Business Principles

Nigeria’s Plan to Restart Oil in Ogoniland Hits a Consent Test — A Documentary Investigation into Shell’s Unfinished Legacy

Nov 15th, 2026

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AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

15 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT.

Thirty-one years after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight fellow Ogoni campaigners, Nigeria is again attempting to restore petroleum production in Ogoniland. But a committee involved in negotiations with the federal government has refused to sign a proposed agreement without further community consultation. A separate Ogoni organisation has rejected the arrangements more fundamentally. Government statements, recent reporting, Shell’s corporate disclosures and the United Nations’ original environmental assessment reveal why the dispute is about much more than restarting oil wells — and why Shell’s withdrawal from Nigerian onshore production has not erased its historical connection with the controversy. read more

^*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.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 15 NOVEMBER 2026

Nov 15th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 15 NOVEMBER 2026

Archive reference: SLF-2007-119

The Sakhalin Papers CIX: The Sakhalin Budget Test — How Shell’s $24.5 Billion Cost Recovery Led to a Regional Revenue Windfall

In March 2012, Sakhalin Energy announced that it had recovered $24.5 billion in development and operating expenditure, triggering a new stage in the distribution of Sakhalin II’s oil and gas revenues. Four years later, the company reported that payments from the project accounted for more than 60% of Sakhalin Oblast’s public revenues. But its own figures also revealed a remarkable change: payments to regional and local budgets fell from $2.41 billion in 2015 to $1.28 billion in 2016. Original Shell-era corporate reports, an authenticated Shell filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, contemporary reporting and a preserved Russian governmental agreement reveal how the project moved from disputed costs to extraordinary public revenues — and why that success also created fiscal vulnerability. read more

Shell Wins Texas Appeal Over Multimillion-Dollar Trader Bonuses — A Documentary Investigation and an Archive Correction

Nov 14th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

14 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT.

A Texas appeals court has upheld Shell’s victory in a multimillion-dollar dispute with former senior oil trader Eva-Maria Frohn. The decision examines the contractual meaning of redundancy, the treatment of conditional bonuses and performance shares, and the relationship between Shell’s international employment policies and individual compensation agreements. It also provides an important opportunity for the Donovan–Shell Archive to correct its own earlier coverage of the case. read more

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 14 NOVEMBER 2026

Nov 14th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 14 NOVEMBER 2026

Archive reference: SLF-2007-118

The Sakhalin Papers CVIII: The Sakhalin Address Test — 5,933 Local Contracts, but How Much of Shell’s Energy Legacy Stayed on the Island?

Sakhalin Energy reported that 70% of its Russian-company contracts and purchase orders in 2024 went to businesses registered on Sakhalin. Yet only 59% of its own employees were residents of the region. Earlier, while Shell remained a major shareholder, the operator reported that Sakhalin Oblast had received approximately $8 billion in project-related public revenues by the end of 2016. These are substantial economic benefits. But they represent three fundamentally different measurements: contracts awarded, employment and money received by government. Original Shell-era corporate reports, independent research, contemporaneous Russian reporting and the replacement operator’s disclosures reveal what can — and cannot — be established about the benefits retained by Sakhalin itself.

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT. Based on authenticated Sakhalin Energy corporate reports published during Shell’s involvement, contemporaneous Russian news reporting, independent WWF-Russia and International Institute for Environment and Development research, Shell’s subsequent withdrawal announcement, and the replacement operator’s published disclosures.

Publication date: 14 November 2026 read more

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 13 NOVEMBER 2026

Nov 13th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 13 NOVEMBER 2026

Archive reference: SLF-2007-117

The Sakhalin Papers CVII: The Russian Supplier Test — What Was Really “Russian-Made” at Sakhalin II?

A Russian company’s address is not necessarily evidence that its equipment was manufactured in Russia. In 2007, Sakhalin Energy celebrated more than $10 billion in contracts with Russian companies. Three years later, an independent WWF-Russia and International Institute for Environment and Development investigation warned that foreign-controlled contractors and Russian-registered subsidiaries could complicate the meaning of local content. Original company announcements, independent research, procurement disclosures and the operator’s 2024 report reveal why distinguishing Russian suppliers, Russian-made equipment and genuine regional economic benefits is essential to understanding Shell’s original 70% commitment.

