great after two earthquakes last spring. It fueled the fear of new cracks and subsidence, while in some cases the old damage was not even repaired by the syrupy claim settlement and reinforcement operation.

Printed below is an English translation of an article published 10 Sept 2019 by the Dutch FT, Financieele Dagblad. NAM is the Shell/Exxon Joint Venture company responsible for the earthquake blighted Groningen Gas Field and consequential potential bill for untold billions to deal with damaged residences.

Saying goodbye to Groningen gas much faster than expected

Bas Knoop In short

The cabinet wants to stop gas extraction in Groningen much faster than planned. Not in 2030, but already in 2022.

Next year gas extraction will fall to 11.8 billion cubic meters, just below the ‘safe’ level of 12 billion cubic meters.

In order to accelerate the gas extraction, nitrogen is added to imported high-calorific gas. Nine large industrial users are no longer allowed to use Groningen gas from October 2022.

Due to the lower gas extraction, the natural gas revenues for the cabinet will fall by €400 million next year. A new gas deal with Shell and ExxonMobil is being prepared. read more

Bart H. Meijer: SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

* Gas production at Groningen field to end by 2022

* To end 8 years earlier than initially planned

* Groningen production capped at 11.8 bcm in 2019/2020

* To be kept operational until 2026 at latest in case of exceptional demand (Adds detail)

By Bart H. Meij

er

AMSTERDAM, Sept 10 (Reuters) – The Netherlands will halt production at Groningen, Europe’s largest onshore natural gas field, by 2022, eight years earlier than initially planned, the Dutch government said on Tuesday. read more

Shell’s toxic Nazi history catching up with the energy giant

By John Donovan

Information and evidence about Shell’s financial support for Hitler’s Nazi regime (and Shell’s anti-Semitism directed at its own employees), remained buried for decades in library books and newspaper archives gathering more and more dust.

Unfortunately for Royal Dutch Shell, it’s reputation, brand value (and shareholders), fast-evolving Internet technology, including digitalisation of newspaper archives, has transformed access, thereby making that toxic information instantly available everywhere. And spread by social media.  read more

Almost 1,400 complaints over chemical plant’s flaring

A Fife chemical plant must be shut down if its operators cannot come up with a plan to make it as low carbon as possible, a Green MSP has said.

Mark Ruskell said he could not see how the Mossmorran site was “compatible with the climate change emergency”.

Operator Shell said the plant was vital to the UK’s energy supply.

ExxonMobil, which also operates a plant at the site, said it had spent £10bn on developing lower-emission energy solutions since 2000.

Mr Ruskell, the Scottish Greens environment and climate spokesman, said Mossmorran needed to be either shut down or a clear investment plan to make it as low carbon as possible published. read more

Reporting by Ron Bousso, additional reporting by Jennifer Hiller in Houston; Editing by Susan Fenton and Louise Heavens: Sept 6, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – Major oil companies have approved $50 billion of projects since last year that will not be economically viable if governments implement the Paris Agreement on climate change, think-tank Carbon Tracker said in a report published on Friday.

The analysis found that investment plans by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L), BP (BP.L) and ExxonMobil (XOM.N) among other companies will not be compatible with the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. read more