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Dr. John Huong

Shell’s $1.6 Billion Russian Legal Nightmare: From Sakhalin to SNAFU

Mar 25th, 2025
by John Donovan.
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25 March 2025

The ultimate sin stock just can’t catch a break — especially not when it abandoned a gas project, got sued by Russia, and now pretends none of it was their fault.

Oh dear, Shell. Yet another chapter in the never-ending “Oops, Did We Do That?” saga of one of the world’s most polluting, profit-obsessed corporations. This time, it’s Moscow calling — and they’d like $1.6 billion, please.

In its latest annual report, Shell confirmed that a Russian prosecutor has sued not one, but eight Shell group entities — including Shell plc and Shell Energy Europe Limited (SEEL) — over alleged unpaid gas deliveries from 2022. The plaintiff? Good ol’ Gazprom Export, the Kremlin’s favorite fossil-fueled blunt instrument. read more

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

‘Watch Your Back’ Warning to Shell Prelude Whistleblower Irina Woodhead

Jan 15th, 2025
by John Donovan.
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Shell – The Sin Stock That Keeps on Sinning

Posted by John Donovan: 15 Jan 25

They say money makes the world go round, but at Shell, it also makes the world burn, drown, and choke on toxic fumes. For decades, this greedy, ruthless oil giant has been the poster child for corporate malfeasance, environmental destruction, and whistleblower persecution. Let’s not mince words: Shell is not just a company; it’s an evil empire masquerading as an energy conglomerate, bankrolled by investors like BlackRock, who are apparently too busy counting their profits to notice the carnage. read more

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

Call for a Public Inquiry into Shell offshore deaths

Oct 3rd, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Malcolm Brinded, standing trial for Corruption in Italy over Nigerian OPL 245 oil deal, a key figure in many Shell scandals, including the tragic deaths on Brent Bravo.

EMAIL TO ALL MP’s: ON 1st OCT, ROYAL DUTCH SHELL CEO BEN VAN BEURDEN HAD ADVANCE SIGHT OF THE TOXIC FACTS SET OUT HEREIN. NO LEGAL ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO STOP YOU SEEING THIS. 

Although I am not one of your constituents, I hope you agree that the safety of UK offshore workers is a matter of importance to ALL MP’s. Some unfortunate Royal Dutch Shell workers have already lost their lives. More lives are at stake. Please at least glance through the information below, which includes my name and address. 

SHELL NORTH SEA PLATFORM WORKER DEATHS DESERVING A FULLY INFORMED PUBLIC INQUIRY

Just how bad does has a company have to be before the Church of England withdraws investment on ethical grounds?

You may have seen the email I recently sent to over around 1,000 parliamentarians, including senior clergy and the former Scottish Energy Minister Baroness Liddell, who, as you will see, has a Shell connection. The email was about the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Church of England’s significant investment in Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

Many thanks for all the responses received.

I would like to bring to your attention just one of the many scandals rattling around in Shell’s corporate cupboard. read more

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

John Donovan email to Shell 1 Oct 2018

Oct 1st, 2018
by John Donovan.
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From: John Donovan
Subject: Next Email to Parliamentarians
Date: 1 October 2018 at 21:00:35 BST
To: gary.thomson@shell.com
Cc: “ben.vanbeurden@shell.com” <ben.vanbeurden@shell.com>, William Campbell

Dear Mr Thomson

Printed below is a draft of my next email to Parliamentarians. Usual invitation: Shell is welcome to point out for rectification any inaccurate information. Shell is also invited to provide comment for unedited inclusion alongside the article in a prominent form. If I receive no response by Wednesday noon I will assume Shell does not wish to take up these invitations. More time will happily be given for Shell to provide any such substantive response if so requested before the deadline. Accuracy of stated facts is far more important than any rush to publication. I am sure Mr. Campbell will let me know if he spots any error in regard to matters known by him. If Shell does not want to have advance sight of future such emails, then please advise accordingly and I will comply with that request. Yours sincerely John Donovan

DRAFT

EMAIL TO ALL MP’s AND PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: ROYAL DUTCH SHELL LAWYERS HAVE HAD ADVANCE SIGHT OF WHAT YOU ARE HOPEFULLY ABOUT TO READ.