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT. Based on contemporaneous Sakhalin Energy announcements, published Shell-era project records, independent WWF-Russia and International Institute for Environment and Development research, Russian legislation, authenticated operating-company reports and contemporary reporting.

Publication date: 13 November 2026

Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia read more

Norway’s Supreme Court Sets a New Climate Test for Oil and Gas — A Documentary Investigation into Shell’s Ormen Lange Expansion

Nov 13th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

13 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using the Norwegian Supreme Court’s published judgment summary, Norwegian Offshore Directorate records, Shell’s corporate disclosures, UK government decisions and contemporary legal analysis.

Norway’s highest court has ruled that offshore petroleum development approvals must take account of the climate effects of burning the oil and gas produced, not merely emissions from extraction. The decision concerns projects operated by Equinor and Aker BP, not Shell. But Shell’s continuing expansion of production from the enormous Ormen Lange gas field raises an important question for future development: how will Norway apply this newly clarified legal standard to projects designed to extract additional fossil fuels from existing reservoirs? read more

Shell Wins the Battle Over 68 Whistleblower Documents — An Independent Investigation into Legal Privilege, Corporate Secrecy and the Kent Quinlan Case

Nov 12th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

12 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT.

A Queensland Supreme Court judge has upheld Shell’s claim to legal professional privilege over 68 documents sought by former ERM Power executive Kent Quinlan. Fifty of the documents identified him as a whistleblower. The judgment is a clear legal victory for Shell on disclosure — but it leaves the underlying allegations of corporate misconduct and whistleblower retaliation unresolved. read more

Shell’s $400 Million Namibia Setback Meets a New Deepwater Test — An Independent Investigation

Nov 11th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

11 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using Shell corporate statements, Namibian government and petroleum-company records, published environmental documentation, contemporaneous energy-industry reporting and historical material from the Donovan–Shell Archive.

Shell is returning to the same offshore licence where commercial expectations previously collapsed. A new drilling campaign follows the most promising geological results yet, but important questions about commercial viability, environmental oversight and the benefits to Namibia remain unanswered.

In January 2025, Shell acknowledged a major disappointment in Namibia.

After years of exploration, several hydrocarbon discoveries and considerable international excitement, the company concluded that resources discovered in its offshore Petroleum Exploration Licence 39 could not then be confirmed for commercial development. read more

Shell’s Diversity Dilemma: An Independent Investigation into US Discrimination Lawsuits, Corporate Security and a Changing Legal Landscape

Nov 11th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

11 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT.

Three current or former employees of Shell’s US Corporate Security Division have accused the energy multinational of racial discrimination arising from a 2025 restructuring. Shell strongly denies the allegations. Now, an investigation published by Bloomberg on 11 November has brought fresh attention to the dispute, examining how Shell’s international diversity commitments intersect with increasingly assertive US enforcement of employment-discrimination law. The controversy raises questions about corporate governance, the implementation of global personnel policies and the distinction between encouraging diversity and making employment decisions on protected characteristics. read more

Shell’s Nigerian Gas Exit: An Independent Investigation into the Vaaris Deals, a $600 Million Financing and the Questions Left Unanswered

Nov 10th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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Shell is selling the pipeline network supplying more than 130 Nigerian businesses. Meanwhile, a separately identified Vaaris company has completed an $800 million acquisition of interests in the former Shell-operated oil joint venture. Corporate announcements, legal advisers’ disclosures and Seplat Energy’s financial statements reveal important details — and equally important limits to what can be established.

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

10 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using original Shell and TotalEnergies corporate announcements, Nigerian Stock Exchange regulatory disclosures, financial statements, transaction advisers’ published records, contemporaneous Nigerian reporting and historical material preserved in the Donovan–Shell Archive.

Shell is preparing to withdraw from a business that has connected Nigerian factories to natural gas for more than a quarter of a century. The proposed buyer is Vaaris Energy Limited. But the announcement comes amid another significant change in the country’s petroleum industry: a separately identified company, Vaaris Resources JVCo Limited, has acquired interests in the former Shell-operated Niger Delta joint venture in an $800 million transaction supported by $600 million in secured borrowing facilities. The transactions concern different assets, different sellers and distinct legal entities. New regulatory documents establish some of the ownership relationships behind the larger acquisition, while leaving important questions about Shell’s own gas-network sale unanswered. read more

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 10 NOVEMBER 2026

Nov 10th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 10 NOVEMBER 2026

Archive reference: SLF-2007-114

The Sakhalin Papers CIV: The Half-Million-Tonne Question — Sakhalin’s Forgotten Gas-Chemical Ambition

A 1997 agreement envisaged supplying Sakhalin with at least 500,000 tonnes of light hydrocarbon fractions annually, beginning in 2005. Shell’s engineers subsequently designed sophisticated gas-processing facilities, but the documented commercial system directed recovered condensate towards oil exports. Nearly thirty years after the original agreement, Sakhalin’s authorities are still discussing major new gas-chemical and condensate-processing industries. Original contractual material, Shell technical publications, operating-company records and contemporary Russian government reporting reveal what was envisaged, what was actually constructed and what remains unproven.

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using contemporaneous technical material authored by Shell personnel, published contractual records, original project-contractor documentation, Sakhalin Energy operating-company disclosures, Russian regional government statements and independent reporting.

Publication date: 10 November 2026

Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia read more

COMING SOON: THE OGONI FILES — A NEW INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION INTO SHELL, THE OGONI NINE AND THE LONG SEARCH FOR JUSTICE

Nov 8th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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From The Sakhalin Papers to Ogoniland: An invitation to witnesses, researchers, former Shell employees and Shell plc itself to contribute evidence.

By the Donovan–Shell Archive | 8 November 2026

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

Following the publication of The Sakhalin Papers, our extensive documentary examination of Shell’s involvement in the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia, the Donovan–Shell Archive is preparing a new investigative series examining another profoundly important chapter in the company’s history.

THE OGONI FILES

The series will investigate Shell’s historical operations in Nigeria’s Ogoniland, the events surrounding the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight fellow Ogoni campaigners on 10 November 1995, the subsequent struggle for justice, and the continuing controversy over environmental restoration and proposals to resume oil production in the region. read more

Shell’s First Plaquemines LNG Cargo — and the $1.7 Billion Claim It Lost Against the Same Supplier

Nov 8th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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A Documentary Investigation into Two Louisiana LNG Contracts, a New York Court Judgment and the Fine Print Governing Shell’s American Gas Supplies

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

8 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using US Department of Energy contract records, an authenticated New York court judgment, Securities and Exchange Commission disclosures, original corporate announcements, contemporaneous Reuters reporting and historical material preserved in the Donovan–Shell Archive.

On 1 November 2026, an LNG carrier departed Venture Global’s Plaquemines export terminal in Louisiana carrying the first cargo supplied to Shell under the project’s newly commenced long-term commercial arrangements. The shipment marked the beginning of deliveries under a 20-year agreement for approximately two million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually. But it also exposed an extraordinary contrast. Shell had previously sought approximately $1.7 billion in damages from the same corporate group’s other LNG operation, alleging that contracted deliveries had been improperly delayed. An arbitration tribunal rejected Shell’s claims, and a New York judge subsequently refused to overturn that result. Why did Shell continue expanding its relationship with the supplier? The original agreements and court records provide a more revealing answer than the headlines. read more

Shell’s Secret Louisiana Coastal Settlement: An Independent Investigation into Sealed Agreements, Environmental Damage and the Public’s Right to Know

Nov 8th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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Louisiana’s threatened coastal wetlands, historic oil industry infrastructure and confidential settlement documents. AI-generated editorial illustration; not a photograph of a specific site or an authentic court document..

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

8 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using published United States federal court records, corporate regulatory disclosures, Louisiana government documents, contemporaneous reporting and independent environmental research.