SHELL NORTH SEA PLATFORM WORKER DEATHS DESERVING A PUBLIC INQUIRY

Just how bad does has a company have to be before the Church of England withdraws investment on ethical grounds?

You may have seen the email I recently sent to over around 1,000 parliamentarians, including senior clergy and the former Scottish Energy Minister Baroness Liddell, who has a Shell connection. The email was about the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Church of England’s significant investment in Royal Dutch Shell Plc.

Many thanks for all the responses received.

Today I would like to bring to your attention just one of the many scandals rattling around in Shell’s corporate cupboard. read more

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

A BLUNT INSIDER JUDGEMENT OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL

Feb 1st, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Extract from the ebook “John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare” (now available on Amazon websites globally)

(BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT SHELL’S EPIC 25 YEAR FEUD WITH JOHN DONOVAN – which puts the extracts below in overall context.)

Extract below from pages 55, 56, 57 & 58 consisting of an informed damning judgement (in June 2004) on Shell management by Dr. John Huong a Shell Production Geologist. He blew the whistle internally on the reserves fraud that resulted in the forced merger of Shell Transport and Trading and Royal Dutch Petroleum, into Royal Dutch Shell Plc in 2005. He was fired for being a person man of high integrity. Eight companies in the Shell group jointly sued him for defamation, but eventually, six years later, settled that action along with his claim against Shell for wrongful dismissal.

Extract Begins

CONTENT OF A LEAFLET PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE AND CIRCULATED IN JUNE 2004 AT THE SHELL CENTRE, LONDON. ALL EXTRACTS FROM COMMENTS MADE BY DR. JOHN HUONG

“I will supply for publication further informed comment and revelations in the run up to Shell’s AGM on 28 June. It will include examples of the toxic combination of arrogance, greed, dishonesty, and blatant disregard for all ethical norms by Shell Management, that has culminated in the current shame heaped upon the once proud Shell name.” read more

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

SHELL DEFAMATION PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SHELL WHISTLEBLOWER DR JOHN HUONG

Jan 14th, 2018
by John Donovan.
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Extracts from the ebook “John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare” (now available on Amazon websites globally)

(BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT SHELL’S EPIC 25 YEAR FEUD WITH JOHN DONOVAN – which puts the extracts below in overall context.)

Shell Production Geologist turned whistleblower, Dr. John Huong

From pages 51 & 52

Extracts Begin

SHELL DEFAMATION PROCEEDINGS INVOLVING OUR WEBSITE

In June 2004, we published information supplied to us by Dr. John Huong, a Shell Malaysia Production Geologist who had worked for the company for decades. He was probably the first Shell employee to blow the whistle internally on the Shell reserves fraud, described on BBC TV as the biggest fraud in history.

I put Dr. Huong into contact with the New York lawyers acting for the lead plaintiffs in a related Shell shareholder class action in which our website played an important facilitating role. read more

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

PURE BS: SHELL THE MOST RIGOROUSLY POLICED BRAND IN THE WORLD

Feb 5th, 2015
by John Donovan.
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Screen Shot 2015-02-05 at 00.20.35By John Donovan

Just read the article by Tom Banks published today by Design Week under the headline:

“Shell lifts the lid on new digital strategy”

Extracts

Radley Yeldar  has redesigned Shell’s website, which will act as a hub for all corporate and consumer activity.

Radley Yeldar digital director Richard Coope says this extended to 74 different websites, in the region of 68 social networks and accounts and 18 mobile apps. In total they found were 27,000 pages of content.

His team has worked with the Shell brand and visual identity teams to make Shell’s branding “more in tune with a digital environment”. It is, he says, “the most rigorously policed and well understood brand in the world.” read more

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

News items of interest to Shell

Oct 10th, 2013
by John Donovan.
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In view of its past horrendous track record of dealing with a whistleblower (buried alive in multiple defamation actions, multiple injunctions, threat of imprisonment etc) and the fact that Shell was a pioneer in evil, sinister blacklisting activities, Shell is likely to be interested in these current news stories…

1.  WHISTLEBLOWER BOUNTIES:

The Financial Times carries the story that the Home Office in the UK is considering a US-style system in which corporate whistleblowers are paid a proportion of the penalties paid by companies. The suggestion was apparently buried deep in the policy document announcing the launch of the new National Crime Agency earlier this week.

1.  BUILDING BLACKLIST:

The construction firms – Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Costain, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska UK and Vinci – have apologised for their involvement with the company that held the blacklist, The Consulting Association. But they have not admitted liability. read more

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

Verdict on Royal Dutch Shell CFO Simon Henry

Feb 11th, 2013
by John Donovan.
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Shell internal email correspondence irrefutably proves that Simon Henry was aware in March 2002 that “reserves bookings were made that should not have been made”. Walter van de Vijver, the “sick and tired” Chief Executive of Shell EP, gave the information directly to him. As can be seen in the email, Walter van de Vijver aggressively accused Mr Henry of setting targets that were near impossible to achieve. The question arises of whether Mr Henry was a culprit, an accomplice, or an innocent bystander.

By John Donovan

INTRODUCTION

We have published a series of articles about the starring role of Simon Henry in the Royal Dutch Shell reserves scandal.

Shell internal email correspondence irrefutably proves that Simon Henry was aware in March 2002 that “reserves bookings were made that should not have been made”. Walter van de Vijver, the “sick and tired” Chief Executive of Shell EP, gave the information directly to him. Walter van de Vijver accused Mr Henry of setting targets that were near impossible to achieve. read more

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

SHELL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES – GENUINE OR CON TRICK?

Dec 5th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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By John Donovan

Shell has for many years supposedly operated within an ethical code which, according to its current shell.com webpage on the subject, was first published in 1976.

This does not tally with the relevant pages in “A HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL, Volume 3,” about the history of the code – known in the 1990’s as the Shell Statement of General Business Principles.

Apparently they were first drafted in 1962, restated and first published in 1976, made freely available to the public from 1981 and reformulated in 1997, for the first time including human rights. read more

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

Study for Shell’s Jackpine oilsands mine predicts big losses in animal habitat

Oct 22nd, 2012
by John Donovan.
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By Marty Klinkenberg, Edmonton Journal October 21, 2012

A black-throated green warbler bathes at the bird sanctuary at High Island in Texas, May 8, 2006.

Photograph by: NATALIE CAUDILL , MCT

EDMONTON – Shell Canada outlines a substantial loss of habitat for birds, woodland caribou, bison and other animals in an environmental assessment of the proposed expansion of its Jackpine oilsands mine in northeastern Alberta.

The document prepared by the company for an upcoming public hearing predicts that the impact of all development projects in the region, including but not restricted to the proposed Jackpine mine, would result in the loss of 40 to 60 per cent of the habitat for birds, 47 per cent of habitat critical to woodland caribou, 39 per cent of the habitat used by wood bison and significant swaths of forest important to fisher, lynx, wolverine, moose, beaver and black bear. read more

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

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL ROBBERS AND RASCALS

Sep 12th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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FROM OUR SEPT 2005 SHELL NEWS ARCHIVE

ROYAL DUTCH SHELL ROBBERS AND RASCALS

“…Shell shareholders have to foot the bill for lawyers fees run up in the course of defending fat cat crooks, such as Sir Phillip Watts, the disgraced former Group Chairman of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. Sir Phillip ended up with a $18 million USD pension pot AND with all his ongoing legal fees being paid by Shell shareholders. This was after he had LIED AND COVERED UP THE TRUTH ABOUT SHELL’S RESERVES, AND IN THE PROCESS, DESTROYED SHELL’S REPUTATION”

By Alfred Donovan: Monday 12 Sept 2005

The press is having a field day in devising colourful headlines about the scandal ridden Royal Dutch Shell Group. An article in “The Sunday Times” yesterday had a story under the headline: “Shell move robs UK investors”. It reported on the horrendous tax implications for UK Royal Dutch shareholders resulting from the recent Royal Dutch/Shell unification and the dubious way in which Shell has dealt with the controversy thus far.