Shell and other major oil companies have reached confidential settlements in Louisiana’s longstanding coastal-damage litigation. But the public still cannot establish how much Shell agreed to pay, what restoration obligations it accepted, or precisely which claims were resolved. A new investigation published on 8 November 2026 has brought that secrecy back into focus. The dispute concerns more than historical oilfield operations. It raises a fundamental question about settlements involving public environmental resources: when governments compromise claims brought on behalf of their citizens, how much information should those citizens be entitled to see? read more

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 7 NOVEMBER 2026

Nov 7th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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Archive reference: SLF-2007-111

The Sakhalin Papers CI: The 1994 Agreement — The Contract Behind Twenty Years of Conflict

How a production-sharing agreement signed before Russia had enacted its governing legislation placed a 17.5% investment-return threshold at the centre of Sakhalin II — and why its financial provisions became the subject of political confrontation, regulatory scrutiny and litigation.

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using authenticated corporate filings, published Russian government and judicial documents, contemporaneous reporting, independent contractual analysis and historical material preserved in the Donovan–Shell Archive.

Publication date: 7 November 2026

Collection: The Sakhalin Papers — Shell, Gazprom and Russia

Previous instalment: SLF-2007-110 — The Hundredth File: How Russia Twice Changed the Rules of Shell’s Biggest Energy Gamble read more

Shell Sold the Oilfield, Then Helped Finance Its Buyer: A Documentary Investigation into Nigeria’s $2 Billion OML 29 Dispute and New Court Settlement

Nov 7th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

By the Donovan–Shell Archive

7 November 2026

Researched and drafted with assistance from ChatGPT, using original Shell corporate announcements, authenticated English High Court judgments, contemporaneous Nigerian court reporting, independent research by SOMO and historical material preserved in the Donovan–Shell Archive.

A Nigerian court has reportedly approved a settlement bringing a major financing dispute involving Shell, Aiteo and a consortium of lenders to an agreed conclusion. The case concerns oil assets Shell sold in 2015 as part of its withdrawal from Nigeria’s troubled onshore industry. But Shell’s relationship with those assets did not end with the sale. Original English court judgments reveal that a Shell trading subsidiary provided $512 million in vendor financing to the purchaser. The resulting financial arrangements generated years of litigation across Nigeria and England. The new settlement raises questions about how Shell structured its divestment, what financial exposure remained after the transaction, and what the settlement actually resolves. read more

30 November 2023: Posted by John Donovan

The content below is sourced from current verifiable customer reviews of Shell Energy published on Trustpilot.
Extremely slow broadband for 10 months, not fixed. I have had slow broadband well below the guaranteed speed for 10 months and Shell Energy have not been able to fix it. They have tried sending about 4 or 5 engineers but have not fixed the problem. Gurps, who I have been dealing with most recently, has been friendly and polite, alth… Read more

Extremely Slow Shell Broadband

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THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 15 NOVEMBER 2026

The Sakhalin Papers CIX: The Sakhalin Budget Test — How Shell’s $24.5 Billion Cost Recovery Led to a Regional Revenue Windfall

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 14 NOVEMBER 2026

The Sakhalin Papers CVIII: The Sakhalin Address Test — 5,933 Local Contracts, but How Much of Shell’s Energy Legacy Stayed on the Island?

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 13 NOVEMBER 2026

The Sakhalin Papers CVII: The Russian Supplier Test — What Was Really “Russian-Made” at Sakhalin II?

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

Shell is returning to the same offshore licence where commercial expectations previously collapsed. A new drilling campaign follows the most promising geological results yet, but important questions about commercial viability, environmental oversight and the benefits to Namibia remain unanswered.

THE SHELL LEAKS FILES — 10 NOVEMBER 2026

The Sakhalin Papers CIV: The Half-Million-Tonne Question — Sakhalin’s Forgotten Gas-Chemical Ambition

From The Sakhalin Papers to Ogoniland: An invitation to witnesses, researchers, former Shell employees and Shell plc itself to contribute evidence.

A Documentary Investigation into Two Louisiana LNG Contracts, a New York Court Judgment and the Fine Print Governing Shell’s American Gas Supplies

AN INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATION

The Sakhalin Papers CI: The 1994 Agreement — The Contract Behind Twenty Years of Conflict

How a production-sharing agreement signed before Russia had enacted its governing legislation placed a 17.5% investment-return threshold at the centre of Sakhalin II — and why its financial provisions became the subject of political confrontation, regulatory scrutiny and litigation.

Sir Henri Deterding, resurrected!

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30 November 2023: Posted by John Donovan

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