Yesterdays “Independent on Sunday” used the term “Clever Rascals” about Shell in a headline relating to the Sakhalin project in Russia and the potential ramifications in respect of the critically endangered western grey whale. For the record, the Encarta Online Dictionary definition of a “rascal” is: “dishonest person: somebody, especially a man, who is dishonest or otherwise unethical”. read more

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

Question mark over legal status of Royal Dutch Shell Business Principles

Sep 9th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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FROM OUR SEPT 2005 SHELL NEWS ARCHIVE

Question mark over legal status of Royal Dutch Shell Statement of General Business Principles

“The development may also be of interest to the Rossport Five jailed in Ireland at Shell’s behest after making a stand on environmental grounds.”

Friday 9 September 2005: 10.00am ET

By John Donovan

Comments in an important judicial handbook recently published as part of the United Nations Environment Programme, imply that contrary to previous understanding, voluntary Codes of Conduct implemented by multinational corporations may be subject to rights of legal redress. As a result, it appears that legal remedies for corporate misdeeds may have now reached the doorstep of Shell in relation to its Statement of General Business Principles (SGBP) which solemnly pledge honesty, integrity and transparency in all of Shell’s dealings. The SGBP is specifically cited in the relevant comments. read more

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

US pension fund giants lead Shell onslaught

May 9th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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FROM OUR ARCHIVES

By John Donovan

In May 2005, Royal Dutch Shell was in the middle of the maelstrom arising from the reserves scandal. Shell had defrauded many of its own shareholders as a result of filing false information with the US Securities & Exchange Commission. The Sunday Telegraph article printed below provides an insight into the subsequent legal “onslaught”.

After being approached by the U.S. lawyers, Bernstein Liebhard & Lifshitz, acting for the lead plaintiffs, I supplied Shell insider evidence and contact with Shell whistleblowers, including Dr John Huong, a Shell production geologist.  read more

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

Corporate Scandals: Post-Enron, post-Shell, post-WorldCom, post-Parmalat

Apr 20th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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Post-Enron, post-Shell, post-WorldCom, post-Parmalat, the collective knickers of the business world are in a twist about ethics, and rightly so. Deals are the building blocks of business. Enormous sums are at stake and the money belongs mostly to strangers, not neighbours. Without ethics to define deals and fair dealing, business will not get done.

Introduction by John Donovan:

Dr John Huong (right), the renowned former Shell Production Geologist who blew the whistle internally at Shell in respect of the oil and gas reserves fraud is the author of this article. It was written at a time when he was being sued for defamation by EIGHT Royal Dutch Shell companies in respect of postings made on this website under his name. Shell eventually withdrew the claim and settled a counterclaim brought by Dr Huong for wrongful dismissal.

Reflections on the Essay By Mr Thomas Stewart on Corporate Governance and the morals at workplace environment

By Dr John Huong read more

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SELECTION OF RECENT ARTICLES ON ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC.COM

Apr 6th, 2012
by John Donovan.
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HOW TO GUT GOLIATH

At long last, someone has written an invaluable guide on how ordinary individuals can publicly criticize the rich and powerful, including multinational corporations, by using the Internet.

EXTRACT: …the most successful gripe site of all time, which targets Shell Oil, actually operates under the domain name royaldutchshellplc.com, Shell’s legal trading name.

ALLEGED BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION AT SHELL MOTIVA

The supplier in question advised us of a favored relationship Shell has had with a rival vendor. It became plain that unless they were prepared to abandon their own principles and hand out substantial bribes, they might as well give up trying to do business with Shell/Motiva. Contract/procurement decisions are allegedly made not on competitive pricing and first class support, but instead on the size and frequency of bribes. So its basically, cough up or give up. read more

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